Andreas

Yeah, I'm intrigued by the pistol but don't want a $450 door stop if something breaks. Nice thing is that the K100 would give commonality with my CZ magazines after some dremeling. Too bad there isn't a US-made DA/SA pistol that's worth a damn.

i don't even see the gun listed anymore. Has it been dropped?? Looks like they're available at J&G Sales.

Any further news regarding US availability?

I just started IDPA at Cherokee two weeks ago need to get my feet wet before I look at USPSA Consider also coming out for Steel Challenge at South River on the the third Sunday of each month. I'll be shooting this month, and we usually get a fair number of CZ shooters.

It will put you in the new Cryptid division that I'll be proposing to the USPSA BoD. The list of approved Cryptid pistols gets updated on the first of each month via a GunBroker search. Pistols for which the search comes back empty get added to that month's list.

I'll personally unload and dry fire the drill right there at the range a few times. That generally clears up the problem…at least for a while.

How do the CZ aluminum grips with aggressive checkering compare to VZ's offerings, particularly the Diamond Backs? I see that the CZ grips are available in both thin and thick versions. The Diamond Backs are just right for me in terms of grip, but slightly thinner would be nice.

Well? Which is best? I vote hippogriff: it has wings and the upper body of an eagle. A unicorn is just a horse with a stick on its head. But I bet that I could get one of each in trade for my Shadow and have enough left over for a Glock

I love reading about Shadow vs Stock II here in the US. Might as well discuss riding a unicorn vs riding a hippogriff.

I'm following this topic with great interest. A pal let me check out his 9mm TS at a recent steel match. What a beautiful blaster! But Limited Minor isn't appealing, which means a .40 conversion. Also, what about changing the slide, barrel, and recoil spring as a unit?

That sounds about right for an FS M&P 9mm. Neither of mine could beat 6" at 25 yards. Check if your barrel has the older 1:18 twist or the newer 1:10. The new barrels allegedly shoot better. Accuracy problems seem limited to FS models with the Pro and Shield 9mm pistols grouping fine.

Looks sharp. Any plans to shoot Open Minor?

You start hammer down for a DA first shot. Practice manually decocking beforehand!

Yeah, I added CoC grippers to near-daily dry fire and bad things happened fairly quickly. Setting down my pistol for two weeks, ice, and massage got my elbow tendonitis down to a dull roar. I've started up light dry fire since then, and two more weeks has seen additional improvement. But I'm still some time from picking up the grippers. Careful with these things folks!

Instructor: Ben Stoeger is a USPSA Production Grand Master, having numerous Section, Area, and National Championship wins. Ben finished the 2011 and 2012 seasons as the USPSA Production National Champion. Location: South River Gun Club Date: 9–10 November 2013 Time: 0900–1700 both days Course topics: USPSA techniques (this will consist mostly of specialized movement techniques) Moving targets Stage breakdown/analysis Practice tips and techniques High-speed accuracy Preparation for major matches + anything people request to be added Course description: The first day will consist of intensive work on technique, with the morning covering USPSA fundamentals and the afternoon more advanced USPSA techniques. The second day will consist of shooting USPSA stages multiple times, with the students receiving feedback from Ben between runs. This class is geared toward anyone interested in shooting USPSA matches. Check feedback on recent classes. Ammo: Expect to shoot 500–600 rounds per day. Bring extra. I can help with tracking down ammo if that's a problem. Class Size: Maximum of 12 students, and I need at least 8 to hold the class. Payment: $350 tuition + $50 range/materials fee payable by check or money order. Full balance must be paid to hold your spot. No refunds after 9 October unless there's someone to take your spot. Please contact me for payment details: Andreas Yankopolus andreas@yank.to

You need to leave the firing-pin block installed and operative to shoot Production, so you can't legally do the kind of short-reset trigger possible on a Shadow or other non-FPB model.

I had Stuart work over a 75B Stainless for me earlier this year to include installing a Heinie Charger rear sight, which required cutting the slide. All the work turned out great, the pistol shoots point of aim, and everyone who sees it is jealous. CZC, CGW, and Automatic Accuracy have all earned good reputations. I don't think you can go wrong.

Interesting comments regarding expectations. My biggest match disaster to date was the aforementioned USPSA match. I showed up thinking "I'm so ready to shoot some personal bests" and proceeded to tank the first two stages, after which I seriously considered crumpling up my score sheet and driving home. But I stuck it out and tried not to be too much of an insufferable ass to my squad mates. It was tough shooting that far under my self image based on previous match & practice performance. The lay-off certainly helped smooth out that roughness. I've been trying to work on my mental game—what's meant by "practice mind"?

I've noticed that my shooting often picks up after vacations or other forced lay-offs. I'm wondering if people have looked into taking time off strategically and what they've found. Recent example: I've been dry firing almost daily since March, but a flare-up of tendonitis in my weak elbow at the beginning of July and a train wreck of a USPSA match the first weekend forced me to set down my pistol. My elbow was feeling enough improved that I shot a Steel Challenge match on the 21st after a short dry-fire session the previous night. I wasn't expecting a whole lot but ended up shooting personal bests on five of the six stages. The exception was Smoke & Hope, where I know that my lack of grip strength in my weak hand killed me. I'm running Roundabout in ~3.3s and Pendulum in ~3.75s with my SP01 Shadow FWIW. —Andreas

+1 on this. Squats are the best full-body exercise out there. I see the original poster mentioning all kinds of silly isolation exercises. Squat, deadlift, bench, and overhead press. There are several good threads on here about grip training; perhaps start with this one.

I'm being told October/November before any more arrive in the US. No idea what the hold-up is.

The CZ aluminum grips are really thin and dead flat. VZs have a bit of a curve to them and slightly increase the diameter of the grip. The VZ Diamond Backs have a very aggressive texture, and I like them a lot on my SP01 Shadow gamer gun. Clamp down, and the pistol isn't going anywhere. The Tactical Diamonds are less aggressive but still hold well. The Frags are more designed for concealed carry—clothing won't hang up on them. I'd suggest the Diamond Backs for gaming. You hands may have a slight acclimation period

Any recommendations here beyond the bands?

Evidently not.

There are a couple good options for grips if you're not thrilled with the factory ones. CZ makes several different models of aluminum grips. The model that ships on Shadows is incredibly thin and very flat. You can add grip tape as needed. I haven't tried the textured aluminum ones. Other good options come from VZ. The Diamond Backs have an aggressive texturing that's great for competition shooting. They're cut with a slight swell that increases grip diamater just a bit. The Frag grips are more designed for concealed carry. They lock up well enough when you squeeze down hard on them but don't have a texture that would interfere with fabric sliding across them. I haven't tried the Tactical Diamonds but expect they're a toned-down version of the Diamond Backs.