Cz SP01 Shadow vs Tanfoglio Stock 2

[JGus]

Darn, I was hoping you knew of a source to get the frame mounted safety/decocker version.

[kneelingatlas]

Darn, I was hoping you knew of a source to get the frame mounted safety/decocker version.

The frame safety model does not have a decocker, the decocker model has it mounted on the slide.

[BeerBaron]

I know this is kind of an old topic but thought I'd bring it back.

I have been shooting a CZ SP01 shadow for a while and recently bought a tanfog stock II.

At this point I haven't shot the tanfo more than a handful of times but that will change soon and I'll update my feelings then. To throw a spanner in the works I also recently bought a shadow mate australia which is a somewhat souped up version of a shadow (hand fitted barrel and slide, all the hot up bits - comp hammer, grips, steel guiderod etc and springs).

The CZ is a very capable gun and if trigger is important to you then it's possibly the better choice.

The trigger bar spring and plunger on the tanfo combined with the very short strut and short mainspring mean it's at a disanvantage from the get go. it also has a wobbly trigger from the factory which i've heard is a pain to correct.

The CZ on the other hand has a nice long strut and mainspring just like a 1911 (goes right down the length of the backstrap of the grip). It also doesn't have a firing pin block (some argue the tanfo FPB does not add to trigger pull but to me it's one more friction point I don't need).

On the other side though tanfo has a lovely match grade bull barrel with poly rifling (jury is out on it vs traditional rifling) and cone lock-up (there is no doubt this is a good thing). It also has a heavier muzzle end of the frame and feels better balanced in the hand (is heavier than the CZ overall too). it has a wider grip and beautiful checkering on the front and back straps (CZ needs skate tape to get close). THe slide serrations are deep and wide and easy to use. the CZ ones are a bit 'hows your father''...

the stock 2 comes with LPA adjustable sights and the slide is milled out to enable them to be mounted low.

Fitting wise the tanfo has very tight slide to frame fit and very nice barrel lock-up. the extractor is nice and beefy vs the CZ one.

In shooting I feel like a tanfo set-up nicely with springs enables quicker second shots but possibly a little slower transitions. CZ is still one hell of a gun and the trigger can be made to be amazing just using factory parts and some dry firing (no gun smithing needed really) which is great if you want to stay legal in IPSC production...

my stock II is something of an abortion. It's a 38 super (so large frame) but I run a 9mm barrel to shoot 9mm but still use the 38 super mags. time will tell if it's reliable like that or not. I'll update after a few months shooting the tanfo. it is the muxh nicer looking gun if looks are important.

[kneelingatlas]

it also has a wobbly trigger from the factory which i've heard is a pain to correct.

Easy fix: use a CZ trigger and drill out the holes to fit; CZ uses 2.25mm pins and Tanfoglio uses 2.75mm pins.

[biscuit]

I have a CZ sp01 target, mags suck get the plated mags. The stock ll double action pull even with bigger frame is better for short fingers ( have wide hands just short fingers). Support maybe an issue with Stock ll??? not sure as I am trying to buy one right now to and find out.

[Kahai808]

I have owned Large Frame Stock 2, Small Frame Stock 2 and CZ Shadow. Each gun has their own strengths. For me I like the shadow. fits my hand best. when shooting I really don't notice the trigger. my best advice is to shoot each gun and decide for yourself.

[Prov1x]

I have a CZ sp01 target, mags suck get the plated mags. The stock ll double action pull even with bigger frame is better for short fingers ( have wide hands just short fingers). Support maybe an issue with Stock ll??? not sure as I am trying to buy one right now to and find out.

I've had 2 shadows and have sold both of them. I also have wide hands and shortish fingers.The trigger in double action mode extends too far forward for me. Even after trying the new style trigger it was still a bit too far out front.

The cz trigger is definitely more crisp but my tanfo triggers are not bad at all. They aren't as crisp as the cz but they are pretty nice. That and the overall feel of the gun, while shooting as well, gives the tanfo an edge to me.

I like my stock 3 just a bit better than my stock 2 but can switch back and forth without missing a beat. Parts are readily available now so support in that department is not an issue.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Prov1x

[kneelingatlas]

Even after trying the new style trigger it was still a bit too far out front.

Did you ever try the SP01 trigger, it's nearly identical to the Stock II trigger.

[jedpeters]

Kneelingatlas, the SP-01 trigger is better than the stock 2 after gunsmithing.

It's the ergonomics that don't work for some of us. Big meaty hands and stubby fingers like the Tanfo more than the cz. My short fingers had a hard time reaching the cz trigger.

And the mag button on the tanfo is better as well.

Single action trigger can be made to a bit better on the tanfo.

[Prov1x]

Kneelingatlas, the SP-01 trigger is better than the stock 2 after gunsmithing.

It's the ergonomics that don't work for some of us. Big meaty hands and stubby fingers like the Tanfo more than the cz. My short fingers had a hard time reaching the cz trigger.

And the mag button on the tanfo is better as well.

Single action trigger can be made to a bit better on the tanfo.

This ^ sums it up for me. Yes I tried the curved trigger sp01 trigger, which was in my P01, and still the same outcome.

[Malarkey]

Ill say, I have decently large hands and the stock rubber grips on the SP-01 are fat enough for my hands. I couldn't imagine the thinner aluminum grips.

[Supranatural]

But what division does a Hippogriff put you in?

Bigger factor is that you need to be a virgin shooter to use the Unicorn...most of will have to choose Hippogriff...

[Chubby]

I ran the shadow and the stock 2 and enjoyed both. I prefer the Shadow due to its "Ready straight out of the box" quality and customer service. The stock 2 was always a work in progress and when I finally thought I was done something would go to crap.

I just recently purchased the newest SP-01 Shadow Custom with the short reset. I am blown away on what they've done with it. The first one I owned I bought ten years ago and they are totally different guns! A slight tweak on the trigger return spring is all I did to it and I now have a 6-1/2 pound double and a 2 pound single! The barrel to slide fitting is incredible, the frame to slide fitting is comparable to a Dan Wesson 1911, and it runs on everything I feed it. Accurate? Oh hell yeah!

The Stock 2 took about a year of buying different springs, new parts, trial and error at the range, finding the right magazines, dialing in the ammo, and a bunch of Homer Simpson moments during a match before I had the confidence in it to really run it.

[zhunter]

Unicorn lovers enjoy messing with them, CZ lovers like to shoot

[bayougump]

Unicorn lovers enjoy messing with them, CZ lovers like to shoot

Very true

[Prov1x]

I ran the shadow and the stock 2 and enjoyed both. I prefer the Shadow due to its "Ready straight out of the box" quality and customer service. The stock 2 was always a work in progress and when I finally thought I was done something would go to crap.

I just recently purchased the newest SP-01 Shadow Custom with the short reset. I am blown away on what they've done with it. The first one I owned I bought ten years ago and they are totally different guns! A slight tweak on the trigger return spring is all I did to it and I now have a 6-1/2 pound double and a 2 pound single! The barrel to slide fitting is incredible, the frame to slide fitting is comparable to a Dan Wesson 1911, and it runs on everything I feed it. Accurate? Oh hell yeah!

The Stock 2 took about a year of buying different springs, new parts, trial and error at the range, finding the right magazines, dialing in the ammo, and a bunch of Homer Simpson moments during a match before I had the confidence in it to really run it.

What? Getting a tanfo to your specs isn't hard. It took me about 2 hours to polish and clean some things up to get it smooth. Change 3 springs and done. Magazine have ran from day 1 and have never had a problem with them.

If you are comparing a shadow custom, which it sounds like you are, those are two different types of guns. It would be more fair to compare a stock sp01 shadow to a factory stock 2. Then guess what, you are doing the same work to both to get them ready for competition.

I have owned 2 sp01 custom shadows. They are great guns and I would shoot one again if the stock 2 wasn't in my bag. The small grip frame and the long trigger reach is what made the difference to me.

[Chubby]

What? Getting a Tanfo to those specs isn't hard? 2 hours? You must be one talented gunsmith to be able to get that gun to the specs of a CZ custom in two hours! It took me having to experiment with numerous spring weights, ordering parts from all over hell and back,(Henning, Tanfo, EG sites,.....) extended firing pin, hand tooling the disconnector to shorten the single action reset, hand tooling the hammer ears to get a 1911 trigger pull, range time to insure function and eliminate light strikes. Oh yeah! Before Meg Car mags came out for the large frame, it was always a crap shoot to get your mags to run.

CZ? Open box, put rounds in mag, put mag in gun, point and shoot. I guess I could always buy an Eric G. Extreme stock 2 but I think I have a better chance of catching a snipe.

When I get my next stock 2 I know who to call. Even if you charge me $250 an hour I'm still getting off at a bargain!

[Prov1x]

What? Getting a Tanfo to those specs isn't hard? 2 hours? You must be one talented gunsmith to be able to get that gun to the specs of a CZ custom in two hours! It took me having to experiment with numerous spring weights, ordering parts from all over hell and back,(Henning, Tanfo, EG sites,.....) extended firing pin, hand tooling the disconnector to shorten the single action reset, hand tooling the hammer ears to get a 1911 trigger pull, range time to insure function and eliminate light strikes. Oh yeah! Before Meg Car mags came out for the large frame, it was always a crap shoot to get your mags to run.

CZ? Open box, put rounds in mag, put mag in gun, point and shoot. I guess I could always buy an Eric G. Extreme stock 2 but I think I have a better chance of catching a snipe.

When I get my next stock 2 I know who to call. Even if you charge me $250 an hour I'm still getting off at a bargain!

You are comparing a full custom cz to a stock stock 2 and those are not the same.

That's your problem, chasing the "1911 trigger pull" out of a da/sa gun, it's not going to happen. Tanfos are not that hard to get a nice trigger on and cz's aren't either. IF, you aren't chasing the littlest amounts of trigger pull, reset, 1911 trigger pull, 4# da pull etc etc. It really is not that complicated.

[zhunter]

What? Getting a Tanfo to those specs isn't hard? 2 hours? You must be one talented gunsmith to be able to get that gun to the specs of a CZ custom in two hours! It took me having to experiment with numerous spring weights, ordering parts from all over hell and back,(Henning, Tanfo, EG sites,.....) extended firing pin, hand tooling the disconnector to shorten the single action reset, hand tooling the hammer ears to get a 1911 trigger pull, range time to insure function and eliminate light strikes. Oh yeah! Before Meg Car mags came out for the large frame, it was always a crap shoot to get your mags to run.

CZ? Open box, put rounds in mag, put mag in gun, point and shoot. I guess I could always buy an Eric G. Extreme stock 2 but I think I have a better chance of catching a snipe.

When I get my next stock 2 I know who to call. Even if you charge me $250 an hour I'm still getting off at a bargain!

You are comparing a full custom cz to a stock stock 2 and those are not the same.

That's your problem, chasing the "1911 trigger pull" out of a da/sa gun, it's not going to happen. Tanfos are not that hard to get a nice trigger on and cz's aren't either. IF, you aren't chasing the littlest amounts of trigger pull, reset, 1911 trigger pull, 4# da pull etc etc. It really is not that complicated.

CZC Shadow and a 8.5# CGW hammer spring, BINGO

[himurax13]

it also has a wobbly trigger from the factory which i've heard is a pain to correct.

Easy fix: use a CZ trigger and drill out the holes to fit; CZ uses 2.25mm pins and Tanfoglio uses 2.75mm pins.

I wonder if anyone has pictures of an 85 combat trigger done up this way ...

[BeckA11416]

I have a cz shadow and a stock 2 both could be considered the the best gun for production division. As mentioned the stock 2 has less felt recoil, overall appearance and better grip. The cz has more parts availability and the cz custom shop and offer a competition ready package out of the box. If the stock 2 was more available in the US it would be a tough choice but here buy a cz custom and go shoot it for years.