Optic Ready CZ Shadow 2

[MsDV8]

Since April 2018 following my first IPSC Qualifier shooting a non-optic CZ Shadow 2, I’ve been dying to get the optic version.  Will post a follow up video once I’ve sighted in the optic and had a chance to give it an objective review.  I love the Shadow 2, it’s without question the best handgun I’ve ever shot (to date) and I’ve had the opportunity to sample quite a few.  Here’s a little unboxing video and very first impressions.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by MsDV8

[arkadi]

We usually orient dots in opposite direction?

[cjmill87]

"Well that red dot needs some adjustment" - Yes definitely, it needs to be turned around to face the other way!

[Steve RA]

          

[MsDV8]

 

30 minutes ago, cjmill87 said:

"Well that red dot needs some adjustment" - Yes definitely, it needs to be turned around to face the other way!

 

HAHAHA!! OMG is my face red!  And worse yet, this isn’t the first optic I’ve installed.  HAHHA!  Oh well, I’m not reshooting the video, you guys will have to live with my non-brunette moment.  I can claim I was overwhelmed by the surreality of actually having this baby in my hot little hands finally!  

Edited January 23, 2019 by MsDV8

[cjmill87]

No judgement at all, that looks like a sweet new blaster!  Enjoy it!

[MsDV8]

2 minutes ago, cjmill87 said:

No judgement at all, that looks like a sweet new blaster!  Enjoy it!

LOL, thanks!  If enough people think I’m an idiot, I might actually end with a viral video, woo hoo!  Hahah.

 

Looking forward to seeing how it stacks up to the Shadow 2 shooting at my duelling tree.

[MsDV8]

43 minutes ago, arkadi said:

We usually orient dots in opposite direction?

Yes, usually I do as well.  Except in this case, lol. 

[Hooked]

I’ve had mine since just before Christmas and the round count is up around 1200 now.  It’s a great improvement over my regular S2 with the Henning mount and the same DPP.  With the RDS being just a few mm closer to the bore axis has made all the difference. Picking up and tracking the dot is almost instant and automatic now.

[MsDV8]

23 minutes ago, Hooked said:

I’ve had mine since just before Christmas and the round count is up around 1200 now.  It’s a great improvement over my regular S2 with the Henning mount and the same DPP.  With the RDS being just a few mm closer to the bore axis has made all the difference. Picking up and tracking the dot is almost instant and automatic now.

 

 

Sweet rig!  I’ll post a photo of mine when I get the plate on and the optic mounted (correctly),   Thanks for sharing your insights!

[kmanick]

I got a 2nd slide and had CZC mill it and lighten ti. I also have the Venom 6MOA on mine, I love it, so effortless to shoot.

I ended up removing the FO from my front sight as it was distracting me. I only use the CO slide for competition and I found that I'm much faster without a front sight on there.

good luck with it and Enjoy the hell out of it

[Hooked]

17 minutes ago, kmanick said:

I got a 2nd slide and had CZC mill it and lighten ti. I also have the Venom 6MOA on mine, I love it, so effortless to shoot.

I ended up removing the FO from my front sight as it was distracting me. I only use the CO slide for competition and I found that I'm much faster without a front sight on there.

good luck with it and Enjoy the hell out of it

 

Mine is without a front sight anymore as well.  I had a spare, low front sight from my S1 that I ground down to the base. 

[MsDV8]

2 hours ago, kmanick said:

I got a 2nd slide and had CZC mill it and lighten ti. I also have the Venom 6MOA on mine, I love it, so effortless to shoot.

I ended up removing the FO from my front sight as it was distracting me. I only use the CO slide for competition and I found that I'm much faster without a front sight on there.

good luck with it and Enjoy the hell out of it

Interesting, I was thinking of removing the fiber optic as well.  I find it a distraction on the X5 too.  Was removing the front sight fairly straight forward or should I take it to a gunsmith?

[MsDV8]

2 hours ago, Hooked said:

 

Mine is without a front sight anymore as well.  I had a spare, low front sight from my S1 that I ground down to the base. 

Sounds like mine is coming off too now.  

[slavex]

I would love to see a way of mounting directly to the slide without a plate. 

[avastcosmicarena]

Is the Optic Ready Shadow 2 legal in USPSA Carry Optics?

[MsDV8]

1 hour ago, avastcosmicarena said:

Is the Optic Ready Shadow 2 legal in USPSA Carry Optics?

Is USPSA comparable to IPSC or is it like IDPA?  If you’re referring to IDPA, which has a Carry Optics Division then the answer is no.  But if USPSA is like IPSC, then yes, it falls under Production Optics and it’s legal.  Unless you start pimping it out even more, then it goes into Open.  

[MsDV8]

.

Edited January 24, 2019 by MsDV8

[MsDV8]

1 hour ago, slavex said:

I would love to see a way of mounting directly to the slide without a plate. 

That would be preferential.  My Sig Romeo 1 mounts directly to the Sig X5, but unless CZ starts making it’s own proprietary RDS, then you would end up with a slide that looks like it got hit with a shot gun blast trying to fit every one else’s optic hole pattern.

[shakin_bakin]

3 hours ago, avastcosmicarena said:

Is the Optic Ready Shadow 2 legal in USPSA Carry Optics?

 

Yes and no. Yes its on the production gun list so it can be used. No, right out of the box its not legal cause it doesnt make weight. However, there are several posts in the CZ section that will help you make weight. Couple real quick that will help you get there are:

1) ultralight LOK Grips and the skinny mag release

2) Cajun's Acetal guide rod to replace the steel one

3) dont use a DPP, use a lighter optic like the venom

4) this list is not all inclusive, and you might have to get the slide lightened a little, but this might get you close.

5) if you want to use extended mags (who wouldnt in CO?) you'll almost certainly need to get the slide lightened to make weight (henning and CZC tend to be the lightest mag extensions at this time with TTI coming in at a close 3rd...  I believe only about 8 grams difference)

Edited January 24, 2019 by shakin_bakin

[MsDV8]

3 hours ago, shakin_bakin said:

 

Yes and no. Yes its on the production gun list so it can be used. No, right out of the box its not legal cause it doesnt make weight. However, there are several posts in the CZ section that will help you make weight. Couple real quick that will help you get there are:

1) ultralight LOK Grips and the skinny mag release

2) Cajun's Acetal guide rod to replace the steel one

3) dont use a DPP, use a lighter optic like the venom

4) this list is not all inclusive, and you might have to get the slide lightened a little, but this might get you close.

5) if you want to use extended mags (who wouldnt in CO?) you'll almost certainly need to get the slide lightened to make weight (henning and CZC tend to be the lightest mag extensions at this time with TTI coming in at a close 3rd...  I believe only about 8 grams difference)

This recommendation is strictly for Carry Optics right?  Which would fall under IDPA in Canada I guess..  I would love to be able to shoot the Shadow in IDPA. Right now without the mounting plate (which I don’t have yet) and rear sight removed is weighing in at 47.8 oz (making it 2.8 oz over the 45 oz max).  I just weighed out 2.8 ounces and it feels like a fair chunk of change.  Like 3 Canadian Twoonies, 2 Canadian Loonies, a Canadian nickel, a US Quarter,  20 Portuguese Escudos, 200 Mexican Pesos, 2 British Pence, 100 Spanish PTAS,  and 1 Deutschmark = 2.8 oz (fair chunk of change).

[shakin_bakin]

35 minutes ago, MsDV8 said:

This recommendation is strictly for Carry Optics right?  Which would fall under IDPA in Canada I guess..  I would love to be able to shoot the Shadow in IDPA. Right now without the mounting plate (which I don’t have yet) and rear sight removed is weighing in at 47.8 oz (making it 2.8 oz over the 45 oz max).  I just weighed out 2.8 ounces and it feels like a fair chunk of change.  Like 3 Canadian Twoonies, 2 Canadian Loonies, a Canadian nickel, a US Quarter,  20 Portuguese Escudos, 200 Mexican Pesos, 2 British Pence, 100 Spanish PTAS,  and 1 Deutschmark = 2.8 oz (fair chunk of change).

HAHA I have no idea what 20 Portuguese Escudo's weighs but I like the comparison!

 

Yes that was for Carry Optics Only to help make weight. And the weight limit I was referencing was USPSA 45.00oz. Sorry, I should of been more clear.

The LOK grips should give you about .7 oz's back, the guide rod would give you about .6 oz's back. If your saying your coming in at 47.8 OZ with rear sight removed thats pretty heavy. I think a discussion about two months ago we were talking that it was going to weigh about 46.8OZ....

 

Can you weigh it with rear sight removed and without a mag? @rowdyb has weighed the mag's for me already so we could add up the weight, and subtract what we know the other items weight to get a pretty close idea of how much weight would have to be milled or if not. Currently sounds like there is no way it would make the 45oz USPSA weight requirement without lightening of the slide of some sorts.

 

Also, I'm extremely jealous you have them in Canada already...

Edited January 24, 2019 by shakin_bakin

[MsDV8]

17 minutes ago, shakin_bakin said:

HAHA I have no idea what 20 Portuguese Escudo's weighs but I like the comparison!

 

Yes that was for Carry Optics Only to help make weight. And the weight limit I was referencing was USPSA 45.00oz. Sorry, I should of been more clear.

The LOK grips should give you about .7 oz's back, the guide rod would give you about .6 oz's back. If your saying your coming in at 47.8 OZ with rear sight removed thats pretty heavy. I think a discussion about two months ago we were talking that it was going to weigh about 46.8OZ....

 

Can you weigh it with rear sight removed and without a mag? @rowdyb has weighed the mag's for me already so we could add up the weight, and subtract what we know the other items weight to get a pretty close idea of how much weight would have to be milled or if not. Currently sounds like there is no way it would make the 45oz USPSA weight requirement without lightening of the slide of some sorts.

 

Also, I'm extremely jealous you have them in Canada already...

I figured you were talking USPSA Carry Optics.  IDPA Carry Optics would be the Canadian equivalent.  Where it gets confusing is that USPSA is also the equivalent to IPSC everywhere else, yes?

 

LOL, thanks for liking my “fair chunk of change” metaphor.  That’s all the regional and foreign currency I had on hand.

 

Rear sight removed, no mag is 41.5 oz.  I didn’t include the adaptor plate, in the original weigh in of 47.8 oz because I don’t have that yet, it’s arriving tomorrow, so that’ll add a bit more weight yet.  But the 47.8 included everything else, the gun itself, minus the rear sight, the optic and the empty mag.  So, with the rear sight removed, the gun and a mag weighs in at 44.6 oz.  I could just train myself to shoot without sights,......which are vastly over-rated  (Sage Dynamics seems to make it look doable).

 

The IDPA shooters here will s#!t a brick if I show up to a match with a weight legal Shadow 2.  OMG.

[shakin_bakin]

So, as I see it. You have to loose the difference in weight of a mag and an optic and a plate...

 

17 round mecgar mag, nickel plated. grams spring and follower. hennings basepad. 3.90 ounces.

Venom is a fairly light optic, I believe its .8oz... so that's 4.7oz's not counting the plate... You could always try and use the lightest mags/followers you can find.  That's a lot of weight to loose from bolt on parts. I dont see it happening without some kind of lightening of the slide.

[rowdyb]

I don't have the numbers as I just did it as I went, but iirc removing the front and rear sight (keeping the roll pin in front for the bushing) and the milling for the rear sight were equal in weight loss to the addition of my sight. So net loss of zero there.

 

I did not like any of the plastic guide rods I tried. I turned down a stock Shadow 2 one so that is was all the same diameter as the thinner portion.

 

As I had an extra slide for the project I didn't want to modify my frame in any way, so all my loss had to come from the slide. Which was like 2.4 ounces needing to be removed when I factored in the additional weight of the high capacity mags.