Factory "Match" Barrels-Hype or Not?

[Prange]

There's been a bit of talk about "match" barrels in the Accushadow discussion.

 

How would I be able to identify a factory CZ match barrel? Is there such an animal? Or are they contracted out from KKM?

 

I've been shooting Kart and KKM barrels for years and am familiar with them and why they work as well as they do.

 

In a few weeks,I'm going to buy a Shadow 2. I haven't made up my mind between CZC and Cajun yet.

 

I'm a "buy once,cry once" kinda guy, so money isn't the biggest concern for me. Value for that money is.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,Gentlemen.

[AdamM]

If I had to do do again, I would go CGW. I got a CZC Accu 2 and a friend got the CGW Accu, and their trigger is so much better, it was not even funny. I also did not like the CZC rear sight. Just couldn't aim it correctly with the sloped sides for what ever reason. Had to switch it to the old flat style like my SP-01 ST. I don't remember what the rear sight was like on the CGW however.

[Wrecks]

I can't help you with identifying a match barrel other then I believe all the match grade barrels are from CZC directly and have the CZC logo stamped on the chamber. Barsto makes them as well and I've heard good things about them online but have never seen one in person.

 

What I can add to the conversation is I own both a CZC AccuShadow (without match barrel) and also a Shadow 2 that's got about 500$ worth of CGW guts (I basically got all the parts from the pro package but I bought them over time like an idiot). Granted I did all the install and tuning work on the S2 myself, but it was a great chance to learn the mechanics on the gun.

 

My breakdown for the two would be:

 

-The trigger pull in SA on both is great, both around 2.5-3# and very short. The S2 with CGW is a little snappier/crisper whereas the Accu is a little smoother to the break. In any practical use they're identical

 

-In DA the Accu is significantly smoother to the point where you can't hardly tell you're moving a mechanical device. The S2 is no slouch though but the Accu work is better. In your case since CGW would do work to smooth it out it's hard to say if it would be better than my home work. But I have done most of the techniques to smooth out the action with sanding and polishing and the Accu is still slightly superior.

 

-Precision difference between the Accu bushing and the CGW bushing is negligible, they're both incredible with the right ammo within the limited range that a 5" blowback pistol barrel can manage. You won't be able to reliabily see any difference and any perceived difference you read around online is certainly bias on the side of the owner. They're both great. 

 

-Overall value: if you were truly in a coin flip situation I would say to get the AccuShadow because the uniqueness of the bushing and the CZC brand image will make it easier to sell the gun for closer to retail down the road. Just as I have done, Anyone can buy the pro package from CGW and install it and nobody would know whether it was truly a CGW custom gun, whereas an AccuShadow stands out from the crowd.

 

In my opinion, If I was looking at one of these with a money is no object mentality, I would go the CZC. From there I would decide based on the application I would use the gun in which model to go with. To me, a Bull Shadow would likely be my top choice because the barrel will be custom fit to the slide by nature and with less reciprocating mass, it would have a slight edge for recoil. It also will retain value if you wanted to trade it later.

 

Again just my opinion, but a match barrel on an AccuShadow is going to be the definition of the law of diminishing returns, you'll never really appreciate the extra 0.1% precision you'll get and potentially you can run into reliability issues with such custom fits (think about how finicky high end 1911s can be).

 

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by Wrecks

[Prange]

Thanks for the input. I do appreciate it. 

 

I'm not fond of "crisp" triggers. They make me tend to snatch shots. I like the smoother, revolver-like breaks,(shorter travel, of course).

 

I like the1911-style bushing. But if it doesn't make it more accurate, why bother.

 

Tough choices here.

Edited March 23, 2019 by Prange