CZ Shadow 2 Orange

[rowdyb]

So in the past I've owned 3 SP01 Accushadows, 2 Tac Sport Oranges in .40, 4 different Shadow 2's, and a Shadow 2 OR. I've also shot a friend's SP01 Orange and Shadow 2 Orange.

 

Well as a present to myself for getting into IPSC Pan-American championships and World Shoot XIX (whenever it finally happens) I bought myself a Shadow 2 Orange today from Ben Stoeger Pro Shop as it is only 90 miles from my house and I like them.

 

With my previous ownership of the nicer factory offerings, and guns build by CZC and AA and CJ Maven I feel I got a decent handle on what a nice 75 series or Shadow 2 pistol feels like. All that in mind after my first range trip today with the Shadow 2 Orange it is now the pinnacle "factory" CZ gun for my usage in USPSA and IPSC Production.

 

After shooting it all stock today to check everything out I came home and put on grips I like, changed fiber from red to green, put on slim safety set from another gun (I'll need to order another slim safety set), swapped the orange mag release button onto another gun for a black one (another purchase to make), 11# CZC recoil spring and 10# CZC hammer spring.

 

I wish all the extra springs in the box were labeled as it came with a good handful but I don't know what any of them are or how to identify them without a spring tester.

[Nathanb]

I don’t need to hear things like this from reputable source. It’s how I end up with new competition guns

Edited April 5, 2021 by Nathanb

[rowdyb]

24 minutes ago, Nathanb said:

I don’t need to hear things like this from reputable source. It’s how I end up with new competition guns

Even my wife noticed things like they did to the hammer and the difference in slide to frame fitment.

 

The disco is as good as most I've hand fit as far as reset is concerned. I have to tap the slide with a delrin mallet lightly to get it off the frame.

 

A full on gun from any of the good builders will likely have a better trigger. And a 10x bushing does wonders in itself. But get a custom shadow 2 built and you're very near 2 grand anyways.

 

And no one else cares, but I needed something I could keep ipsc legal and this is the apex gun for me, with that in mind.

[dansedgli]

Did it group better than the others?

[FALAR]

40 minutes ago, rowdyb said:

Even my wife noticed things like they did to the hammer and the difference in slide to frame fitment.

 

The disco is as good as most I've hand fit as far as reset is concerned. I have to tap the slide with a delrin mallet lightly to get it off the frame.

 

A full on gun from any of the good builders will likely have a better trigger. And a 10x bushing does wonders in itself. But get a custom shadow 2 built and you're very near 2 grand anyways.

 

And no one else cares, but I needed something I could keep ipsc legal and this is the apex gun for me, with that in mind.

 

 

They are incredible guns, especially for the price.

[slavex]

I agree 100% with you on that RowdyB, I've got a safe full of Shadows and Shadow 2s (14 I think now or something) and the girlfriend has the A01 as do a number of friends. The Orange sits above them all in terms of fitting and accuracy, except for the A01, it is just as accurate, but I don't like the feel or looks of it (and Angus is a good friend so I hate saying that). I much prefer the look and feel of the Shadow 2, and the Orange just takes the fitting to a new level. My only one complaint, is that the gun should be a full Arcore frame like my first two Shadow 2s were (and they are my backup and practice gun now). Sequentially numbered and made for me at the factory, they are still my favorite frame type. For the money the Orange should not be Polycoated, it should be Arcore.

[rowdyb]

1 hour ago, slavex said:

For the money the Orange should not be Polycoated, it should be Arcore.

Agreed.

1 hour ago, slavex said:

A01, it is just as accurate, but I don't like the feel or looks of it

Doubly agreed. Their focus group was wrong that lead to that gun and its looks, ergos and just everything other than shooting groups with it.

[rowdyb]

1 hour ago, dansedgli said:

Did it group better than the others?

I've said that in other threads, yes. My Shadow 2 Orange and the other I have shot both grouped better than my regular ones with a 10x bushing. And the 10x was noticeably better than stock. The problem is no one really really believes you until they shoot one themselves, as there are just to many variables to make it easy to rationalize away getting the Orange.

[rowdyb]

1 hour ago, dansedgli said:

Did it group better than the others?

Of my 3 Accushadows, one was just amazing. It must have just been a perfect day at CZC when it was built. I also had the "Oz" barrel hand fit to it as well. The gun just was touched everywhere by great gunsmiths and I never thought I would shoot any other gun with that level of confident accuracy. This factory gun equals that one special gun.

[jejb]

11 hours ago, rowdyb said:

I wish all the extra springs in the box were labeled as it came with a good handful but I don't know what any of them are or how to identify them without a spring tester.

I bugged CZ USA quite a bit about the extra springs when I got my S2O late last year. Here's what they finally found out for me. This refers to the extra springs:

13 and 11 lbs recoil and 16 and 13 main. Stronger in always the longer one.

[rowdyb]

Thank you!

[George16]

@rowdyb congrats on your new S2O. My authentic Japanese ramen offer still stands when you come over to Florida .
 

With regards to springs, CZ USA needs to get there act together and be consistent on what they tell their customers asking for info. When I called them a few years back asking for info about the spare springs that came with my TSO and shadow 2, CZ USA told me that the three recoil springs are 11 lb, 13 lb and 16 lb.

 

 The 16 lb spring is tapered at one end and the gun ships with this spring (TSO) while the shadow 2 has the 13# installed. The other two springs are 11 lb and 13 lb.  HOWEVER, the longer spring is the 11 lb.  The 11 and 13 have the same number of coils but the 11 lb spring is longer. Additionally, guns shipped with a 20# main spring according to CZ USA.
 

I have since installed an 11.5# main spring and 11# recoil spring on my the shadow 2 while the TSO still has the stock 20# main spring but I replaced the stock 16# recoil spring with an 11#.

[rowdyb]

21 minutes ago, George16 said:

ramen offer still stands

I will be there in Sept for ipsc pan americans. So yes, it is happening.

[George16]

11 minutes ago, rowdyb said:

I will be there in Sept for ipsc pan americans. So yes, it is happening.

That’s great! Just holler up.

[yigal]

14 hours ago, slavex said:

I agree 100% with you on that RowdyB, I've got a safe full of Shadows and Shadow 2s (14 I think now or something)   

You received shares in Skoda.?

[rowdyb]

2 hours ago, yigal said:

You received shares in Skoda.?

That joke is years and years old now.

[GrumpyOne]

7 hours ago, yigal said:

You received shares in Skoda.?

Yes, this is getting old. Very old.

[LuvDog]

Well, I hope you shoot it and then get a backup S2O. And then get tired of them and sell them to me cheap like you did with your S1’s 

[rowdyb]

41 minutes ago, LuvDog said:

Well, I hope you shoot it and then get a backup S2O. And then get tired of them and sell them to me cheap like you did with your S1’s 

just wait long enough and anything may happen. 

[yigal]

12 hours ago, rowdyb said:

That joke is years and years old now.

 

7 hours ago, GrumpyOne said:

Yes, this is getting old. Very old.

I understand that this is the echo.

[jejb]

22 hours ago, George16 said:

With regards to springs, CZ USA needs to get there act together and be consistent on what they tell their customers asking for info.

The info I posted above is very recent, and it may be different for non-orange variants.

 

But I do find it ridiculous that the springs are not labeled in anyway and the info on what they actually are is so hard to get. It's nice they include them, but it is of dubious value when you don't know what they are rated at. 

[George16]

38 minutes ago, jejb said:

 

 

But I do find it ridiculous that the springs are not labeled in anyway and the info on what they actually are is so hard to get. It's nice they include them, but it is of dubious value when you don't know what they are rated at. 

I’m with you . I’d like to. Up a spring tester and test them myself just to be sure.

[porkster]

Same boat as you-- getting my S2O at the end of the month!

 

Already have a slim safety coming from overseas so I can still reach the slide stop. 

 

Are you going to install the extended firing pin or you've had no issues with the stock one? 

 

If the standard mainspring is #20, I'm guessing the included #13 would be a big difference.

[rowdyb]

I'm running an 11# hammer spring and the stock firing pin. I will install a 2075 firing pin spring. Currently though the gun (11# hammer, 11# recoil) sets off CCI small rifle and two different NATO/milspec rounds I found that fell off a truck. Wink wink.

 

Observations from today. It is a tiny bit heaver, like 1/4 ounce at the very end due to the bushing I'm sure. I am getting a little bit of brass shavings and marking around the ejection port and on the extractor's exterior. It is ludicrously easy for me to shoot 10 shot groups that are fist sized at 25 yards when just shooting the sights as they return. The timing of the slide in the frame still is "different" due to it being slowish from its tight fit.

 

Still a successful 400 rounds through it today.

[WxGuy]

I'll bet when you get a few more rounds in it you will be able to run a 8-9lbs recoil spring.