Shadows Getting Old: Need help and advice

[Smitty79]

I have 2 CZ Custom Shadows (91030).    My Practice Shadow has about 80k rounds through it, all on one slide and frame.   I can't imagine how many dry trigger pulls it has.    My match Shadow has about 40k on the frame and 30k on the slide.   I bought a new slide, rather than mill the current one when I transitioned to Carry Optics.

 

I've been struggling with accuracy on the practice gun for years.    I moved from .355 Blue Bullets to .356 SNS bullets and that helped.   SNS are sill better.   But not great.    I can shoot consistent 25 yd head shots, with a dot equipped M&P shield plus (Not the performance center version).    I can't do it with either of my Shadows.

 

I still like the pulls of both triggers.    Everything on my match Shadow works fine,    I have always been able to engage the safety on the practice Shadow with the hammer down.    Never on the match Shadow.    Now, if the safety is engaged with the hammer down on the practice Shadow, I can pull through the safety.

 

I respring the guns and replace firing pins annually.    I also replace slide stops and extractors every 3 years.    Both guns had CZC short reach kits installed last year.

 

As I see it, I can repair these guns or get some new ones.    I'm a low B class super senior.     A Shadow 2, or a cool Sig 320, isn't going to get me on the super squad.

 

If I were to repair, I would replace the sear and bushing on the practice gun and the bushing on the match gun.    Is repair viable or am I going to run into slide to frame fit looseness?

 

It would also be reasonable to get a new or lightly used new to me Shadow or Shadow 2 as a match gun, repair the match gun to be a practice gun and relegate the practice gun to dry fire only.

 

If I went with the Shadow 2, what other stuff has to change?    Will my Mec-Gar 17 rounders with CZC base pads and guts still work?    How about the holsters?   

[Rnlinebacker]

Shadow 2 is a large frame and will give you more surface area to grip. Mags will work. Barrel I believe might be a little longer. Holster will be different

 

An aftermarket match barrel like the ones Barsto has might help you and will be more cost effective. Buying a new gun is fun though

[MoRivera]

New tighter barrel bushing from CGW, maybe?

[vtecpaoche]

I do recall that CZs like the .356 diameter bullets.  Some folks had issues and went even larger.  Plunk testing one of the .355 or .356 should tell you if you barrel has a preference.  I've had good luck with the .356 but each barrel will be different.  You just need to see what your barrels like.  You can of course go aftermarket to see if you can get something closer to .355.  If you've tried this and still are not happy, you can always try the bushing.

 

For your practice gun, I suspect the safety nub may be worn out allowing you to drop the hammer with the safety engaged.  Take the slide off and visually check the action.  Just hold the hammer back so it doesn't slam into the frame with the slide off when you do this.  Fitting a new safety is pretty straightforward.  Also, this sounds like this is on double action.  Does it allow the hammer to fall in single action (hammer back/safety on)?  I've seen quite a few CZs do this and it is usually the safety that was not done properly but it does prevents the trigger from falling in single action.  If the safety is done properly, you should not be able to engage the safety in double action.

[Smitty79]

Safety does work on single action just fine.   Hammer does not fall when on.

 

Interesting that no one is telling me that my guns are beyond repair.   Thanks.

[GeneBray]

Borescope the barrel(s).  I suspect the practice pistol needs a new one.  My SP01 barrel was burned out at 60k.  Almost all of that with Titegroup.

[HesedTech]

19 hours ago, Smitty79 said:

Interesting that no one is telling me that my guns are beyond repair.

Like cars, eventually the issue becomes the cost of repair.

 

If the guns are still shooting well, just use em. If not replace the worn parts. One area which may wear beyond use is the barrel lock up. When the the barrel locks up and is still really loose you can re-bush the slide. Replacing the slide with a new one and barrel heads into the cost of getting a new gun. 

 

Personally I just bought a new Shadow 2 from CGW and have been wondering why I spent so many years with Tanfoglios.

[obsessiveshooter]

If it were me, I'd try the CGW bushing and .357 bullets first, before buying a new barrel, slide, or replacing the whole pistol.   

[Andy9]

I would think that if your slide to frame fit is still good, it may be that you could just get new barrels ( i like the CZ Custom match barrel ) and then a Cajun Gun Works 10X bushing. 

May want to consider replacing your pins that have rotating parts on them, and the sear and hammers, and the safeties, as part fitment probably  out of tolerance.

If you can do the work your self, it should be less expensive than replacement, but if you can't, replacement may be the better option.

I have both the SOP1 and Shadow 2, most parts are interchangeable, but i prefer the feel of the SP01.

[SuperKing]

23 hours ago, HesedTech said:

Personally I just bought a new Shadow 2 from CGW and have been wondering why I spent so many years with Tanfoglios.

Which Tanfos did you run and how does the Shadow 2 differ?

[HesedTech]

2 hours ago, SuperKing said:

Which Tanfos did you run and how does the Shadow 2 differ?

Truthfully I have a collection of Tanfoglios, however for USPSA I started with Stock 2 in Production, switched to CO a couple of years ago and had a slide milled for a Vortex Venom dot. I made the mistake of trying an SRO and yes on the clock it is slightly faster due to the size of the window. So I bought a Stock Master and had it milled for the SRO. Up to the SM my Tanfos all ran great, however to get a 2.5 SA and 5.5 DA I have to run Federal Primers.

 

Now the Stock Master has been a real disappointment. It is nose heavy, the fit and finish is sloppy for a new gun, The barrel has play at the front of the slide when locked up and the final straw is this; even after doing every tuning and polishing trick on the extractor it just won't eject and load reliably. So I bought a Shadow 2 from Cajon with the full Pro package.

Here's the differences from the Tanfos:

1. No stacking in DA (6 1lb pull)

2. Fit is vastly superior.

3. Accuracy is noticeably better at 25 yards.

4. 1000 rounds later not one failed to extract or feed (my Stock 2s have never been an issue either).

5. Gun is better balanced than the Stock Master (not nose heavy).

6. With the CGW package, 11.5# hammer spring all my hard primers go bang, not one light strike in DA or SA. (2.8# SA)

 

As far as general shooting goes, that DA with no stacking helps with the first shot accuracy. 

 

My take is out of the box the Shadow 2 is a superior gun and had it been available when I purchased my first Tanfoglio S2 I would have gone that route.

 

Hopes this helps.

 

I do own a couple of small frame Tanfoglios, one steel and one polymer. No real issues with them except same DA stacking and to get light trigger pull have to use Federal primers, I just shoot them for fun. Of course it's all fun and I never forget to remind myself this is a hobby.

 

[SuperKing]

38 minutes ago, HesedTech said:

Hopes this helps.

Thanks for sharing, definitely helps. Unfortunate  that the SM turned out to be a dud for you. I had been contemplating switching to the SM as I've heard the Tanfos may be a little better for largish hands (21.5cm from wrist to tip of middle finger).

Ergo-wise, how was it switching to the Shadow 2? 

[HesedTech]

48 minutes ago, SuperKing said:

Ergo-wise, how was it switching to the Shadow 2? 

Actually very little difference. I put on LOK grips and the only thing I noticed is if my strong hand is rotated too far forward/the right I have trouble pushing the mag release, kind of weird. I index my draw with my wrist against the mag and found I had to move my arm slightly further back to get my hand directly under the beaver tail. 

 

Lot's of large handed people shoot Shadow 2s very well. Just get the palm swell grips over the factory  ones. 

 

The mags and reloading are not an issue. Indexing my finger is the same for both despite the size difference.

 

Indexing on the target requires a slightly higher placement of the gun.

 

The only thing I miss is the 8lb recoil spring on unloaded starts. The 13 pound I have now does require a more positive grab of the slide. I have a 10 and 11 coming to compare. The 13 lb spring does dip the barrel slightly more than the 8 on the TF, but the better balance and accuracy almost completely compensates for this.

 

 

That's about it.