Just got a new CZ Shadow 2 Orange after enjoying shooting a Blue.... But...Sights and safety....

[justinflorida]

Ok, long and short of it. Rented a CZ Shadow 2 Blue and loved it, but then read about the upgraded Orange and bought one. Its a great pistol, but I have two issues. 

 1) I find the red fiber optic front sight really difficult to see against the black of a target. Has anyone tried to replace the fiber optic with another color? If so, what did you use? I see tons of fiber optic replacement sets on Amazon of varying colors and diameters. My local gunsmith says it's so easy even I can do it. (Dont think its a real insult- Im pretty handy). Barring that, anyone swapped the sights out for some actual glow dots (various brands Truglow, Tritium, etc.)? I found out that the Orange takes a different front sight than the Blue.

2) I really detest the wide shelf style left side safety. It is HUGE and sharp edged and gets in the way of the slide release. I almost need two hands to get around it. (On the Blue, I was able to engage both the safety and the slide release easily with my right thumb without losing my grip).  I really want the flat (flatter?) side on the left (for me, a right handed shooter).  Please dont say I need to get used to it-wont happen. It isnt comfortable for my thumb over, on, or under it. Every place I look online says they are back ordered & Im not sure if the one for the Shadow 2 Blue will fit the Orange.  Hate it. Love the gun. Thanks!

[Haywizzle]

2 hours ago, justinflorida said:

Ok, long and short of it. Rented a CZ Shadow 2 Blue and loved it, but then read about the upgraded Orange and bought one. Its a great pistol, but I have two issues. 

 1) I find the red fiber optic front sight really difficult to see against the black of a target. Has anyone tried to replace the fiber optic with another color? If so, what did you use? I see tons of fiber optic replacement sets on Amazon of varying colors and diameters. My local gunsmith says it's so easy even I can do it. (Dont think its a real insult- Im pretty handy). Barring that, anyone swapped the sights out for some actual glow dots (various brands Truglow, Tritium, etc.)? I found out that the Orange takes a different front sight than the Blue.

2) I really detest the wide shelf style left side safety. It is HUGE and sharp edged and gets in the way of the slide release. I almost need two hands to get around it. (On the Blue, I was able to engage both the safety and the slide release easily with my right thumb without losing my grip).  I really want the flat (flatter?) side on the left (for me, a right handed shooter).  Please dont say I need to get used to it-wont happen. It isnt comfortable for my thumb over, on, or under it. Every place I look online says they are back ordered & Im not sure if the one for the Shadow 2 Blue will fit the Orange.  Hate it. Love the gun. Thanks!

 

Howdy.

 

Replacing the fiber optic is very simple. The only tools needed are a razor blade and a lighter. Your CZ fiber optic size is 1mm. Try out green and orange to see if you like either better. Cut out the old fiber optic. Use the lighter to burn one side of the new fiber optic and put it through the sight. Try to match how the original fiber optic was set up. Cut the excess off but leave a little sticking out, 1/16" or so, and use the lighter to melt the excess it in place.

 

CZ makes a flat left side safety that you would prefer better. As you said, the few US sites that sell the set are out of stock. Sign up for in stock alerts. If you are desperate, you can over pay for a set from Europe here: https://www.ipscstore.com/en/cz-shadow-2-parts/2463-cz-shadow-2-ambidexterous-thin-safety-set.html

You might find somebody looking to trade their thins for your wides. You could also have a gunsmith reshape the left side safety or your Dremel goes brrrrr. Good luck!

[justinflorida]

Thanks for the info!!!  Ok I did the front sight fiber optic swap out from the factory red to the new "grellow" -bright green yellow for under 12 bucks, super easy.  Had to bring it to my local range for rear (HAJO) sight adjustment as that rear sight is super stiff. Thought the guy was going to use some sort of brass drift punch but he just loosened the two rear sight screws and whacked the crap out of it with a padded hammer. I cringed but it worked. Oh a tip here - since the rear sight has no adjustment index marks, we just put a piece of scotch tape tight over both sight and its reciever, then slit the tape where the two met. Instant indexing marks!! 

The new front sight color helps (i just cant wear my amber shooting glasses indoors) but im realizing fiber optics kinda suck indoors where the targets (i dont shoot combat or run and gun) are lit up but the shooting booth is not. i just tried painting the very top edges of the sights with white paint so my old eyes can see them against the black target centers. l'll find out this week if it helped.  Still looking, but limited to iron sights in my leauge. 

Oh and those low profile safeties are still out of stock, but im grudgingly getting used to the honkin big shelf.  Gone through about 1k ammo so far. Love that it eats everything but i get slightly better groups with S&B and Browning 115 fmj ammo....a real delight to shoot, and challanges me to be better!

[perttime]

For pistols with a safety, I quite like having a "shelf". The strong hand thumb stays on top the safety lever while shooting. My hands are not large, so I tend to use the weak hand thumb for the slide release.

 

If there's sharp edges, you should be able to blunt them with a fine file. Or dremel if you are handy with them. Even a sharpening stone. The hammer on my Ruger GP100 revolver used to draw blood from my thumb until I blunted it a bit

 

For sight colors: whatever works. I remember an older guy painting his front sight all white, so that he could see something against a tan IPSC target. I'm still coping with all black sights.

Edited April 12 by perttime