First gun shadow 2

[Chef1515]

So I've been looking into shooting for a long time and I've finally had sometime off to start the process of getting my licence. After doing my research I decided on a cz75sp1. However, seeing as i want to do my job and stimulate the economy, I decided ill probably buy the shadow 2.

It will be used for target shooting and home defense if necessary. Are there any initial upgrades you would suggest? My reading seems to suggest to shoot 1000 rounds and really understand the dynamics before changing anything but im Curious what elements I should be looking out for.

Curious about favorite factory ammo for accuracy?
Any advice welcome

Thank you.

[chomorro]

So I've been looking into shooting for a long time and I've finally had sometime off to start the process of getting my licence. After doing my research I decided on a cz75sp1. However, seeing as i want to do my job and stimulate the economy, I decided ill probably buy the shadow 2.

It will be used for target shooting and home defense if necessary. Are there any initial upgrades you would suggest? My reading seems to suggest to shoot 1000 rounds and really understand the dynamics before changing anything but im Curious what elements I should be looking out for.

Any advice welcome

Thank you.

Shadow 2 is the most accurate gun I have ever shot. Be aware that after shooting this as your first gun you may not hit anything with other guns hahha.  Especially glocks........  q5 match is also very accurate for me.

2k rounds through mine and the front fiber optic fell out and my trigger pin started coming out. Replaced them both and all is well.

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[dknoch]

Any factory Ammo should be fine.  I’ve heard people complain about Winchester, but it always worked fine for me.  Federal is popular, or you can get Reman Ammo from a place like NCShootersSupply (if you are in the United States).  Only thing I’ve done to my shadow 2 is put in 11.5 lb hammer and recoil spring, but I also reload my own Ammo.  Get it and shoot it a bunch before you do anything to it.  Lighter hammer spring will slightly drop the trigger weight, but a shadow 2 has a decent trigger from the factory.  Lighter recoil spring is typically for heavier grain bullets and lighter than factory loads (people that reload).  I don’t think the Shadow 2 is so over sprung from the factory that you definitely have to get a lighter recoil spring shooting factory 115 grain Ammo, but I may be wrong


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[timetofly]

The Shadow II is one of my favorite firearms.  Mine started being stock, then I bought a used slide, had it milled for optics, then added a straight single action/double action trigger. 

Yesterday I was invited to a co-workers farm to shoot pistols.  A young lady was having accuracy issues with a sub compact pistol. Showed her the S2 and loaded two mags for her,  The third mag she rapid fired 19/19 into a 10"X 12" steel target at 10 yards.  The S2 really shoots itself.

My 11 year old son loves to shoot the S2 with a S2 Kadet.  Very accurate and he can clear 5/6 6" plates at 10 yards with it.

You will have a very fine pistol with the S2. 

[falar]

All I'd "upgade" is the DA trigger.

12lb hammer spring from CZC along with an extended firing pin and reduced power firing pin spring.

Then your DA pull will be around 6lbs with 2.75 to 3.25lb SA pull.

Done.

I think 147 and 158 grain ammo has noticeably less recoil impulse than 115 and 124.

[Skookum]

Great first handgun! 

No need to modify anything on a Shadow 2, at least not right away.  Perhaps tritium night sights for home defense.

As to ammo, get a variety and shoot several 5-shot groups of each to see if your gun has a preference in terms of precision (i.e., group size).  For self defense, 147-grain and 124-grain JHPs tend to penetrate and expand better than 115-grain JHPs; no need for +P or +P+ loads (see manufacturers' terminal ballistics tables and YouTube gel tests).

[Chef1515]

Super newb question here (i will also be signing up for shooting classes after i get my gun)

For the shadow 2, after the magazine is loaded into the gun, is it automatically in double action mode? Or do i need to rack the slide and then decocking it by lowering the hammer?

I ask this question because it would also be a home defense pistol and i was told that should generally be il something that is double action.

[George16]

Super newb question here (i will also be signing up for shooting classes after i get my gun)

For the shadow 2, after the magazine is loaded into the gun, is it automatically in double action mode? Or do i need to rack the slide and then decocking it by lowering the hammer?

I ask this question because it would also be a home defense pistol and i was told that should generally be il something that is double action.

It doesn’t go to double action mode automatically after inserting the magazine into the gun. Rather, it goes into double action after racking the slide and then safely lowering down the hammer manually since there’s no decocker in a shadow 2.

[Chef1515]

Gotcha. I've watched videos on that. Is it really a big deal to use a gun in single action mode for self defense? Im reading the trigger pull is 3.75 lbs where as its not ideal to go under 4 for home defense. Is it really that noticeable. I feel trigger discipline will be more important in this scenario.

[Luvdog]

Great choice and without a doubt one of my favorites.

As for SA for self defense?  Lots of people walk around cocked and locked.

[ck1]

Gotcha. I've watched videos on that. Is it really a big deal to use a gun in single action mode for self defense? Im reading the trigger pull is 3.75 lbs where as its not ideal to go under 4 for home defense. Is it really that noticeable. I feel trigger discipline will be more important in this scenario.

While I think it's not a bad idea to just go whole hog and get a Shadow 2 as your first handgun if you have the means (it is arguably THE best out of the box 9mm on the planet after all). That said, you really do have to realize picking it that it was designed for experienced users and thus isn't going to be as friendly or kind to a new user; the single-action pull is light, and manually lowering the hammer into double-action on a live round after you load it (while not hard) can be unforgiving/dangerous if one doesn't know what they're doing or giving it proper respect. (It's not just chance that DA/SA guns that one has to lower the hammer manually are pretty few and far between; they're more difficult to operate safely than Decocker or DAO guns in exchange for the reward of getting a better/simpler trigger pull design.)

Theoretically, a single-action gun for self-defense isn't a "big deal"; however, for an inexperienced user it could be a huge, possibly deadly deal... I could write a chapter on why a single-action gun for self-defense probably isn't a good idea for a newbie (i.e. from forgetting to swipe off the safety under stress to having a negligent discharge due to the light single-action pull, etc)...

If you're planning on using the S2 for self-defense in a home defense scenario you realistically should know that the safest way to do that will be manually lowering the hammer after loading, and then if SHTF, shooting from the heavier/arguably-safer double-action first shot... and being mindful that there is no firing pin block safety in an S2, so if you can manage, you're probably not going to want to drop it ;-)

I'm not saying don't get it... but, I think I'm trying to come from the point of view of like how I would if someone told me they wanted to buy a 1000cc motorcycle for their fist bike: it can be done, and it might not kill you, but you better respect what you're getting into.

Just my $0.02.

[Chef1515]

I understand all the points you brought up. Now I'm debating buying a shotgun for home defense and using this at the range. As far as drops are concerned everything ive read on that makes it sound like it takes a decent drop, muzzle down on a hard service. Just curioys is ad happens often this way or if it's a perfect storm scenario.

[George16]

I had seen new shooters AD when lowering the hammer. Even experience shooters aren’t immune to AD during matches specially in production class where it’s a mandatory double action start after the command,Make Ready”.

 It takes a lot of getting used to. I always use my thumb (placing it between slide and hammer and slowly rolling it out) every time I lower the hammer.

[Luvdog]

There is no perfect One gun solution.  The shadow 2 is great for the range and competition.  It wouldn’t be my first choice for self defense. I certainly wouldn’t carry it EDC... way to big and heavy.
For HD, I’d rather have a shortie shotgun, SBR or a striker fire gun with a red dot.

[Chef1515]

There is no perfect One gun solution.  The shadow 2 is great for the range and competition.  It wouldn’t be my first choice for self defense. I certainly wouldn’t carry it EDC... way to big and heavy.
For HD, I’d rather have a shortie shotgun, SBR or a striker fire gun with a red dot.

I'm starting this think this way. I might just get the shadow 2 for the range and a shotgun or glock for the house.