Author Topic: Hello from Pakistan, & my new CZ Shadow  (Read 21271 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline coolbox

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2122
Hello from Pakistan, & my new CZ Shadow
« on: November 14, 2010, 09:17:24 AM »
Hello all
I am from Pakistan, where we are all big fans for CZ-75 and Taurus (92/99, 1911, pt145, and revolvers in particular). I myself am new to this hobby/sport. I have two pistols, a Zastava CZ999 Scorpion 9mm, and a CZ75 SP-01 Shadow. I am waiting for taurus to make a 1911 in double stack, or would opt for a pt92 instead.

Guns from US and most of Europe are absurdly priced here, with a glock17 costing around US $3500. Products from Brazil, Serbia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Phillipines, China, Russia etc are exempt from embargo, and a PT92 costs around US$650 or so. Recently we have had some good infusion of CZ75 variants in the local market, at mostly around $1000-$1200 (Shadow costs approx $1100).

Below is a brief of the experience I have had with my CZ75 Shadow (summarized):

OVER SHADOWED: REVIEW & RANGE REPORT ? CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow

[Some information Courtesy: czusa.com; czub.ch]

While the SP-01 was designed as a military and law enforcement duty sidearm, the new generation CZ 75 SP-01 pistol is especially adapted according to suggestions as proposed by users from Law Enforcement, Military and Police communities worldwide, with an additional input from the Team CZ world premier shooters Angus Hobdell and Adam Tyc.

Typical features:

- The CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW features no firing pin block, which consequently helps to slightly reduce trigger pull weight, reduces distance of trigger reset, and improves trigger travel properties.

- 85 Combat Style trigger with over travel adjustment helps to remove excess rear ward trigger movement.
Shadow is fitted with a newly redesigned hammer originating from the CZ 75 Champion. This hammer is slightly wider and has modified sear engagement for smoother release and more positive ignition.

- Pistol frame which comes from a new mould incorporates alterations such as recess beneath the trigger guard and beavertail to enable a higher grip of this handgun.

- Slightly ?weaker? recoil spring originating from standard production CZ 75/85 pistols facilitates loading and enhances the shooting comfort.

- Sights consisting of fiber optics front sight and tactical ?Novak style? rear sight to promote much easier, faster and more accurate target acquisition.

- Round off edges of magazine well, substantially improve reloading. This new generation of CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow pistol is appropriate for service use, self-defense and sport alike.

- Higher cuts beneath the trigger guard and beaver tail enable a higher grip on the gun, which helps to reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip.

- Lighter recoil and main springs originating from original CZ 75 Specifications help to create a smoother more consistent action.


BASIC SPECS

Model:         CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow
Manufacturer:      ?esk? Zbrojovka, Czech Republic
Caliber:      9x19 mm Parabellum
Dimensions:      L=210 mm, H=147mm, W=37mm
Barrel:                        114 mm
Weight(unloaded):   1170 grams
Capacity:      18 rounds, 19 FMJs easily loaded, JHPs limited to 18 (& half!)
Slide:         Steel
Frame:         Steel
Trigger:      SA/DA, CZ85 Combat style, adjustable pre and over travel.
Safety:         Manual Safety, hammer safety notch. (No firing Pin Block).
Front Sights:       High Viz Fiber Optic, Red - Dovetailed.
Rear Sights:       Novak tactical, dovetailed secured by a screw, adjustable for windage.
Grips:          Soft rubber, Full checkered.
Finish:         Dull Polycoat.


REVIEW





Finish, Looks and Manufacturing Quality   
Shadow comes in Black Polycoat, as well as Dual Tone finish. The Dual Tone is, however, a rarity in the west, and a dream down here. Exterior finish is very good quality. Fully checkered rubber grips are standard. Wooden CocoBolo grips (full as well as half checkered), Hogue (combat) gribs or Aluminium competition grips (thin as well as thick) can be ordered from the web.

Field stripping reveals high quality machining, as expected from any CZ 75. The internals are precision machined with no sharp edges and hardly any tooling marks.



Slide, Frame and Grip:
The slide and frame are both steel, providing the weight enough to kill a BG even when out of rounds! The weight however helps in reducing felt recoil. And of course, the balance is excellent. The weight itself is a license to kill.

The grips in standard model are black rubber, checkered.  The shape and thickness of the Shadow grip lives up to the legendary ergonomics of CZ75. The grip may be thick for people with small hands. I have medium (or maybe medium to large!) sized hands, and the grips are just fine for me. Being checkered as well as rubber, the grips give a sure firm feel even when perspiring.




Trigger Mechanism:
Shadow has a wonderful trigger, very nice and crisp which breaks uniformly without any crappy movements. The trigger out of the box is better than one could get in other guns after a proper trigger job! Of course this is supported by the fact that there is no firing pin block, a specially incorporated design feature to improve trigger performance in terms of lesser pull, reduced reset distance etc.

Recoil   
Shadow has a very manageable recoil (what do you expect from a 2.5 lbs gun!). the gun has an extended beavertail to protect shooter?s strong hand as well as allowing for a deeper and more secure grip. The new grip geometry with checkering in key areas on the front and back straps combined with the redistribution of mass provided by the accessory rail noticeably decreases the perceived recoil from previous models and allows for more rapid target acquisition and transitions. The recoil spring is of fairly good quality and the recoil rod is polymer (there is plenty of steel in the gun, no more need of weight here please). 

Sights:
Shadow has Novak tactical rear sights (blacked out). The front sight is fixed high visibility fiber optic (red color by default, green and blue can be ordered as spare). The sights come zeroed pretty well from the factory. The high visibility front/blacked out rear sights are a treat to shoot with, and aid in quick target acquisition.

Doesn?t take long to notice the high visibility front sight.



Safety Mechanism:   
Shadow has a very reliable and positive feeling external trigger safety for cocked and locked carry, as well as hammer drop notch safety system. The safety latch, located on the frame, is redesigned from other CZ75/SP-01 models for ease of access, and it is practically noticeable.  De-cocking has to be done manually, and there is no lever for this purpose.

Firing pin block is intentionally excluded from the design of this weapon, sacrificed to aid a better trigger performance and trigger reset distance reduction. For those who worry about the possibility of the gun going ?off? if dropped, please note that this is a long debate, beyond my expertise. I do not carry a loaded gun, and hence this does not bother me. Even if I did carry one, I for one would be more careful not to drop my weapon (!) and keep the safety on.

Safety ?on? with hammer in half cock position. It must be noted that safety can only be activated once the hammer is cocked, either full or partial, as shown below, and a good view below of the nicely large safety latch.




Accuracy:
The target, below, was two strings of 5 shots (I took a small tea break, and reviewed my target performance of above in between). I did control my breathing, but was not very disciplined about other things one must take care of in precision shooting. The group of 10 bullets is 4.5 inches, and that of each 5 shot string is about 3.5 inches. The target tells the tale itself.   

The gun is capable of much higher accuracy. An expert hand can do wonders with this weapon. I need to improve myself first, for which I have applied for a range membership, and am expecting it anytime now. This was my third visit ever to a range by the way (did I tell this before?)



Reliability:
I have shot just under 200 rounds of various standard and +P ammos with Shadow, including FMJs such as Tula, Bernaul, POF 2Z & 1Z, Chinese red box, and JHPs such as Prvi and Armscor and the gun fires everything. 



Suitability for the Purpose:
CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow is a large size gun and suitable for SD/HD and target shooting. Due to its size, its not a suitable gun for carrying on person by civilian users, though this is a non-issue for personal from LEAs. A large framed person can however conceal this weapon, as it has a slim profile, although the weight might be an issue.

If size is not an issue, this is the most recommended gun for any gun enthusiasts. In fact, if size and/or weight is an issue, one must get used to it!




[Originally posted in detail at www.thegunforum.net]
« Last Edit: January 30, 2013, 01:31:05 PM by coolbox »
Life is too short to waste on a bad trigger pull

Offline tekarra

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3904
Re: Hello from Pakistan, & my new CZ Shadow
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2010, 06:17:27 PM »
Hello and welcome.  That is quite a first post!  Hope to read more from you in the future.

Offline CPTKILLER

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 359
Re: Hello from Pakistan, & my new CZ Shadow
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2010, 07:17:34 PM »
Good analysis. 

How strict are the laws concerning legal gun ownership in Pakistan?  Other than seeing the military & tribal folks with a variety of AK-47's & AKM's on CNN, I have no clue how gun ownership is regulated there.

Keep practicing, your groups are OK & will get better.  What range do you shoot at, 5 meters, 15 meters, or 25 meters? 

In the U.S. Army I carried a 1911A1 .45 ACP.  However, when given the opportunity, my preferred weapons have been either 9mm or 357 Magnum.  It is hard to beat a good CZ 9mm Shadow like yours anywhere.  Excellent choice of weapons.

Offline coolbox

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2122
Re: Hello from Pakistan, & my new CZ Shadow
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2010, 02:42:12 AM »
@tekarra & CPTKILLER, thanks. Actually this is the first post here, but as mentioned, I have been on other quality forums mentioned, and wrote an even more detailed review of this weapon on one. I would love to contribute here whatever quality stuff I can.

I am shooting at 15mtrs, and waiting for proper range membership (there is only one in Lahore, and needs Intelligence clearance for approval!). Once I am consistent at 15mtrs with 85-90% score, I would move up to 20, and then on...
I did fire a friend's Taurus1911 in 45ACP, and scored two bulls in 4 shots from 10mtrs, the first time I used it! I love 1911s, but generally, only option within $1000 is Taurus, others are all over $2000, ifff available. Infact, only Taurus and Norinco (chinese) 1911 are available, and that too very rarely. I would not trade 45 for a 9mm, even if it is a CZ Shadow, but 45acp ammo is also much more expensive, and not common but available.

-The gun laws in Pakistan are very strict (surprised?). One needs either a provincial (state) license if mobility with weapon within that specific province is required, or a Nationwide license (called MOI- ministry of interior) if he needs mobility in the entire country.
-There are two categories, NPB (non-prohibited bore) and PB (prohibited bore, basically all fully automatics). An npb license requires identity card, so any one under 18 cannot own a gun legally! PB licenses are very hard to get, and cost around $700-800 or even more! They require special permission from I dont know how many government departments/officials.
-Common pistol calibres are 7.62 tokarev, 9mm, 0.45ACP, .22LR, and some makarov as well as .32. Only semiautomatic pistols are permitted, for fully automatic, PB license is requried. Revolvers are preferred in 357mag. Hunting rifles in bolt action are allowed in all non-military calibres (eg 50 bmg is banned!). Semi auto rifles upto .22 are also permitted. Above .22, semi-auto rifles are also PB. Shotguns mainly exist in 12gauge, and semi auto as well as pump are all permitted in NPB category (i have my eye on benelli M4).
These days, the MOI (nationwide licenses) are closed, they have been for the most part of last couple of years. The provincial licenses are working.

AK47 and other fully automatics are PB, and mostly people with links (and lots of money!) have the luxury of using them. or perhaps some BGs...
« Last Edit: November 22, 2013, 04:18:37 AM by coolbox »
Life is too short to waste on a bad trigger pull