CZ’s Shadow 2 has earned an enviable reputation in the action-shooting sports. Combining the ergonomic virtues of the CZ-75, the weight of a steel frame and a smooth, tunable trigger feel, it is frequently found in the holsters of those on the winner’s podium. Many of those qualities were passed on to the smaller, lighter Shadow 2 Compact. It has proven to be a good everyday-carry (EDC) piece, but CZ knew that, with a little reworking, the design might achieve (to borrow a phrase) perfection as a carry gun.
With that in mind, we arrive at the CZ Shadow 2 Carry. Rather than a traditional double-action/single-action (DA/SA or TDA) that can be carried “cocked & locked,” the Carry features ambidextrous, frame-mounted decockers instead of safeties. It also incorporates a firing pin block. While pistols carried cocked & locked, such as the Model 1911 and the CZ-75 (which can be carried that way) have provided fine service as concealed carry pieces for decades, the number of concealed carriers has swelled and many of them were trained on handguns without manual safeties, whether striker-fired or DA/SA semi-automatics or double-action revolvers. Further, many firearm instructors do not recommend safeties for those who are well-trained, dismissing them as unnecessary at best and problematic in a crisis, at worst. The new handgun’s heavy initial, double-action pull provides a considerable margin of safety, just as it did for American law enforcement for most of the 20th century. The Carry’s single-action trigger pull for subsequent shots is, expectedly, comparatively light and crisp.
The action alone isn’t the only enhancement this pistol offers for everyday carry. It’s pre-cut for direct mounting of any MRDS with an RMSc footprint. The ledge-style rear sight will co-witness with many MRDS and, without a red-dot sight in place, can still be used to rack the slide in an emergency. The pistol is light and tough, thanks to a frame fabricated from EN AW-7075 T6 aluminum alloy. Accuracy is assured by a cold-hammer-forged barrel which comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Moreover, there’s an accessory rail integral to the full-length dustcover for mounting lights and/or lasers. Then—of course—there are those excellent CZ-75 ergonomics.
CZ Shadow 2 Carry Specifications
- Manufacturer: CZ-USA
- Action Type: Double-Action/Single-Action, semi-automatic
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 15 rounds
- Frame: Aluminum alloy
- Slide: Steel
- Barrel Length: 4 inches
- Sights: Drift-adjustable, ledge-style rear; post front; three luminous dots in total; RMSc-footprint optics cut
- Trigger Pull Weight: DA=11 pounds, 14 ounces, SA=4 pounds, 12 ounces
- Length: 7.5 inches
- Width: 1.5 inches
- Height: 5.4 inches
- Weight: 30.4 ounces
- Accessories: Two 15-round magazines, hard case
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