CZ’s Shadow 2 handgun has distinguished itself with numerous action-pistol victories. Intended for competition, it is full-size and heavy. However, its quality is such that a smaller, lighter version was soon offered for IDPA competition, as well as concealed-carry practitioners. The Shadow 2 Compact offered a 4-inch barrel and an aluminum (rather than steel) frame but was otherwise similar to the full-size original. It worked well for concealed carry but was not fully optimized for it. Well, CZ—known for offering more pistol options than you can shake stick at—now has the fully EDC-optimized Shadow 2 Carry.
What exactly is the Shadow 2 Carry and how does it differ from the Shadow 2 Compact? Well, the Carry eschews the dual thumb safeties and instead features ambidextrous decockers. Yep, the new pistol has a traditional double-action/single-action trigger, the heavy double-action trigger pull providing the margin of safety before the lighter, single-action begins after the first shot. The other difference is the presence of a firing pin block. The concern among some shooters is that a gun without a firing block is not drop-safe. In theory, this is true but I’m not sure it’s a frequent problem with a stock Shadow 2 or Shadow 2 Compact. It would be more of one on a pistol that’s been tweaked to provide a custom (i.e. lightened) trigger pull. The firing pin block makes the Carry absolutely drop-safe, though at the cost of a competition-quality trigger pull.
First impressions? Well, the Carry looks a lot like the Compact—and that’s a good thing. The CZ 75 lineage is apparent in the contours. It has a handsome and purposeful look and, of course, those contours feel good in the hand. The subtle little step in the backstrap, the high cut of the frontstrap and the 20 lpi checkering on both make the Carry immediately pleasing in the hand. The lines of the pistol are distinct and firm, yet it is dehorned and without uncomfortably sharp edges. Slightly angled front and rear slide cuts are small, but deep and effective. The Carry has the Shadow line’s internal rails, meaning the slide is shallower than on most pistols and the bore axis lower. A considerable beavertail protects the web of the shooting hand.
The iron sights are high enough to co-witness with some models of MRDS. Clearly, the Carry is intended to be carried with the hammer lowered with the decockers. Time permitting, it can also be thumb-cocked, but that’s typically unnecessary and ill-advised.
The topstrap is grooved to reduce glare. The sights consist of a ledge-style rear with a serrated face. Two dots adorn either side of a generous notch. The front is a post dovetailed into the slide and includes a single dot. Each of the three dots use luminous paint rather than tritium or fiber-optics. Of course, this being a new pistol introduction, the Carry comes optics-ready with the slide pre-cut to accommodate any MRDS with an RMSc/Holosun 407 footprint. A grooved and contoured cover plate is installed as the gun comes from the factory.
A three-slot Picatinny rail is integral to the dustcover to accommodate lights and/or lasers. The decocking levers are a little stiff to actuate at first, but a combination of break-in and familiarity makes the process simpler quickly.
Dimensionally, the gun most people are comparing it to is the Glock G19, but really, it’s much closer to the SIG P229 Elite in almost every way. All three pistols are “old school” compacts, meaning that the SIG P365, Glock G43 and Springfield Armory Hellcat have quickly become the default-size pistols people think of when conjuring an image of a “compact carry” gun. The Carry seems large and rather heavy—and it is in comparison to the new class of micro-9s. At around 30 ounces unloaded, it’s just a couple of ounces heavier than the Lightweight Commander which everyone thought carried effortlessly back in the day. That said, it’s about 50 percent heavier than some polymer pistols now offering similar firepower.
A Falco leather IWB holster carried the pistol comfortably and discreetly. Very closely boned and handsome, it’s almost a shame to conceal it.
The folks at Falco Holsters crafted us a premium leather IWB rig and the Carry rode comfortably in it all day. If you are used to Kydex, be aware that a tightly boned, genuine leather holster can take considerable break-in. It’s worth the time and effort in the long run; still, it’s important to know going in.
Weight is not the be-all and end-all for many consumers, with some preferring a heavier gun that’s stiffer and better attenuates muzzle rise and felt recoil. The Shadow 2 Carry is such a pistol. You quickly become accustomed to the double-action pull. The single-action pull is quite good, though not on the level of the Compact due to the firing-pin block. Fire the Carry slowly from a rest and you’ll feel some creep. Fire it on a darkened street in defense of your life and you’ll never notice it. That said, the Carry’s performance was well beyond “combat accuracy.”
Disassembly of the Carry is remarkably simple. Once made safe, the pistol breaks down in a matter of seconds. Despite the precision manufacturing evident in its performance, it was not too tight to easily field strip.
The pistol is almost absurdly simple to disassemble. Remove the magazine, make sure the pistol is unloaded and align two hash marks (one on the slide and one on the frame). Tap the pin at the back of the disassembly lever from the right side with a non-marring mallet or even the base of an empty magazine. Pull the disassembly lever out from the left side, then ease the slide off the frame.
All things considered, the CZ Shadow 2 is a very easy gun to live with. The weight of it over a mini-9 stopped really being noticeable after three or four days of carrying nothing else. Moreover, with minimal practice, the battery of arms was easy to master. With a round in the chamber, you didn’t have to think about a safety. A trigger pull, be it long or short, was going to result in a discharge (though you should habitually carry it decocked). Further, while it’s small enough to be discreet, you simply know you’re not going to fumble for it. Having worked uniformed security in my youth, the Shadow 2 Carry is ideally sized to be the one gun for both duty and concealed carry.
CZ has made a name for itself by offering pistols of virtually every kind (material, action type, purpose), each of which is among the best of its kind. That’s no mean feat. The Shadow 2 Carry now gives the company an optics-ready, traditional DA//SA that dispenses with what many concealed carriers dislike (a manual safety) and incorporates what they do (a decockers and firing pin block). The Shadow 2 Carry continues CZ’s impressive legacy.
CZ Shadow 2 Carry
- Manufacturer: CZ-USA; (800) 955-4486, cz-usa.com
- Action Type: Double-Action/Single-Action, semi-automatic
- Caliber: 9 mm
- Capacity: 15+1 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
- MSRP: Due to ongoing tariff negotiations, an MSRP has not yet been determined, but expect it to be in the neighborhood of $1,400.
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