CZ SP01 Shadow vs. Shadow 2 - Detailed Side By Side Comparison - is the Shadow 2 $300 better? 

SP01 is a good option for sure.

Denvco1 The Humblemarksman has moved on to Glock MOS. He feels that they are more maintenance free. I am a CZ fanboy, but will have to check out the Glock MOS to see for myself.

@@jonathanl2748 glock mos is nice. I have the g45 in it. Actually like it

+KSGunGuy 01 it’s a beast! I can see trigger reach being an issue for some

I just picked up my second one yesterday... it's pretty fantastic.

In summary - if cash is no object - If you have large hands - Shadow 2 enthusiastically. If you have small hands - if you can put hands on a shadow 2 to test trigger reach - do that first - but SP-01 will work too. The frame improvements are worth it if they can work for you. I have a buddy I shoot USPSA with who wanted to like the Shadow 2 but his hands couldn't make the increased reach on trigger.

I really want to build a nice 75B SA. If my wife starts shooting competitions with me - that may be what she ends up with.

An extremely sweet trigger. If you're no careful, she'll do a suprise double tap on you. the SP-01 double action trigger is a bitch. Got to do something about that. A great channel BTW for CZ lovers and everyone else. Thanks.

82 Luft I see you got the cz sickness, welcome!! I want this shadow 2 but my shadow 1 is pretty good, I love my cz 97, best 45 acp under $1000!

Cheers BJGG - you shooting this weekend? I've got a match today!

Thanks man! USPSA or 3 gun this weekend?

No BUT... Ben Stoeger Monday and Tuesday!

+Pops Quest snap I forgot! Try and pin down where dinner is by lunch time and I may be able to join you guys

TheHumbleMarksman Cool

I'm liquidating my safe to get another one... the grip fits me so much better. It's translated into better groups at distance. I practice 15 yard 5 shot groups every time I go to the range off hand. With my accu the groups were generally about 2.5" - 3.5", with the shadow 2 yesterday it was 1 5/8", 1 15/16", 2", and a flier group of 2 3/4". This whole time I should have been a Beretta guy I fear... until now.

Well, i guess it's good you didn't find that out until you found a CZ to "fix" it... though, with those group sizes, i'm not sure anything was ever broken enough to have made the jump to Beretta.

yeah - i just didn't realize how much a gun fitting you matters. There is significantly less effort for me shooting and addressing the trigger with the 2 - my confidence in my shot calling is through the roof. I just have to adapt to the new pace at which this gun lets me shoot at - I can go faster and maintain acceptable accuracy - so I'm excited to see where that goes.

@@TheHumbleMarksman did palm swell grips help you on the Shadow 1?

I thought I loved CZ's - turns out I only really liked them - I love the Shadow 2. If you wear a "size large" glove - you'll probably seriously prefer it to the smaller framed ones.

@@TheHumbleMarksman lol why only really liked them ?

Your review is the best Shadow 2 review I've seen.

Aww shucks :) just wait for my 2,000 round update lol

Thanks!

thanks for watching! Cheers.

it's the nicest 9mm I've shot.

Hope you enjoy it!

They make good guns

I don't know what your situation is - to do it properly you'd be training dryfire and live fire. Dryfire makes sense to do every day - it should just be part of your day if you want to get pretty good. Live fire is good - access to an outdoor range where you can do USPSA stuff is best - indoor square range is OK too - but not as good. This is going to be long and youtube comments are going to turn this into a wall of text and I am sorry. First thing you need to do is to learn proper grip stance - I did a little "how to" video on that - it's really, really dry - but this is everything I know about grip: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IljyIVDOG4I.htmlm20s . There are some good books on training I recommend enthusiastically. I recommend this for dryfire and skills & Drills reloaded for live fire: amzn.to/2wzrN1m you need a shot timer - you can use phone apps initially but a shot timer makes it a lot lot easier: amzn.to/2oH6KWx . Now that you've got a good idea on what grip and stance looks and feels like spend some time drawing the pistol and presenting to target - with the gun still pointed at the target take inventory of how you're presenting it - is your stance good? are your arms/shoulders correct? is your strength you're using in your hands adequate? Every single time the gun comes up you want it to feel the same. Look to a point on the target, draw and make sure everything is good. Now do the same drill, but run forward 4 steps and draw to a point on the target - same thing as before - take inventory each rep of your technique to make sure everything's good. You should be putting your finger on the trigger but not pulling it. You just want to see the sights lined up where you want them with your finger on the trigger ready to fire. Spend a couple / few days just doing those two drills. Once you're doing it consistently then you can start to work on it going faster - using par times on your shot timer. Even when you're going fast don't compromise on technique. Dryfire Reloaded has a bunch of drills you can practice - as does skills and drills reloaded. That's a ton of info but it should get you started.

TheHumbleMarksman Man, what a phenomenal reply. Thanks. Can’t tell you how much it’s appreciated, I know you’re the HumbleMarksman but you need to be very proud of the experience and knowledge you just laid down for new shooters. Thanks again for taking the time and much continued success with your channel.

Happy to help man - enjoy success and get more folks into the game and hopefully we'll have more outdoor ranges to go to! Seriously - if you've got questions don't hesitate to reach out. Once you have your new fancy grip nailed down - I would recommend Ben Stoeger's Practical Accuracy ("Doubles") drill from Skills & Drills Reloaded. It's simple enough - hold the gun on target, set off the shot timer, then pull the trigger as fast as you can guarantee two "A" hits - then take note of your splits. Now try to see faster as soon as the sight comes down into the notch and it's in the A zone go again. You can do this at most indoor ranges. Pay attention to your grip/stance and take the feedback from the gun and target and adjust as necessary. Here's the kicker - only do it at a distance that is beyond what you're comfortable shooting at. Most guys that's going to be 15-25 yards. I did this last week with my dot gun at 15 yards. The natural pace I want to shoot at that distance is about .25 splits. My final two mags on the drill I got aggressive on wanting to see the dot come across the edge of the upper A zone and timing it to fall back in there - I was ripping about .20s - which on a stock glock trigger is nearly as fast as I can pull the trigger. Both magazines of 20 shots only 3 were outside the A zone - and they were nearly touching the perf. On an outdoor range I'm going to try the same thing on transition drills, getting hungry to see the dot move into the A zone and breaking the shot as soon as it is.

TheHumbleMarksman Ha! Didn’t pick up my S2 yet but I’m thinking G-10 grips would’ve been so much better on this pistol than what CZ ultimately chose for the new deuce, although those orange grips look awesome. Your reply is super helpful, thanks man. Not blowing smoke but you have one of the best channels of this genre out there on RU-vid. You really know your way around a pistol and it’s great to see it not go to your head. Keep it up.

They are both good guns - I would just guard against a creeping desire to have one so you don’t end up with both a couple years hence

The shadow 2 is appreciably better than an SP01 - and it has little to do with the trigger parts- the way the sights track is better , ergos are better, front and back strap checkering are way better. It’s in a different class than the SP01. I really liked my accushadow but I happily sold it after experiencing the shadow 2. I paid 1119 for one and 1049 for the other - for 1000-1100 it’s a good value- it’s worth the 1300. If all you do is get it and compare it to your Cajun trigger you will be disappointed. Guys who just target shoot don’t realize the improvements if you don’t shoot competition- it stays on target better, stays planted in your hand better, reloads better and the trigger really only needs reduced power springs and extended firing pin to be very good - I wouldn’t even bother polishing

I had to try a CZ and I do like the SP-O1. You are unfortunately (for my wallet) correct and I see myself needing to try the S2. Thanks again for the great review from a competition shooters point of view instead of just a RU-vid new gun review. Cheers!

I do not - since I have been playing with them non custom shadows were scarcer than hens teeth. That was the way I always wanted to go and maybe build up one bit by bit but for a two year period I never saw one- it was just easier to find a custom lightly used than a new shadow unmodified

Comfort isn’t what I am looking for - the aggressive front and backstraps with the deeper sculpt on the trigger guard make it more stable. There is certainly room for preference but the S2 frame is better set up to not move in recoil

@@TheHumbleMarksman Yeah, I guess you're right. By the time I get to level where I actually feel that difference in recoil (if I ever reach that level, tbh), I am good with Shadow 1.

yeah they basically should just call it "LowCap Minor"

The shadow 2 is the “best”, shadow 1 is still very very good, CZ 75 new is a good gun as well- it just doesn’t settle down as easily as the other two. You cannot go wrong but I would probably recommend the Shadow 1 from a value perspective unless you have very large hands- then shadow 2 is your best choice.

Cheers, Shadow 1 makes most sense. Problem is I am left handed. Its a double action right so the slide release isnt so much of an issue and the mag release is ambi right?

With small hands the SP01 will fit a little bit better. You're going to want a short reach kit from CZ Custom to set the double action trigger at rest further back.

The Shadow 2 trigger reach isn't much worse than the Shadow 1 - honestly. With a short reach kit and thin grips it's going to be fairly friendly to smaller hands.

The shadow target 2 is basically the same as my Accushadow I used to have minus the accu bushing. They are very fine pistols and it would do fine. That said - if you have an M9A3 I don’t know that I wouldn’t just use that or the P320. Both of those guns are fantastic and legal in both games.

I have heard it both ways - I have a video on trigger reach on the SP01 vs. the SHadow 2 with my wife with itty bitty hands handling both guns. I believe trigger reach is identical but feel in hand is different. I have heard guys with smaller hands say they prefer the old frame - but I have heard of women who say they love the new frame. If you can make peace with the new frame - I'd advocate that one over the old one for the checkering, mag release, and it's easier to track sights in recoil. Don't hear me say the SP01 Shadow isn't a great gun because it absolutely is - it's just easier to build a rock solid grip on the Shadow 2.

Thank you sir

I give the Czech girls at least a 9.0.

@@kenwelch1612 at least.... 😂😂 ...pretty chicks of course but totaly gold diggers !!!

You did it! you get the coveted ASCII blue ribbon >>O (who needs emojis?)

Yeah would like to know this as well as I have average size dickbeaters

To me - the Sig Legion makes sense for a multi discipline gun.

TheHumbleMarksman that would be another great option. Have never shot one of those but I’m sure it’s good.

Is the shadow 1 idpa ssp legal ?

@@karaesek69 Yes. Weights in right at 41oz.

@@TheHumbleMarksman sig 226 legion or X5 legion ?

you haven't shot it enough to have issues yet. They're coming if you don't do preventative maintenance.

@Garrett Nixon guillotine*

Just move. Seriously, if you're a gun enthusiast, it's not even worth living there.

Nope- that’s not likely to change either :(

TheHumbleMarksman bummer. Thanks anyways! Great content and keep it up!

The trigger on your custom is probably a bit better than the shadow 2 out of the box, for me it’s how the slide cycles. More smooth and linear coupled with all of the ergonomics being better. Some folks with smaller hands are more comfortable on the OG Shadows

TheHumbleMarksman - Yes, very true. Thanks for the video and congrats on getting Master!

Thanks! I've decided to take the rest of the year off from dryfire. 1/1 - time to work on GM.

+Huligone yes- it’s the urban gray model

Nope - not at all true - heavyweight guns are a bit easier to shoot

It’s not useful in IPSC production division so they didn’t - rail would knock weight off the front, which goes against what they did with the gun and you cannot use a muzzle device in production division. This is really and truly from the ground up a competition gun built specifically for one division in one discipline

Yes - Shadow 2 uses all the same small parts as a shadow 1 except slide stop and maybe safeties.

@@TheHumbleMarksman thx for your time

Can you make your statement more clearly- I don’t understand what you are saying. Can you expand on the context?

It’s better but not 2x as good

@@TheHumbleMarksman Looks like it's the Shadow 1 for me. Rig, extra mags, ammo and range time worth $1000 will be better in the long run.

yeah the roster in CA is dumb.

I always use one - the shadow 2 doesn’t technically need it but I would rather have the habit so I don’t damage my FPB guns

Why would you NOT use snap caps?

@@walldogger1 if you are asking me, i have learned that dry firing seems to impact different pistols in different ways. DA/SA vs striker fire. CZ people have also told me that snap caps are not as effective as putting a plug (such as an old ear plug) between the hammer and the firing pin to prevent repeated hitting of that firing pin during dry firing exercises. to each their own. but i admit i am just a student.

Nope. It’s quite good. Upper mid range for sure - I have some higher end competition guns now

For the time being i am competing in Carry Optics with glocks. Would have loved to have done it with CZ but they were about a year late to the Optics ready party and I didn’t want to put my toe in the water with a milled gun. I probably won’t go back to production - but if I do go back to irons it will probably be with a Tac sport in Limited. If CZ got their act together and made a skinny carry gun I would probably have carried that- but they haven’t so I don’t. It’s more a factor of the division I chose to compete in than having picked a pistol that I love. Glocks are just so darn cheap and cost near nothing to get set up.

Most people like the shadow 2 better. Folks with small hands prefer the original SP01 shadow. For me - the shadow 2 is much nicer

The name is ironic. Marksman is the lowest rank in IDPA (I'm a paper "master" in USPSA) and I'm not humble in the "not proud" or "simple" sense (charitably I'm optimistically self aware) though I didn't think this vid really showcased that

Eyes?

In fairness ever since the Soviet bloc fell and proper nutrition returned everyone is tall again

interesting...honest question - what was it about CZ Custom that made the guys there a bunch of jerks?