CZ Shadow 2

The CZ Shadow 2 is the dominant competition pistol in IPSC and USPSA Production Division worldwide. The steel frame weighs 46.5 ounces unloaded, making it the heaviest pistol on most production lines and by far the most controllable. That weight sits low thanks to CZ's signature low bore axis, which positions the barrel centerline closer to the shooter's hand than any other production 9mm.

The DA/SA trigger is the Shadow 2's defining feature. Single-action pull breaks clean at approximately 3.5 pounds with a short, tactile reset. The double-action first pull is smooth at around 10 pounds, a significant improvement over older CZ 75 models. Competitive shooters run the Shadow 2 cocked-and-locked (SA mode) or start from DA depending on division rules, and either method produces fast, accurate first shots.

The Shadow 2 ships competition-ready: aggressive checkering on the front and backstrap, undercut trigger guard, extended beavertail, and blue aluminum grips with checkering. The 18+1 capacity from CZ 75-pattern magazines is among the highest in any production-legal pistol. The Achilles heel is the lack of a factory optic cut; the Shadow 2 OR (Optics Ready) variant addresses this with a milled slide for direct red dot mounting.