CZ Yearbook 2019 /eng

32 | | 33 TOUCHING THE IMPOSSIBLE In March 2016, the IWA trade fair in Nurnberg saw the spectacular premiere of the sport and defence pistol, the CZ SHADOW 2. This event took place ten years after the launch of the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW, which in 2006 marked a significant leap in the quality of CZ handguns. The second Shadow certainly dwarfs its predecessor in all the key parame- ters, as one can see from its winning streak at the most prestigious IPSC championships around the world. The first model, the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW, is without a doubt an excellent pistol. In a way, it completely fulf ils the origi- nal vision of the IPSC Produc- tion division. Its dimensions and weight allow for comfort- able everyday carry, including concealed carry, and in case of need, it is the perfect weap- on for self defence. But at the same time, you can win all the important competitions in the world with it. Even as the years stretched on, the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW kept on winning in IPSC, its absolute dominance lasted for many sea- sons. Only after a long time were competitors able to come up withmodels that in the hands of elite shooters equalled these su- perb pistols from Uherský Brod. And at that, they were variations on the timeless CZ 75, which managed to catch up with the first SHADOW only because the rules in the Production division have allowed for the creation of guns that, albeit resemblingcus- tom-made sport specials, are in fact serially-produced. Thismove has opened up a new chapter of competition amongst manufac- turers in this sector. CZ SHADOW 2 Back to the top In fact, Česká zbrojovka wasn’t taken by surprise. On the con- trary, even at the time of the 2014World Shoot, the company had the first prototypes of a new sport pistol whichwas to elevate the CZ brand back to the top at prestigious championships. At first, the development team spent what felt like a lifetime gatheringandevaluatingmoun- tains of data from production and user experience of the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW model. The CZ Shooting Team proved an invaluable source of information and advice at this stage, since its members have hundreds of thousands of rounds behind them, they represent the elite of the target group of custom- ers and offered their help with great enthusiasm. No wonder, since they were the ones who were able to use the new pistol in competitions and hopefully win in the years to come. In such cases, the aim is usu- ally f inding the weaknesses. Where the SHADOW was con- cerned, it was more about tar- geting the parts and proper- ties that would be possible to improve significantly. At the same time, it was im- portant to keep in mind that despite all the changes and improvements, the new CZ SHADOW 2 should remain an affordable IPSC pistol that could be purchased even by a novice shooter. And so they are. As fast as possible When developing the new model, ultimately called the CZ SHADOW2, Česká zbrojovka de- fined three key areas that were crucial for a sport shooter and which could also benefit other users. These areas were speed, accuracy and lifespan. The com- pany then tried to achieve sig- nificant improvements in each of these areas compared with the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW. By speed, they meant the speed of shooting, including everything that goes with it. In the CZ SHADOW 2 the crucial step forward was the new shape of the frame. It is still a variation on the proven design of the orig- inal CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW, but adjusted at critical points to en- able the shooter’s hand to get as close as possible to the bore axis, while the beavertail has been slightly extended. The new shape of the large trig- ger guard with no sharp edges has a long roughened front wall. There is a standardized accesso- ry rail on the front of the frame with a single transverse groove. On the grip, we can see a distinc- tive pad to themagazine release lever that can be set to three positions using a torx securing screw. In comparison with the CZ 75 SP-01 SHADOW, the mag- azine well has much more of a funnelledmouthwhichmakes for faster reloading. A new feature in this category of CZ pistols is a sport-style check- ering in the form of small tex- tured squares on the front and rear of the grip. CZ has used a similar finish of the gripping surfaces on their TACTICAL SPORTS series. For the SHADOW 2, after careful con- sideration, the company opted for a finer pattern with a level of roughness that is just about ac- ceptable during extended shoot- ing with bare hands. Although softer hands may find the grip too sharp, it is extremely reliable even when sweating. This is fur- ther helped by the modern flat aluminium grip panels, in the CZ SHADOW they are anodized hard to the specif ied colour twice (the basic is blue) with an inscription and the characteristic “handwritten” number 2 at the bottom. The same one can also be found on the left side of the slide, behind the laser engraved designation. All this gives the CZ SHADOW2 its sport status, while still being suitable for defence or for the armed forces. Moreover, the new design of the frame significantly contributes to the low weight of the serially producedmodel, which is 1.33 kg when empty. However, thanks to the great balance, its percep- tion of weight is similar to the original SHADOW (1.18 kg). Com- pared to its predecessor, the CZ SHADOW 2 is also more stable, the shooter is able to cope with the recoil better and the muzzle climb has been reduced. In addition, the slide is now ex- ceptionally durable without any increase in weight. After many tests, its design has retained the characteristic slanted edges with two pairs of cocking serrations. Single action in its glory The modif ied SA/DA trigger mechanism fundamentally con- tributes to the increased rate of fire. The key changes apply to the “meeting point” of two parts: the rear part of the trigger bar and a small hooked part. On the com- pany’s current exploded drawing, this part is called a disconnector, but originally it was called an in- serted coupler and later a revolv- ing intermediate coupler. While the triggering process in the DA mode remains basically unchanged, in the SA mode the trigger travel is smooth- er and more manageable, the trigger pull weight is lower (in the range of 8 to 15 N) and with a much shorter overtravel and reset than the CZ 75 SP- 01 SHADOW. Specif ically, the overtravel and reset are items that an ordinary user won’t ap- preciate that much, but when taking into account the current standard of top IPSC shooters,