Getting a reliable shadow 2 magazine is definitely honestly just simply because important as the gun itself in case you're looking to focus on your shooting rather than clearing malfunctions. In the event that you've spent any time in a local USPSA match or even just scrolling through competition firing forums, you know the CZ Shadow 2 is quite much the full of the Production and Carry Optics divisions. But your best pistol is actually a very costly paperweight if the magazines aren't giving correctly.
I've seen a lot of shooters show up with a three-thousand-dollar custom rig just to get their time ruined because they tried to save twenty bucks on a sketchy, beat-up magazine. It just isn't worthwhile. Whether a person are an aggressive shooter or somebody who just loves the feel of the heavy, all-steel DA/SA pistol at the particular range, your mags are the lifeblood of the system. Let's dig into what makes these points tick, which of them are worthy of your cash, and exactly how to keep all of them running smoothly intended for years.
Factory vs. Aftermarket Options
When you buy a Shadow 2, it usually comes with those shiny blue-follower magazines. These are great, but most people don't recognize that CZ doesn't actually make them in-house. They are usually manufactured by Mec-Gar in Italy. If you look at the side of nearly any high-quality steel pistol magazine, there's a good possibility you'll see that "Made in Italy" stamp.
Because Mec-Gar will be the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), you have a choice. You can buy the state CZ-branded shadow 2 magazine, which usually includes a nice finish as well as the CZ logo, you can also buy the Mec-Gar branded version. Most of the time, the Mec-Gar version is cheaper plus performs identically. In fact, many shooters prefer the Mec-Gar "AFC" (Anti-Friction Coating) magazines. That cunning, matte black finish feels a bit like Teflon plus makes the rounds glide up more quickly, and more significantly, it makes the magazine drop away of the hold frame like it's been greased.
There are also some ultra-budget options available, but I'd generally suggest staying away through them for something aside from casual plinking. When the metal feels thin or the springs feel crunchy, you're just asking for a "fail to feed" right when you're about to set an individual best on the stage.
Capability and Base Cushion Considerations
The particular standard shadow 2 magazine usually keeps 17 rounds, or 19 if this goes along with the extended bottom pad. For many range trips, 17 rounds is sufficient. However, if you are usually getting into the aggressive side, you're heading to want even more.
This is where the world of base pads comes in. You can take a regular 17-round tube and add a +2 or +5 foundation pad from companies like Henning, TTI, or Taylor Freelancer. Suddenly, your Shadow 2 is holding 22 or twenty three rounds of 9mm. It changes the total amount of the gun a little bit, adding some weight towards the base, which lots of people in fact find helps with their transitions among targets.
Just a heads up, though: if you start adding massive base pads, you might need in order to change your suspension systems. The stock springtime in a 17-round shadow 2 magazine is made to push seventeen rounds. If you stretch that room to fit twenty two, the spring might not have enough "oomph" to obtain that last gather into the holding chamber on time for the particular slide to pick it up.
Maintenance Is Not Optional
We know, cleaning magazines is the most boring part of being a weapon owner. It's right up there with washing your gutters or even doing your fees. When you're shedding your shadow 2 magazine into the dirt, sand, or gravel throughout a reload, you have to clean it.
The Shadow 2 is the precision machine, plus the magazines are built to relatively restricted tolerances. If a bit of grit gets within the tube, it may cause the fans to hold up. Whenever the follower weighs up, the spring can't push the next round directly into position, and you obtain a "click" rather of a "bang. "
Cleaning them isn't hard, though. A person don't need extravagant solvents or natural oils. In fact, never essential oil the interior of your own magazines . Oil attracts dust and creates a nasty sludge that may definitely cause jellies. Just take the bottom pad off, pull the spring in addition to follower out, plus run a dried out rag through the particular tube. If it's really nasty, use a little soapy water, dry it completely, and put this back together. That's it. Five moments of work can save you lots of frustration at the particular range.
Precisely why the Springs Matter
Over period, the spring inside your shadow 2 magazine is going to degrade. It's just physics. Every time you shrink that spring simply by loading it to capacity, and each time it grows when you fire, it's losing a tiny bit of the tension.
How can you know whenever it's time in order to replace them? If you notice that your slide isn't locking back right after the last circular, that's a classic sign. The spring isn't pushing the particular follower up with enough force to engage the glide stop. Another sign is if a person start getting "nose-dive" malfunctions, where the circular hits the feed ramp too low.
I tell people that if they are shooting a lot—like, thousands of rounds a year—they should probably just exchange their magazine suspension springs every season. They will are cheap, plus it's a simple way in order to ensure reliability. Brands like Wolff or even Grams Engineering create fantastic replacement suspension systems that often outlast the factory ones.
Dealing with the "Rattle"
One thing that drives new Shadow 2 owners crazy is the "mag rattle. " You'll kit a shadow 2 magazine in order to full capacity, give it a tremble, and it seems like there's a free pebble inside.
First off, don't panic. It's perfectly normal. Mainly because of the way the double-stack times transition into the single-feed position in the top, occasionally one round in the center of the stack doesn't have quite just as much pressure on this as the others. Generally, in case you give the particular back of the magazine a good "tap" against your hand, the rounds may seat better plus the rattling can stop. Even if it doesn't, it almost never affects the actual performance associated with the gun. It's just one of those quirks of the CZ 75-style design that we've all learned to live with.
Suitability with Other CZ Models
One of the best things about the CZ ecosystem is just how much "cross-talk" presently there is between versions. Most shadow 2 magazine options will work perfectly fine in the CZ 75B, an SP-01, or even even a CZ 75 Compact (though they will stay out underneath associated with the compact).
This is definitely great because if you decide in order to purchase a different CZ in the future, you don't necessarily have in order to start your magazine collection from the beginning. Just keep in brain that the reverse isn't always correct. Older, surplus CZ 75 magazines might not always suit the Shadow 2 perfectly because the magwell on the particular Shadow 2 is definitely a bit more flared and particular. Stick to the modern Mec-Gar or factory CZ magazines and you'll have the ability to swap them between your guns without having a second thought.
Conclusions upon Your Setup
At the end of the time, you should probably have at minimum five or 6 magazines for your own Shadow 2. Exactly why so many? Nicely, if you're capturing a match, you'll want enough to obtain through a long stage without getting to stop plus reload mid-day. Also, magazines are "wear items. " They will get dropped, moved on, and ultimately, the feed lips might spread or the plastic fans might chip.
Having a few "training mags" that you don't thoughts beating up and a few "match mags" which you keep pristine is really a strategy a great deal of the advantages use. Your shadow 2 magazine is really a simple piece associated with equipment, but it's doing a wide range of function under some pretty violent conditions. Treat them well, keep them clean, and don't be scared to change a spring now and then. Your Shadow 2 will appreciate you for it by running like a sewing device every time a person pull the trigger.