Yep,I have the cr920 and it's the best pistol I've ever had out of 7. The mags eject really well, good trigger and the Red dot mounts directly to the slide and you can cowitness with regular sights. Guns and Ammo did a test and really tried to make it malfunction with different grain and type of ammo in the same mag. They eventually got it to malfunction once and could not get it to repeat any malfunction. The one that did, they were barely holding the gun. So I really like mine.
I wish you read the manual before giving out a review. Its not a MOS system you need no plates and its universal with the spacers it comes with. And the back straps changes the angle of how you point the gun when you aim. Not like glock that just add bulk for no reason. The only thing I give you is that the pmag do actually suck go oem and youll be fine.
Sidearms are like my toolbox. I buy the new shiny model wrench, but when the job is important I grab old ugly that has done a reliable job for me for years.
Interesting I always grab the new tool as I want to see how it performs. I am vetting it each time. Many times not always the quality new tool perform better.
Shadow systems are awesome. Truth is, they exist because Glock won't do what Sig does. Take a great platform and make it better, IE triggers, magwells, slides, barrells, etc. Glock would increase their market share SIGNIFICANTLY if they would just offer their products with the upgrades todays shooter wants. IMHO...
Exactly, they are falling behind. Fan boys get pissed about it, but it's true. Glock came up with the most innovative pistol, yes others did copy the concept but some are making it better, while Glock refuses to make the pistol better and just selling based on the name alone. Just like Armalite designed the proven AR platform, then sold it to Colt. When others started manufacturing the AR15, they made them better. Decades later, very few people look for Colt when they are shopping for AR's. I have M&P's with several thousand rounds of steel case ammo through them, no issues. I have a G19 that stopped and needed parts replaced around 400 rounds, a $0.02 plastic part stopped so-called perfection.
@@GTGibbs - For now, just like Colt was the most popular rifle sold for decades, see where Colt is now in the AR market. Glocks are great pistols, I have owned Glocks since the early 90's. But when people have the option for a more comfortable pistol with better triggers, more factory options and just as reliable as the Glock, Glock will fall behind in the market.
I recently purchased the XR920 elite, and the MR920L. Shadow Systems recommends a break in period of up to 200 rounds as the tolerances of the gun are very tight, and it needs time to break in. I ran 150 rounds through them (combined), and had 2 failure to feeds with the MR920L, but no failures with the XR920. My ammo used is Blazer 115 grain brass case ammo. I am a HUGE fan of these guns.
@@gastondraco5906 then, don’t buy one. No one will care either way. Both of mine run flawlessly after a very short break in period. I’ve had a total of 3 failures to feed through about 600 rounds. My Glock 23 had approximately 5 failures to feed during its break in period. I was using expensive ammo as well.
@@gastondraco5906 the tolerances in the shadow systems are a lot smaller than Glock. It's mainly where the barrel and frame meet up. Shadow systems could increase tolerances to do away with break in, but at the cost of accuracy. This is well documented with the SS guns.
Not an MOS, the screws go deeper and no plate is needed, so you can co-witness more easily. I know you may love it more with experience. I have both, the rear sight alone give you a larger grip. Thanks for your initial impressions. The magpul mags have never failed me? I prefer the glock mags as they give me more confidence with the steel lighners. But I have both and have yet to have any failures, but I use brass ammo. The trigger reset is faster than my Glock. the rear angle change for me lets the 920 point more like a 1911, again a matter of tast. Thank You.
Hey Chad, thank you for the informative and entertaining videos as well as your years of service to this awesome country that I love. This is not to be a “know it all” by any means, im sure that under stress, you shoot far better then I do, and overall your knowledge in the areas of firearms and tactics is 1000x that of mine. I am however a certified (NRA) pistol instructor and I do have a lot of experience with both glocks and shadow systems pistols As an early adopter of the shadow systems platform (MR920 in March 2020 was my first shadow) i do know a lot about their design and I wanted to supplement all that you have offered with a little bit of knowledge that i have acquired about these SS pistols. Mainly the red dot mount, is not at all a standard MOS mount. As you know the MOS system requires different plates to attach different optics and inherently this design, coupled with the extractor plunger and spring, require the mounting screws on a MOS pistol be very short screws and this also results in a dot that sits kinda high on the gun. This SS design will allow for direct mounting of many of the dots on the market today with out mounting plates and by the fact that they have modified the extractor plunger system, the mounting screws go almost to the bottom of the slide. The result here is a connection so strong that you could drive nails with your red dot, and a dot that sits much lower on the pistol giving the user a better sight picture and a co witness with iron sights that are only slightly taller than standard sights. This also means that holster selection is made easier in that suppressor sights are not needed for a co witness as they usually are with most mounting systems I wont go on and on other than to say that the mag situation is what it is. SS has developed their own mag for the new sub compact pistol, and it is a metal mag. Not sure what this will mean in the future for the standard double stack 9mm mags from SS but they are now manufacturing magazines. I have not experienced much trouble from the magpul mags but i will say i dont run very much steel ammo. I do like the fact that the magpul mags have a thicker baseplate allowing for easier removal of the magazine when the magwell is installed on the pistol in terms of a type 3 malfunction etc. A standard glock mag will almost be impossible to remove from the gun when the magwell is installed if the gun binds itself up during a malfunction. Also the mag release button has been slightly enlarged but its so slight, many don’t even notice but its a nice future. I happen to like the serrations on the slide but to each his own, I totally agree with your assessment on the front (forward) serrations. Anyway thank you for all you do, have done, and continue to do for us, our country, the 2A community and all of us believers in Christ. He is the most important thing always and your faith in Him is really what brings me to your videos more than any other thing, all of which are great and you talk about many topics that are interesting to me but none more than the Faith. God bless you, your family, your viewers, and staff that helps bring these videos to us all. God bless this great country and all of the people around the globe. Thank you Chad!
Your channel is the only one I watch about guns because you are real. I can’t have a gun in Australia but I still appreciate the mechanics and differences.
H&K MK23,USP, VP9, all day everyday, Sig Sauer Navy 226..... H&K and Sig Sauer are the best pistols I have ever used without any modifications.... Keep up the great posts
I have an P-226 made in Germany , purchased it in 1988 and it's the only combat pistol that felt and shot great from Day one , until I purchased a Canik TP9 Elite Combat and it was right there with the P-226 on fit and accuracy right out of the box , both are very good combat pistols in my opinion !
I just bought a LE XR920 today on a whim. I bought 2 other guns for my birthday present to me and saw this gun at the store as well, really liked it and pulled the trigger (pun intended) on it. Now I just need to take it to the range!
SIR! I thank you enjoy all your videos and information! Thank you for your honesty about the magp g mags nobody in the entire u tube or gun industry has ever been as honest and forthcoming as you about it PEOPLE appreciate that !
I have one and it has been great so far. I have the XR920 Foundation Series. It does not have all the bells and whistles but it has the important parts. The grip module and the red dot mounting system are what sold me on this gun!
And yet the Glock is still bought more. Also the SS is not more accurate than a Glock and the ergonomics being better is a opinion. But hey man do u 👍🏻
I think most people mis interpret their slogan “glock perfection”. Everyone expects it to be perfect to their personal preferences right out of the box. In reality, it means its going to function flawlessly right out of the box and be a dependable tool. And its not going to do things like fire while holstered like other brands lol.
Interesting what they said about the fluted barrel; the two main reasons for barrel flutes are reducing weight and increasing surface area to increase cooling. That's the cleanest area inside my slide whenever I clean my pistol. Great review!
Nice try. Thou shalt not steal. Quit stealing people's logos and scamming them for shipping money for a non-existent gift.; and take some English lessons.
So Glock 19x has better slide serrations, about the same trigger, better sights out of the box with 3 dot night sights, better mags. Only thing SS has over it is the grip and option to add a dot, but Glock is coming out with an MOS 19x anyways soon. Glock is also cheaper off the shelf, yeah I’ll stick with the Glock.
Shadow Systems will send you a replacement pistol if your in a justified shooting so that pretty 2A of them in fact I don't see any other companies doing that. Add they do all the upgrades for cheaper on pretty much a glock clone but you can change the point of aim based on back strap used and well it's nice
I have the mr920 and dropped a timney trigger into it... hands down the easiest of my edc options to shoot and the option I'm most accurate with. I love my vp9 but I just don't shoot it as well as the mr920. Great job on your evaluation of the shadow systems!
@@YouBoyJpres I can't say with 100% accuracy but I believe Gen 4. I had the same question when I ordered it(sorry I don't remember which they said at the time) but timney had pretty fast response time and was very helpful
I didn't shoot my H&K well till I read some where the iron sites must cover the target instead of setting your sites just below the target like with Glocks or Sig's. My shots improved 100%.
I shot a HK45 out of the box head to head with a custom 1911. The 1911 was just slightly more accurate. Both produced super tight groups. Incredible accuracy and LAV says the HK45 and P30 are bomb proof. I have had nothing but dependability out of my p30L LEM Todd Green spring setup Grey Guns trigger job with nitride internals coating with Straight 8’s.
Lol so u bought a SS and then replaced the trigger on it anyways, which is one of the main reasons Glock haters say not to get a Glock. That’s why I can’t even take Glock haters serious. Not saying you are one Victor, but if the SS trigger was soooo much better than Glock then why bother replacing it. That’s why I stick with Glock. Let’s see if SS has a proven track record with LE and military use in 30 years.
Great review, thank you. I own the XR & MR, and can confirm the co-witness ability with a RMR/RDS due to the unique mounting cuts SS has. If you have an RMR cut optic, or event the more popular RDS' - you won't need a mounting plate. To me, the mag release is a bit "anemic," & empty mags don't eject cleanly all the time so I swapped them out. Idk if I got lucky, or what, but both of mine came with 3 mags & a case with a 5 mag holder.
I have a new XR920 with a Holosun 570 sight. SS warns that due to the extremely tight tolerances in the gun, it may need 200 rounds to break it in. I have run 170 rounds through it so far with no issues whatsoever. I did have challenges zeroing the red dot, as it was shooting a foot low and 7 inches left out of the box. I also have a Glock 19 Gen 3 with some mods (sights, barrel, stippling). It has a Timney trigger, which is a game changer for me. I’m going to give the XR920 1000 rounds and evaluate before considering installing the Timney.
@@EverythingisFire After I got it zeroed it’s been a great gun. You just have to get used to the draw stroke and what you are looking for in your sight presentation so the dot is there and you don’t have to hunt for it. Being used to front sight focus, it’s different.
I’ve never heard them claim that the barrel was fluted to cut down on carbon, they have said it’s to save a little bit of wait and allow the barrel to cool a bit faster. And can someone explain why he says never operate the weapon from the front? I like to press check for reasons, and also not to bump the optic if it’s one on the gun. And guns for decades have had some sort of feature to allow the weapon to be manipulated from the front, wether it’s serrations or a scalloped Slide
Got the MR920 Elite. Love it. That’s what I carry now. Got about 1000 rounds through it so far and no issues. waiting for my CGS Mod-9 stamp to get approved
A good, honest review. Just one tip though. When you review a gun, you might want to learn about it first. At least read the manual 😆. You missed some things like their proprietary optic cut and the 200 round break in period. Good video though, and good shooting.
All of the local law enforcement agencies where I live now authorize the Shadow Systems lineup as duty weapons. However. If I was law enforcement. I would use a Glock. Have seen many more reliability issues with the Shadow as compared to Glocks. Way more. The store I work at is a Glock Blue Label and Shadow P&P dealer.
The optic cut is one of the best features over Glock MOS system. It fits a lot of the common optics directly without the need of a mouting plate. Screws are bigger and longer. SS redesigned the slide to allow it. Personnaly after a couple hundreds of rounds, I found the trigger setteling and is WAY smoother than out of the box. I prefer it to a Glock.
I know a place that mills Glock slides for 150 bucks and takes a week at most. Don’t know where you live but in North Carolina double h gunsmithing. I had the rmr on my 19x
I have the DR920. I read the instructions that came with the gun. After taking the gun apart before shooting it, I cleaned it and used Seal one. As the instructions state, I put 200 rounds through it and had two malfunctions. I've put several hundred rounds through it so far and haven't had any problems
I think that that was a fair and decent review of this weapon. Thank you for sharing it. The shadow systems are quite expensive so it’s nice to read about them before making a purchase
I’ll stick with my Bore Site G-34 or any out of the box G-19. Certified Armorer so generally Glock parts are required. Even a 1911 stays behind with a G-19 on the belt.
Note, of late my RIA slab side rides with me much more often. Low,slow garage door sized holes. LOL. Thanks for sharing your hard fought knowledge with us Shipmate.
Out of all my handguns, my favorite by far is my Canik TP9SF custom ported with Freedomsmith trigger and true-glo sights... It's the EDC that I drag through the river while fishing and everywhere else and runs flawless, and my most accurate.
That's what I didn't like with the 43x. It only came with 2 mags. 10 round. It could of came with 3. I still got it though and it's my number 1. Great review.
Get the shield and arms mag release, shield n arms 15 round clip and bam your at a15+1, 16shot concealed carry. 43x My daily CC, an extra 5 shots is huge!!
Looks cool but..... Mine is completely unreliable. The feed ramp on the fancy barrel isn't worth a damn. I've swapped barrels and it works ok but... I don't trust this gun at all. In fact, I need to put that damn thing on gun broker, this was a good reminder.
Got the XR 920 combat couple weeks ago $559 off gunbroker. Great price I thought. Took it to range this past weekend ran 200 thru it Winchester white box 115 gr. Was flawless 0 malfunctions of any sort. Used p mag and Glock 17 mags. Wouldn’t have any problem carrying it. I do need to run some SD ammo they it though but I expect it to run fine
You're the first person I've seen that agrees with me on front slide serrations. At least in agreement that they're stupid. I always thought shooters, especially new shooters, should not get in the habit of sticking their hand on the front of the slide near the muzzle. First, why would you need to do that and second, someone is going to poke a hole in their hand because they're not experienced enough to keep their finger off the trigger. I don't think they look cool though. I think they make the gun look like a toy. Anyway, I just bought another Glock and I was shown the Shadow Systems pistol. The guy in the store was telling me the SS Glock copy was far better. I thought it was ok. Certainly not that great. I am one of the few that loves factory Glock sights. That white U for the rear is the best rear sight design I've ever seen. Maybe making them metal and adding tritium would be an upgrade.
i run all my glocks with P mags at the range. they seem to run great for me. that being said, i only carry oem . i tested a few shadow systems glock clones and the only way i'd be happy with them would be with a johnny glock combat trigger. i like the feel of a stock gen 5 trigger compared to the SS trigger.
SS trigger takes some time to wear in It's gritty and smushy out of the box. But after 700 rounds it's smoothened out and blows my 19 Gen5's trigger away easy.
I built a custom Glock and it won't function with factory Glock mags. I have a timney trigger installed and the trigger bar rubs on factory mags but if you look at magpul mags there's clearance there for the trigger bar. There's also some weird issue with the firing pin not setting the primer off on some ammo. I bought a cheap upper parts kit but I'm installing a aftermarket pin from shadow systems because they are machined steel instead of cast.
Bought theDR 920 previously carried the Glock 17 as a LEO and never had any issues, so after 1 week I had put 800 to 900 rds thru the weapon with zero issues. The only thing tha I did not like was the trigger, so I put a Timney Alfa Gen 3 Gen 4 trigger and the feel was WOW totally Awesome made the difference.
Update on my XR920. Ordered it with a Holosun 507 optic. The optic had worked very well after I got it zeroed until my first time to the range this spring. The Holosun failed, I changed the battery, to no avail. Sent it to Holosun and they are replacing it after two months there.
Shipmate, could please tell me what type of magazine holders are you using? I really appreciate your videos and how humble you present yourself, compared with other videos that I believe are posted on RUclips after being edited. You show us the real deal at the range. Thank you.
Just send 1 Pmag with the pistols, keep if for training to help work through malfunctions. Buy Glock factory mags and run it. I purchased 1 pmag for G19 just to try it, problem after problem while all the factory glock mags just work.
Yea I agree about the PMags.. you’re paying premium prices for the gun itself yet we get the equivalent of ETS mags… it’s terrible.. what’s really crazy is they made the CR920 (Glock 43 clone) and made their own metal mags for that! So they absolutely can make their own mags…
Pretty sure unless Glock makes a deal with them, they could not ship them with OEM Glock mags. I just bought a DR920 foundation model on sale for $530 at local shop. Immediately sold the pmags back to guy at the gun shop, and bought some extra Glock mags. I ran 3 different kinds of ammo that certain people claimed the ss don't like. 300 rounds hard and fast without reoiling. Gun ran like a top.
The two real benefits to the Shadow Systems I think are the propriety optics mounting system, which doesn't use plates and the screws go all the way thru the slide, and the back straps. They actually change the grip angle vs just making it bigger. In my opinion if you're not going to put an optic on it then I really wouldn't spend the extra cash for it.
Thanks for that info. I recently put a Timney in my G19. Game changer and I’ve been thinking about getting a SS and wondered if a Timney would work in it.
@@9770G If you read my comment you'll see I never said their triggers were "soooo much better" they're actually just standard Glock triggers that's why i replaced mine with Johnny Glock combat triggers.
I wish the rear sight had a couple of tritium dots. I feel like they went the cheap route. I’m old school and prefer traditional 3 dot. Plus at night they help immensely.
HK45 is the king. I wish they made it in 9mm. The p30 is close but its not a HK45. I ran a HK45 neck and neck against a custom 1911 and the accuracy of both were phenomenal. LAV always says the HK45 and P30 are bomb proof. LAV knows, he had his hand in designing them with Keith.
As to shooting low. I have found people who have thousands of rounds through Glocks will shoot Sigs, shadows, M&Ps etc low. The grip angle and your subconscious muscle memory comes into play. I shoot glocks high no matter how hard I try to hold the gun steady. It comes from hundreds of thousands of rounds through Sigs. At the moment of truth my wrist adjusts to where it thinks it should be without my conscious input. 😮
I like your honest reviews! I know you really like the Glock 19x; so do I. From all the ooohing and aaahing I've heard about this pistol, I personally think that I'll wait on the next iteration to come out before seriously looking in to buying one. It looks really sweet, but I'll pass for now. Ahh, so many firearms, so little money. Thanks for the review. 👍
It's not an mos sight system like on the Glock. The SS optic system is better than what Glock uses because it doesn't need a mounting plate, so your rds will sit lower on the slide and co-witness with the stock front and rear sights.
Nice review Chadd. I have been evaluating the Sig P320, Glock 19X & G45, and Shadow XR920 Elite. Although a bit pricey, the XR920 has lots of upgrades which put me over the edge. I special ordered one today and look forward to taking it on the range. Now trying to find the appropriate optics.
If you haven't chosen one just yet and plan on carrying it with you might I suggest the holosun eps. It's a closed emitter optic which means you won't have debri getting under your sight hood or possibly blocking your emitter
Shadow Systems Optics Mounting system is one the best mounting systems . Glock has taken one hell of a beating on commercial market since Shadow Systems came out . Ultimately you cannot go wrong with either
IMO shadow systems is a fun range gun but not one you want to risk your life with carrying on person daily. I had nothing but problems out of the mr920 elite. So far, my Glock 19 has been flawless.
Doesn't that added flared magwell make the pistol much harder to conceal unless you're in cold weather and wearing more clothes? Ithink I'd rather do without that feature if i was using it for concealed carry.
I respect your experience and opinion. However when you state there is nothing special about the optic mounting plate. There is ALOT special about the optic mounting. They have redesigned the extractor to allow a much longer mounting screws. The Glock MOS plates can loosen these won’t!
Considering the fact that I know pretty much nothing about guns, you are a great teacher. Thanks for that! Entertaining content. And also considering how crazy this world id getting, maybe it's time to learn...
Shadow systems has the upgrades you would do right off the shelf. What's the fun in that? I love tricking em out. Love 80%s. Make em my way from the get go. JMOFO.
I would still pick my Glock too. I only have 300 rounds currently through my shadow systems. But the gun has been flawless so far. I know they recommend the 200 round break in. And I purposefully used ammo during that time that some people claimed didn't work well in the ss. Ran it hard and fast without applying additional lubricant. Other than the gun getting extremely hot after about 150 rounds, the thing ran fantastic. It was just their new foundation series and I paid less than a new Glock. But the shootability was phenomenal. I haven't had that much fun at the range in a while.
Nothing special about the optics mounting platform? It has the longest screws for the best thread engagement in the industry and a proprietary cut that sits deeper than others and allows for mounting of any major optic footprint with no plates….but other than that it’s nothing special. Love my MR and DR. Superior to Glock in every way IMO. Over 7,000 rounds through the 2 and not a single failure after the 200 round break in period.
Skimmed right over the guns biggest feature. Shadow systems got the best optics cut in the game right now.
Correct. This is what separates the Shadow System guns from everything else
This. This is the sole reason I switched from Glock. The optic system is the best on the market.
Huh I wonder why Chad had a problem with it then? It didn't seem to be accurate unless I missed something.
The optic cut is universal and fits almost all different red dots without using plates, much better than the Glock MOS. I really enjoy my DR920.
you get the war poet? love that gun
No, unfortunately not. Nonetheless it’s a good looking gun and it performs fantastic. Have used it for USPSA matches without any issues.
Yep,I have the cr920 and it's the best pistol I've ever had out of 7. The mags eject really well, good trigger and the Red dot mounts directly to the slide and you can cowitness with regular sights. Guns and Ammo did a test and really tried to make it malfunction with different grain and type of ammo in the same mag. They eventually got it to malfunction once and could not get it to repeat any malfunction. The one that did, they were barely holding the gun. So I really like mine.
I wish you read the manual before giving out a review. Its not a MOS system you need no plates and its universal with the spacers it comes with. And the back straps changes the angle of how you point the gun when you aim. Not like glock that just add bulk for no reason. The only thing I give you is that the pmag do actually suck go oem and youll be fine.
Sidearms are like my toolbox. I buy the new shiny model wrench, but when the job is important I grab old ugly that has done a reliable job for me for years.
Interesting I always grab the new tool as I want to see how it performs. I am vetting it each time. Many times not always the quality new tool perform better.
@@andershilmo1866I think you misunderstood the meaning of important.
@@Osprey1994right over his head
New tool will be your old tool if you use it enough
Shadow systems are awesome. Truth is, they exist because Glock won't do what Sig does. Take a great platform and make it better, IE triggers, magwells, slides, barrells, etc. Glock would increase their market share SIGNIFICANTLY if they would just offer their products with the upgrades todays shooter wants. IMHO...
Good point. Agreed, but they are still the most popular 9mm’s. And even overall most common and popular handguns period.
Exactly, they are falling behind. Fan boys get pissed about it, but it's true. Glock came up with the most innovative pistol, yes others did copy the concept but some are making it better, while Glock refuses to make the pistol better and just selling based on the name alone. Just like Armalite designed the proven AR platform, then sold it to Colt. When others started manufacturing the AR15, they made them better. Decades later, very few people look for Colt when they are shopping for AR's. I have M&P's with several thousand rounds of steel case ammo through them, no issues. I have a G19 that stopped and needed parts replaced around 400 rounds, a $0.02 plastic part stopped so-called perfection.
Yeah man good point
@@GTGibbs - For now, just like Colt was the most popular rifle sold for decades, see where Colt is now in the AR market.
Glocks are great pistols, I have owned Glocks since the early 90's. But when people have the option for a more comfortable pistol with better triggers, more factory options and just as reliable as the Glock, Glock will fall behind in the market.
Glock doesn't need to innovate because what they offer has worked for millions across the globe for decades. Simplicity and reliability go a long way.
I recently purchased the XR920 elite, and the MR920L. Shadow Systems recommends a break in period of up to 200 rounds as the tolerances of the gun are very tight, and it needs time to break in. I ran 150 rounds through them (combined), and had 2 failure to feeds with the MR920L, but no failures with the XR920. My ammo used is Blazer 115 grain brass case ammo. I am a HUGE fan of these guns.
lol break in lol that’s their excuse for it’s gonna jam Glock doesn’t have that issue or at least I’ve never had it been running Glock’s since 1993
@@gastondraco5906 then, don’t buy one. No one will care either way. Both of mine run flawlessly after a very short break in period. I’ve had a total of 3 failures to feed through about 600 rounds.
My Glock 23 had approximately 5 failures to feed during its break in period. I was using expensive ammo as well.
@@gastondraco5906 the tolerances in the shadow systems are a lot smaller than Glock. It's mainly where the barrel and frame meet up. Shadow systems could increase tolerances to do away with break in, but at the cost of accuracy. This is well documented with the SS guns.
I love my CR920 war poet I lubed it and have had 0 malfunctions in 450 rounds 🤘
Love these pistols the patten is glock gen 3 and 4 so you know they will be reliable also once your through the first 100-300 rounds
Not an MOS, the screws go deeper and no plate is needed, so you can co-witness more easily. I know you may love it more with experience. I have both, the rear sight alone give you a larger grip. Thanks for your initial impressions. The magpul mags have never failed me? I prefer the glock mags as they give me more confidence with the steel lighners. But I have both and have yet to have any failures, but I use brass ammo. The trigger reset is faster than my Glock. the rear angle change for me lets the 920 point more like a 1911, again a matter of tast. Thank You.
"That was freaking rough, man"......................needs to be on your t-shirts!
😂❤
Hey Chad, thank you for the informative and entertaining videos as well as your years of service to this awesome country that I love.
This is not to be a “know it all” by any means, im sure that under stress, you shoot far better then I do, and overall your knowledge in the areas of firearms and tactics is 1000x that of mine.
I am however a certified (NRA) pistol instructor and I do have a lot of experience with both glocks and shadow systems pistols
As an early adopter of the shadow systems platform (MR920 in March 2020 was my first shadow) i do know a lot about their design and I wanted to supplement all that you have offered with a little bit of knowledge that i have acquired about these SS pistols.
Mainly the red dot mount, is not at all a standard MOS mount. As you know the MOS system requires different plates to attach different optics and inherently this design, coupled with the extractor plunger and spring, require the mounting screws on a MOS pistol be very short screws and this also results in a dot that sits kinda high on the gun. This SS design will allow for direct mounting of many of the dots on the market today with out mounting plates and by the fact that they have modified the extractor plunger system, the mounting screws go almost to the bottom of the slide. The result here is a connection so strong that you could drive nails with your red dot, and a dot that sits much lower on the pistol giving the user a better sight picture and a co witness with iron sights that are only slightly taller than standard sights. This also means that holster selection is made easier in that suppressor sights are not needed for a co witness as they usually are with most mounting systems
I wont go on and on other than to say that the mag situation is what it is. SS has developed their own mag for the new sub compact pistol, and it is a metal mag. Not sure what this will mean in the future for the standard double stack 9mm mags from SS but they are now manufacturing magazines. I have not experienced much trouble from the magpul mags but i will say i dont run very much steel ammo. I do like the fact that the magpul mags have a thicker baseplate allowing for easier removal of the magazine when the magwell is installed on the pistol in terms of a type 3 malfunction etc. A standard glock mag will almost be impossible to remove from the gun when the magwell is installed if the gun binds itself up during a malfunction. Also the mag release button has been slightly enlarged but its so slight, many don’t even notice but its a nice future. I happen to like the serrations on the slide but to each his own, I totally agree with your assessment on the front (forward) serrations.
Anyway thank you for all you do, have done, and continue to do for us, our country, the 2A community and all of us believers in Christ. He is the most important thing always and your faith in Him is really what brings me to your videos more than any other thing, all of which are great and you talk about many topics that are interesting to me but none more than the Faith. God bless you, your family, your viewers, and staff that helps bring these videos to us all. God bless this great country and all of the people around the globe. Thank you Chad!
Amen! Great pistols
“We never work off the front of our gun” please repeat for the people in the back of the room
👏🏿
Never for sure.
Your channel is the only one I watch about guns because you are real. I can’t have a gun in Australia but I still appreciate the mechanics and differences.
H&K MK23,USP, VP9, all day everyday, Sig Sauer Navy 226..... H&K and Sig Sauer are the best pistols I have ever used without any modifications.... Keep up the great posts
I have an P-226 made in Germany , purchased it in 1988 and it's the only combat pistol that felt and shot great from Day one , until I purchased a Canik TP9 Elite Combat and it was right there with the P-226 on fit and accuracy right out of the box , both are very good combat pistols in my opinion !
Keep in mind..the Shadow..is a Glock " Nuff said "
I just bought a LE XR920 today on a whim. I bought 2 other guns for my birthday present to me and saw this gun at the store as well, really liked it and pulled the trigger (pun intended) on it. Now I just need to take it to the range!
SIR! I thank you enjoy all your videos and information! Thank you for your honesty about the magp g mags nobody in the entire u tube or gun industry has ever been as honest and forthcoming as you about it PEOPLE appreciate that !
I have one and it has been great so far. I have the XR920 Foundation Series. It does not have all the bells and whistles but it has the important parts. The grip module and the red dot mounting system are what sold me on this gun!
I just got one any holsters that you recommended for this gun ?
I’ve been shooting the DR and MR now for months. Love it. Lighter than a Glock and more accurate with better ergonomics. Love the SS guns!
MR920 has been outstanding for the last two years for me as well.
And yet the Glock is still bought more. Also the SS is not more accurate than a Glock and the ergonomics being better is a opinion. But hey man do u 👍🏻
I think most people mis interpret their slogan “glock perfection”. Everyone expects it to be perfect to their personal preferences right out of the box. In reality, it means its going to function flawlessly right out of the box and be a dependable tool. And its not going to do things like fire while holstered like other brands lol.
Interesting what they said about the fluted barrel; the two main reasons for barrel flutes are reducing weight and increasing surface area to increase cooling. That's the cleanest area inside my slide whenever I clean my pistol. Great review!
Nice try. Thou shalt not steal. Quit stealing people's logos and scamming them for shipping money for a non-existent gift.; and take some English lessons.
I wish you run for Congress, we need people like you there.
The 19x will hold it's own but you brought out the best of both !
So Glock 19x has better slide serrations, about the same trigger, better sights out of the box with 3 dot night sights, better mags. Only thing SS has over it is the grip and option to add a dot, but Glock is coming out with an MOS 19x anyways soon. Glock is also cheaper off the shelf, yeah I’ll stick with the Glock.
Shadow Systems will send you a replacement pistol if your in a justified shooting so that pretty 2A of them in fact I don't see any other companies doing that. Add they do all the upgrades for cheaper on pretty much a glock clone but you can change the point of aim based on back strap used and well it's nice
I believe that only applies to LEO’s. I’ll have to read the manual of one at my local gun shop.
I have the mr920 and dropped a timney trigger into it... hands down the easiest of my edc options to shoot and the option I'm most accurate with. I love my vp9 but I just don't shoot it as well as the mr920. Great job on your evaluation of the shadow systems!
What gen was the timney trigger for gen 3 or gen 4 Glock??
@@YouBoyJpres I can't say with 100% accuracy but I believe Gen 4. I had the same question when I ordered it(sorry I don't remember which they said at the time) but timney had pretty fast response time and was very helpful
I didn't shoot my H&K well till I read some where the iron sites must cover the target instead of setting your sites just below the target like with Glocks or Sig's. My shots improved 100%.
I shot a HK45 out of the box head to head with a custom 1911. The 1911 was just slightly more accurate. Both produced super tight groups. Incredible accuracy and LAV says the HK45 and P30 are bomb proof. I have had nothing but dependability out of my p30L LEM Todd Green spring setup Grey Guns trigger job with nitride internals coating with Straight 8’s.
Lol so u bought a SS and then replaced the trigger on it anyways, which is one of the main reasons Glock haters say not to get a Glock. That’s why I can’t even take Glock haters serious. Not saying you are one Victor, but if the SS trigger was soooo much better than Glock then why bother replacing it. That’s why I stick with Glock. Let’s see if SS has a proven track record with LE and military use in 30 years.
Great review, thank you.
I own the XR & MR, and can confirm the co-witness ability with a RMR/RDS due to the unique mounting cuts SS has. If you have an RMR cut optic, or event the more popular RDS' - you won't need a mounting plate. To me, the mag release is a bit "anemic," & empty mags don't eject cleanly all the time so I swapped them out. Idk if I got lucky, or what, but both of mine came with 3 mags & a case with a 5 mag holder.
Can Co witness just fine on a glock mos.
I have a new XR920 with a Holosun 570 sight. SS warns that due to the extremely tight tolerances in the gun, it may need 200 rounds to break it in. I have run 170 rounds through it so far with no issues whatsoever. I did have challenges zeroing the red dot, as it was shooting a foot low and 7 inches left out of the box. I also have a Glock 19 Gen 3 with some mods (sights, barrel, stippling). It has a Timney trigger, which is a game changer for me. I’m going to give the XR920 1000 rounds and evaluate before considering installing the Timney.
Did you figure out the zero'ing issue? How's the reliability been?
@@EverythingisFire After I got it zeroed it’s been a great gun. You just have to get used to the draw stroke and what you are looking for in your sight presentation so the dot is there and you don’t have to hunt for it. Being used to front sight focus, it’s different.
I’ve never heard them claim that the barrel was fluted to cut down on carbon, they have said it’s to save a little bit of wait and allow the barrel to cool a bit faster. And can someone explain why he says never operate the weapon from the front? I like to press check for reasons, and also not to bump the optic if it’s one on the gun. And guns for decades have had some sort of feature to allow the weapon to be manipulated from the front, wether it’s serrations or a scalloped Slide
The beaver tail/frame is amazing. Like that SS is an innovative company, producing quality products. Have 2 and love them. No issues.
Got the MR920 Elite. Love it. That’s what I carry now. Got about 1000 rounds through it so far and no issues. waiting for my CGS Mod-9 stamp to get approved
A good, honest review. Just one tip though. When you review a gun, you might want to learn about it first. At least read the manual 😆. You missed some things like their proprietary optic cut and the 200 round break in period. Good video though, and good shooting.
All of the local law enforcement agencies where I live now authorize the Shadow Systems lineup as duty weapons. However. If I was law enforcement. I would use a Glock. Have seen many more reliability issues with the Shadow as compared to Glocks. Way more. The store I work at is a Glock Blue Label and Shadow P&P dealer.
The optic cut is one of the best features over Glock MOS system. It fits a lot of the common optics directly without the need of a mouting plate. Screws are bigger and longer. SS redesigned the slide to allow it. Personnaly after a couple hundreds of rounds, I found the trigger setteling and is WAY smoother than out of the box. I prefer it to a Glock.
I know a place that mills Glock slides for 150 bucks and takes a week at most. Don’t know where you live but in North Carolina double h gunsmithing. I had the rmr on my 19x
I have the DR920. I read the instructions that came with the gun. After taking the gun apart before shooting it, I cleaned it and used Seal one. As the instructions state, I put 200 rounds through it and had two malfunctions. I've put several hundred rounds through it so far and haven't had any problems
So I got a 19x. Already put 500 rounds in it. No issues.
2 issues is 2 too many for a gun.
Thank you for doing these reviews. Thank you for being honest. Was thinking of this pistol. Will stick with my Glocks.
Great review and was searching for just that on this platform! Thank you and very good review!
Take the optic plate off and see the proprietary cut. And the back straps change the angle of the grip.
I had a mr920 elite. Switched back to my Glock 19. For me Glock is much more reliable. Always had feeding issues with my mr920
I think that that was a fair and decent review of this weapon. Thank you for sharing it. The shadow systems are quite expensive so it’s nice to read about them before making a purchase
Buyer beware
I’ll stick with my Bore Site G-34 or any out of the box G-19. Certified Armorer so generally Glock parts are required. Even a 1911 stays behind with a G-19 on the belt.
Note, of late my RIA slab side rides with me much more often. Low,slow garage door sized holes. LOL.
Thanks for sharing your hard fought knowledge with us Shipmate.
Out of all my handguns, my favorite by far is my Canik TP9SF custom ported with Freedomsmith trigger and true-glo sights... It's the EDC that I drag through the river while fishing and everywhere else and runs flawless, and my most accurate.
That's what I didn't like with the 43x. It only came with 2 mags. 10 round. It could of came with 3. I still got it though and it's my number 1. Great review.
Get the shield and arms mag release, shield n arms 15 round clip and bam your at a15+1, 16shot concealed carry. 43x My daily CC, an extra 5 shots is huge!!
PSA saved the 43x with them coming out with extremely reliable 15rd micro dagger mags that have the slick finish (steel/chrome) lined
been on the fence for a shadow systems pistol for years now. the trigger pull not being upgraded and the mags they come with keep me from purchasing
@ Chad .. I’m trying to lose 25lbs an get ripped .. I hate weights .. can run 3mi & do at least 200 jumping jacks unbroken .. Can you help
Looks cool but..... Mine is completely unreliable. The feed ramp on the fancy barrel isn't worth a damn. I've swapped barrels and it works ok but... I don't trust this gun at all. In fact, I need to put that damn thing on gun broker, this was a good reminder.
Got the XR 920 combat couple weeks ago $559 off gunbroker. Great price I thought. Took it to range this past weekend ran 200 thru it Winchester white box 115 gr. Was flawless 0 malfunctions of any sort. Used p mag and Glock 17 mags. Wouldn’t have any problem carrying it. I do need to run some SD ammo they it though but I expect it to run fine
You're the first person I've seen that agrees with me on front slide serrations. At least in agreement that they're stupid. I always thought shooters, especially new shooters, should not get in the habit of sticking their hand on the front of the slide near the muzzle. First, why would you need to do that and second, someone is going to poke a hole in their hand because they're not experienced enough to keep their finger off the trigger. I don't think they look cool though. I think they make the gun look like a toy.
Anyway, I just bought another Glock and I was shown the Shadow Systems pistol. The guy in the store was telling me the SS Glock copy was far better. I thought it was ok. Certainly not that great. I am one of the few that loves factory Glock sights. That white U for the rear is the best rear sight design I've ever seen. Maybe making them metal and adding tritium would be an upgrade.
i run all my glocks with P mags at the range. they seem to run great for me. that being said, i only carry oem . i tested a few shadow systems glock clones and the only way i'd be happy with them would be with a johnny glock combat trigger. i like the feel of a stock gen 5 trigger compared to the SS trigger.
Agreed
SS trigger takes some time to wear in
It's gritty and smushy out of the box. But after 700 rounds it's smoothened out and blows my 19 Gen5's trigger away easy.
Thank you for a thorough review. Take care!
I built a custom Glock and it won't function with factory Glock mags. I have a timney trigger installed and the trigger bar rubs on factory mags but if you look at magpul mags there's clearance there for the trigger bar. There's also some weird issue with the firing pin not setting the primer off on some ammo. I bought a cheap upper parts kit but I'm installing a aftermarket pin from shadow systems because they are machined steel instead of cast.
That was a tight and very lethal grouping even if lower than you aimed for. Great job! Whoyah!
Bought theDR 920 previously carried the Glock 17 as a LEO and never had any issues, so after 1 week I had put 800 to 900 rds thru the weapon with zero issues. The only thing tha I did not like was the trigger, so I put a Timney Alfa Gen 3 Gen 4 trigger and the feel was WOW totally Awesome made the difference.
I thought timneys were competition triggers?
Sheen, This is the 40th Glock killer in 20 years.
Update on my XR920. Ordered it with a Holosun 507 optic. The optic had worked very well after I got it zeroed until my first time to the range this spring. The Holosun failed, I changed the battery, to no avail. Sent it to Holosun and they are replacing it after two months there.
Awesome review TY for sharing
I’m sure it’s a great gun it should be for twice the price of a 19 X
What Glock mags fit on shadow xr 920 elite ?
Shadow is not worth the expensive price compared to a glock
Shipmate, could please tell me what type of magazine holders are you using? I really appreciate your videos and how humble you present yourself, compared with other videos that I believe are posted on RUclips after being edited. You show us the real deal at the range. Thank you.
Best duty pistol for non wimps is the G20.
God bless Jeff Cooper. I carry a customized 20.
👍👍🇺🇸
Just send 1 Pmag with the pistols, keep if for training to help work through malfunctions. Buy Glock factory mags and run it. I purchased 1 pmag for G19 just to try it, problem after problem while all the factory glock mags just work.
Yea I agree about the PMags.. you’re paying premium prices for the gun itself yet we get the equivalent of ETS mags… it’s terrible.. what’s really crazy is they made the CR920 (Glock 43 clone) and made their own metal mags for that! So they absolutely can make their own mags…
Pretty sure unless Glock makes a deal with them, they could not ship them with OEM Glock mags. I just bought a DR920 foundation model on sale for $530 at local shop. Immediately sold the pmags back to guy at the gun shop, and bought some extra Glock mags. I ran 3 different kinds of ammo that certain people claimed the ss don't like. 300 rounds hard and fast without reoiling. Gun ran like a top.
Much more expensive than a Glock. Why pay more for the same thing?
Shadow systems have nice features and a awesome warranty, but they are no where near as reliable as a Glock is
You missed the biggest selling point: the Changeable Grip Angle
Interesting I have never had trouble with P Mags good to know another point of view of course I don’t use steel case ammo lol
Likewise
I had a pmag cause failure to slide lock 100% of the time on my 920… changed mag and no prob… I ditched pmags and carry my 920 daily love it
The two real benefits to the Shadow Systems I think are the propriety optics mounting system, which doesn't use plates and the screws go all the way thru the slide, and the back straps. They actually change the grip angle vs just making it bigger. In my opinion if you're not going to put an optic on it then I really wouldn't spend the extra cash for it.
Thanks for that info. I recently put a Timney in my G19. Game changer and I’ve been thinking about getting a SS and wondered if a Timney would work in it.
@@maxcorder2211 I'm not certain about a timney. I can't see why it wouldn't. I put Johnny Glocks combat trigger in both of my SS
@@thewacokid6459 if the SS triggers are soooo much better than Glock triggers then why would anyone feel the need to change a trigger on the SS’s?
@@9770G If you read my comment you'll see I never said their triggers were "soooo much better" they're actually just standard Glock triggers that's why i replaced mine with Johnny Glock combat triggers.
Try the War Poet version of shadow system, I personally think they are better and have some of the things you listed on this one.
Wow! Almost a new gun owner here. I like this guy. First person I seen actually says what he thinks. Hahaha I trust this guy!
I think you shoot well. Thanks for the review
Thank you 😊
Chadd I would take four shot groupings like yours at 25 yds. All day long ! Nice work!
I wish the rear sight had a couple of tritium dots. I feel like they went the cheap route. I’m old school and prefer traditional 3 dot. Plus at night they help immensely.
I use a Glock 17 gen 4 I can shoot with it. Retired U.S.ARMY SSG 19K30 Combat Infantry
You’re a retired Super Saiyan God? 😮
The optic cut on top is one the best features. It's the lowest and sturdiest in the industry. Good job though on the review.
Have you tried the Lone Wolf Dusk or Timber Wolf lowers? If so, do you think it reduces reliability? I like the more 1911 grip.
Walther pdp and pdp f. These two will compete with any polymer gun on the market. All for between $600.00 to $650.00 shadow systems are $1000.00 guns
Not that shadow systems you can get one on sportsmen guide for 679 dollars that has a 4.5 barrel and holds 17 plus 1 rounders per mag
HK45 is the king. I wish they made it in 9mm. The p30 is close but its not a HK45. I ran a HK45 neck and neck against a custom 1911 and the accuracy of both were phenomenal. LAV always says the HK45 and P30 are bomb proof. LAV knows, he had his hand in designing them with Keith.
Hows that aftermarket support tho?
Thank you sir 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Must do a review of the Sar9
Loved my sar9. Well built firearm never had an issue with it
As to shooting low. I have found people who have thousands of rounds through Glocks will shoot Sigs, shadows, M&Ps etc low. The grip angle and your subconscious muscle memory comes into play. I shoot glocks high no matter how hard I try to hold the gun steady. It comes from hundreds of thousands of rounds through Sigs. At the moment of truth my wrist adjusts to where it thinks it should be without my conscious input. 😮
True
I like your honest reviews! I know you really like the Glock 19x; so do I. From all the ooohing and aaahing I've heard about this pistol, I personally think that I'll wait on the next iteration to come out before seriously looking in to buying one. It looks really sweet, but I'll pass for now. Ahh, so many firearms, so little money. Thanks for the review. 👍
There seems to be a “newer””better” version that comes out on anything following a purchase by me.
"The texture on the back of the slide sucks" lol. I'm sticking with my 19x man.
Good shooting speedgoat!
It's not an mos sight system like on the Glock. The SS optic system is better than what Glock uses because it doesn't need a mounting plate, so your rds will sit lower on the slide and co-witness with the stock front and rear sights.
Nice review Chadd. I have been evaluating the Sig P320, Glock 19X & G45, and Shadow XR920 Elite. Although a bit pricey, the XR920 has lots of upgrades which put me over the edge. I special ordered one today and look forward to taking it on the range. Now trying to find the appropriate optics.
If you haven't chosen one just yet and plan on carrying it with you might I suggest the holosun eps. It's a closed emitter optic which means you won't have debri getting under your sight hood or possibly blocking your emitter
Honest Outlaw loves that gun he competes with it they are pricey why spend money to fix something that should be made that way great review
Greetings from Greece, great show you give, i run cz p 10sc, what holster are you wearing?
Shadow Systems Optics Mounting system is one the best mounting systems . Glock has taken one hell of a beating on commercial market since Shadow Systems came out .
Ultimately you cannot go wrong with either
@Jim Jones because most police departments won’t allow Shadow Systems to be used on duty yet. Glock. Is an extremely popular choice for PDs
@@maxwellstillwagon6221 yeah, users stay alive longer
IMO shadow systems is a fun range gun but not one you want to risk your life with carrying on person daily. I had nothing but problems out of the mr920 elite. So far, my Glock 19 has been flawless.
I own the g45 mos and my shooting has never been better I shoot 25 feet to 50 yards and am killing it
Hello,
This gun looks more snappy than the glock 19x! I would prefere the glock 19x.
Greetings from Switzerland!
Shoots WAY flatter than any Glock!
@@karkess313 Sieht aber nicht so aus…
@@wouty6066 It really does. If you ever get a chance to shoot one...
Recoil control not the best.
Doesn't that added flared magwell make the pistol much harder to conceal unless you're in cold weather and wearing more clothes? Ithink I'd rather do without that feature if i was using it for concealed carry.
I respect your experience and opinion. However when you state there is nothing special about the optic mounting plate. There is ALOT special about the optic mounting. They have redesigned the extractor to allow a much longer mounting screws. The Glock MOS plates can loosen these won’t!
Considering the fact that I know pretty much nothing about guns, you are a great teacher. Thanks for that! Entertaining content. And also considering how crazy this world id getting, maybe it's time to learn...
Chad and chili show, where is it? I want more!
I always use forward serations and always will if forward serations are available. But that's me.
DR920 still my favorite pistol.
Shadow systems has the upgrades you would do right off the shelf. What's the fun in that? I love tricking em out. Love 80%s. Make em my way from the get go. JMOFO.
Off-topic: How do you like that Earpro? I can't tell which exact model that is, though.
It's a great gun. I still. Pick up my 19x.i haven't had any issues with the Glock. I have had issues with shadow systems.
I would still pick my Glock too. I only have 300 rounds currently through my shadow systems. But the gun has been flawless so far. I know they recommend the 200 round break in. And I purposefully used ammo during that time that some people claimed didn't work well in the ss. Ran it hard and fast without applying additional lubricant. Other than the gun getting extremely hot after about 150 rounds, the thing ran fantastic. It was just their new foundation series and I paid less than a new Glock. But the shootability was phenomenal. I haven't had that much fun at the range in a while.
Nothing special about the optics mounting platform? It has the longest screws for the best thread engagement in the industry and a proprietary cut that sits deeper than others and allows for mounting of any major optic footprint with no plates….but other than that it’s nothing special. Love my MR and DR. Superior to Glock in every way IMO. Over 7,000 rounds through the 2 and not a single failure after the 200 round break in period.
I'd like to see Chad review the Springfield Echelon pistol. I've heard good things.
Two is better than one and Glock mags are just cheap enough go out and buy some.