Glock vs. shadow systems, etc.

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  • fng

    Well-Known Member
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    22   0   0
    Nov 2, 2008
    469
    28
    St. Charles Parish
    I want to buy another pistola was considering a g19 or a shadow systems, Agency, etc...For those of you who own both, is it really worth the extra coin? I mean the shadow systems guns are 3-4 hundred over a factory glock, I think an argument can be made for them (SS)because you do get an upgrade in sights, maybe a better trigger and some machining work on the slide...The agency guns and the Zev's are more than double the price of the glock for what appears to me..to be similar to the SS guns..?? Anyone that owns a couple of these, I would appreciate some input on this
    thanks
     

    twinin

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    23   0   0
    May 5, 2017
    952
    43
    Houma
    I only have factory but Glocks but would like to get a Shadow Systems. Kygunco has great prices on them. They seem like a great deal. People spend over $1k on Glock upgrades but doesn't seem worth it. Lots of things (especially the optics mounting) on Shadow Systems just seem really well thought out
     

    Bigchillin83

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    94   0   1
    Feb 27, 2012
    6,188
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    Livingston
    I have had a lot of glocks mos and non mos. and still have a couple 19’s and 17’s …. But if I’m gonna run Reddot, it’s 920 all the way, the back straps make all the diff in the world and as stated above… to get a Glock to a custom level the shadow is at would cost more than a shadow
    DE932B92-E62C-4B8C-B45B-DC6DBB1927C6.jpeg
    FECD4004-042C-45E5-9B85-E9F5B7D54B26.jpeg
     

    Vigilante Sniper

    Guns are my crack!!
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    46   0   0
    Jan 28, 2009
    1,512
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    LaPlace
    I had 7 Glocks, I bought an MR920 and DR920. I will never go back to a Glock. The trigger is much better, it's more accurate, feels better in my hand, and I shoot them better. A lot of people I know a going with Shadow systems for competition and carry.
     

    Black Zulu

    Active Member
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    0   0   0
    Apr 2, 2012
    25
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    Lafayette, LA
    I have had a lot of glocks mos and non mos. and still have a couple 19’s and 17’s …. But if I’m gonna run Reddot, it’s 920 all the way, the back straps make all the diff in the world and as stated above… to get a Glock to a custom level the shadow is at would cost more than a shadow View attachment 118782View attachment 118783
    That’s a fine looking pistol, and appears that the shooter knows what he is doing!!!!
     

    LouisianaJoe

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    0   0   0
    Oct 6, 2008
    54
    8
    Luling, Louisiana
    I have a Glock 21 and a 19 that I bought that were police trade-ins. Both were around 370 with 3 mags. I cerakoated the 21 and put a laser and a Wilson match barrel. Total investment around $600. It already had Mepro sights on it but the front pipe was broken. I replaced it with a red pipe that I had. My avatar is a photo of the 21.

    The 19 was only fired once a year for qualifying so it was like new.

    Here is a target from when I sighted in the laser on the 21. the lower left group was fired first and the 3 in the center were fired after adjustment.

    g21 target.jpg
     

    satoups

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    2   0   0
    Aug 30, 2011
    78
    8
    Lousiana
    Having over a dozen of Glocks and couple of Shadows, I would say if you are planning on customizing the Glock, save the funds and go with the Shadow Systems. If this is the gun will stay in the night stand and see the range once a year, buy the Glock. If this is the gun that you will shoot, show off and carry, buy the Shadow. Both will serve you well, just that one will dress the part a little better. You really can't go wrong either way.
     

    derek_street

    Well-Known Member
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    19   0   0
    Aug 11, 2009
    650
    18
    Baton Rouge
    My favorite is a Glock 34. I recently bought a Shadow Systems DR920. I got a good deal on a Holosun 509T and put it on the SS. I have run about 200 rounds through it. It shoots well. Trigger is good (not as good as my Johnny Glock). The grip is really nice. Stippling is nice. Frame work is great. Feels really good in the hand with the included mag well. I like my custom 34 better, but I have thousands of rounds through it.
    d4a1d7144d8473ceeeabb2ec521b7d3a.jpg

    013fe07b453080bd5a6ffcba68539359.jpg



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    bearfutedninja

    coming soon
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    17   0   0
    Mar 16, 2009
    1,946
    48
    lafayette
    PSA Dagger smokes them all!
    I have glocks p80 dagger and shadow. Shadow and p80 fits my hand better because of broken pinky the dagger has a lip on the front of magwell doesnt fit right. For the money dagger is hard to beat. But id rather spend a little extra coin on the shadow. I love the polymer 80 but i dont trust it with my life.
     

    RaleighReloader

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    33   0   0
    Jan 30, 2015
    1,177
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    Baton Rouge, LA
    I want to buy another pistola was considering a g19 or a shadow systems, Agency, etc...For those of you who own both, is it really worth the extra coin?
    Nope.

    I own about a dozen Glocks of various calibers and frame sizes. I would never claim that Glock is perfect, and I could probably find something to criticize in each one. But in terms of consistency in their product line and overall performance, I find Glocks hard to beat. That's why my EDC is usually a Glock.

    You asked about some of the other "Gucci Glocks" like Shadow. Some months back I bought a Shadow Systems MR920—mostly to sate my curiosity. Out the door it was $691—about $250 more than the Glock 19 that it essentially replicates.

    I'm running stock iron sights on both guns, a mix of Glock and Magpul magazines (the latter is what the Shadow came with) ... in other words, very standard and out-of-the-box configurations. That configuration is what I do most of my training with, so I figured I'd stick with a configuration that suits my muscle memory.

    At this point I've probably got around 700 or 800 rounds through the Shadow (and at least three thousand through the G19). Here's my short assessment:

    They're virtually identical. The Shadow has its own unique stippling that feels somewhat different than the Glock ... but if I wrap the grips in hockey tape, I find it impossible to discern one from the other. I know this to be true because I did this on two separate occasions.

    The Shadow is a fine gun. It replicates a really solid platform, so I expect that it's going to shoot just about any ammo I throw at it. Accuracy was just as good as the Glock. And the trigger—something I think people spend far too much time obsessing over—is just fine on both guns. In short: there's nothing I really want to change on either of these guns, because they're both highly refined versions of a platform that was already really solid to begin with.

    Of course, Shadow does a lot of aesthetic stuff on their guns. I couldn't care less about that; in fact, I probably prefer the understated look of the Glock. But aesthetics are a subjective choice, so I'll leave that one alone.

    Now, the question being asked was, "is it worth it?" And my answer is "no." Here's why:

    1. I can get essentially the same gun from Glock for a few hundred dollars less. Shadow does a bit with the ergonomics of the grip backstraps, but that's the only discernible functional difference that I can find—and it wasn't, in my opinion, worth almost $250 more.

    2. Glock has the benefit of almost 40 years of experience developing, manufacturing, and servicing this platform. Shadow is, I'm sure, an excellent company that will stand behind their product ... but they don't have the longevity that Glock does.

    3. Glock parts are available just about anywhere.

    So, the Shadow is a fine gun ... and I've certainly spent more than I should on more than a few firearms that are sitting in my safe. I don't regret buying it ... but to someone asking about these two platforms and the value for the money paid, I have to give the nod to Glock.

    Mike
     

    Bob196454

    Member
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    0   0   0
    Aug 4, 2022
    11
    3
    Baton Rouge
    I only have factory but Glocks but would like to get a Shadow Systems. Kygunco has great prices on them. They seem like a great deal. People spend over $1k on Glock upgrades but doesn't seem worth it. Lots of things (especially the optics mounting) on Shadow Systems just seem really well thought out
    That would be nice
     

    bearfutedninja

    coming soon
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    17   0   0
    Mar 16, 2009
    1,946
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    lafayette
    Nope.

    I own about a dozen Glocks of various calibers and frame sizes. I would never claim that Glock is perfect, and I could probably find something to criticize in each one. But in terms of consistency in their product line and overall performance, I find Glocks hard to beat. That's why my EDC is usually a Glock.

    You asked about some of the other "Gucci Glocks" like Shadow. Some months back I bought a Shadow Systems MR920—mostly to sate my curiosity. Out the door it was $691—about $250 more than the Glock 19 that it essentially replicates.

    I'm running stock iron sights on both guns, a mix of Glock and Magpul magazines (the latter is what the Shadow came with) ... in other words, very standard and out-of-the-box configurations. That configuration is what I do most of my training with, so I figured I'd stick with a configuration that suits my muscle memory.

    At this point I've probably got around 700 or 800 rounds through the Shadow (and at least three thousand through the G19). Here's my short assessment:

    They're virtually identical. The Shadow has its own unique stippling that feels somewhat different than the Glock ... but if I wrap the grips in hockey tape, I find it impossible to discern one from the other. I know this to be true because I did this on two separate occasions.

    The Shadow is a fine gun. It replicates a really solid platform, so I expect that it's going to shoot just about any ammo I throw at it. Accuracy was just as good as the Glock. And the trigger—something I think people spend far too much time obsessing over—is just fine on both guns. In short: there's nothing I really want to change on either of these guns, because they're both highly refined versions of a platform that was already really solid to begin with.

    Of course, Shadow does a lot of aesthetic stuff on their guns. I couldn't care less about that; in fact, I probably prefer the understated look of the Glock. But aesthetics are a subjective choice, so I'll leave that one alone.

    Now, the question being asked was, "is it worth it?" And my answer is "no." Here's why:

    1. I can get essentially the same gun from Glock for a few hundred dollars less. Shadow does a bit with the ergonomics of the grip backstraps, but that's the only discernible functional difference that I can find—and it wasn't, in my opinion, worth almost $250 more.

    2. Glock has the benefit of almost 40 years of experience developing, manufacturing, and servicing this platform. Shadow is, I'm sure, an excellent company that will stand behind their product ... but they don't have the longevity that Glock does.

    3. Glock parts are available just about anywhere.

    So, the Shadow is a fine gun ... and I've certainly spent more than I should on more than a few firearms that are sitting in my safe. I don't regret buying it ... but to someone asking about these two platforms and the value for the money paid, I have to give the nod to Glock.

    Mike
    If you are running an optic this is where the shadow is worth the extra coin.
     

    Bigchillin83

    Well-Known Member
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    94   0   1
    Feb 27, 2012
    6,188
    113
    Livingston
    I agree the way it mounts and the screws that they are able to use
    correct, its super low it co witnesses with standard height sights and the rmr mounting screws have prob 1/2" of positive thread engagement vs the factory plates that only have 1-2 threads of engagement
     

    RaleighReloader

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    33   0   0
    Jan 30, 2015
    1,177
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    Baton Rouge, LA
    correct, its super low it co witnesses with standard height sights and the rmr mounting screws have prob 1/2" of positive thread engagement vs the factory plates that only have 1-2 threads of engagement
    I'm running an ACRO P-1 on one of my G17's (with the factory plate and screw). The screws most definitely engaged with more than one to two threads; I remember screwing them in and it felt to me like they had entirely adequate depth. I used a drop of thread lock on each screw and torqued them down to factory specs, and I've never had the red dot come loose.

    The Shadow I bought wasn't kitted for glass, so that wasn't a factor for me. That said, the Shadow may indeed have a better system for optics.

    Mike
     
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