Rod Pascoe applauds CZ’s latest target pistol
Christmas came early for many shooters when their long-awaited pistols arrived in the country. Winchester Australia, importers of CZ firearms, had been taking backorders for most of 2025 after the CZ Shadow 2 Target was launched at SHOT Show in Las Vegas earlier in the year. This is CZ’s latest addition to their specialised competition range, with the hype surrounding it attracting many pistol shooters to what CZ is claiming as their best yet.
Winchester Australia had promised shipments to their dealers would start arriving in November and they didn’t disappoint. The new handguns are available in 5 and 6” barrel variants, with Australian Shooter receiving a 6” version for review after all back orders were filled.
Background
The new model is based on the legendary CZ-75 which has changed little since its arrival in 1975. It’s one of the most enduring pistol designs, replicated worldwide by several manufacturers. The Czech-made CZ-75 was dubbed the Wonder Nine back in the 1970s. Ceska zbrojovka, the origin of CZ, kept to the original design when many pistol manufacturers were jumping on the striker-fired, polymer-framed bandwagon in the ’80s.
But CZ later caught up with some of the changing trends, such as producing pistols with optics-ready slides and an accessory rail to carry a light or weights. The first Shadow 2 version of the CZ-75 appeared in 2016 and were targeted (excuse the pun) at practical target shooting events. They did this by adding features to make the pistol easier and more comfortable to hold, including checkering on back and front straps, higher and longer beavertail and undercut trigger guard to give more room to the second finger.
These additional features also made the Shadow 2 the basis for building specialised custom pistols for IPSC, WA1500, Action Pistol and other practical/action events. This is where compensators are fitted to custom barrels, complex trigger jobs are performed and frame-mounted optical sights added.
But here’s where the Shadow 2 Target is different: The clue’s in the word ‘Target’. CZ aren’t attempting to cater to the home defence, law enforcement or concealed carry market with this one. Where the flagship CZ Shadow 2 Orange and TS 2 Orange models were the Production and Standard Division specialists in IPSC, the Shadow 2 Target pistols are intended for precision bullseye target shooting – straight out the box – with no modifications required.
Description
As stated, the Shadow 2 Target is available in two barrel lengths, which determines what competitions they’re best suited for. With some matches such as WA1500 a 6” barrel is allowed and regular, fully adjustable target sights are a must, no white dots, no coloured fibre optics, just a black LPA rear sight with front Patridge blade.
Having a longer slide, the review pistol has the added sight radius of a 6” barrel, though both models are supplied with two blades of varying widths at 3.5mm and 3mm. The 5” version has all the features of the other, but has a barrel length which fits the rulebooks of multiple matches such as IPSC Standard Division for example. Yet the list of suitable matches goes on and the Shadow 2 Target covers most of them.
The CZ Shadow 2 Target is a single-action only (SAO) hammer-fired, all-steel pistol weighing 1.25kg. Target accuracy starts with the barrel and this one is cold hammer-forged with a redesigned, sharp-edged protective crown that’s hand-fitted to the slide. The barrel carries a life-time warranty. The slide has deeper, diagonal cocking serrations front and rear, while easily accessible grub screw trigger adjustments change the amount of take-up and over-travel.
Pull weight can be adjusted between 1.3 to 3.8lbs (590g to 1723g), while the straight trigger shoe is adjustable to customise length of pull. The slide rail mates with the frame for the entire length with a snug engineered fit. The Target’s steel frame has been redesigned to have a larger undercut on the trigger guard and more comfortable front and rear strap checkering. The frame’s underside is drilled and tapped for adding weights.
Controls have been redesigned for this specific model, including a new slide stop on the left and lower-profile magazine release that’s reversible for left-handers. The large safety lever is ambidextrous. Custom grip panels have a similar texture to the aggressive back and front straps and are made of durable G10, a high-pressure fibreglass laminate material. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds and three are supplied with each pistol. It comes with an instruction manual, cleaning brushes and rod along with trigger adjustment keys and a bag of spare recoil buffers.
To the range
I selected seven commercially loaded ammunitions across five different brands and multiple bullet types and weights for testing and, as this is a new gun, I gave it a thorough clean and lubrication before heading out. Once set up on the range I gave the pistol (and me) some time to settle in, plinking from a rest at short range.
The pistol showed it was ready for work straight out the box with absolutely no hesitation to feed, fire, extract and eject all ammunition types. The sights needed little adjustment, though I did swap the front for the thinner 3mm one which I preferred. After about 200 rounds I stripped the gun to look for any signs of wear and powder residue build-up, checking on how the lubrication was standing up, especially on the slide/frame rail.
At this point I was pleasantly surprised that, apart from some residue inside the front of the magazine well directly below the chamber, the firing mechanism and underside of the slide were reasonably clean. The barrel was pretty filthy and needed cleaned before I started being a bit more serious on accuracy testing. I recruited a couple of club members with proven ability, especially with open sights, to help out.
Testing was conducted from the relative steadiness of a barricade at 25 and 50 metres as shot in WA1500 matches. The supplied pistol didn’t have a barrel weight as standard, however a fellow Shadow 2 Target owner had one fitted and quite noticeably reduced barrel flip with his handloads.
Accuracy varied among the factory branded ammo, however anyone contemplating serious competition would be handloading not just to suit the gun, but the rule book too. Nevertheless, one cartridge which did perform slightly better than the rest was Federal Syntech 124-grain with synthetic coated lead bullets. The Shadow 2 Target not only performed superbly it was accurate, comfortable to shoot and handled well.
Conclusion
CZ stuck their neck out to produce a specialised target pistol, in a world where competitive pistol shooting doesn’t enjoy a large slice of the handgun market. The Shadow 2 Target does everything it was advertised to do in a gun straight out the box. Serious target shooters will find either the 5 or 6” version will suit multiple functions.
Customisation is certainly an option though may void the warranty, which is generous for an unmodified pistol. Similarly, tailor-made ammunition will prove more beneficial than factory loads. At a little over $3000, this is great value for those not requiring an optics cut in the slide, however that in itself is no deal breaker, as there are increasingly more aftermarket options for popular handguns such as the Shadow 2 Target.