Shadow Systems began making Gen 3 Glock clones, and have now expanded to other sizes. The only Gen 4 part that they use on their clones is the magazine release. However, the guns are actually Gen 3 clones.
They wanted to offer a gun that was already modified with all the popular modifications. Included were better sights, slide cut-outs, red dot mountings, coated barrels and flat trigger shoes, as well as frame modification.
These guns are built from scratch, so they can offer all of these features at a lower price than a custom “Gucci Glock”, which would be available from a shop such as Agency Arms.
Glock’s glock 43 lost market share when the Sig P365 was introduced, but the Glock 48 & 43x are still doing well. The aftermarket metal magazines by Shield Arms or PSA, which increase the capacity of the magazine from 10 to 15 rounds, are a great addition.
Shadow Systems combined features from both the original Glock 43x and the Glock 43x in order to create the CR920.
This Shadow Systems CR920 Review includes both the Shadow Systems CR920P and the CR920.
The CR920P has a compensator. The only difference is the barrel and compensator setup, which we will cover in our Shadow Systems Review CR920P in the shooting section.
Carry is the only difference between the two guns, aside from shooting. This will be covered below.
The CR920 series was designed for concealed carry. When using the 10 round flush fit magazines, it’s similar in grip size to the Glock 43.
The magazine comes with both 10 round flush-fit and 13 round extended magazines. The Glock 43x is similar in size when using the extended magazine.
You can conceal the gun in different ways depending on the situation.
The larger magazine allows for a full grip, making it easier to shoot. The gun is more concealable with the shorter flush-fit magazine.
How well does the CR920 conceal?
The right holster can help you conceal your gun very well. The MR920 series were advertised as fitting all Glock 19/17 holsters, but in reality, they worked but not very well.
The CR920P and CR920 work better in the Glock 43x holsters and 48 holsters that I’ve tested. Still, they aren’t perfect. They are more friction fit.
We are working on holsters for these guns in our Infiltrator & Shorty holster lines.
I think the CR920 is a bit short for Appendix Carry. The CR920P holsters will distribute the weight more evenly.
Gravity pulls the gun towards you. This will cause the muzzle to be pushed into your groin, creating a pressure. This will cause discomfort. The longer holster spreads out the pressure. A Wedge can also help.
I hope Shadow Systems will release a long-slide version for those who don’t want to buy a comped weapon. It should be a bit softer than the CR920, and give you a bit more velocity with your ammunition.
This gun can be very effective with the right holster. It’s thin enough to conceal well on most body types.
This gun’s size is not unique. It’s similar to the Sig P365 and other Micro 9mm guns like the Springfield Armory Hellcat and Smith and Wesson Shield Plus.
The magazines that are used by this manufacturer are unique. This is something that small manufacturers should be aware of.
The magazines are the most important part of a handgun that is reliable. If they’re not perfect, the gun is unlikely to be 100% reliable. We can’t be certain of their performance because they haven’t had years of testing.
Ergonomics is always a very individual thing. Our Shadow Systems CR920 Review will take into consideration differences in hand sizes that could affect this.
For reference, I wear large gloves that fit a bit snugly.
As you would expect, the ergonomics of this gun is very close to that of the Glock 43 Series. There are a few differences, but they are very slight.
Even though many people dislike the Glock ergonomics, the Glock 48 and 43x are liked by most. They don’t feel like the larger guns.
I assume that this is the reason Shadow Systems did not change the ergonomics on the MR920 or DR920 series as much as they changed them on the DR920 and MR920 guns. These are full-size Glock clones which mimic the 17 and 19.
The beavertail is a noticeable difference in our CR920 Review. It’s big enough to prevent people with large hands from getting a bite, but small enough for smaller hands.
The beavertail can be too large and very sharp. When you’re carrying, they can still be a problem. They are great for shooting the gun, but they can also get in your way when you’re carrying. This beavertail will not cause discomfort to most people, even if they have a stomach and are carrying an appendix.
Texturing
I don’t wish to make this seem like a Glock vs. CR920 comparison, but in order to do a good review of the CR920 we need to have a reference point.
The Glock 48 and 43x feel a bit slick.
Texturing on the CR920 in my opinion is very good. It’s almost a lava style stippling.
It’s not too aggressive to be uncomfortable, but it’s enough to grip the gun well.
If you find the grip uncomfortable, you can always wrap it with goon tape.
General Feel
The CR920 is a great gun. It’s a Glock clone that is improved in this aspect, just like the MR920.
The front of frame has ledges and texture, but they are too small to have any effect. When I try to press on them, it ends up pushing the gun one way.
These are cool!
Is it easy to load the gun and unload it?
If you don’t understand what you’re doing, manipulating a gun can be dangerous. The slide of small guns can be particularly difficult to manipulate.
The CR920 is a very easy gun to handle, even though it is not designed to be easy to rack. The recoil spring is a standard Glock 43, so it’s easy to find parts.
Serrations
The serrations on the Shadow Systems CR920 are excellent. This is one of the reasons it is so easy for you to rack. They are deep enough to grip the slide well but not at all sharp.
Some slides have serrations that are so sharp, you can cut yourself. The CR920 isn’t like that.
Both the front and rear serrations work equally.
As we have already mentioned, it is important to be able to manipulate the gun effectively. You should make sure that you can easily reach all of the controls.
If they’re not, it can affect your ability and safety to use the Shadow System CR920. These controls will be covered in our Shadow Systems CR920 Review.
Mag Release
I can easily reach the magazine release on the CR920 and if you have larger or medium hands, you will be able reach it without having to break your grip.
You’ll probably have to break the grip because it is so short. The magazine is stuck on the edge of my hand so I need to break my grip in order to release it.
I suspect that this will be a problem for everyone. Even those with small hands.
If you have large or small hands, you will most likely need to break your grip in order to release the magazine.
If reversible, you can move the magazine release on the right side if you are a left-handed user. This option is standard on Micro 9mm pistols.
Slide Stop
The slide stop is mounted to the left of the gun, so it can only be used by right-handed users.
I wish they would have made this ambi.
There is not a single micro-9mm on the market that has an ambi slide.
I suspect they don’t do it so they can advertise just how thin the gun really is. In reality, adding a small amount of width to a small area in order to accommodate a slide stop does not affect concealment.
For concealment, the width of the grip and slide, as well as the optic, is much more important.
An ambi slide would not change that. I wanted to make sure that was mentioned in the Shadow Systems CR920 Review, since it seems that companies don’t get that.
I can easily manipulate the slide stop with my right thumb. If it was mounted any further back, it would not work. It will be perfect for people with small-to-large hands, but if you are a person with extra large hands, you may have to break your grip.
It should be bigger. The slide stop is too small and sharp.
It’s not worth the hassle to replace it.
Magwell
The magazine well has a slight bevel, but it is not necessary. A grip this short will allow your hand to act as a magazine well.
It’s easy to put a new magazine into the gun.
The ergonomics of the CR920 are excellent in my opinion. They’re easily reachable for most hand sizes.
Shadow Systems did many things right when they designed this gun.
Does it have an effective Trigger?
The trigger shoe of the original MR & DR guns is metal, but the trigger shoe of the CR920 Series is plastic. It doesn’t seem cheap.
Metal triggers can be nice to show off your gun, but they also heat up very quickly. Particularly on small guns.
The metal trigger on my Glock 48 is a daily carry. Depending on how quickly I shoot, I need to let the trigger cool down during longer range sessions. After a few magazines, they start to get hot.
I love the feel of a metal snare, but plastic is more practical.
It has a slight curve, which is nice because it’s between a flat stock trigger and a flat one.
Flat triggers are something that people either love or hate. This option should satisfy everyone.
The CR920 trigger is very well made, even though it is plastic.
The trigger break is better on the Glock 43x than the Glock 43x, unless the gun you are comparing it with is very well worn in.
The trigger is light at first, but then becomes heavier and mushier as it pushes back the trigger bar. As you pull the trigger further back, the weight of the lever increases.
You will then reach a wall that is noticeable with a slight creep before the trigger snaps.
The reset is there but not very forceful. It resets just a bit in front of the wall, so you will have to get through some mush before you reach it.
This trigger is more like a rolling trigger rather than a trigger that has a hard well. It is a combination of both, just like most Micro 9mms.
The sights are an important part of a pistol. In this Shadow Systems CR920 review, we want to give them special attention.
Irons/Dot
The iron sights on the CR920 are amazing. If you don’t want them, the gun comes with standard Glock 43 sights. You have many options for replacements.
They have a front-mounted night sight that has a yellow plastic ring which is very bright. They work in both low-light conditions and full sunlight.
The front sight is made high-quality by night fission.
The rear sight is simply a square notch that has been blacked out. The sight image is very clear and clean. There is one thing I would like to point out. The rear sight is a press-fit and does not have any set screws.
Over the years, I’ve had a number of rear sights that were press-fit come loose. I want a set-screw on the rear sight. This is more likely to happen if you shoot your gun a lot. This is especially true if you have a high-round count carry gun that is exposed to the corrosive sodium salts in your sweat.
Press-fit sights without a set-screw are susceptible to corrosion and recoil impulse. It’s an easy and inexpensive part to replace.
The best thing about these sights is that although they aren’t excessively tall, they still co-witness with most red dots.
Red dot options
You can choose to get the CR920 either with or without a red-dot cut. Shadow Systems has done a great job with the red dot.
I would definitely recommend buying a gun that has the dot-cut just so you have an option.
The CR920 isn’t quite as impressive as the MR920 because there aren’t as many options for optics on the smaller guns.
It’s the same system. The narrower slide means it can’t accept as much optical material.
They have drilled the slide and tapped it to accept multiple dots patterns. Plastic spacers are used to create forward and reverse pressure on the optical.
These spacers hold the optic in place when the slide is reciprocating. The screws would be the only thing holding the optic in place if the spaces were not there.
The CR920 optics mount system can be used with any RMSc-style optic. Included are the Holosun 507/407k and Holosun EPS/EPS Cary, Shield RMSc, as well as Swampfox Sentinel.
The manual and website provide simple instructions for installing the red dot. The gun comes with two sets of screws and two sets of spacers. The instructions tell you what to use based on your choice of optic. I have 3 shadow system guns, and 2/3 of them have dots.
It was the easiest and safest multi-optic system I’ve ever used.
It’s easier to use and simpler than systems like the FN MRD or Glock MOS. The optics are co-witnessed with the factory iron sight due to the lack of plates.
The factory iron sights are also not as tall as most factory co-witness options.
You may have been drawn to this Shadow Systems CR920 by its looks.
The gun looks great for the price. All of my guns come in the Elite version, which comes with Copper Tin barrels. I think they look amazing. You can also choose the Gold Tin.
If you don’t like the look of these options, they also offer plain black or FDE.
Overall, I think that these guns look well-made and proportionate but that is just my opinion.
A couple of year ago, I bought a MR920L. The machine marks on the serrations were my only complaint about the finish.
These machine marks are absent on the CR920P and CR920. These guns are cleanly machined.
I think there may have been some teething problems, but you can also check it out in person at your local gun store if they have the guns in stock.
We’ll need to separate the two reviews into two separate ones. The CR920P and CR920 are almost identical, but they have a very different shooting experience. We’re going to review the Shadow Systems CR920 in two separate reviews.
Shadow Systems CR920 Review
It’s not a very pleasant gun to use. It’s actually very similar to the Glock43x. It has the same recoil assembly and very similar proportions. It’s a great gun, but it’s also a bit of a handful.
Small guns aren’t particularly easy to shoot or fun.
When using the extended magazine, you will feel more recoil when shooting the CR920. The larger magazine gives you more control of the gun.
The gun is well-made but nothing special when compared to other micro-9mm pistols available on the market. The sights are a nice touch, but the trigger and recoil impulse are not special.
Shadow Systems CR920P Shooting Review
When I arrived at the range, I loaded my gun with CCI bulk ammo 115 gr. My first shot did not even eject brass. I’m pretty certain the slide didn’t move at all.
I have multiple guns that I’ve been given and don’t like 115 grain. They tend to be unreliable, but they still cycle.
I was afraid that I was about to find out how well Shadow System’s warranty department does their job.
The second shot did not fully cycle the slide. I had one round fail to eject, while the other was trying to feed.
The pattern continued for a few rounds until I decided to unload my gun and magazine.
You could feel your gun loosening a bit. I went into my ammo and pulled out a box containing 147 Lawmen PPU 124gr NATO (it’s always good to have a variety of ammunition at the range). I loaded my mag with 124gr NATO ammo and started shooting.
The gun worked perfectly.
I also loaded the 147 gr Lawmen, and it ran well. I switched back to 115gr and the gun ran with only 1 or 2 malfunctions per mag. This is a dramatic improvement.
The hotter ammo seemed to have loosened up the gun a little. I fired the rest of the NATO ammo box before switching back to 115 grain. I had a few failures to feed over 150 rounds of the 115 gr ball.
Some of these occurred when loading a new magazine. I’m not certain if it is a gun or magazine issue. It only happened with 115gr ammunition.
The Regular CR920 worked perfectly.
It’s always a cause for concern when a gun comes with a new magazine.
How Effective is the Compensator in CR920P?
Once you get the gun going, it shoots extremely well. The compensator works very well. This slimline microgun shoots like a regular size gun without a compensator.
This gun may be picky when using lower-powered ammo, but if it is loaded with full rounds, then you won’t have any magazine problems.
I’ll update the article when I’ve shot more rounds and have more information to share with you.
There aren’t many holster options, but you can use Glock 43x and 48 holsters. The gun uses glock parts, so there are almost unlimited aftermarket options.
How easy is it to maintain the gun?
The guns are easy to clean and maintain because they disassemble like a Glock. All the consumables are available in multiple aftermarket options, so you can get all the benefits of owning a Glock with a Shadow Systems gun.
I paid $980 and $780 respectively for the CR920P. Are the guns worth their price?
What are your goals?
If you want a Glock that is 100% functional and you don’t care about looks, then just add sights to your Glock. Shield magazines are still cheaper than buying them.
This gun is not for you if you are a guy who enjoys tinkering and is utilitarian.
Shadow Systems is a great alternative to sending your Glock to a shop to be milled or to build a custom Glock from a frame.
If you are looking for a gun that you can use straight out of the package and not have to modify, Shadow Systems is a great choice.
Pros
Looks
Red Dot Cut
Slide Serrations
Cost
Cons
Cost
Rear Sight with Set Screw
Proprietary magazines
Please let us know in the comments what you think of the CR920P and CR920.
