Shadow Systems MR920 Review

Although the handgun market is saturated with great plastic pistols, Shadow Systems MR920 is a unique enough product to be worth a second look. “Plastic Fantastics”, as I like to refer to them, are all over the place. Glocks were the only polymer firearms available in the 1980s. They were often ridiculed for this fact. But now, every major manufacturer has one. Springfield, Walther, Walther, and even the original Wonder Nines makers–Beretta, CZ. They’re here to stay. They are easier to make, maintain, and modify. Why is the Shadow Systems MR920 so special? Here are a few reasons. Feature-richness. Flat shooting. Interoperable. I’ll explain. Side view of the MR920 Elite. The Shadow Systems MR920 made Glock even more perfect. This gun has been with me for two years. I have shot thousands of rounds through it, dropped it and thrown it in my bag. I have taken classes with it, as well as USPSA, IDPA and 2-gun shootings, and it has never required a re-zero. It’s one my favorite shooting guns, and I shoot CZs in competition quite often. That’s quite an accomplishment. Grip Frames and ErgonomicsOne of its most appealing features is the grip frame. Shadow System’s innovative NPOA system allows you to adjust the grip angle directly from the box. The medium backstrap is closest to a Glock 19 Gen 4 and Gen 5, while the large backstrap adds some muscle, and the S gives it a 1911-like profile. You can adjust it to find the right style for you. You can swap them with a roll pin (punch also included), and you won’t even realize that the grip is customizable. It’s so discreet. You can also add a magazine well to your pistol, which is slightly larger than Magpul’s. It is a bit too ostentatious to conceal carry. If I have this pistol, I remove the magwell. But that’s just me. It comes out of the box with a light, smooth stipple that isn’t aggressive enough to cause chafe but enough texture to allow for positive purchase with wet fingers. The trigger guard is undercut and textured on the front. It also has a ledge, which I love, that helps you index the gun faster and manage recoil. To prevent people from engaging the gun with a high-shooting grip, they added material to the slide stop. These guys are skilled shooters. The MR920’s grip is stippling and magwell. This pistol reminds me of the CZ P-01, which I consider one of my favorite compact pistols. It shoots great and points well. I have no problems tracking the dot when it is under fire, and even less trouble finding it when I press out. I have a Glock 19 Gen 4 with an aluminum slide (made by Shadow Systems, but they no longer make them) and it took me a lot of practice to find the dot without having to fish. The MR920 has a lot of ergonomics and ledges that I can index on. My dot is almost always right where my eyes are with it. It is difficult to lose it. I’m not being exaggerated. The SlideThe Slide is another area where Shadow Systems MR920 shines. The slide’s machining is excellent, with lightning cuts and directional striations at the top, rear, and front. This lowers the reciprocating mass, which reduces recoil. It also gives the user many options for press checks. They also removed the corners from the rear and front so that those with love handles who carry IWB at 3 o’clock or 4 o’clock won’t have a slide digging into their skins. It gives the gun great lines and removes the “brick” aesthetic that is so common to the Glock line. Slide Machining on a MR920 using a TiNi Spiral Fluted Threaded Barrrel. The slide’s optics mounting system is the most innovative feature. This patent-pending system uses the longest and most widest screws available on the market. It allows you to mount almost any red dot to your slide without the need for plates. Why is this important? Plates are another point of failure. Shadow Systems engineers moved internal components to create long, wide, and deep screws that can withstand extreme abuse. They even tried it with a dead blower to see if it would hold 0. In many cases, it broke optics before losing zero. Shadow Systems CEO Trevor Roe told me this during a phone interview in 2020, when the pistol was first introduced. With the right shim, you can mount an RMR or Holosun, Swampfox, Swampfox, Burris, or Vortex pistol sight to it. It’s amazing. It also has blacked-out rears and a Tritium sight front that can be used with your optic. This pistol can be used with a lower-third cowitness without the need for suppressor height sights. As red dots do, I love that feature and have had to abandon it mid-fire. It’s always good to have a backup. Like I said, I have dropped this gun and thrown it in my bag. I have also worn it in dynamic courses of fire in multigun, where I was running and bumping into barsicades, and in personal security detail classes, where we were scrapping. I have never had to re-zero it. It has never been needed. The MR920 can shoot a lower third of the co-witness straight out of the box. Cool enough, they can also fire lead cast bullets if you like. One I have has a threaded (2×28) TiNi barrel with spiral flutes. It’s cool and accurate. This thing is great for taking head shots at 35 yards. Shadow Systems also makes a barrel that is threaded but fluted with a DLC finish. This barrel is just as accurate and makes the aesthetic shift from Gucci to understated. ShootabilityIt is one of the most flat-shooting 9mm pistols that I own. I also have a CZ SP-01 and Shadow Target in USPSA. It’s right up there with them. It’s fast, flat, and accurate. The slide’s low reciprocating mass and ergonomics allow me to burn through Bill drills or mag dumps with no dot or muzzle movement. This thing is light, weighing in at 21 ounces with a Holosun 407C V2 on top. It can take Glock magazines and ships along with two Magpul Pmags so you don’t have to worry about running out or buying new magazines. If the magazine is 15+ rounds, any double-stack Glock Pattern magazine will work. It’s lightweight, fast, and easy to hit the target. It also looks very familiar because it is based on Glock’s tried-and-true design. The controls are in the right place, the magazine release is raised and textured enough to allow for fast reloads without letting it drop by accident. This thing runs like a sewing machine. It has a high beavertail and a low bore axis. It also has a comfortable grip angle that can be customized. The lightning-cut slide has a low reciprocating mass which makes it more precise than you or I will ever be. It’s easy to make a ragged hole up to 35 yards from a rest. This gun can clear a plate rack in under 3 seconds. The standard match-grade, conventionally rifled barrel is match-grade. This gun also comes with a flat-face aluminum trigger that can be broken at 4.5 pounds according to my gauge. After it is broken in, the trigger feels similar to an Overwatch Precision. It’s difficult to find something to ding this gun for. There are two things I can say about this pistol. One is that it’s “over-engineered”, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing. It was designed by shooters for shooters and is ready to go right out of the box. There are stainless guide rods and small parts such as extractors. You also get little details like a redesigned slide that makes it easier to carry and holster. This gun is ready to go, unlike a standard Glock which will need new sights and a trigger ($80 here, $100 elsewhere). But not so fast. Shadow Systems recommends a break in period. I would suggest running about 500 rounds through it. Although the pistol is very accurate, it has very tight tolerances. It can lead to FTEs and other malfunctions in the short-term. Although I had a few when the gun was first purchased, this is clearly stated in the manual. It’s not a good idea just to buy a gun and keep it around without testing it. The MR920 is one the most feature-rich and accurate guns I have ever seen. It’s versatile, compatible with Glock 19 mags, accessories, and shoots fast. Shadow Systems MR920 is worth considering. It’s well worth the investment. More Handgun Reviews Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.