The CZ Shadow 2 has dominated competition shooting since 2016, racking up national championships and filling holsters at USPSA matches across the world. But at 46.5 ounces with a manual safety and no firing pin block, the full-size Shadow 2 was always a competition gun first—everyday carry capability was theoretical at best.
That changes with the CZ Shadow 2 Carry.
In 2023, CZ responded to shooter demand by introducing the Shadow 2 Compact. It represented CZ’s acknowledgment that many shooters wanted Shadow 2 performance in a package designed for concealed carry. However, the Compact was largely just the full-sized CZ Shadow with a shorter grip and aluminum frame.
With the Shadow 2 Carry, CZ made deliberate engineering choices: they swapped the manual safety for an ambidextrous decocker, added a firing pin block for drop-safe operation, installed tritium night sights, and optimized the optic mounting interface for defensive red dots like the Holosun EPS Carry.
The result weighs 30.7 ounces—a full pound lighter than the full-size competition model—and measures compact enough for concealed carry without requiring a dedicated wardrobe. Yet it maintains the core Shadow 2 characteristics: exceptional trigger quality, superior accuracy, and that distinctive CZ grip geometry that works well even for smaller hands.
We’ve spent three months carrying and shooting the CZ Shadow 2 Carry through approximately 2,500 rounds of testing. This included daily carry time in appendix and 4 o’clock positions, defensive shooting drills, accuracy testing from three to 25 yards, and enough ammunition variety to understand what this pistol likes and doesn’t like.
The fundamental question for this CZ Shadow 2 Carry review: Does it successfully translate competition-gun performance into a viable everyday carry gun? Or is this another case of forcing a square peg into a round hole?
Here’s what happened during our testing: the Shadow 2 Carry is legitimately good at concealed carry, but it demands certain compromises. The weight of the metal frame isn’t prohibitive, but it’s noticeable. The DA/SA trigger pull requires training.
The price—$1,400-$1,500 street—positions it against serious competition from other guns. But if you’re willing to work with this platform, you’re rewarded with accuracy most carry guns can’t approach.
By Michael Crites
Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18.
During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications.
His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual.
As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY.
He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).
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