Picked up my new Shadow last week and I'm very happy with it. Some questions. How durable are the front fibre optic sights? Should I be paying special attention to not touching them and are they OK in a holster? Also wondering how in depth I should be cleaning after shooting? I saw one cleaning video where the guy was spraying cleaner into the trigger mechanism where I've just been wipeing out what I can get at with a Q-tip.
CZ Shadow questions.
- Thread starter skookumchuck
- Start date
The fibre optic does sit out there just waiting to get bumped, doesn't it? It's one thing I take care about, as I don't want the hassle of replacing it. As for a holster, I have an "Uncle Mike's" I modified for the Shadow, and I have to be careful each time I holster it. Cleaning? Well, some here insist on detailed strip and clean after every use, some just do the barrel, and some, like me, don't clean it at all except when it goes away when it gets to cold to shoot. I think most folks tend to over clean.
Have you replaced the stock 18# mainspring with a 13# spring yet? If not, you really should- an already good trigger instantly becomes a great trigger, and it's dirt cheap and easy to do. Contact member "Ceezer" here- he sells some CZ parts.
Have you replaced the stock 18# mainspring with a 13# spring yet? If not, you really should- an already good trigger instantly becomes a great trigger, and it's dirt cheap and easy to do. Contact member "Ceezer" here- he sells some CZ parts.
dinsdale
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Just outside the Ottawa City Limits!
Buy some spare rods for the sight. Takes all of a 30 seconds to replace a rod.
I've only ever lost a rod once and that was after a couple years of shooting (~6000 rds) , cleaning without replacing it.
I now replace it twice a year. Red for outside, green for inside. Rods are cheap, replacing them regularly keeps them bright.
I've only ever lost a rod once and that was after a couple years of shooting (~6000 rds) , cleaning without replacing it.
I now replace it twice a year. Red for outside, green for inside. Rods are cheap, replacing them regularly keeps them bright.
The rod is surprisingly resiliant. However you should get some spare ones and try different colors. You may preffer yellow or green. Also it is very easy to replace. Cut a piece slightly longer than required since you will need to melt the ends. Get a lighter, nail clippers and a small screwdriver that you will heat to melt ends. Practice a bit first. Remember do not overclean, keep it lubricated and it will take about 500 rounds to smooth things out.
- Location
- West Quebec
Don't holster and only clean after app 500 or so and just do the basics, no trouble so far. It smoothed out real fine after first 700 rds so did not replace anything yet..
A great value and good shooter, it's my favorite 9MM, I'm carefull with the front site so far so good...
A great value and good shooter, it's my favorite 9MM, I'm carefull with the front site so far so good...
I've never had a problem with the fiber optic, but I keep a spare tube in my parts kit along with a slide stop and extractor. Depending on how dirty your loads are, the extractor cut-out can get pretty crudded up and lead to FTE's so I pay special attention to it. Other than that, a field strip cleaning is normally all that's needed.
I broke my fibre optic rod but a friend had some and replaced it for me....super easy! I like to clean my shadow every 500 rounds because I find the feed ramp gets hard to clean if I leave it longer. I like kleen-flo brake clean in the red can for flushing it out good, even around the trigger with an old tooth brush. I've been using Mobil 1 engine oil for lube and it seems to work ok. I've shot about 25 000 rounds and it works great! Enjoy 
- Location
- West Quebec
I broke my fibre optic rod but a friend had some and replaced it for me....super easy! I like to clean my shadow every 500 rounds because I find the feed ramp gets hard to clean if I leave it longer. I like kleen-flo brake clean in the red can for flushing it out good, even around the trigger with an old tooth brush. I've been using Mobil 1 engine oil for lube and it seems to work ok. I've shot about 25 000 rounds and it works great! Enjoy
Seems you have the answer how far do you disassemble for cleaning? Field or detailed?
I've just field stripped mine so far...I haven't had to figure out how to take the hammer assembly apart yet. Although I have taken my grips off to clean the mainspring because the grease gets kind of yucky looking after a year. I was told to use a heavier grease by a friend (Thanks Bob F.) my double action felt a little "creepy" and rough.Lithium grease helped a lot but the trigger could probably use a little smoothing up. I really try to flush and scrub with brake clean and a tooth brush as well as have a good look with a flashlight and scrape away any carbon deposits I see building up with a bamboo tooth pick or something non damaging.One day I'll have to learn how to take it all apart but just haven't seen the need yet.We don't REALLY know our guns until we can take it all apart, throw it in a bucket and know how to put it all back together and diagnose any problems-one day-
As many others have said, more damage is done by overcleaning than undercleaning. After a range session, I recommend a field strip and wipe down the accessible areas. Re-lube, and call it good. Shoot it using this cleaning schedule until it starts to malfunction (or the trigger starts to feel awful), that way you have some kind of idea of how much it can take. Of course, if you have a match coming up, give it a more thorough cleaning in that case. And give it a short "fouling" shooting session after the cleaning and before the match to be sure it is working well.
Or do a complete detail clean after every session. Or after every shot.
Or do a complete detail clean after every session. Or after every shot.
The fiber in the sight seems to be the least of the problems. Instead I've managed to break the "frame" of the front sight once and I've seen two others do the same thing.
In particular if you use for Shadow for matches where you are shooting through openings or under obstacles be sure you get the gun low enough or hold it back from any upper objects. The recoil seems to like to jump the front end up 2 to 4 inches. And if you don't have enough room you'll end up bashing it against the front sight.
For holstering you'd really need to mess up to damage the sight. Remember, you might need to draw fast on the clock but re-holstering is never on the clock. So take your time and watch what you're doing. Simply jamming the guns into a holster should only be something you see in the movies.
The action group at the back end of the frame is held in by the double sided safety. And the double sided safety is retained by one teeny tiny hair spring and two little even teenier and easily lost parts. So before you consider pulling out the action for cleaning or work do look over a parts diagram. It's also not a bad idea to remove this stuff with the gun inside a plastic bag so if they try to jump for freedom you'll still have them.
For cleaning it's far more easy and safe to simply field strip the gun, remove the rubber grips and then hose the action and trigger bow areas with some brake cleaner. I remove the grips both to allow the cleaner to drain away as well as protect the rubber from the sovent. It WILL soften and eat the rubber a little, I know because I tested it.
When you oil after flushing out the grunge be sure you coat the whole area.
Actually for this work I prefer the easily made Ed's Red. It flushes away the grunge just about as well as the brake cleaner. But after it drains and dries it leaves a very light film of ATF to act as both lubricant and corrosion protection. The action parts recieve small drops of oil in addtion to the residual ATF.
The slide rails similarly get drops of oil. Although lately I've been using a light brushed on smear of Mobil 1 synthetic grease. It seems to stay around and active for longer unlike the oil that seems to get blown away. If you try this a light smear is all that is required. Goober it up with too much and it'll make the slide draggy. Sort of like the difference between waving your hand in air and waving it underwater.
In particular if you use for Shadow for matches where you are shooting through openings or under obstacles be sure you get the gun low enough or hold it back from any upper objects. The recoil seems to like to jump the front end up 2 to 4 inches. And if you don't have enough room you'll end up bashing it against the front sight.
For holstering you'd really need to mess up to damage the sight. Remember, you might need to draw fast on the clock but re-holstering is never on the clock. So take your time and watch what you're doing. Simply jamming the guns into a holster should only be something you see in the movies.
The action group at the back end of the frame is held in by the double sided safety. And the double sided safety is retained by one teeny tiny hair spring and two little even teenier and easily lost parts. So before you consider pulling out the action for cleaning or work do look over a parts diagram. It's also not a bad idea to remove this stuff with the gun inside a plastic bag so if they try to jump for freedom you'll still have them.
For cleaning it's far more easy and safe to simply field strip the gun, remove the rubber grips and then hose the action and trigger bow areas with some brake cleaner. I remove the grips both to allow the cleaner to drain away as well as protect the rubber from the sovent. It WILL soften and eat the rubber a little, I know because I tested it.
When you oil after flushing out the grunge be sure you coat the whole area.
Actually for this work I prefer the easily made Ed's Red. It flushes away the grunge just about as well as the brake cleaner. But after it drains and dries it leaves a very light film of ATF to act as both lubricant and corrosion protection. The action parts recieve small drops of oil in addtion to the residual ATF.
The slide rails similarly get drops of oil. Although lately I've been using a light brushed on smear of Mobil 1 synthetic grease. It seems to stay around and active for longer unlike the oil that seems to get blown away. If you try this a light smear is all that is required. Goober it up with too much and it'll make the slide draggy. Sort of like the difference between waving your hand in air and waving it underwater.
- Location
- Eastern Ontario
One incredibly hot mid summer day on the range, the optic rod started sagging down with the high ambient temperature and the heat of the shooting session. I made the mistake of pushing on it and almost popped off. I straightened it out while it was still a bit soft. I should probably get some spare rod!
Don't use a heated screwdriver to do the ends of the rod, use a lighter and heat one end up before you even cut the rod. Then push through the site, from the side you look at, cut and heat the muzzle end, use your finger nail to hold the other side in place as you use another finger nail to press lightly on the other heated end. Too much pressure and the rod will come out during shooting. Too little and you have a loose rod.
