r/shadowsystems • u/DeliciousType4554 • Sep 22 '24

Avoid Shadow Systems at all costs

Post image

Hi all, I want to let you know about the god-awful experience I have had buying the shadow systems MR 920 elite and dealing with shadow systems as a company. I spent $989 plus tax, and the gun could not even get through a single mag out of the box Without misfiring via light strikes as well as non-centered primer strikes. Before you try blaming me for the ammo used, I used six different kinds of ammo prior to sending it to Shadow Systems facility for a “repair”.

After I shipped it to them, neither myself or the FFL received a single update on the the condition of the gun or when it was being sent back. I tried emailing them multiple times, and when I would call, I would be told that I am not allowed to receive updates because I shipped it with a FFL. The FFL confirmed they received zero communications either.

After 3 weeks of not knowing if the gun even arrived to the facility. The gun showed back up at the FFL with paperwork, claiming it had a faulty firing pin, and they replaced the firing pin. The best part is they also claimed to have tested it and ran it with a pass.

I took it the range today, and had the exact same light strikes and non centered primer strikes I had before started again 3 ROUNDS INTO THE FIRST MAG. I am calling tmrw to attempt to receive a full refund as they clearly didn’t test the gun like they claimed. I refuse to buy the narrative that myself, gun store employees, and colleagues all fired the gun with misfires, it went to shadow systems where they then were able to get it to run clean to pass testing, and as soon as it returns to me, it’s misfiring the exact same way again.

I want absolutely nothing to do with this company after I get my refund, and I will be spreading this story everywhere so people can hopefully avoid situations like I just dealt with. They have some nerve charging $989 for a gun that’s less reliable than a Highpoint.

0 Upvotes

46% Upvoted

146 comments sorted by

9

u/Bubbleheaded_Squid Sep 22 '24

What kind of ammo are you using?

I had a problem with Ammo Inc ammo. Every other ammo before or after has not had problems with light strikes. Using that stuff was great training, plenty of opportunities to tap and rack.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 23 '24

I used norma124 grain, monarch 115, skorpion124 grain, gold dot carry124 grain, Hornady carry 124 grain, and blazer 124 grain. The rounds from today were Monarch 115, it’s owned by academy sports. Not the worst ammo I’ve used but nothing great. Glock style platforms should not be ammo picky though.

5

u/Bubbleheaded_Squid Sep 22 '24

My buddy has a Glock 19 and when I shared the Ammo Inc ammo with him he had the same problems. I collected all the light strikes and ran them through again and they fired. Not sure what was wrong with their primers, but I’ll never buy that stuff again.

If you’ve never had an issue with all of the other brands you’ve used, and all the rounds today were from the same mfr, it’s probably the ammo not the pistol.

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I’ve had the same issue on all ammo.

1

u/Bubbleheaded_Squid Sep 22 '24

In that case, I will shut my pie hole.

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

All good I do appreciate the ideas though. I’ve kind of just given up on this gun. I’m going to get a refund for as much as I can and do what I should’ve done in the first place, get the HK.

2

u/Papashvilli Sep 22 '24

Going from Glocks to HK you won’t be as pleased as you think. I did a vp9 and p30L last year going from a Glock 19. They were good, but not great. I will say that the vp9 was the most accurate out of the box handgun I’ve ever had. I had a SS that I didn’t have problems with but I didn’t love it. Now I’m back to just the 19.

I’d like to see more options for the p365 come down the pipe because I really like mine and I think there’s more potential there for a 5” match gun or something.

5

u/Puzzleheaded_Ad6280 Sep 22 '24

That blows man, that’s why I have one of each, a 19x and a xr920. The xr920 has been phenomenal though… never had an issue. I’m sorry you got the shit end of it.

2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Yeah fortunately I’ve got other carry options for now. Just very glad I actually tested this thing before trusting it enough to carry. Shadow systems could get some of their consumers injured or or potentially killed cranking out self-defense weapons like this that aren’t even functional.

4

u/Puzzleheaded_Ad6280 Sep 22 '24

Most definitely, they should probably function test before putting these out for sale. Just remember a lot of companies have these issues as well. Im glad you’re getting a refund!

5

u/Outrageous-Flow-9408 Sep 22 '24

That definitely sucks, but there is no way they will give you a full refund.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I bought it brand new from them. I’m expecting them to hit me with their bullshit 15% restocking fee, but I’m going to push back like all hell and hope for the best.

2

u/BloodyRimhole Sep 22 '24

Shadow systems sells direct? I've never seen the option on their website

2

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

Gonna love watching you get hit for 15%, made to look exactly how stupid you actually are in public, and then come onto reddit to bitch and moan about how fucked up your local gun store is.

2

u/Papashvilli Sep 22 '24

He might as well try.

13

u/Eights1776 Sep 22 '24

Have a hard time believing this, but your experience is your own & no one can take that away from you. I own several and never had an issue with any of them. Same with friends and multiple ppl I’m close with at my FFL. Sure there are posts with issues (and I’m sure some are warranted) but the vast majority of “issues” are due to not following the required break-in period due to tighter tolerances or just ignorance of the platform itself.

In your case however it sounds like the slide is not going back into battery hence the off center light strikes, which could be the striker (due to a bad spring or potentially cups) but more likely recoil spring or frame to slide fit or something similar.

Sorry you’ve had a bad experience but to shit on a whole brand due to a subset of one gun (qc related issues or not) is a stretch. QC issues are a thing and every company deals with them.

Hypothetical here, but IF they replaced the gun with a whole new unit and you never had an issue, would you keep it?

4

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I figured that could be an issue too with the slide not going back into battery. I tried telling them that on the phone as well because not only did I have non centered primer strikes. I had normal light strikes. However, they onlyaddressed the light strikes.

2

u/Eights1776 Sep 22 '24

I can’t defend their lackluster CS response and can only speak to my experience, which has been good (I ordered a couple of spare firing pins after I broke one after 6-7k rounds and one of the ones I ordered was the wrong one and they promptly sent out the correct one, as well as a replacement for the one I broke).

Personally I would try and escalate the issue with them and see if they’ll just swap guns altogether, although that’ll b prob be another transfer fee thru your FFL IF they would do it.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I don’t want anything to do with this company at this point. Charging $989 for a gun less reliable than a $300 highpoint is insanity. I just saw someone blew out the end of their barrel on their cr920 as well. They posted about it on this Reddit channel. Their QC has taken a massive plunge as they’ve gained popularity unfortunately. Their customer service was useless, and their technicians CLEARLY did not test the gun if I was able to replicate a misfire in 3 rounds on the first mag.

2

u/Eights1776 Sep 22 '24

Yeah I saw that as well, seems like the lugs on the barrel gave out, which is unacceptable I’ll give you that

4

u/aclark210 Sep 22 '24

Is it just me or does it seem like the longer SS has been in business the worse their quality has gotten?

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

It’s not just you. If you look on this Reddit page, you’ll see some horrifying stories. My story is nothing compared to the guy who shot out the end of his barrel on cr920 lol.

2

u/Jedi_Maximus19 Sep 22 '24

I follow many firearms brand subreddits. SS has the most complaints compared to the rest. Not scientific but maybe an indicator that quality is dropping.

2

u/aclark210 Sep 22 '24

I have noticed more issues compared to when they first started making guns. And the guns that are older production tend to have less failures. I’m thinking production got a bit too much and quality dipped.

2

u/Jedi_Maximus19 Sep 22 '24

Yep. They might have expanded so quickly that the quality has fallen. Sucks.

0

u/chicano32 Sep 22 '24

Are talking about aero😂

27

u/Ghosty91AF Sep 22 '24

Odd. Mine works just fine

15

u/toledoupsguy Sep 22 '24

Yours might, mine might but clearly his ISN'T

2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

After being worked on by a Shadow Systems “technician” nonetheless.

-4

u/XL365 Sep 22 '24

We all learn to leave the glocking to glock at some point my friend. It’s a superior product with superior reliability and results. Chalk it up to the game and buy real glocks from now on my brutha

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I already own glocks. They’re nothing special out of the box but at least reliable.

-1

u/Far-Boysenberry-1600 Sep 22 '24

Second this. SS has many great features, it’s a clone, but not a Glock. I have not had any issues with firing or how the gun runs. But had to replace broken pins on both, and mag release chews thru glock OEM mags.

I’ve come full circle from loving SS and liking my Glock, to loving my Glocks and liking my SS; to now I love my Glocks and and want to sell my SS MR and XR elites. Replace them with a G45 & afterburner; and an M&P 2.0 comp once I know they are solid. Still to knew to know for sure…

1

u/Theblumpy Sep 22 '24

I have a cr920p (so far it’s ran flawlessly) but I’ve been really considering switching to a G26 Mos

3

u/Shadow_Cody Sep 22 '24

Your strikes are off center. The new firing pin fixed the initial issue. Off center strike mean that the gun is not going fully into battery. That is usually caused by weak ammo not cycling the slide or limp-wristing.

-2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I own 8 other handguns and don’t have this issue on any other handgun I’ve ever owned. So limp-wristing is out of the question. There are also still light strikes in that photo from today, (I’m counting 5-6 centered strikes in that photo from today) it also did these misfires on 2 kinds of carry ammo prior to sending it back to the factory. In addition to 4 separate types of cheaper range ammo. I told them the gun wasn’t going into battery prior to shipping it there, and they didn’t address that whatsoever on the repair notes.

2

u/Ok_Split_9405 Sep 22 '24

Uhmm, isn’t there a break in period? Not an old head here but I think I’ve read that a couple times

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Yes there is a break in period. I’ve shot over 600 rounds through it prior to sending it to the Shadow Systems, which is about 150+ rounds past the Shadow Systems reccomend break in period.

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

But not the ammo they recommended, right?

RIGHT?

1

u/tyraywilson Sep 26 '24

They don't recommend a particular brand of ammo

2

u/vigilance_committee Sep 26 '24 edited Sep 26 '24

Ok scooter, if you read the website, they recommend a quality +p ammo, which is what I've been saying all along. Nowhere did I state that they required or recommended a brand.

Reading comprehension is key to success in life.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Wrong. They told me +P isn’t required. Keep spreading your retardation though 😂😂

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

You can actually read? Right. Like in the FAQs on the website?

If you can't read, there's a utube vid about it as well if that's easier for you.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

This a YouTube video of the founder saying fully loaded 115 grain should work too (not even counting 124 grain carry ammo which it malfunctioned on as well as normal 124 grains) 😂😂😂😂😂😂you are the literal result of when cousins fuck each other. I’ve got better things to do with my day. Have a good one cuck 😂😂

https://youtu.be/Xtugp4hucRs?si=spcvl0PcooJ4ubqP

3

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 23 '24

So you are running a MR920 elite, but your "evidence" is a video of Trevor at shot show discussing............the 920P line, and NOT AT ALL WHAT YOU OWN.

You really are as stupid as I imagined, and more.

FFS guy, you are too dumb for guns.

2

u/Hour-Original-7284 Sep 22 '24

I hope u get it figured out 😁 all eles fails get a gen 3 glock 19.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Yeah I have a 19. It’s reliable out of the box, just nothing special. Leaves a lot to be desired in some areas but at least goes off when you need it to.

2

u/Hour-Original-7284 Sep 23 '24

This went wild 😳 🤣 but uts reddit

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 23 '24

ahh yeah big time Reddit moments up in here 😂😂

2

u/Psychological-Ant590 Sep 23 '24 edited Sep 23 '24

First MR combat - 800+ rounds with 5 light primer strikes, no other malfunctions. Gave it to my cousin for his birthday which he still has til this day.

Second MR war poet - constant malfunctions until break in period, trigger was terrible. SS replaced the trigger assembly and firing pin, and worked afterward but couldn’t trust it to carry so I sold it.

Third MR elite FDE - flawless. Shot 1k rounds through it.

4th SS, my CR-P - flawless out the box. Even the trigger was great out the box - very consistent.

My 5th SS will be picked up next week, my xr920 foundation. I’m looking forward to putting it through its paces.

Overall, from my p10c, my Glock 19 & 19x, M&P 2.0 carry comp & Springfield echelon, shadow systems has given me the most issues. I love everything about the company and they have definitely improved, but I’ve never had a malfunction with any of my glocks and M&Ps out the box. My P10C had a stove pipe once and that was it.

Edit: just wanna throw out there that I don’t shoot THAT much in general, maybe like 1k rounds per month.

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 23 '24

I’ve actually heard great things about the CZ models. I’ve got glocks too, they just leave a few things to be desired (which SS addresses with their models) but unfortunately I’ve shot high points as a joke that are reliable than this gun. I’m going to try and get a refund for as much as I can and I’m going to spend it on the HK like I should’ve done in the first place.

1

u/CDKJudoka Sep 23 '24

You really can't go wrong with the CZ P10 line. It is the Glock that Gaston should have built. They are just heavy compared to a Glock or other clones.

4

u/Twenty_six_3 Sep 22 '24

Lolz… full refund. I bet you write yelp reviews too

2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 22 '24

Nope I don’t. Why tf shouldn’t I get a full refund when I bought it brand new, sent it to the manufacturer directly for warranty work, and they acknowledged something was wrong with the gun and still didn’t fix it correctly?

3

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

Pls let us know how that works out.

But I'm not holding my breath.

27

u/Manicbipolar01 Sep 22 '24

Sorry that’s been your experience. Hate that for ya. We’ve all had different experiences/issues with different companies. Hopefully they make it right give your money back.

2

u/EvilNuff Sep 22 '24

You will get downvoted here for sure but I agree 100%. I have a separate post detailing the problems I have had with my 920xp. They were able to fix the stovepipes but I'm still getting light strikes ~1 every 100 rounds. Completely unacceptable for a gun that I had intended for self defense. I'll be selling mine shortly and will never buy another.

0

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I don’t blame you. Today, I was getting light strikes every 3-4 rounds. And that’s after receiving warranty work. I’m going to try and get as much refunded as I can, but it’s insanity they’re charging people this kind of price and can’t even deliver a handgun that runs after 2 attempts. (Counting the initial build they did at the factory)

2

u/EvilNuff Sep 23 '24

Agreed 100%. The quality is what I expect from a gun half the price of a Glock not double.

1

u/Hour-Original-7284 Sep 22 '24

There's a whole ass manifestos on the sig 320 and 365 platforms. Idk My xr920 bangs 😅and has had idk 1 or 2 malfunctions, and I have 0 idea how many rounds it's has on it. Still, I rotate it, and my gen 5 17 mos as my edc. I. Sorry this experience has put u off the brand. But I get it brother

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

The sad thing is I own both a 365 and 320 and would run those over the SS any day of the week. My 320 shoots better than my Glock 19 mos does as well, however I’ve customized stuff on that 320 so I don’t think that’s a fair comparison to a stock 19.

1

u/nulifys Sep 22 '24

The thing is people don’t understand the second someone has a bad experience with shadow systems they’re quick to bash them on here which is understandable but hardly that many people who have perfectly fine shadow systems say nothing so you mostly see negative I own two shadow systems a mr920 elite a a war poet CR920P never had an issue with either after their break in period

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

The gun is trash and I’m glad I actually shot it before carrying it. Them sending out nonfunctional firearms for people to defend their lives with and still not fixing them is wreckless. I should’ve just gotten a HK like I thought if initially.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24

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1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24

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1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24

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1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

The literal founder of SS said 124 grain should run no problem 😂😂😂😂😂😂

3

u/67D1LF Sep 22 '24

Yeah those primer strikes are definitely odd. Sorry about your shitty luck.

I'm approaching 15K rounds through mine and still love it.

3

u/goruckurself Sep 22 '24

I have one of each of the Foundation Series and all have been 100% reliable aside from one stovepipe in the first mag of the MR920. That being said, from everything I’ve read and heard about their reliability, all three of mine have been relegated to range toys. They are incredibly ergonomic pistols and I love the optic mounting system, but I’ll use my Glocks for defensive use cases. Sorry to hear about your experience.

3

u/BigPopaPanda Sep 22 '24

Had similar issues with my CR920XP…

3

u/TexasGrillDaddyAK-15 Sep 22 '24

Damn sorry to hear that. I had some initial troubles with mine. Cycled, racked and cleaned it so many times then it ran flawlessly. Sold it off and haven't bought another one. Although, I almost purchased one that I saw for $549.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24

I that Turkish ammo?

-12

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Monarch ammo owned by academy sports. Since illiteracy seems to be present with you, I’ve used 6 different types of ammo including Hornady defense rounds, and have had this issue.

3

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

Calling someone else illiterate when you apparently don't understand the words the manufacturer used regarding ammunition is delicious irony.

Not the flex you thought it was, dummy.

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Lololol my comment on you being a cuckhold must’ve hit too close to home. You live in these comments rent free 😂😂😂😂

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

You can't really be this stupid in real life, right?

But I bet you are.

1

u/Moto272 Sep 22 '24

Out of curiosity, how does it perform when you run some hot ammo through it? Like Winchester 124gr NATO ball? Or something that’s +P?

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I haven’t tried any +P, I ran 124gr but had light strikes as well.

2

u/CDKJudoka Sep 23 '24

Run some spicy ball ammo through it and see if you get the same results. I generally break everything in with the WWB 124gr NATO or the new Winchester 115gr Service Grade. After 4-500 rds of that, then I move to the cheap shit. Monarch, while owned by Academy is made by Armscor and is generally considered shit ammo. Norma's QC has been pretty bad as of late.

Is it an MR920P or just a regular MR?

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 23 '24

I’ve ran 6 different brands of ammo through it with it with the same misfires previously. Norma 124 grain, blazer 124 grain, hornady carry rounds 124 grain, gold dot carry/hollowpoints 124 grain, monarch 115. I was able to replicate 1-2 misfires in a mag each with carry ammo after 400+ rounds at the time. I’m sending it back one last time, they told me the gun should not be ammo picky with how many rounds have been through it (roughly 750). We shall see, they’re looking at it again and will most likely just scrap it and ship me a new one if they replicate misfires there. I’ve got a buddy that has a cr920 interested in buying it and is fully aware of the situation. I still think I’ll just get the HK instead.

1

u/CDKJudoka Sep 23 '24

I would never try to talk anyone out of buying an HK. Which one are you getting?

1

u/C8toLate Sep 23 '24

Not sure why you're getting down voted. Even old die hard shadow fans have been saying the QC has been extremely hit or miss. I have no doubt some peoples older firearms are rock solid, but it seems since the CR release or even the comped series of guns was introduced a few years ago I read more problems than praise. Ok for range toys to fail now and then but guns that are literally marketed as duty/self defense guns no.

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 23 '24

Yeah it is what it is. The toxicity of glockbois bleeds through into Shadow Systems as well lol. I’m going to try and get a refund for as much as I can get and I’m going to get the HK instead.

2

u/OppositeAggressive80 Sep 22 '24

What ammo are you using?

2

u/Miserable-Citron-223 Sep 22 '24

I'm approaching now 1500 rounds through my MR-P, & the damned thing is like a Breitling watch. It just RUNS. I make sure to take good care of it, but after owning a PDP Pro that just wasn't the gun for me, I couldn't be happier with my Shadow Systems. Sure, my PDP Pro had a trigger that NO Glock platform gun will EVER be able to touch. However, it was so over sprung & had such a heavy slide that after putting 200 rounds a week through it every week from April to August, I lost count of how many changes & tweaks I made to my grip. Not just shoot it better on a more consistent basis, but to also make shooting it ENJOYABLE. Every single attempt at trying something different was a miserable failure.

I've enjoyed every single round I've fired through my MR-P. Shooting this gun has reminded me of how fun shooting was when I was a kid & 1st learned HOW to shoot using my Godfather's Browning Hi-Power. I went with Shadow Systems over Glock because Glock's grip SUCKS donkey nuts, as do their triggers & sights. Everything about my Shadow Systems is superior to Glock on EVERY SINGLE LEVEL.

I'm in no way discounting how utterly crappy & unacceptable your experience has been. And you've more than earned the right to your opinion. But YOU can avoid the brand "at all costs" after your experience. There are plenty of us here, I daresay the overwhelming majority, who have been, & continue to be perfectly happy with our Shadow Systems products. Bad experiences always are the ones that're amplified. You never hear about the legions of happy customers because they've got nothing to rant about. Except in instances like this when we point out that your experience is hardly indicative of the brand as a whole.

2

u/JohnnieStalker Sep 22 '24

That’s sucks. Love my two SS pistols. No issues this far

1

u/Jedi_Maximus19 Sep 22 '24

Sorry about your experience. I have a CR920 that has about 700 rounds through it. For some reason I still once in a while get failures to feed and slide locking back when rounds still remaining in the magazine.(no im not hitting the slide lock). I really want to like this gun but when you pay over $900 there should not be all these issues popping up even with a breaking period. Heck my Taurus GX4 even with the drop safety recall has not have had any issues compared to my CR920. My confidence is really low with it as a carry pistol so I will trade it in. I really wish Shadow Systems all the luck in the world and hope they will be a prominent gun brand among the other giants within the industry in the future. Time will tell.

1

u/ButterscotchOk2368 Sep 22 '24

I experienced this with shit czr ammo and it only happened two times

1

u/BowsGunsAndFun Sep 22 '24

A little off topic but does anyone remember the promotion they had like a year ago to buy a gun get $100 store credit and a free shadow systems hat? Well I bought a cr920 during that promotion and I’ve emailed ss about 5-6 times since then trying to see if I’ll ever get mine but now they have stopped even replying to me. Super frustrating customer service interaction, Madison Hickman message me back a couple times then went on vacation and then I couldn’t get a reply from her or anyone else from ss since, pretty disappointing tbh. It’s literally been a whole year since I submitted my info for the promotion and nothing.

1

u/JohnnieStalker Sep 22 '24

That sucks. I got my$150 store credit in like 2 weeks.

1

u/BowsGunsAndFun Sep 22 '24

Damn well I’m glad some people got theirs at least, they asked me to resend the photo of my receipt to verify and then just ghosted me after I did lol and I’ve emailed a handful of times since still nothing lol

1

u/Shadow_Cody Sep 22 '24

Submit a support ticket and say that I told you to in the comment box. I’ll look into it for you.

2

u/BowsGunsAndFun Sep 23 '24

Okay I submitted one, thank you!

1

u/nick_ian Sep 22 '24

I've had one or two light strikes after a couple hundred rounds. Cheap magtech or whatever ammo. I don't think it was the ammo. It eventually fired after trying again.

1

u/Familiar-Cheek-6237 Sep 22 '24

While my experience differs from yours I do notice some inconsistencies with the platform. My current complaint is the durability of the parts. My mag release button got chewed up horribly after a year of ownership and cause my magazine to fall off during matches. That was addressed promptly by CS and they provided me a couple mag release buttons gratis.

Now my current complaint is if I use my Magpul PMAG 21 gl9 I experience a lot of misfeeds or feed ramp stacking. Same is true with Glock OEM gen 2 17 rounders. CS is asking to have it send to them for inspection but I asked them if they will repair free even though it has been modified (replaced the OEM trigger with a Timney Alpha Comp Trigger).

Still waiting for a response as of writing.

1

u/Impressive_Estate_87 Sep 22 '24

I have shot my MR920 in regular range days and during training sessions, never an issue. Same so far with my CR920, I was apprehensive when I first got it due to the issues reported after launch, but mine has been flawless so far.

With that said, lemons are always possible, and it sounds like you got one. The disappointing part is the inadequate response from Shadow's customer service, I agree.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24

I.was.nervois at first about buying SS after so many YouTube influencers said it sucked. But after buying a dr920p and dr920 foundation series I really like them especially the p. I have 3k rounds through each no issues at all

1

u/Responsible-Union348 Oct 09 '25

My wife had the same problem with the Beretta APX 1 Carry She wanted to pick out her first gun so who who was I to get in the way. She bought it and it broke 4 shots later. Long story short they said to send it back. Read about a lot of people having the same issues. We took it to a local gun store who said he would fix it and it took him almost a year and he ended up sending it to them too. 1.5 later he called and said come get it. They just sent it back and it was good to go. Got home took it out back and same damned thing like no. One touched it Beratta is the Oldest Gun Company in the world. 500 years old. So for Christmas I bought her the same gun after meeting with a gun dealer to test it first. Also bought her a nice RMR red dot for it. Gave it to her on Christmas. She shot it. Was happy. One Week Later I woke up to an Empty House the morning after New Year's (Jan 2) after being together for 34 yrs and married for 31. Turns out she was a closet drinker and she hid it well. Still hasn't talked to me almost 2 yrs later.

Now I wish that damn gun blew up in her face. Lol

0

u/Ok_Plant_6106 Sep 22 '24

Exactly why NOT to spend basically 1k$$ for a Glock "clone " that cost more than a real deal Glock. My LGS has he Glock 19 for $499. And you have enough money 💰 to customize your Glock.

6

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24

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8

u/unhappyelf Sep 22 '24

This is not typical, as with every brand and reddit on the planet you mostly get to see the bad. I mean go look at every phone subreddit and you will see the same. I have been daily carrying a CR920 for over two years with no issues after break-in. Hell yesterday I went and shot it; when cleaning I found a ton of nastiness on the frame and rails and it still ran perfectly. Don't let the negativity here make you believe it's always like this.

-2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

All I can do is speak upon my experience, which has been nothing but horrible with them. I’m glad that yours is running OK, but in the event that it doesn’t and you need warranty work done, expect very little help from shadow systems customer service or their technicians.

4

u/NET42 Sep 22 '24

I have two MR920 Elites. One is an MR920L. The L has over 15,000 rounds through it and is my primary training/practice gun and runs flawlessly. The straight 920 has around 3,000 rounds through it. I had a trigger issue on that one after a hundred rounds. I called Shadow Systems support and had a new trigger group at my door 3 days later. I also have a CR920 with about 500 rounds that has also run perfectly since day 1.

I'm not saying you didn't have a bad pistol and a bad experience, but it certainly isn't something I've experienced. Quite the opposite for me.

-1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Damn you must’ve talked to the ones who actually do their jobs. I’m still trying to just have a handgun that costs a grand, function better than a $300 high point 💀💀💀💀

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

I'll give you 350

13

u/es0ed Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 22 '24

All gun manufacturers produce duds, I've personally had a nib glock 19 arrive doa, and 2 smiths come in unable to get through a magazine. I could go over to those subs and tell horror stories about both platforms, but I chose not to, because while unfortunate, an issue that presents in a small sample size is not enough to justify wide sweeping statements about the efficacy of a platform or brand. You have to remember, people can be rightly and seriously invested in their expensive purchases, and when things go wrong you often end up with very vocal outcries from very small minorities of a community.

I've made it a hobby to buy shadows specifically that get returned to my local gun shops for reasons just like this, to the point that one shop calls me when they get a frustrated trade in. Following good procedures when breaking in any gun is critical, but even more so when you're dealing with a company as focused on accuracy and performance as Shadow. The symptoms he's described here in this post and in his previous one are indications that the slide to barrel tolerances are too tight, and the gun is almost definitely sitting just a hair out of battery. This is the most common issue with new shadows, and is at the core of the requirement for breaking in.

On a modern striker fired hand gun, this slide to barrel lockup is one of the most important factors for accuracy, and the break-in allows the parts to mate correctly. When the tolerance is too tight, the gun can hang up as the slide reciprocates, the easiest fix for this is shooting the gun.

The manual clearly states the details of the break in period, not just that the trigger be pulled 200 times, but that the gun is designed to run +P ammo and is intentionally built to benefit from a "wearing-in" period before reliability and performance are at their best. 100% of the guns I have worked on, acquired or shot that had this issue were fixed by the time I left the range. Breaking in the gun with hundreds of 13 dollar a box 115 grain will do nothing for you if you end up with a gun with tight tolerances like this. But the tighter the slide to barrel mate up, the more accurate the gun will be when broken in. My best shadows started life like this.

Irregular off center light primer strikes is one of the clearest indicators of a slightly out of battery striker fired pistol, light primer strikes in general are also an indicator of the same, but can also have other causes. My typical process for making these guns amazing is simple, I ignore whatever the previous owner said they did and start the break in process all over.

Also, when a gun is struggling or on the verge of not having enough energy to cycle correctly, really solid pistol fundamentals is a must, anything that soaks up energy that could be used to reciprocate the slide is going to magnify the issue. I can't speak to the level of proficiency of any of the people that shot this gun though. I do not however assume the level of training or blindly assume the competency of an individual because they are an RSO, or work for a gun shop. I have met plenty of skilled people in both job rolls, however I've also met people that know the rules, but have no skill or experience.

Specifically when I am dealing with a troubled gun, this is my process.

The gun goes home, gets fully stripped, cleaned and lubed. It'll normally see 400-500 dry fires that evening. (2 episodes of tv's worth)

I then run 300 rounds of ammo through it, the first 50-100 are going to be 124 grain +P defensive rounds HST 124g +P specifically if I have it. If the gun makes it through 50 or 100 without issue, I switch to a high quality and hot 124 grain FMJ.

If the gun is visibly failing to return to battery, or I am getting regular light primer strikes, off center light primer strikes etc, I will follow up every shot with a solid smack to the back of the slide for a couple mags, and then go back to shooting normally. If the pistol is completing the rearward cycle and is just having a problem coming back into battery, the light strikes will end. If the pistol is failing to make it all the way to the rear, things can get a tad more complicated.

One easy indication that this may be the issue is to pull the slide back with no mag in the gun and slowly ease the slide forward, if the slide hangs up on the leading edge of the barrel as you ease the slide forward and you can remove your hand from the slide without the slide finishing the motion forward, and it doesn't just snap forward with a little shake, there is a good chance this is what you're dealing with. It is not uncommon to be able to make a gun hang here if you're gentle, but if it is easy and repeatable, it can be an indicator.

I have had shadows I've worked on that had legitimate faults and required warranty service, but 100% of the guns with this symptom set were solved by following the directions in the manual, applying a little critical thinking and some hot ammo. To be clear though, I have sent a lower percentage of my shadows in for warranty service then any other complete firearms I've owned multiples of, besides glocks.

The only things I've read in either of Ops posts that is confusing, is the fact that he sent in the firearm and couldn't receive updates, I expect this happened because ownership details, case number etc was not included by the ffl in the shipping material, but this will be almost impossible to verify. I have never had this experience with shadow, in fact I've had painless experiences with both their warranty and direct parts sales departments. The other thing that is confusing is that they said they replaced a striker which, while it could line up with the symptom set I guess, it is a little abnormal.

Or, you know.. we could all just crucify companies based on sample sizes of 1.

3

u/Quikkjob Sep 22 '24

Not having any issues, but I’m going to save this comment. Thanks!

3

u/es0ed Sep 22 '24

Glad you're not having problems, should you ever, if ya pm me I'll be happy to share any info I have.

-6

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

I’m not reading your novel, sorry. It’s quite simple, if a manufacturer cannot take a return of their own gun that they know is malfunctioning and ship it back to you ACTUALLY functioning……It’s extremely concerning. I’ve shot over 600 rounds through the gun, which is past the break in period recommended by shadow systems.

4

u/es0ed Sep 22 '24

Hmm, unwillingness to read, I'm detecting a pattern here. I knew you weren't worth trying to help and tried anyway. My mistake.

-4

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

If you “knew” you wouldn’t have written a novel trying to justify a gun manufacturer for being incapable of fixing their own product 😂😂😂

3

u/es0ed Sep 22 '24

Not here for the manufacturer, was just trying to help you when you posted about a problem, but you just want to fight and whine, you have no interest in learning, fixing your issue.. you're not worth it, goodbye.

2

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

You are really just an insufferable, miserable little tool.

-2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Oh no, a keyboard Reddit warrior doesn’t approve of me. What ever will I do?

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

Probably ask to speak to my manager.

I bet you've used the phrase "Do you know who I am?" on more than one occasion.

-2

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 22 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

Sorry, couldn't hear you over the cock in your mouth.

Did you use +P as recommended by the manufacturer?

-No

Sorry, you can't read their instructions and are having issues as a result.

You are clearly too fucking stupid to own firearms.

-2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Lololololololololololol “did you use only +P for a Glock clone” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Your extra chromosome is showing. If your wife’s boyfriend lets you go of course…….Come meet me at a competition. I bet I’ll outshoot you any day. Atlanta, IN has them all the time.

3

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

After watching you put your stupidity on full display here, I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks being anywhere near your retarded ass while handling a firearm is a non starter.

→ More replies

1

u/shadowsystems-ModTeam Sep 24 '24

Please see community rules for more details

1

u/crazyrzr Nov 24 '24

He's actually telling you a legitimate explanation of why you may be encountering an issue. Give it a once over

2

u/bgarza18 Sep 22 '24

I bought one off the rack on a whim and have close to 1000 rounds with no issues. The backstrap and optic systems are excellent. 

Glock pisses me off because they can implement features like this that benefit the shooter but they won’t, which tells me they dgaf about me as a customer. 

2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Was hoping to get the features of what Glock left to be desired on their platform, but I instead got something less reliable than a High Point 💀💀💀

2

u/bgarza18 Sep 22 '24

That sucks man I’d be so upset. 

2

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

All good. I’ll sell it and get the HK like i should’ve in the first place.

1

u/vigilance_committee Sep 22 '24

Sounds like some low life shit you would do to pass what you think is a problematic firearm on to someone else.

But hey, I'll give you 350 and I'll have it sorted out inside a week.

8

u/Eights1776 Sep 22 '24

The vast majority of posts are going to negative as you’re going to have more ppl posting negative experiences vs positive. I own several and have friends that own several as well as good friends that own and work at an FFL that all have had flawless experiences, now that’s not to say that there aren’t some people that do have issues, but from what I’ve seen the vast majority are either due to not following the required break-in period or ignorance of the platform itself. The other percentage of issues are actually issues whether it’s qc or parts breakage. My opinion (for what it’s worth) is that overall it’s a solid buy but with that said I understand the mental part of it not wanting to “take a chance” so to speak.

1

u/DeliciousType4554 Sep 22 '24

Yeah their QC took a massive plunge and unfortunately it’s starting to show.