TGO David

Too soon to tell, but you'll spend more than the cost of the MR920 to have a Glock 19 milled to accept a RDS as securely as this one does, have the frame modified for texture and indexing points (let alone modified for grip angle), aftermarket trigger, match-grade barrel, slide serrations and re-nitriding, etc.

YES! Dry Fire is life, even when ammo is plentiful.

You know... unless you have firsthand knowledge of what RR is paying for their ammo, any claim that they are gouging rather than passing along their own increases is completely an opinion. I warned previously that the cost of ammo to suppliers was going to be increasing as what remained from previous years production dried up.

Brownell's currently has a deal on ten (10) Magpul 30-Round PMAG GEN M2 MOE mags for $94.99 if you use code "PTT" when you check out. https://www.brownells.com/magazines/rifle-magazines/magazines/ar-15-pmag-gen-m2-moe-mag-223-5-56-30rd-polymer-blk-10pk-sku100006987-24192-79235.aspx If you prefer the non-MOE version, you can get ten of those for $111.99 currently with the same code "PTT" at checkout. https://www.brownells.com/magazines/rifle-magazines/magazines/ar-15-pmag-gen-m3-magazine-223-5-56-30rd-polymer-black-10pk-sku100012634-75487-120832.aspx

I blame John Lovell @ Warrior Poet Society for making me take a hard second look at the MR920 recently, which of course lead me to buy one.

It was tempting for me to outright compare it to my Zev OZ9 X-Grip but in the end I resisted. They are similar but also very different. While the Shadow Systems MR918 and MR920 seem to adhere a little closer to the trajectory of the Glock design albeit with a pretty significant re-imagining of the extractor system and the back strap design, the OZ9 takes a different trajectory and melds aspects of the Sig P320 (serialized chassis inside of an inexpensive polymer grip module) to the Glock design. Zev OZ9 The Zev OZ9 is noticeably heavier and yes more expensive. The trigger in the OZ9 honestly strikes me as feeling better "out of the box" but that comes via a lightened, skeletonized striker assembly. I haven't had problems with mine but that is not a part that I have ever chosen or ever would choose to go to the aftermarket for in a duty/carry gun. I have friends who have swapped their OZ9 striker out for an OEM Glock striker just because they felt like it was one less part that might break under hard use.... albeit with no data to back up their decision. As for grip, I think the 17-round (G45 sized) grip module on my OZ9 feels slightly more ergonomic. They molded some clever indentations in the OZ9 grip that accommodate your support hand's thumb heel, which makes it very easy to get a quick and repeatable grip on the gun every time. It just coaxes your support hand into the right position and feels like it was molded to you. BUT... you get what Zev gives you. There is no adjustability in circumference or grip angle with the OZ9. I suspected that they were going to release different size grip modules like Sig does for the P320, but so far no such luck. Just Compact and Full-Size. The combination of the heavy internal chassis that runs the full length of the slide and the ergonomics of the grip module that make the OZ9 feel like it shoots softer and has less muzzle flip. It feels like a race gun. But, it's also heavier in the belt which is a consideration for carry purposes. MR920 The MR920 is noticeably LIGHTER and certainly less spendy. I think the trigger shoe on the MR feels great but the pull weight "out of the box" feels pretty heavy. It too doesn't use any Glock OEM parts (as far as I have read or can tell) but the striker assembly is more traditional. The only thing in the slide that anyone could legitimately be out to jury on is the shortened extractor spring assembly that they use to allow such a deep cut and significantly longer screws for the optic. I see no problems with what they did and think it's ingenious. The grip on the MR920 is way better than any factory Glock that I have owned. I love the texture on it and the neutral back strap is the right size for my hand and causes the gun to point perfectly for me without any additional effort or adjustment of presentation from draw. That said it is still rather slab-sided and not quite as "hand filling" as the more curvaceous OZ9 grip and it doesn't have the tactile cues to guide your support hand perfectly into position the way that the Zev does. You overcome this with the MR the same way that you do a Glock: Proprioception and a draw/presentation sequence that you practice enough times that it becomes automatic. Not a big negative for me. The MR920 still fits my hand just fine and it feels loads better than a stock Glock. Once you get the gun firmly locked in your grip with proper front-back and side-to-side pressure applied, thumbs forward, etc. recoil management is easy and predictable albeit with perceptibly more impact during the shot and slide reciprocation. This seems very obviously due to fact that the MR is lighter than the OZ9 and has less mass at the dangerous end of the slide/frame than the OZ9. That machined metal chassis in the OZ9 really hangs some extra weight out in front of the gun and you notice it during recoil. Choosing One Or The Other It's going to boil down to what you want from the gun and what you are willing to pay. This isn't a matter of a Chevrolet versus a Ferrari. It's more of a Porsche vs. Ferrari decision. You don't walk away with a loser of a car... er... gun either way.

Initial Impressions and Range Report I would estimate that I put 200 or so rounds of 115gr Blazer Brass 9mm through the gun this past Sunday. Accuracy was exceptional. With a proper, aggressive "thumbs forward" grip on the gun, recoil seemed very tame and flat, and tracking the red dot between shots was very easy. Shadow Systems includes a section in the user manual that specifically states that the guns are machined to high enough tolerances that a break-in period of 100 to 150 rounds is required. They did not include that casually and it is not a suggestion but rather a requirement for reliable function. My MR920 absolutely "woke up" and became better with use, as the gun's various moving surfaces wore against each other and smoothed out. One problem that went away fairly quickly was that the pistol would not chamber the first round out of a magazine, whether filled to capacity or less than, from a slide-lock without some assistance. A nudge against the endplate with my thumb was all that was required to push the slide into battery. The issue largely resolved itself at the range within the first 100 rounds, and completely disappeared after I brought the gun back home and thoroughly hosed it out with some non-chlorinated brake cleaner (polymer safe!) and lightly re-lubed the slide rails. I should note that I did not clean or lube the gun prior to going to the range, but did apply more Lucas Gun Oil midway during the session. This was intentional. Having read the manual ahead of time, I knew that a break-in period was required and I wanted any manufacturing grit and grime present to mix with the oil to provide a slurry, almost like jeweler's rouge. It worked. Accuracy In a word, exceptional. If I did my part, the gun did it's part. Toward the end of my range session, I was able to drop ten rounds into the 1-inch center spot of a 5x5 drill target from a distance of seven yards. Aiming was done with the Trijicon RM07 red dot optic and shots were taken slowly and deliberately for accuracy, not speed. What's Next? I want to do a little more break-in with the gun but will be transitioning this into my primary carry fairly quickly, provided it continues to function reliably. I have no reason to think it wouldn't.

Kicking cancer's ass is far more important than anything else.

I don’t understand.

Yes. It was that or in my state of sheer exhaustion, changing it to read something really tacky and funny.

It went right over my head that he might be talking about cars and trucks.

For Pete's sake... what ARE we talking about here? Autos. Cars? Trucks? Automobiles? NFA Class 3 automatic firearms??

It really sucks when your FFL calls and says that your new gun has arrived, but you are so dead-ass tired from being up all night and working all day that you know you shouldn't even think about driving to get it. Tomorrow will be "New Gun Day" for me, I suppose.

I edited the thread title. Every time I saw it, I had to double-check because it looked like a wanted ad posted outside of the Trading Post.