In the crowded world of striker-fired handguns, the Glock 19 rules the roost. It’s reliable, it’s simple, and it works. There’s very little room to debate its reliability, and, frankly, it’s not at all surprising that the Glock 19 has such a cult following.
But let’s be honest, the gun isn’t exactly exciting. It’s the Honda Civic of guns. Dependable? Absolutely. Fun? Eh, maybe not: at least not in its factory configuration.
Which leads us to the “Gucci Glock” concept.
From Custom slides, match barrels, and trigger jobs to flashy Cerakote finishes, extended controls, and everything in between, people love taking the plain-Jane Glock and turning it into something a little more personal. Options are seemingly endless, and parts are plentiful.
The problem, though, is that Gucci setups get expensive. And fast. But Shadow Systems figured out a way to give shooters a full-blown custom feel without the hit to the wallet. Enter the MR920, a pistol that looks and shoots like a $2,000 build, but at a price point you won’t have to finance with a black market kidney sale or clever explanation to your spouse.
Often imitated: Glock’s Undeniable Popularity
Whether you love ’em or hate ’em, it’s hard to deny Glock’s influence in the modern gun market. Since their release in the early 1980s, they’ve become the go-to sidearm for cops and civilians alike, not to mention hundreds of military units worldwide. And I’m willing to bet that most of us have had at least one Glock in our collection at some time or another.
I know I have several.
Why? Simple. They just work. Glocks aren’t fancy, but they’re famously reliable. Drop it in the mud, run cheap ammo, neglect it for months — whatever — it’ll still run without an issue. That’s a big deal, especially for people who carry one for a living.
And then there’s the aftermarket scene. No exaggeration, the Glock platform might be the most customizable handgun on the planet. You can swap out literally everything. New slide, new barrel, fancy trigger, custom frame stippling; whatever your heart desires. Shoot, you can easily build an entire “Glock” without using a single Glock-made part.
Like I said, the options are endless.
Naturally, that kind of popularity opened the door for other companies to jump in and make their own Glock clones to cash in on its ever-growing popularity. We’ve seen clones and spin-offs from PSA, Zev, and even Smith & Wesson with their infamous SD-series handguns. And don’t even get me started on the boutique brands. Some of those clones are great. Some… not so much.
But it makes sense. The Glock is kind of like the AR-15 of pistols; it’s modular, reliable, and easy to make your own. So why wouldn’t gun companies want their piece of the pie?
A ‘Gucci’ Glock?
So, what’s the deal with the “Gucci Glock” fad? Well, simply put, we gun owners can be a bit of a diva when it comes to our pew pews. We like to turn heads at the range with custom finishes and high-end setups. And thanks to their inherent customability, our Glock-style pistols are a great opportunity to one-up the competition and stir a bit of envy from the shooter in the next lane over.
I’m being facetious, of course. But there’s a hint of reality there.
Gucci Glocks are everywhere. You’ll see ’em on your socials. You’ll see them at your local shop with an often hefty price tag. And you’ll definitely hear dudes bragging about them at the range like a bunch of jocks in the high school locker room.
These guns usually have things like custom slide cuts, fluted and flashy barrels, flat performance triggers, suppressor-height sights, high-dollar optics, and custom Cerakote finishes. Some are built for performance, some for style, and some (probably most) are just flex pieces. Hell, I’ve even seen some with diamond-studded grips and gold plating.
I think those setups are just compensating for something, though…
Anyway, building one of these Gucci Glocks for yourself gets stupid expensive. A quality custom slide can run you $500 alone. Toss in a match barrel, new trigger, custom optic cut, and the labor (if you’re not doing it yourself), and you’re well over a grand before you even factor in an optic or extra mags.
A grand. For a Glock.
While I love the Glock platform, there are a lot of other things I’d rather drop $1,000 on. And I’m not alone.
This is precisely why companies like Shadow Systems started offering these “Gucci Glock” features straight from the factory, but at a lower price tag that doesn’t garner a whole lot of sticker shock. So, with guns like the MR920, you can flex on your buddies or succeed in turning those heads at the range with a factory-built gun.
How ’bout that?!
The Shadow Systems Mr920: A Closer Look
On paper, the Shadow Systems MR920 is basically the same as your run-of-the-mill Glock 19. It has the same overall footprint, same magazine capacity (compatible with any G19 mag or larger), and it’ll fit in most Glock 19 holsters. But once you handle it, it’s pretty obvious that the MR920 is in a different league altogether.
First off, the slide. Shadow Systems went with aggressive serrations on the front and sides, complete with a small, but noticeable swell at the rear of the slide for a better grip and faster operation. The serrations are deep, sharp, and actually useful. Doing a press check or racking the slide with sweaty hands or gloves is no problem.
It’s also optic-ready from the factory, complete with a cover plate. It has a neat multi-footprint direct-mount system that works with most Holosun 507, RMR, or DeltaPoint Pro-pattern optics without any special adapter plates. You read that right: a single cut, compatible with multiple common optic footprint patterns.
The American-made barrel is pretty fantastic, too. Match-grade, spiral-fluted, and available in either bronze or black nitride. I, of course, opted for the bronze barrel. Cause why not?
The frame, however, is where this thing really earns its keep. Shadow Systems tweaked the grip angle just enough to make it point more naturally for most shooters, and it comes with interchangeable backstraps using the supplied stainless steel takedown tool.
Unlike the plain Jane Glock 19, though, these backstraps are designed to actually change the angle of the bore in coordination with your natural point of aim. This is a huge improvement over the Glock design, offering a super comfortable, more ergonomic grip that can be tailored for a more comfortable fit with multiple hand sizes.
And finally, let’s talk about the trigger. Featuring a flat-faced profile with a clean break and solid reset, it’s one of the better factory triggers you’ll find on a polymer pistol. It’s no race-gun trigger, but it’s definitely miles ahead of those mushy stock Glock triggers while maintaining the Safe Trigger design.
Honestly, I think the Shadow Systems stock trigger is better than the Glock Performance Trigger, even. And that’s sayin’ something, considering I very much like the Performance Trigger.
Range Performance
Of course, cool features don’t mean a whole lot if the thing can’t shoot. Lucky for us, the Shadow Systems MR920 doesn’t disappoint. It’s good. Real good.
I’ve owned my Combat Series MR920 for a few years now, and I’ve fired everything from cheap steel-case ammo to defensive hollow points, and it’s eaten everything I’ve put through without so much as a single malfunction. No failure to feeds, no stovepipes, nothing.
Well, with the exception of a few forced malfunctions during training sessions and sim drills. But that’s a whole different ballgame.
But never satisfied, I recently spent an afternoon at a range in Southwestern Missouri with a few fellow writers and decided to put the Shadow Systems through a few stress tests. I loaded up my Safariland range bag with six fully loaded Glock 19 magazines and an additional 300 rounds of 9mm ammunition provided by Ammo To Go.
The MR920 went through it all without a hitch.
I started with the bulk of my Blazer Brass 115-grain ball ammo, running mag after mag, dirtying up the gun as much as I could with several strings of rapid fire. Not a hiccup. The gun cycled reliably and stayed on target. Even as the gun heated up, it kept running strong.
Moving on to the heavier 124-grain Speer Lawman TMJ load, the gun soaked it up without complaint. I was admittedly a little less accurate with it than I was with the 115-grain ball ammo, but the results were negligible at best.
And just for fun, I finished the range session with a few mags of Underwood’s 90-grain Xtreme Defender ammo. Despite its super lightweight projectile, it’s some spicy stuff. Accurate with light recoil, but it does some wicked soft tissue damage. Woof.
Neat stuff, though.
With everything I put through it, the MR920 remained a tack driver. Super accurate. Even for an “okay” shooter, such as myself.
At 15 yards, my groups were consistently in the 2-3 inch range. The flat trigger and consistent break definitely help eliminate any anticipation, so my follow-up shots were quick and fairly accurate. I was pleased with it, at least.
Recoil was noticeably softer than a stock Glock 19, too. The higher undercut on the trigger guard and extended beavertail let you get a nice, high grip, and the texturing really locks into place in your hand. Couple that with the enhanced stainless steel guide rod, and the thing just shoots flat. Muzzle rise is minimal, and it settles right back on target without much effort. It’s one of those setups that kinda makes you feel like you’re cheating a bit, garnering better results than you probably deserve. But I ain’t mad about it.
Get ya One
So, is the MR920 worth it? Absolutely. 100%. Well, it is if you want a “Gucci Glock” and want to do it without blowing through piles of cash.
It’s not “cheap” in the sense that it’s a budget gun. Quite the contrary. But for what you’re getting, it’s more than worth the price. At least in my opinion. Especially considering you’d spend twice as much trying to build a Glock 19 to this spec, and it probably wouldn’t run as smoothly.
So, if you’re the kind of person who likes the idea of a custom Glock but doesn’t want to deal with months of ordering parts, waiting on slide cuts, and hoping your gunsmith knows what they’re doing, you really can’t go wrong with the Shadow Systems MR920.
It’s one of those guns that makes you wonder why you bothered with stock Glocks in the first place. Okay, maybe not. But still. It runs better, feels better, and looks better, all while still being practical enough to carry or take to a training course. Plus, it’s 100% American-made. Hard to argue with that, eh?
So yeah. Get ya one. Or three. You won’t be disappointed. Now, if I could just get my hands on one of those compensated models…
