Shadow Systems MR920 Elite SS-1009 9MM Luger

The most popular carry gun in America is a polymer-frame striker-fired 9mm. While the smaller slim-line 9mms sell the most, larger pistols, such as the SIG P365, Smith & Wesson Shield Plus, and the Glock 19, nevertheless maintain strong followings. Here, we are looking at 9mm pistols in this larger footprint, including a:

●  Shadow Systems MR920 Elite SS-1009, $979; 

● Wilson Combat Vickers Edition Glock 19 upgrade, $1375; and a 

●  Kimber KDS9C 3100010, $1318, a Commander-length 1911. Here’s what we thought of them: 

Shadow Systems MR920 Elite SS-1009 9mm Luger

$979

Gun Tests grade: A (BEST BUY)

The MR920 Elite and its less-expensive sibling, the MR920 tested in the past, are good handguns we have looked at extensively. The new-out-of-the-box Elite features a threaded barrel, lightened slide, and an excellent trigger action. This is a formidable defensive handgun that’s cheaper than the others. 

We have previously tested the Shadow Systems pistol in several variants. The Shadow Systems gun is manufactured by the company; it isn’t a modified Glock. Just the same, a great advantage of this pistol is that Glock parts interchange, save for the unique magazine well.

The strong suit of the Glock is its reliability. Nothing in the Shadow Systems design downgrades Glock reliability. The Elite is an improved MR920 with lightening cuts in the slide and cocking serrations cut on the top of the slide, as well as forward and rear cocking serrations. A threaded barrel is part of the package. The pistol is very Glock-like, but so is every other striker-fired polymer-frame pistol on the planet to some extent. The point is, it would take the original purchase price of a Glock 19 and adding expensive additions to equal or approach the ability of the Shadow Systems 9mm. Economically, it would not be feasible. 

Shadow Systems addresses several concerns perceived as shortcomings of the Glock pistol. Most steel-slide polymer-frame pistols are a bit slide heavy. Custom design of the frame and a very slight but noticeable change in geometry makes a difference. The grip treatment offers a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. A frame extension or grip tang also adds to the pistol’s good handfit.

The pistol is supplied with an optional magazine guide. The frame does not accept Glock-specific magazine guides because the base of the frame is different. Still, the overall dimensions are very Glock 19-like. The grip tang is slightly elongated, providing a guide as the hand slides into the firing grip and also slightly lowering the bore axis. The Shadow Systems MR920 Elite, in common with other Shadow Systems pistols, features replaceable grip inserts that differ considerably from the Glock panels. One even comes close to affording a 1911-like grip angle.

The slide features pleasing cuts angles and bevels. There are both forward and rear cocking serrations. The shooter can see the Elite’s nitride-finished barrel through lightening cuts in the slide. The Elite slide features cocking serrations across the top of the pistol. None of the raters found a utility for these cuts. Post test, one rater found that he could rack the slide with gloved hands using these cuts. The barrel has standard rifling rather than polygonal rifling as does a Glock pistol. This allows the use of lead bullets, or more properly, hard-cast bullets, in handloads. While this may not mean much to most shooters, the utility means a lot to hand-loaders and those firing prodigious amounts of cast lead bullets in training and competition.

The front sight is a tritium insert surrounded by a day-glo circle. The serrated rear sight offers an excellent sight picture for rapid engagement in personal defense. After examination, we saw the trigger system is identical to a Glock’s and functions exactly like a Glock trigger action. The connector is from Taran Tactical. Coupled with an aluminum trigger shoe, the trigger’s fit and feel are good, and the trigger face is flatter than a Glock’s. The trigger broke at 4.9 pounds originally. After cleaning the pistol of grease and after the test fire, the trigger settled into 4.5 pounds. During the combat-firing tests, we used a good mix of standard 9mm ball ammunition before progressing to the accuracy test. Loading Black Hills 115-grain FMJ ammunition and also using a good supply of Federal American Eagle 147-grain loads, we rapid-fired at 7 yards and progressed to 10 yards. The pistol is the lightest of the test, and its slightly lighter weight resulted in slower recovery on the order of a few tenths of a second. Also, compared to the other pistols, the MR920 Elite does kick more.

We fired two magazines, 15 rounds each, of the 115- and 147-grain loads, for a total of 60 cartridges in each pistol in the initial test fire. We found the Elite’s sights are regulated for 115-grain loads, while the 147-grain loads struck perhaps 0.8 inch high at 10 yards. There were no failures to feed, chamber, fire, or eject during the test.

We extended the firing range to 25 yards and checked this pistol for accuracy. The Shadow Systems 9mm hung on target and delivered good results, behind the Kimber and Glock but good by any standard. In firing for accuracy at 25 yards, we used the Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 115-grain FMJ, Black Hills Ammunition 124-grain JHP, and Federal 147-grain HST. Firing from a benchrest, we noticed more recoil than with the Kimber or Wilson Combat pistols. The best groups were close to the 2.5-inch range, with some as large as 3.0 inches.

The Shadow Systems MR920 Elite offers a good mix of features, including an optics-mounting system with all parts included for attaching a range of red-dot sights and a trigger system improved over a basic Glock. 

Our Team Said: While the other handguns turned in smaller combat groups, we cannot say they were faster to first-shot hits. For personal defense, the MR920 Elite is accurate enough, and the trigger and sights are considerably improved over those on a Glock pistol. The Elite has bling, and if you desire to use a suppressor, the Elite is the only choice here. We cannot find much use for the added slide serrations.

In the end, the Shadow Systems MR920 Elite is the least expensive gun tested, and as such, is a Best Buy. In fact, the MR920 Elite is also a Best Buy even at a higher price.

How we tested: We fired groups at 25 yards from a benchrest position using an MTM Case-Gard K-Zone Shooting Rest. We used a Competition Electronics Pro Chrony to measure muzzle velocities. Notes: JHP = jacketed hollow point. FMJ = full metal jacket.

Written and photographed by Gun Tests Staff, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT