thuong2lan
Newbie
Last week, I was fortunate to acquire a Shadow Systems Elite MR918 (https://shadowsystemscorp.com/product/mr918-elite/ ) from Bass Pro, which is selling it for $100 less than the Shadow Systems’ own website. With taxes, it came to $1039. It is an expensive pistol but is completely worth the price. I have no financial conflicts of interest with this company.
The MR918 comes out of the box with these features:
Polymer lower:
-It is already stippled on the sides, back, and front of the grip.
-The texture is better than an OEM Glock and is very grippy without being abrasive.
-It has double undercuts under the trigger guard and comes with a polymer magwell.
-The pistol has three backstraps that changes the angle to your point of aim. I have installed the smallest backstrap which makes the angle like a 1911 grip. The polymer feels solid and mates perfectly with the slide above.
-There is a mild beaver tail that does not interfere with your master grip draw from AIWB.
Upper Slide:
-The machining is very high quality with angled serrations on the front, top, and back. The serrations are directional, in that they are sharper when you pull from front to back but smooth if your hands move from back to front.
-There is a very small window cut on the side that lightens the slide but is not too large
-Ameriglo metal sights are pre-installed, with green bright tritium front and black serrated plain rear.
-RMR cut and cap included. The depth of the RMR cut is deeper than any of my other milled slides. My RMR9 Type 2 does not move at all on the higher posts. Photos below show the depth to which my RMR sits compared to my other slides. The MR918 optic cut allows the RMR to sit low enough so that suppressor BUIS are not needed (save money). The left thread (on the non-ejection side) is cut deeper than the right thread and they include a longer torx screw for it.
-Included on the Elite model is a spiral fluted threaded barrel that locks up very tightly to the slide. The barrel is a bronze/gold color.
The pistol comes with two magpul 15 round magazines and a black nylon pistol case in a cardboard box.
I replaced two parts on the MR918. When I bought the MR918 from Bass Pro, the trigger and the Slide lock lever. I could not evaluate the trigger because of their refusal to remove the trigger guard lock. Evaluating the pistol at home, I realized that the trigger required immediate remediation before use.
The OEM trigger of the MR918 is an aluminum flat faced trigger with a 4-4.5 lb pull. This was not the issue. What was problematic was the tendency of the trigger to lock unless your finger pad is placed exactly flat on the safety hinge. Any other variation (finger rides high or finger curved around the trigger rather than flat), and the trigger tends to lock.
In the photo, you can see that there is a long vertical face on the MR918 trigger before the safety hinge is reached. Compare that to the Overwatch Trigger (OT), in which the vertical face is much shorter.
In classes where I have done close retention shooting (shooting during grappling or high pectoral index shooting), my index finger can ride high on the trigger face depending on my body position while drawing the pistol. I wear a small glove and the width of my index finger is 15.3 mm. If I ride high on the MR918 trigger, then I cannot activate the safety hinge and the trigger locks as it should. If I ride high on the OT, then part of my finger can still depress the safety hinge and the pistol will fire. If I curl my finger around the trigger and am not exactly flat on the safety hinge, then the MR918 will not fire. This is unacceptable.
On one hand, this makes the pistol safer in that your finger must be placed a specific way for the trigger to activate. On the other hand, this makes the pistol useless in close quarters shooting if you are wrestling with an opponent and cannot place your finger on the trigger in a certain way. My VP9 trigger is the same way. It has a tall vertical face before the safety hinge is reached and the trigger locks in close retention shooting. I have relegated my VP9 to the safe and do not carry it.
I would still purchase the MR918 knowing that the trigger needs to be replaced. If you have larger fingers, then perhaps you may still be able to activate the safety hinge. I don’t know. I do know that for shooters with smaller hands, the trigger will be an issue.
Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to shoot it yet. I will post a follow up when I have at least 500 rounds through it.
The MR918 comes out of the box with these features:
Polymer lower:
-It is already stippled on the sides, back, and front of the grip.
-The texture is better than an OEM Glock and is very grippy without being abrasive.
-It has double undercuts under the trigger guard and comes with a polymer magwell.
-The pistol has three backstraps that changes the angle to your point of aim. I have installed the smallest backstrap which makes the angle like a 1911 grip. The polymer feels solid and mates perfectly with the slide above.
-There is a mild beaver tail that does not interfere with your master grip draw from AIWB.
Upper Slide:
-The machining is very high quality with angled serrations on the front, top, and back. The serrations are directional, in that they are sharper when you pull from front to back but smooth if your hands move from back to front.
-There is a very small window cut on the side that lightens the slide but is not too large
-Ameriglo metal sights are pre-installed, with green bright tritium front and black serrated plain rear.
-RMR cut and cap included. The depth of the RMR cut is deeper than any of my other milled slides. My RMR9 Type 2 does not move at all on the higher posts. Photos below show the depth to which my RMR sits compared to my other slides. The MR918 optic cut allows the RMR to sit low enough so that suppressor BUIS are not needed (save money). The left thread (on the non-ejection side) is cut deeper than the right thread and they include a longer torx screw for it.
-Included on the Elite model is a spiral fluted threaded barrel that locks up very tightly to the slide. The barrel is a bronze/gold color.
The pistol comes with two magpul 15 round magazines and a black nylon pistol case in a cardboard box.
I replaced two parts on the MR918. When I bought the MR918 from Bass Pro, the trigger and the Slide lock lever. I could not evaluate the trigger because of their refusal to remove the trigger guard lock. Evaluating the pistol at home, I realized that the trigger required immediate remediation before use.
The OEM trigger of the MR918 is an aluminum flat faced trigger with a 4-4.5 lb pull. This was not the issue. What was problematic was the tendency of the trigger to lock unless your finger pad is placed exactly flat on the safety hinge. Any other variation (finger rides high or finger curved around the trigger rather than flat), and the trigger tends to lock.
In the photo, you can see that there is a long vertical face on the MR918 trigger before the safety hinge is reached. Compare that to the Overwatch Trigger (OT), in which the vertical face is much shorter.
In classes where I have done close retention shooting (shooting during grappling or high pectoral index shooting), my index finger can ride high on the trigger face depending on my body position while drawing the pistol. I wear a small glove and the width of my index finger is 15.3 mm. If I ride high on the MR918 trigger, then I cannot activate the safety hinge and the trigger locks as it should. If I ride high on the OT, then part of my finger can still depress the safety hinge and the pistol will fire. If I curl my finger around the trigger and am not exactly flat on the safety hinge, then the MR918 will not fire. This is unacceptable.
On one hand, this makes the pistol safer in that your finger must be placed a specific way for the trigger to activate. On the other hand, this makes the pistol useless in close quarters shooting if you are wrestling with an opponent and cannot place your finger on the trigger in a certain way. My VP9 trigger is the same way. It has a tall vertical face before the safety hinge is reached and the trigger locks in close retention shooting. I have relegated my VP9 to the safe and do not carry it.
I would still purchase the MR918 knowing that the trigger needs to be replaced. If you have larger fingers, then perhaps you may still be able to activate the safety hinge. I don’t know. I do know that for shooters with smaller hands, the trigger will be an issue.
Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to shoot it yet. I will post a follow up when I have at least 500 rounds through it.
