The rumors of the death of the .40 S&W cartridge are greatly overstated. While the 9mm still holds the title as most popular handgun cartridge, the .40 S&W is alive and kicking. As if the company is trying to prove this point, CZ-USA is rolling out a new competition pistol chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge.

Called the TS 2, the gun is based on the company’s Tactical Sport pistol. It is a single-action gun with a low-profile slide – similar to that of the CZ Shadow 2 handgun. CZ equips it with a 5.28 inch barrel to maximize projectile velocity. The length also works well to provide a relatively long sight radius for increased precision with the factory sights.

CZ opted for a steel frame when designing the TS 2. Steel offers long-term strength and durability which is important for a competition gun that might see tens of thousands of training rounds through it in a given year. Additionally, the weight helps to mitigate felt recoil and minimizes muzzle rise when shooting. Unloaded, the gun tips the scales at 48.5 ounces.

On top of the slide is a fiber-optic front sight. The rear sight is plain black with serrations to reduce glare. A manual safety is mounted on the frame. The pistol has ambidextrous controls.

The gun ships with a 17-round magazine. Additional mags are available from CZ-USA. Integral to the pistol is a flared mouth on the magazine well. For reloading under pressure, this acts as a funnel to help guide a magazine into the gun.

Although a gun does not have to look good to win competitions, it never hurts to wield a good-looking pistol. The TS 2 has a deep black finish and a set of blue, aluminum grips. Even if you didn’t like CZ platform, this pistol would still catch your attention on the line. CZ-USA set a suggested retail price on this gun at $1,695, and ou can learn more about it on the CZ-USA website, cz-usa.com.

Article by SHOOTING ILLUSTRATED STAFF