Tag Archives: 2011

A 2011 Out of Left Field: Bersa USA M2XI

April 29, 2026Product review, Shooting hardware2011, 9mm, bersa, bersa usa, m2xi, pistolcoldboremiracle

Intro

Bersa has been making firearms since 1958, perhaps the only well known manufacturer from the South American country Argentina. Bersa has manufactured a variety of handguns since its inception, but today we are looking at something very new from Bersa USA. And new seems to be the trend from the company, as new handguns, rifles, and even suppressors have recently become part of their offerings. Among these new products, is our topic for today: the Bersa USA M2XI. The M2XI is a 9mm double stack 1911 handgun, commonly referred to these days as a 2011. With many companies joining the trend of these types of pistols, I was somewhat surprised to see one from Bersa, and excited to get hands on it.

Bersa, Bersa usa, m2xi, 9mm, 2011, 1911, federal ammunition, Holosun, scs carry, red dot, — The Bersa M2Xi on the range, shooting **Federal Champion 115 grain**

The Bersa USA M2XI

I found this pistol while visiting the Bersa USA booth at SHOT Show 2026. As a bit of a 2011 fan, I had to get hands on one.

here you can see some of the M2Xi’s internal components, as well as it’s flared magwell

The M2XI uses many very familiar features for these guns. Like most other 2011 pistols, the M2XI has a polymer grip married to a steel frame. The double-stack magazines are compatible with most other 2011 options, and fit nicely into the textured polymer grip. The M2XI uses a traditional 1911 style grip safety, and has an extended beaver-tail to cover the hammer.

Bersa, Bersa usa, m2xi, 9mm, 2011, 1911, loading, magazine, magwell, surefire X300, — feeding from the **Mec-Gar magazines** was flawless

On top of the frame you will find a 416 stainless steel slide and barrel cut at 5-inches in length. The slide itself has cuts up front for gripping, as well as a rear grip area right under a Holosun K optics cut. A heavy profile ultra-match barrel shows through the slide cuts for those who like that look. The standard rear sight lines up nicely with a Tritium front sight easily seen through an optics as well.

Specifications

Bersa USA M2XI Specifications
Caliber	9mm Luger
Color	Black
Barrel Length	5-Inches
Action	Single Action only
Capacity	18/23 Plus One
Material	416 Stainless
Sights	Standard rear with Tritium front sight
Weight	30 Ounces
Finish	Nitride

Controlling the M2XI is done the same familiar way as other 1911/2011 pistols. Its single action operation is locked up with a dual manual safety on both sides of the frame. The slide release is located on the left-side for operating with the thumb, and it features an extended release. Making it easier to reach without breaking grip. A single mag release is located for thumb operation just behind the trigger guard.

A flat trigger is housed in the square shaped trigger guard, and in front of that you’ll find a picatinny accessory rail for mounting your favorite weapon light. I do like the full pic rail that allows you to mount a light wherever you see fit.

Unboxing the M2XI

Bersa’s M2XI comes in a nice Mission First Tactical soft pistol bag, including the typical manual, safety lock, and a couple extra Mec-Gar 18-round magazines. The soft case is a nice touch, giving a nice pistol a safe place to live and be transported.

The smooth lines on this pistol were immediately apparent. The nitride surface is very slick too, making the feel of this gun very nice. Drawing the slide gave the old familiar feeling that makes us keep coming back to this style of pistol. Its smooth operation and tight lockup felt fantastic, and only furthered my desire to get this gun on the range.

vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, reticle, holosun, scs, carry, holosun red dot, Bersa M2XI, EAA Girsan Witness 2311, 9mm, — the M2Xi next to my EAA 2311 4.25-inch

I like the aggressive texture of the grip, making the pistol easy to keep tightly policed in your hands. And while not heavy for a 2011 it is certainly not a lightweight pistol, so that grippy control is a good thing to have. At the bottom, the flared magwell aids in smooth reloads and has room enough for the large magazine extensions popular for these guns.

Mounting Accessories

I decided to mount a Holosun SCS carry optic, as it was the only available K footprint red dot I had at the moment. It dropped on the slide nicely, aligning perfectly with the recoil lugs. So with a touch of threadlocker I torqued the screws down. Everything lined up nicely, and I could easily see the iron sights right through the enclosed red dot.

Bersa, Bersa usa, m2xi, 9mm, 2011, 1911, meggar magazines, loading magazine, federal ammunition,

I use Safariland holsters for most purposes, and the M2XI fit perfectly in my 2011 holsters. They fit a bit loose without adding a weaponlight, and for that I added a Surefire X300. With everything attached, the pistol looked fantastic, and was ready to hit the range. I grabbed a few stacks of ammo, some PMC Bronze and some Federal Champion, both 115 grain loads.

Shooting the Bersa M2Xi

My first opportunity to shoot the M2Xi were indoors. I loaded up a few magazines and in a slow cadence I fired until the mags were empty. The trigger felt great, as good as most any production gun. Recoil was predictable, though my other 2011 pistols have compensators, and have less recoil. My first exchange with this gun went perfect, and only got me anxious to try again with more ammo.

Bersa, m2xi, 9mm, 2011, pistol, walkers game ear, razor slim muffs, holosun scs carry, surefire x300, shooting pistol at gun range with open valley and lake behind,

I have been shooting the M2Xi for over a month now, with various trips to the range. I have carried it daily as part of my gun belt, giving ample opportunities to draw and get plenty of handling practice. During the course of a typical day for me, I get lots of drawing and dryfire practice. As well as plenty of reloads.

Bersa, Bersa usa, m2xi, 9mm, 2011, 1911, holosun, SCS Carry, red dot, surefire X300, — the solar powered **Holosun SCS Carry red dot** was a good choice

That combined with a bunch of trips to the range to run ammo through this pistol have given me a great deal of familiarity with it. It wasn’t just me either, friends and family also jumped in to make sure the Bersa didn’t cool off.

Shootability

1911 pistols are well known for a near religious following. This is because of many things including the smooth reliability, grip angle, trigger pull and accuracy. 2011 pistols like the M2Xi inherited many of the same traits while actually improving other aspects. The double stack magazines that carry 9mm cartridges bring a big increase in capacity, with a very mild recoil impulse.

the Surefire X300 Weapon Light balanced the pistol nicely

The Bersa M2Xi is an excellent example of smooth and mild shooting. With its textured grip in your hand, it feels glued to your palm. And the large size of the grip gives plenty of room for even large hands to hold. Shooting 9mm cartridges out of a gun this size has some pretty modest recoil, allowing you to stay on target.

The clean trigger that makes these kinds of guns so popular feels great under the finger. Sharply aimed shots are placed accurately without a huge amount of focus needed. And the short reset of the trigger means you can run through targets both fast and accurately.

The slick Nitride surface of this gun makes it slippery, so I really appreciated the deep cuts in the slide for grip. And thank goodness they were wise enough to make an optics cut from the factory, such is becoming mandatory these days.

I really appreciated the extended slide release, as with most 1911’s I frequently need to break my grip in order to reach the slide release. With the M2Xi that wasn’t an issue.

Reliability

Feeding the M2Xi from the Mec-gar 18-round magazines went flawlessly. Because I also have other 2011 pistols, I tried using the 21-round Staccato magazines, as well as the 17-round Checkmate magazines. All of them ran perfectly, and through hundreds and hundreds of rounds now, I have yet to have any failures.

The internal extractor grips the case rims perfectly, and throws the cases well clear of the action.

Accuracy

With its heavy 5-inch Ultra-Match barrel, I was expecting great accuracy from the Bersa M2Xi.

this is a typical 10-shot group fired from 10 yards using the **Magtech 115 grain ammunition** groups were even better when shooting PMC Bronze

My expectations were met, as typical shot groups from the Bersa M2Xi were great. Not only did it pattern very tight, but I was able to hit targets much further away than I’d anticipated.

Ergonomics

Like all 2011 style pistols, the Bersa feels fantastic in the hand. You can really tell that this design has been perfected over its very long lifetime. And you can also understand why 1911 and 2011 pistols are still popular after all this time, despite very stiff competition.

The natural flow of this pistol as it comes from the holster and presented feels excellent. Disengaging the safety has become so natural that its second nature to remove as the gun comes on target. And putting it right back into safe as soon as it comes off target.

I love my **Safariland ALS holsters**, they fit the Bersa M2Xi perfectly

The traditional grip safety adds a level of security, which some folks might want considering this single action only handgun is designed to be carried with a hot chamber. The icing on the cake is the optics cut, allowing those of us addicted to red dots to stay that way. The narrow top of the slide does lend itself to the smaller footprint sizes like the Holosun K or RMSc optics. That might be a good or bad thing for some folks but it doesn’t bother me. The Holosun SCS Carry red dot I used on the Bersa lined up nicely. And allowed perfect co-witnessing of the iron sights.

Value

2011 pistols are typically a bit more expensive than what mainstream shooters are used to. You aren’t going to walk into a gun shop and drop six-hundred dollars and walk out with a typical 2011. Many of the M2Xi’s peers cost significantly more, even surpassing double the price of this one. But there are also cheaper options, some of which I’ve even used and quite like. But with an MSRP just under $1500 I find this pistol’s price quite tolerable. And you can also find it from various vendors online for closer to $1300.

In my opinion, if you are looking to get into the 2011 game, this would be a great place to start. The Bersa M2Xi is nice enough to be the last pistol you ever buy, and yet affordable enough to be the beginning of a greater collection.

Pros and Cons

There is a lot to like about this pistol, and honestly few things I could come up with against it. The M2Xi is built very well, everything about it seems quality sourced and made. From it’s 416R stainless materials out to it Nitride finish the fit and feel is tight and smooth. Its heavy ultra-match barrel shoots very well and again fits into the pistol as though it was hand-fit.

a pause between shooting, if you like those WGE Razor Slim ear muffs, read about em here

Easy controls are pretty standard with 1911/2011 pistols, and these ones are no exception. The trigger is crisp and clean, the safety has just the right amount of resistance. And the extended slide release was a favorite, making me want to add one to my other pistols.

**WGE Suppressor ear buds** are a fantastic hearing protection option, you cant tell in this picture but I am jammin out to my favorite tunes

The accessories you can add to this gun also add some value. Optics cuts are becoming more standard, and I am quite pleased they included on here. Perhaps in the future there will be other footprint options but I’m good with the Holosun one for now. The full length picatinny rail allows you to choose where to mount your weapon light, an option some other pistols don’t have. And flawless function with all kinds of magazines is yet another feather in the cap for the M2Xi.

looking down on the optics cut, also note extended slide release

My Conclusion

The Bersa M2Xi has done a lot to change my mind about the brand, what I once considered a bargain import brand. If they keep producing products like this, I expect they will continue grabbing more customers and market share.

Bersa’s introduction to the 2011 game is a great start, with an MSRP of $1475 it is not unreachable by many. And with street prices hovering closer to $1300 I would consider it a great value. I would love it if they produced a comped model like the ones I saw in the Bersa booth at SHOT Show 2026, but I suppose that’ll come in time.

If you are in the market for a pistol like this, I would count the M2Xi into the mix. It has great performance with accurate shooting and the aftermarket compatibility American gun owners crave. All together in a handsome, well-built pistol that feels as good as it shoots.

-CBM

My Imported 2011: The EAA Witness Girsan 2311 CMXX

March 11, 2026pistols, Product review10mm, 2011, 2311, 45 acp, 9mm, CMX, CMXX, eaa, european american armory, girsan, witnesscoldboremiracle

Prologue

I speak to many folks in the firearms industry on a day to day basis. In one of those conversations somebody brought up Girsan 1911 pistols, and as the discussion continued my interest grew. So, when my opportunity to get one arose, I jumped on it. And that brings us to today’s review, and the model we are looking at is the EAA Girsan 2311 CMXX 9mm pistol. The CMXX is a double-stack 1911 style pistol chambered in 9mm, this style of pistol has colloquially become known as 2011 pistols. After the famed Staccato pistols that popularized the genre.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, zeroing, adjustment, — the Witness 2311 CMXX fitted with a Nightstick Weapon Light, you can read about that one here

European American Armory (EAA) is the company that imports these pistols and distributes them in the US. Girsan manufactures a variety of firearms at their factory in Turkey and has done for over thirty years.

The Girsan 2311 CMXX

I said we often call them 2011 pistols, but it appears Girsan wanted to skip that and called theirs a 2311. There are some reasons I suppose behind that, and the CMXX definitely has some progressive features. Let’s get into this pistol and see what makes it tick.

Specifications

Caliber	9mm, .45ACP or 10mm
Magazine	Standard Double Stack 1911
Action	Single Action
Barrel	Bull Barrel Lock-Up with Compensator
Finish	Cerakote® Black
Optic Ready	RMSc Footprint
Grips	Improved High Texture
Sights	Removable 3-Dot Sights, Fiber Optic Front Sight
Slide	Lightening-Cut Slide
Safety	Auto Firing Pin-Block (No Grip Safety)
Thumb Safety	Ambidextrous Lever
Accessory Rail	Full Accessory Rail

I must start out by stating something obvious. As a happy owner of a Staccato XC, I find the Girsan CMXX to be so similarly styled that its impossible to ignore. So much so that the boys in the office and I have taken to calling the CMXX “the Turkkato”. Obviously I don’t mind, as I like my Staccato very much. Though it would be somewhat unfair to compare the two. That said, keep in mind throughout this review that this is coming from a guy who also shoots a Staccato.

A Different Grip

The Girsan CMXX follows the same pattern as many other 2011 style pistols. Using a polymer grip mated to a steel frame. The grip has an aggressive texture that makes it stick to your hand very well. At the base of the frame, you’ll find a magwell flare to aid in guiding magazines into the magwell. Above the grip area you’ll also find the typical dual safety levers on either side of the grip.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, grip,

Standing out from the crowd of other 2011 pistols, the CMXX does not feature a grip safety. The traditional 1911 feature that is depressed by the hand when you grip the pistol has been swapped for a firing pin block. Much like striker fired pistols, the CMXX firing pin is blocked from protrusion unless the trigger is pulled. When disassembled, you can see the very same features under the slide as you would on a Glock.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, optic, footprint, rmsc, firing pin safety, — here you can see the firing pin block safety that replaces the grip safety common on other 2011 pistols

Slide and Barrel

Moving our attention to the slide, it is more traditional 2011 design. Except for the firing pin block of course. The extractor is internal, and not visible when the slide is locked closed. Up front there is a compensator built into the 4.25-inch barrel, which also features the traditional link to attach to the frame. On the top of the frame there are some simple three-dot sights, the front one being a fiber optic orange.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, rear sight, — I removed the rear sight because I’m a red dot nerd

The rear sight can be removed using a couple center-aligned screws. Underneath you’ll find an optics cut with lugs for the popular RMSc red dot pattern. I would for sure use that very soon, since I’m a sucker for pistols with red dots. In fact, such a sucker that I tried various options. I used the Vortex Defender CCW, and the Enclosed Solar version, as well as the Holosun SCS Carry enclosed red dot.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, red dot, mounting, — installing one of the three red dots tested on the Girsan 2311

Range Preparations

Before I headed to the range with this pistol, I wanted to kit it out to my tastes of course. That would require a few accessories; the Vortex Defender would fit nicely on top for the initial trip, a Surefire X300 light, all tucked neatly into my Safariland ALS holster.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, safariland, als holster, — the Safariland ALS holster is my absolute favorite, and the CMXX fit perfectly

As I removed the rear sight, I found the firing pin block neatly tucked underneath. I had to carefully remove the sight and replace it with my red dot. It would be very easy to lose the pin-safety spring during this process so be careful.

the full picatinny accessory rail allows you to line up your weapon light where you choose

Under the front of the pistol there is a complete picatinny rail, giving you various positions to mount weapon lights. I like this feature as many other pistols don’t have it. I grabbed a few boxes of Magtech, Blaser, and Federal ammo before heading out to shoot the CMXX.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, CCW, enclosed, red dot, holosun, scs carry, magtech, ammunition, — the CMXX worked great with my **Staccato 20-round magazines** too

Shooting the Girsan 2311 CMXX

My very first shots through the CMXX were at an indoor range, weather required me to do my shooting under a roof. This quickly made me aware of the concussion from the compensator of the pistol. Its louder than un-comped pistols, but certainly not a problem. And the reduction in muzzle-rise is well worth the racket.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, muzzle, compensator,

I put several magazines through the 2311, and was quite happy with how it ran. In fact it seemed after just a box or so of shooting, the pistol seemed significantly smoother and softer. Over the course of several weeks, I spent several trips to the range and other places to pump ammo through the CMXX.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, — I ended up keeping the **Vortex Defender CCW Solar Micro red dot** on the gun, more on that later

I used both the 17-round magazines that came with the Girsan 2311, as well as some of the 20-round Staccato magazines. All of them functioned flawlessly, and the CMXX churned through ammo. I even took the liberty of removing the flared magwell, just to see how my reloads went. Perhaps if you were going to carry this gun that would be helpful, but I ended up putting it back.

Reliability

During the course of my shooting, we only experienced one malfunction. One failure to go into battery that I can’t be sure was the fault of the pistol or some of the remanufactured ammo I was shooting that day.

hard to see, but the Holosun SCS Carry red dot was also a great choice and fit

The ejection pattern of the pistol was slightly different than expected. It seemed like most of the time brass would eject more in the up direction than to the side. It would occasionally get scooped forward by the red dot and thrown forward. But it never caused any problems.

Shootability

Standing alone, this pistol shoots great. It is smoother and flatter-shooting than my striker-fired guns. Of course it is very hard not to compare it to my Staccato, being as they are so similar. But that would be an unfair comparison as the Staccato costs four times more.

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, surefire x300, Staccato, staccato XC, holosun, 507comp, — not comparable at all! 😀

The trigger has smoothed up a bit since it came out of the box, but it still has a very slight gritty-ness to it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still nice, just not as nice as it could be. The gun feels fantastic in my hand but for the cross-pin that secures the flared magwell. The texture is very grippy, and the controls are crisp. The safety detent is stiffer than I anticipated, hopefully it wears in.

I love the texture on the slide, it makes for excellent purchase when grabbing the slide. The flat-coil recoil spring is stiffer than I expected too, I wouldn’t mind putting a softer spring in it if I could get it to work.

Shooting with the iron sights was fine, but I prefer using a red dot. Even so, using the red dot’s built-in notch as a rear sight was still perfectly usable with the front sight.

Quality

I’ve handled quite a few 2011 pistols in the last year or so. At SHOT Show alone I grabbed way too many. Generally they feel fantastic, as do their nineteenth-century counterparts. The Witness CMXX feels well built, smooth fitting, and not sloppy. Its a touch stiffer than other 2011 pistols, but it still has that quality feel. For a pistol at this price point I feel its quality is more than adequate.

holosun, scs, carry, holosun red dot, solar, Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, — been using the **Walkers Game Ear Suppressor ear buds** too

Value

As the field of 2011 options continues to deepen, I see this as an excellent modest option. So many options are out there, and this isn’t even the cheapest one of them. But I can say it is certainly worth the price in my opinion. Girsan is no stranger to making 1911 style pistols, so I expect this gun will continue performing well into the future. I’m tempted to buy another in 10mm.

Continue Reading Here

Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, match x, streamlight, holosun, — also for comparison, the CMXX’s older brother, the **Girsan Match X** (5-inch) wearing a Holosun 407 and **Streamlight**

Staccato P 2011 9mm Pistol review

March 15, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware2011, 9mm, pistol, staccatocoldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

The Staccato P pistol is a 2011 pistol built specifically for use as a service pistol for law enforcement, but the general shooting public has very well received it. The high quality and performance of the pistol have made it highly sought after by pistol aficionados in and out of the LE community.

The Staccato P is a 2011 model pistol. The 2011 design is a modern version of the 1911 design. Incorporating double stack magazines and chambered in 9mm has brought incredible versatility to the pistol. It comes in a custom soft case with three magazines.

STI was famous for making these pistols. They have since rebranded to the Staccato name and lead the way in the 2011 pistol market.

Being new to both 1911/2011 designs and the Staccato P, I was very excited to get familiarized with this pistol and see what all the hype was about and if it was well founded.

STACCATO P REVIEW

The Staccato P is a pistol designed for duty and anyone else who could use the features of the pistol. The manufacturer has gone to great lengths to get the pistol approved for LE service by at least 650 agencies, including the Texas Rangers.

With an MSRP of $2199.00, it is certainly not an entry-level pistol; however, to be fair to Staccato, it boasts professional-grade features to justify that price. The Staccato P has all the great benefits of the extremely popular and common 1911 design but also adds new technology and features to enhance the historical design with modern expectations. Pistol shooters who want exceptional quality and extremely smooth operation will be happy to feel the sticky Staccato stippling in their hands.

Much like buying a sports car, this pistol is not something you’d compare to the average 9mm pistol on the shelf at your local gun shop. And much like the sports car, you may want to get it purchased before the wedding and not after.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber	9mm
Capacity	17 rounds
Barrel length	4.4 Inches
Trigger	4-4.5 lb adjustable
Dimensions	Length 8.0 X Grip Width 1.3 X Height 5.5 – Width At Safeties 1.49
Weight	33 ounces (empty)

PROS & CONS

PROS

Outstanding SA trigger – adjustable and crisp
Optics ready – to add your favorite red dot
Ambidextrous safety- in case you’re wrong handed
Picatinny accessory rail- to mount accessories
Flared magwell- for enhanced mag changes
Heavy bull barrel- for enhanced accuracy
Dawson custom sights – fiber optic for better sight picture

CONS

Short slide release – hard to reach with my thumb
I need another one

ON THE RANGE TESTING

I was understandably excited to get the Staccato P to the range, I had already worn in the pistol quite a bit playing with it in my office. But with a few boxes of ammunition and a few targets, I headed to my shooting spot.

After loading a few mags, I loaded the pistol and made it ready to shoot. The feeling of the slide riding forward and chambering a round is addictive, smooth as glass, and locks up tight. I’m not a big manual safety guy, but the 2011 safety is so easy to use that it immediately became second nature. It is almost automatic that as the pistol comes up, your thumb moves it from safe to fire, and back to safe as you return the pistol to the holster.

The trigger was everything I’d hoped to be, clean and crisp. The short reset seemed to allow for incredibly rapid follow-up shots, allowing a massive amount of lead to be put downrange very quickly. And the clean break of the trigger allowed for accurate shooting on targets, and the hits just kept coming.

I found the large grip of the pistol to be very comfortable in my hand. The rough texturing and the full palm gave a great deal of purchase on the grip. And being a bit heavier than your average 9mm pistol, the recoil was very easy to control with this better and bigger grip area.

Shop all Staccato products here

The bright fiber-optic front sight was quick to find and easily aligned with the rear sight. I would love this pistol even more with a red dot mounted to it, perhaps next time.

As I plowed through the ammo, I quite enjoyed doing reloads. The Staccato P features a flared magwell to aid in rapidly seating new magazines. I found myself loading two or three rounds per mag just to get more reloads in.

The frictionless slide of the magazines against the polymer grip module made seating the magazine effortless, and empty mags drop free and clear with an appropriate press of the release. I was quickly becoming a fan of everything this pistol was, and deciding if I could justify keeping it.

RELIABILITY

The reliability of the Staccato P was immaculate. During the course of firing several hundred rounds, I experienced no malfunctions. That may not sound like much, but the way it just chewed through everything smoothly and without so much of a hiccup made it feel even more reliable.

Slow shooting cadences and rapid mag dumps all resulted in the same way, a locked open slide waiting for the next magazine to be loaded.

The cycling of the slide and the chambering of cartridges all worked so flawlessly that it felt like a well-oiled machine churning away in the palm of your hand.

ACCURACY

I am not what I consider a big pistol accuracy fanatic, nor do I consider myself exceptionally talented in accurately shooting pistols. As far as I am concerned, if I can hit what I aim at within the distance I typically shoot, then it’s good enough for my purposes.

The Staccato was certainly better than I was, as I found it easy to hit everything I aimed at. I did find that the sights aligned pretty naturally with my generic pistol pointing, which may have helped my shooting significantly. I think I might have shot even better had I installed a red dot on the back of the pistol, but that’s for another time I guess.

OVERALL FEEL

The overall feel of the Staccato P is outstanding. The perfectly filled hand with the perfect fit controls and trigger was missing only one thing for me. The slide release was a bit too far forward for me to reach with my thumb, making it necessary to break my shooting grip in order to do so.

I don’t know if they make an extended version, but if they do, I would certainly buy it, as it is the only thing I could complain about this pistol.

Continue Reading here

FEATURES

HYBRID FRAME

The hybrid frame of the Staccato P uses either steel or aluminum for the upper portion of the frame to mate with the slide assembly, and the grip area of the frame consists of a polymer portion.

I actually really like this feature; it gives you the robust metallurgy you want to properly carry the slide assembly while still giving the versatile properties of polymer magwell and grip.

BULL BARREL

The Staccato barrel is quite heavy, or thick might be a better word to describe it. This extra barrel material likely makes it stiffer and a better shooter; it also adds weight to the overall firearm, which I don’t mind though others may.

DAWSON PRECISION TOOL-LESS GUIDE-ROD

The tool-less guide-rod has a spring-loaded lever built into it, which allows the guide-rod and barrel to be removed from the slide without any tools. You simply push the guide rod forward out the front of the slide, then depress the lever, which locks the spring in its compressed state.

You can then remove it from the slide, followed by the barrel. It’s a very slick system to use and goes a long way at adding value to the pistol.

PICATINNY ACCESSORY RAIL

Under the front of the frame, you will find a Picatinny accessory rail. It’s perfect for mounting your desired weapon light. I installed my Surefire X300, and it fits perfectly.

staccato p with surefire x300 weaponlight

OPTICS READY

The Staccato P can quickly be converted to shoot with a red dot sight by removing the rear sight mounting plate. It can be replaced with a Dawson Precision RDS mounting plate. These can be ordered on Staccato’s website for various optic configurations.

staccato p dissasembly — There are many good **magazine options** for the Staccato’s

HOW WE TESTED

I shot the Staccato P throughout several range trips. I also carried it as my main CCW for about a month. I fired several hundred rounds through the pistol, using repetition to see if my poor 1911 skills would cause issues to surface.

Shooting steel targets at ranges from fifteen to thirty yards was very enjoyable with this pistol. Maneuvering it from shot to shot and forcing repetitive mag changes made me like it more.

I also let other friends shoot it to see if it was simply my skirt being easily blown. But as I found with everyone who picked up the Staccato, they too were quite impressed with more than just its looks.

Do you prefer the Springfield prodigy?

AMMO USED

I used two different types of Winchester ammunition during testing. Both were from Winchester, one was a 124-grain load, and the other was a 115-grain load. Both of them shot flawlessly and with comparable accuracy.

I perhaps might give the 115-grain load the nod because it seemed faster to get from target to target.

FAQS

CAN A STACCATO P SHOOT 9 MAJOR?

The Staccato P is not recommended for 9 Major ammunition, but it will shoot +P ammunition.

WHAT DOES DPO STAND FOR IN STACCATO?

DPO stands for Dawson Precision Optics mounting system for mounting red dot optical sights.

IS +P 9MM BETTER?

+P is ammunition loaded to a higher pressure for more velocity.

IS 38 SUPER +P STRONGER THAN 9MM?

38 Super is a slightly longer case; this allows it to shoot similar velocities at lower pressure. Or higher velocities at similar pressures as the 9mm Luger.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STACCATO C2 AND P?

The Staccato C2 is a concealed carry version of the pistol. It features a shorter barrel and grip module and uses the aluminum upper frame to save weight.

IS THE STACCATO P POLYMER?

The grip module portion of the frame is polymer.

WHICH STACCATO DID JOHN WICK USE?

In the John Wick film, he used a Taran Tactical Combat Master version of the Staccato pistol.

CONCLUSION

After spending more than a month with the Staccato P, I have been able to develop a pretty good understanding of the gun. I believe the modern 2011 design brings all the best features of the original 1911 and so much more. It also allows modern technologies, materials, and practices to be applied to the time-tested pistol design.

If the only improvement was the double-stack 9mm cartridge capability, that would be a significant improvement by itself. But the added improvements and composite frame that come incorporated in the Staccato pistols bring so much more, and they do it with sex appeal and class.

I truly enjoyed the time with this pistol. Only days after I picked it up, I decided I needed to find a way to keep it. It crosses all the T’s and dot’s all the i’s for me as far as a pistol can. It feels well built and smooth as it could be.

The trigger is outstanding, as are the other controls but for the short slide release. The heavy barrel and quality sights make it easy to shoot well, the positive grip lets you know you’ve got something fantastic in your hands, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep holding onto it.

-CBM