What is a 2011?
Staccato’s basic design is a modernized version of the OG 1911 pistol, with a widened grip allowing double-stack 9mm magazines to be used. After this complete redesign of the famous pistol, it makes perfect sense to rename it "2011." Basically, 100 years later, the title fits as a gun for the next century.
Staccato popularized the 2011 trend, which has been embraced by many other manufacturers, including big names like Springfield Armory and Wilson Combat. “Why would you want a 2011 over a 1911?” you might ask. The 1911 has had an incredible service life and seen action across the globe. The venerable .45 ACP cartridges it fires are heavy and lethal, so why would you abandon this design for something new?
An easy answer is that the 9mm Parabellum has basically won the popularity contest. I see no value getting into the weeds of cartridge arguments today, but most shooters prefer the 9mm over the .45 ACP. It’s easy to understand why. It’s far more affordable, offers more capacity in a given firearm, and is still quite useful in lethal and competitive fields.
Related: Two Guys One Gun, Episode 4 – What's the Best Caliber for a 1911?
These things considered; it seems the 2011 design was simply an eventuality waiting to happen. The popularity of the 1911 with all its benefits made an excellent candidate to customize and fill out with a fat-bottomed magazine brimming with 9mm cartridges.
Staccato
Staccato has been in the business for more than 25 years and rebranded from its original STI name four years ago. Famous for competition and custom pistols, the Staccato name was initially only for the defense and duty pistols. Because of its popularity, the company itself took the name.
Texas-based Staccato offers a full lineup of pistols and proudly promotes its veteran workforce, as well as accreditation as a law enforcement supplier, with 1,600 agencies using Staccato pistols for duty service.
Related Review: Are Staccato Double-Stack 1911-Style Pistols Worth the Money?
The Staccato XC
With its integral compensator and black barrel, the Staccato XC stands out from the rest of the Staccato lineup. The built-in compensator effectively overcomes muzzle rise and recoil. The pistol’s front sight is attached to the compensator, which remains mostly stationary during operation.
The slide itself is cut from a steel billet for optics, as well as two textured grip areas. The pistol is fitted with Dawson Precision sights, including a fiber-optic front sight. It also comes with two additional sight mounting options: the RMR red dot mounting plate and a rear sight that accommodates the Delta Point footprint. Extras like replacement fiber optics and different colors are a nice bonus.
The grip module is made of molded polymer, while the frame above it is made from billet steel. A traditional beavertail grip safety is part of the design as well, and an aluminum magwell flare is pinned to the bottom of the grip, allowing for quicker reloads.
A skeletonized trigger is housed inside the square trigger guard. Trigger pull is set to 2.5 pounds at the factory, though it can be adjusted. Under the front of the slide is a typical Picatinny rail for mounting a light, which I would use to mount a Surefire X300 Turbo.
Specs
- Caliber: 9mm 17+1 or 20+1 capacity
- Weight: 2.3 pounds, sans optic and magazine
- Barrel: 5 inches, island comp
- Overall Length: 8.7 inches
- Height: 5.9 inches
- Width: 1.3 inches at grip
- Trigger Pull: 2.5 pounds
- Frame: Steel
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Magazine: Comes with two 17-round magazines
Range Time
Shooting the XC was a group event, as it wasn’t just me that wanted to feel the recoil. Several friends took the opportunity, and everyone who handled the XC did the same thing. Drawing back the slide, every face made the same satisfied look, and again when they felt the trigger.
The 17-round magazines that came with the pistol were surprisingly easy to load. I think this is in part because they are made for both 9mm and .38 Super, the latter needing a touch more room. With magazines loaded and targets hung, we started shooting. My first thoughts were that recoil is very soft, and the muzzle rise is significantly less than most other pistols. The trigger breaks immaculately, and using just the iron sights I felt it was incredibly accurate.
We ran a variety of ammunition types through the gun, both 124 and 115-grain. The majority was re-manufactured ammo from MWLP, which functioned flawlessly. We also shot some Federal Champion 115-grain, as well as some AAC 115-grain ammunition. As expected, they all worked great and were accurate enough to show that it was the shooter’s fault when it didn’t connect. At 10 yards, you could put them through the same hole if you held still enough.
Shootability
Since I am new to the 1911/2011 style of pistol, it has taken me a bit to get used to the controls and grip style. As I have become more proficient, I really like it. I rather wish the slide release was a touch longer so I could reach it with less breaking of my grip.
I also noticed that I found myself accidentally engaging the safety while manipulating the gun. Of course, this is simply something that needs to be corrected with training and muscle memory buildup. After shooting the pistol for over a month now, it’s already ceased to be an issue.
At first, the mag release seemed a touch sticky, but after 100 rounds or so I no longer noticed it. The trigger, on the other hand, is immaculate, breaking cleanly and allowing accurate shooting. The incredible compensator built into the front of the barrel greatly reduces muzzle rise, keeping the gun on target. You can even see the red dot throughout the recoil most of the time.
Impressive accuracy was standard with the Staccato XC. Even inexpensive remanufactured ammo would hit almost exactly on point of aim every time at 10-15 yards. The XC is accurate enough to reliably hit targets as far as 100 yards or more – likely even as far away as the 9mm cartridge is effective energy-wise. I was very surprised at my own ability to make repeatable hits shot after shot at those distances.
Pros & Cons
