USPSA Action Pistol Match - 10/04/2025

USPSA action pistol match at the Southwest Shooting Center in Clovis, NM with the Southwest Performance Shooters club. I was shooting my new Staccato HD P4 2011 from concealment (AIWB) in the Limited Optics division. I was really excited to shoot this gun at a match, because it had really impressed me during my weekly practice sessions with how soft shooting it is. Other than tuning the trigger and adding some better texture to the grip module, I felt like nothing else was needed on this gun... until I shot it at a match. 😕 While I didn't experience the issue in my practice sessions prior to the match, I kept inadvertently flipping the safety back on while shooting the gun on 3 of the 5 stages.  Each time it happened, it cost me quite a bit of time. Not sure why the issue started after I had already put more than 750 rounds through the gun, but I'll have to thin down the safety levers and refinish them as I've done with all of my 2011 guns due to how high I grip the gun with my large hands. It made for a very frustrating day for sure.

Stage 1: I was nervous, had low confidence with a new gun, AND I engaged the safety while shooting, which surprised me and was a definite time suck. 5th place with six C-zone hits.

Stage 2: A decent run for me, but I engaged the safety while shooting again. 3rd place with only one C-zone hit.

Stage 3: A really good run for me, but the reload took longer than planned as I had trouble retrieving the fresh magazine. 4th place with two C-zone hits. I was definitely starting to gain confidence with the gun by this stage.

Stage 4: A lot of close up targets to go really fast. This would've been an excellent run for me, but I fumbled the reload bad. 5th place with only one C-zone hit. 

Stage 5: "The Roscoe Rattle" classifier. Engaged the safety AGAIN, and caused an out-of-battery malfunction. The HD does not return to zero as consistently as my other 2011s, so I dropped a lot of points on this stage. 9th place with six C-zone hits and one D-zone hit.

I ended up in 4th place Overall out of 14 total. Not too bad of a result considering all the issues I had with the HD P4. Thinning down the safety levers should resolve the inadvertent engagement issues I had today, and being able to get a better grip on the gun with the levers out of the way may actually help the gun to return to zero more consistently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E48cw3iPcf4

Staccato HD P4 2011 Handgun

I recently picked up a new Staccato HD P4 2011 handgun as a shop gun for RFV Tactical. I wasn't really that interested in the new HD line of Staccato guns when they first launched because all of their new features weren't really that important to me, but they have become very popular and I felt like I needed one for holster fitment/display purposes, as well as to showcase my stippling and trigger tuning on them. I actually acquired this brand new "Standard" package for $300 less than MSRP, so I felt like it was a pretty good deal.  

Photos from the Gunbroker auction

I installed a new Vortex Defender ST Enclosed red dot on the gun. Vortex's new Defender line of pistol optics have received really good reviews in the competition scene, and this new enclosed version was very appealing to me. The glass is crystal clear and the window is a little taller than the Holosun 509T. The 509T has been my favorite optic for concealed carry, but there is currently not an option to mount a 509T to an HD P4 without stacking two mounting plates together. I also installed a Modlite PL350C light that I had purchased a while ago for holster making purposes, but never had a gun that I wanted to dedicate it to until the HD. I'm not a big fan of the Modlite pistol lights, but I think the PL350C looks good on this gun.

I tuned the trigger down to just under 3 pounds, as I do with all my 2011 style guns, but since the HD is a Series 80 system, it requires a little extra work and a lighter firing pin block spring to get the weight under 3 pounds. I also went with my Concealed Carry texture on the grip module while retaining the Star logos. I purchased three extra Mecgar 18-round metal magazines for it and made a new full-size weapon light indexing holster for the PL350C with an integrated mag carrier so that I can carry it and shoot it at action pistol matches occasionally. I also purchased a "BlueGuns" prop gun that I will modify and prep so that I can make holsters specifically for the HD P4 since it doesn't fit my normal 2011 holsters due to it's wider frame and slide. 

I was very surprised to find that the gun felt really good in my hands initially. The thumb safeties didn't appear to get in the way of my high grip because the grip module is a little wider at the top near the frame to accommodate the Glock magazines. Zeroing the gun after the optic install resulted in the absolute best bench rested grouping that I've ever got with a handgun, so I was very impressed with it's accuracy. 

The gun shoots just as soft as my non-ported Springfield Prodigy 1911DS, but it's not as heavy as the 1911DS, so it is a little easier to carry. However, it doesn't return to zero quite as consistently for me as the 1911DS or my other 2011 style guns. This may be because I am way more familiar with how to grip the traditional 2011s, and I'll just need to spend more time with the HD to figure out the correct grip pressures. Overall, I am impressed with the HD P4, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with the gun.

UPDATES:

I used the HD P4 at a local USPSA action pistol match, and quickly discovered that the safety levers were a little too wide for how high I grip the gun with my large hands. I kept inadvertently engaging the safety while shooting the gun, which cost me a lot of time and frustration. So, I thinned the safety levers down and refinished them in my custom DLC Mimic Cerakote color. I didn't have to remove as much material from the levers as I've done with the safeties on my traditional 2011s, and the wider grip module is even more pronounced now, which is a good thing for how I prefer to grip the gun. I also discovered that the safeties' plunger detent for the "off" position was virtually non-existent (most likely the real culprit), so I created a little more of a detent spot for the plunger and the safeties now have a much more positive resistance when flipping them into the "on" position. Initial reviews of the HD P4 consistently complained about the safeties inadvertently getting engaged while shooting, but Staccato supposedly addressed that issue. I'm sure that issue was amplified by the way I grip the gun, so I had to modify it specifically for me.

The polymer that they use for this new grip module is very durable but very abrasive. When I texture a frame or grip module in my Concealed Carry texture, I will usually go over it with a small piece of 180 grit sandpaper after I stipple it to knock down all the high spots to make it a little more comfortable. With this HD grip module, sandpaper did not help at all. I went over it with sandpaper several times, and ended up having to go back over it with a small file to make it bearable as it was still too aggressive, even for me. I actually got some skin abrasions on my support hand and my stomach from shooting and carrying the gun before taking a file to the stippling. I honestly wouldn't recommend stippling the HD grip modules, as they are fairly aggressive with just the factory texture.

The Vortex Defender ST Enclosed optic has worked good, but I have noticed that as the dot moves up towards the top of the window, it gets gradually dimmer.  It's at it's brightest when it is at the very bottom of the window, so there is a distinct difference in it's brightness depending on where it is in the window. This has been very distracting to me as I have briefly wondered if the dot was going out or malfunctioning during recoil. Now that I know what is actually going on I will try to ignore it, but it's definitely something I've noticed.

Outlaw Action Pistol Match - 09/20/2025

Outlaw action pistol match (USPSA rules with IDPA scoring) at the Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club. I was shooing my new Staccato Heritage P from concealment (AIWB) in the Optics division. This was my first time using the Heritage P at a match. The gun ran great, as expected, and it was much easier to shoot than my lighter weight Staccato C2 that I've shot at the last two matches. The two larger stages were my design (same layout, different start positions).

Stage 1: A three position stage that included strong-hand and weak-hand shooting. I wish I could've done it a little faster, but it was a solid run and I ended up winning the stage with only two C-zone hits.

Stage 2: A one position stage with 11 targets. I ended up with one hit in the hard cover of a target (which is a miss), but the rest of the hits were decent with only two C-zone hits. There were several people that had magazines that could hold more than the required 22 rounds, but I had to reload as my largest mags only have a 20 round capacity. The miss on the hard cover and the extra two seconds for the reload left me in 6th place on this stage.

Stage 3: A decent run, but my plan to shoot the two targets through the port while moving forward didn't happen as quickly and smoothly as I had planned. I ended up in 3rd place with four C-zone hits.

Stage 4: I pushed my speed a little bit more on the closer open targets and was able to win this stage with only one C-zone hit.

I ended up in 3rd place Overall out of 16 total with the least amount of points down for the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6av5brxj4Y

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 09/06/2025

USPSA action pistol match at the Southwest Shooting Center in Clovis, NM with the Southwest Performance Shooters club. I was shooting my non-ported Staccato C2 from concealment (AIWB) in the Limited Optics division.  I had planned on shooting my new Staccato P 4.15 Heritage, but the Dawson Precision optic mounting kit that I purchased was missing some parts and I haven't received the replacement parts yet. I had still been carrying and training with the C2 since the last match, so I decided to shoot it again at this match. It was unseasonably cool outside, which was definitely a welcomed change from the Texas summer heat.

Stage 1: A one position stage with a lot of different targets. I was the first shooter of the day on this first stage. Since I wasn't warmed up I tried to shoot it conservatively, but still landed four C-zone hits and ended up in 6th place.

Stage 2: No close up targets to go fast on this one. I executed my plan pretty well with only three C-zone hits, but ended up in 7th place.

Stage 3: A short stage with no need for a reload. I had three C-zone hits, two of them on the target that I shot on the move, and ended up in 4th place.

Stage 4: Mostly all close up targets on this stage, but most of them had to be shot while standing on a balancing beam. There were 10 targets total and I considered doing a reload in the middle of it, but decided against it since I would be walking on the beam during the reload, so I just used a 20 round mag and topped it off after chambering a round. I ended up going to slide lock at the end with one make-up shot. I had two C-zone hits and ended up in 6th place.

Stage 5: "Hi-Jinx" classifier stage. I tried to be really accountable for all of my shots and only had one C-zone hit, but I ended up in 8th place.

I ended up in 5th place Overall. Certainly not my best performance, but I'll take it. The lighter weight Staccato C2 with a small window RMR optic is definitely challenging to shoot at a match, but I must admit that I am enjoying it. It forces me to work a little harder, which should help to improve my action pistol shooting skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXwqICrrNEo

Staccato P 4.15 Heritage Edition Handgun

Other than my custom V8 ported Staccato P 4.4", I'm not really that fond of the 4.4" version of the Staccato P. However, I did purchase a used one last year that had a Leupold DPP already installed for a really good price to have as a shop gun at RFV Tactical for holster fitment/display purposes. Having two of the original 2019 STI Staccato P 4.15" handguns and really loving them, I've been wanting to acquire a newer Staccato P 4.15 Heritage Edition that came out in 2023 for a while now. I was finally able to snag a used Heritage P in pristine condition at a decent price recently, which has replaced my Staccato P 4.4" shop gun.

Photo from the Gunbroker auction

The Heritage P is a throwback to the original 2019 P, but with all of the updated features of the newer Staccatos like the Gen2 grip module, updated DPO optic mounting system, X-series front serrations, updated hammer and beavertail grip safety, and a flush cut and crowned barrel. These updated features, along with the original gun's slide/frame length, make this a really unique and beautiful pistol. Since it was a limited edition production in 2023, it sold out quickly and is now just as sought after as the original 2019 P.

I really don't have any plans for the gun as far as modifications are concerned. Other than my usual trigger tuning to just under 3 lbs, I just swapped out the grip module with the one that was on my 4.4" that already has my RFV Tactical Concealed Carry texture, as well as the Surefire X300U light. I also installed the Leupold DPP optic that came off of my STI DVC Carry. The DPP is not my favorite optic by any means, but it is a direct mount to the DPO optic cut and I already had an extra one lying around. The DPP optic and X300 light is a very popular combination for the Heritage P that looks really good together. The stainless steel tool-less guide rod and reverse plug kind of stuck out like a sore thumb on this all black gun, so I refinished the tip of the guide rod and the reverse plug in my DLC Mimic Cerakote to match the rest of the gun.

Comparing the new Heritage P to my original 2019 P side by side, I can say that the original gun seems to have a better fit and finish. The DLC coating on the newer Staccatos is more of a matte finish, where as the older STI guns that were DLC coated have a smoother finish which is much better looking. The original gun is also much smoother when racking the slide slowly by hand. I also prefer the longer beavertail and square hammer on the original 2019 P. The thumb safeties and beavertail are nicely dehorned on the Heritage P though, which I appreciate. When shooting the Heritage P and the original 2019 P back to back, they feel virtually identical in terms of recoil impulse and return to zero. My original 2019 P has a shorter C2 grip on it, which is the only minor difference that I can feel in the hand when shooting.

While I do plan to carry and shoot matches with this Heritage P much more frequently than I did with my 4.4" P, I still consider it to be a shop gun that will spend most of it's time in the safe since it's a limited edition gun.

Outlaw Action Pistol Match - 08/16/2025

Outlaw action pistol match (USPSA rules with IDPA scoring) at the Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club. I was shooing my original non-ported Staccato C2 from concealment (AIWB) in the Optics division. I recently dehorned and refinished this gun at RFV Tactical in a custom mix of Cerakote that mimics the factory DLC finish, and I've been carrying and training with it for several days, so I thought I would shoot it at this match. The lighter weight of the gun and the smaller window of the RMR optic was definitely noticeable in this dynamic shooting environment. It has more muzzle flip than most of my other 2011 style guns and the small window of the RMR makes it a little harder to be aware of how the dot is tracking during recoil. The gun still ran great and the new finish looks amazing. We had two smaller one position stages, and two larger stages utilizing the same layout with different start positions. We went through all the stages pretty quickly and got done before it got too hot.

Stage 1: Engage all of the targets from behind a low barrier while down on one knee. The first mag was restricted to 10 rounds to force a reload. I inadvertently released the slide before the mag was completely inserted during my reload and it didn't pick up a round, so I got a click but no bang when I pulled the trigger, which took several seconds to realize and correct. I ended up in 6th place with one C-zone hit.

Stage 2: Pretty straight forward stage of shooting around a barrier. Didn't even need to reload as I used a 20-round magazine. I ended up in 3rd place with one C-zone hit.

Stage 3: I thought my stage plan was pretty good, and I executed it well, but I pushed my speed too much on some of the up-close targets and picked up three C-zone hits while transitioning from target to target. I also had a lot of make-up shots on several targets. I ended up in 2nd place.

Stage 4: My stage plan was very similar to Stage 3 despite the different start position. I was slightly more conservative with my speed on the up-close targets, but still picked up three C-zone hits (but no make-up shots) and placed 2nd again.

I ended up in 2nd place Overall out of 25 total and had a great time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ptG594PTyY

Here's Why I Really Like The Springfield Prodigy 1911DS...

I have acquired quite a few 2011 style guns over the last 5 years, and it's the only platform that interests me these days. I have come to really like the Springfield Prodigy 1911DS despite having more expensive and better fit guns in my collection. I currently have 4 Staccatos, 4 STIs, 4 Bul Armorys, and 4 Springfields. Out of all of these guns, I tend to carry, train, and shoot matches with a Prodigy more than any other 2011 style gun. For me, the Prodigy just checks more boxes than my other guns when it comes to aesthetics, ergonomics, and value. The performance of all my 2011s differs a little bit based on the specific modifications (i.e. barrel porting) or upgrades, so performance does not really play a factor in all of this, as that can typically be tuned into any of the guns via modifications and/or upgrading components. My "check boxes" basically come down to slide serrations, overall proportions, grip module ergonomics, optics mounting systems, and overall quality and value. I recently felt the need to justify to myself why I like my Prodigy 1911DS guns more than everything else, so I decided to document it here. While the Prodigy 1911DS is not the winner in all of the categories, for me it certainly wins more categories than my other 2011 style guns and it is a close runner-up in some of the other categories.

Slide Serrations: STI > SA > Bul > Staccato

Slide serrations, particularly the front serrations compared to the rear serrations, are an important aesthetic feature to me. There should be enough serrations on the front of the slide to easily manipulate the slide, as an optic mounted to the rear of the slide practically renders the rear serrations useless. For me, I think there should be the same number of serrations on the front as there is on the rear, but most 2011 style guns have less serrations up front than on the rear. I prefer that there is at least 4 serrations up front and 5 serrations on the rear. My two 2019 STI Staccato P have the most aesthetically pleasing serrations of all of my guns, and the proportions front to rear look great. My Prodigy 1911DS's have perfectly adequate serrations... aesthetically pleasing design, an acceptable front to rear ratio, and they are very functional. My V6 ported Bul TAC 4.25 has very nice looking and very functional front serrations, but there are more serrations up front than the rear, which looks a little odd to me. My Staccatos all have only 3 serrations up front regardless of the slide length, so they don't look as good to me even though they have the same style of serrations as my two STI 2019 Ps.

Slide Lengths: SA > Bul > STI > Staccato

I personally prefer 4.25" Commander length slides. I like the proportions of this slide length, especially with a compact grip or a chopped full-size grip, and I like the recoil impulse of this length over a longer slide. The Prodigy 1911DS comes in fairly traditional lengths of 5", 4.25", and a 3.5" compact. The Bul Armory guns come in 5" and 4.25", but their compact guns have a shorter 3.25" slide, which is less desirable to me than a 3.5" slide. Some of the older STI guns were available in 6", 5" and 4.25" (marketed as 4.15"), as well as some 3.9" and 3.5" lengths. The Staccatos have a lot of different non-traditional sizes: 5.4", 5", 4.5", 4.4", 4", 3.9" and 3.5", with no current 4.25" offerings at all.

 
Frame Lengths: Bul > STI > SA > Staccato

My Bul Armory guns have the best options for frame lengths. They have full-length dust covers (which is my preference), and their slash cut partial length dust covers look really good too. Most of my older STI guns have full-length dust covers, but their straight cut partial length dust covers are very plain looking. My Prodigy 1911DS's all have the same "butler cut" on the end which is not quite full-length, but long enough that it looks good. My Staccatos all came with plain straight cut partial length dust covers combined with slides longer or shorter than 4.25" which makes them the least desirable to me. In an effort to make it look better, I did a slash cut on the frame of my custom V8 ported Staccato P 4.4", which makes it look a little better.

Frame Widths: SA/Bul > STI/Staccato

My Prodigy 1911DS's and Bul Armory's frames are all as wide as the slides, which is what I prefer because it adds a little more weight towards the front of the gun and is potentially more durable long term. My STI's and Staccato's frames are all thinner than the slides, which is less desirable to me since most modern high-end 2011 style guns have wider frames.

Grip Module Ergonomics: SA > Staccato > Bul > STI

The Prodigy 1911DS grip module has the best ergonomics of any factory polymer grip module in my opinion. They just feel better in my large hands as the back of the grip in the mainspring housing area is wider and more rounded, and they look better once I've done my specific texture work to them which is done in a 360 degree wrap around configuration. The smooth finger groove of the Prodigy's grip module along with the medium length beavertail helps me to get a good grip more consistently than guns that don't have those features. The Staccato and Bul Armory grip modules are similar to each other and look and feel great with my texture work, but the Staccato grip modules also have a smooth finger groove and they seem to be made out of a better material than the Bul grip modules. The older STI grip modules also look good and feel great with my texture work, but as the original polymer 2011 grip module they are fairly dated as far as styling features and ergonomics.

Optics Mounting Systems: Staccato > SA > Bul > STI

The Staccato "DPO" mounting system is probably the best factory system for mounting a wide variety of optics on a 2011 style gun and it is a very robust design. The Prodigy 1911DS "AOS" mounting system also has a lot of options for different optics, but the factory mounting plates fit a little loose on the slide and the mounting screws are very small, which can cause issues with the screws coming loose or shearing off. However, there are a lot of companies that make aftermarket mounting plates for the Prodigy that fit better and use stronger screws (see my mounting tips for the 1911DS). Bul Armory's new "BAO" mounting system is very robust, but they only have RMR, DPP, and RMS mounting plates. This leaves out the Holosun 509T as an option, which is my favorite optic for concealed carry, and is installed on most of my guns. Most STI guns weren't even optics-ready and their older "HOST" mounting system was a decent system when it was introduced, but was limited in options as there weren't as many different types of optics available back then. 

Overall Quality and Value: SA > Bul > Staccato > STI

The Prodigy 1911DS is the least expensive out of all my guns, however it doesn't have the best performance, reliability, and fitment out of the box, and needs to be tuned to run fast and reliable. At RFV Tactical, I have an enhancement package specifically for tuning the Prodigy 1911DS. Even with the cost of having the Prodigy tuned for performance and reliability, and having to buy the optic mounting plate of your choice separately, it is still the best value of all of my other 2011 style guns, and in my opinion is the best "budget" 2011 on the market. While the Cerakote finish of the Prodigy 1911DS is inferior to DLC, it is certainly easier and cheaper to refinish if it gets scratched up or damaged. Cerakote also allows you to customize the gun with a lot of different colors, which you can't do with DLC. The Bul Armory guns offer the next best value since they come with 4 magazines, a magwell, and include all of the optics mounting plates. They have a PVD finish and a better overall fit and finish. They also have the best out of the box performance with no tuning necessary. The Staccatos are not as good of a value with only 3 mags and no optic mounting plate included. They can also be improved with a little bit of trigger tuning, however their DLC finish and slide to frame fitment are top notch. The older STIs have the best fit, finish, and quality, but they have the worst value because they were expensive when they were new, and they are even more expensive as used guns now that they are discontinued and highly sought after since they have more of a cult following after STI rebranded to Staccato.

Other High-End and Budget Brands

It is certainly possible to find other brands of high quality 2011 style guns like Atlas, Nighthawk, and Race City Defense, that might check off more of my boxes, but most other high-end brands start out at $4000 or more, so "value" wouldn't really come into play. None of the other budget 2011 style guns like MAC/Tisas, Bersa, Alpha Foxtrot, Girsan, Fusion, and LFA, check off hardly any boxes for me (their grip modules are all CRAP!), as I have handled and even worked on several of them and I wasn't really that impressed with any of them.