It’s been roughly 18 months since my initial first impressions review of the Staccato P which thoroughly impressed me. After that, it sat in the safe mostly untouched until six to eight weeks ago when I decided to campaign in USPSA’s Limited Optics division in 2024. I had every intention of following the established formula of update reviews for the Staccato P starting with the 1,000 round review. However, that didn’t quite workout since the round count was a couple hundred shy of a cool thousand before I decided to use it as my primary gun while attending Ben Stoeger’s Practical Shooting Skills and Drills class. The volume of rounds we shot in that class was roughly 1,300 in a matter of sixteen (16) hours spread over two (2) days which put the round count on the Staccato P just north of 2,000 in what seemed like a blink of an eye. The 1,000 round update never had a chance and so here we are.
While part of me regrets not having the chance to write a review between the first impressions review and this 2,000 round update, I’m glad it worked out that way. The 1,300 rounds that went through the Staccato P in a 48 hour period resulted in a couple observations that elevated my regard for the Staccato P. The main reason for this is because I’ve always thought the 2011 was a platform that required more maintenance than others to run reliably. It is very possible that my high maintenance perception of the platform was incorrect or misplaced, but it was based on what I’ve read and learned about the platform prior to me having first hand experience with it. It is also very possible that my perception isn’t entirely incorrect and what I experienced with the Staccato P was nothing more than an anecdotal anomaly. Nevertheless, the Staccato P performed far better than I expected even though the performance wasn’t completely flawless.
First things first, the Staccato P has not malfunctioned. Granted it’s had a steady diet of quality brass-cased factory ammunition. I have also been disciplined in wiping it down and applying fresh lube between each use. I think it’s safe to assume that those factors have contributed to its reliable operation thus far. Regardless, I have to give credit when and where credit is due. I would say that two thousand rounds without a hiccup implies credit is due. However, this track record isn’t unique. Many other firearms can chug 2,000 rounds without any issues given adequate maintenance. As such, the reliable operation based on round count had little to no influence on my elevated regard to the pistol.
Before I get into the details of the experiences with the pistol that have elevated my regard for it, let’s look at what my maintenance routine has been. After each practice session, class day, or match day, I field strip the P and wipe away the remaining lubricant and any visible carbon build up. If I come across any carbon build up that I can’t wipe away with an oily rag, I spray a little solvent and scrub it loose with a nylon brush. I also run a sequence of two (2) wet with solvent patches followed by two (2) dry patches through the barrel until the dry patches come out clean much like I described in the post that outlined my cleaning setup. Fresh oil is applied after all the visible build up and the build up in the barrel are addressed. I’m sure some folks will call this babying the 2011, but I consider this to be routine maintenance for the tools I’ve invested in and depend on.
As I mentioned, the round count on the Staccato P was just shy of 1K. The first day of the class nearly doubled that round count. I grew a little concerned by lunchtime on that day as I started perceiving the cyclic rate of the slide slowing down. In an attempt to avoid reliability issues, I applied a little more oil to a few parts of the pistol without field stripping it. The areas where the oil was added included the barrel, the barrel hood, and the rear portion of the slide rails. I’m not certain if this helped or made things worse, but at the end of the day the slide was definitely cycling at a much slower rate. In fact, when I checked the pistol to ensure it was clear before bagging for the day, the slide returned to battery in a manner that reminded me of an elevator door closing, slow and smooth, when I released it after visually and physically verifying the firearm was in fact clear.
I gave the pistol the typical wipe and clean treatment I’ve already described as soon as I got home from class on that first day. It was filthy. It was most definitely struggling to cycle. Yet, it never malfunctioned. That impressed me.
The round count on day two of class wasn’t quite as heavy. However, I took a spill and kissed the dirt right before lunch time. I ended up ditching the gun, by tossing it down range safely, in order to have both hands available to break my fall. It wasn’t pretty and got banged up pretty good. The Staccato P hit the ground pretty hard and ended up getting sand & loam all over it. Some of which ended up on the barrel and under the slide rails. Without field stripping and cleaning it, I wiped away the visible debris and decided to keep running it. It was gritty. I could definitely feel the debris that remained in the pistol and assumed it would start malfunctioning at some point later in the day. It didn’t. It remained gritty, but didn’t malfunction. This also impressed me.
The Staccato P has picked up some finish wear and few surface blemishes for being ditched. Short of that, there is not a single thing wrong with it. It is still running like a champ and I haven’t done anything other than the maintenance tasks I’ve already mentioned.
The Trijicon SRO hasn’t had any issues either. Given it’s not the most robust and durable optic, I’m pleasantly surprised that it survived the drop. Other than that I have nothing to report.
At this point, I have no plans on making any configuration changes to the Staccato P. I also plan on continuing my Limited Optics division campaign with it this year. This means a 5,000 round update isn’t too far away. It also means that a 10,000 round review this calendar year is entirely possible. While I can’t provide any insight into how the Staccato P compares with other 2011 pistols, I can say that I’m exceptionally pleased with how it’s held up so far and have zero regrets about purchasing it.