It took about a month and a half to get the first thousand rounds through the Staccato C2. It would have taken less, but it had some reliability issues early on and had to take a short two week trip back to the mothership for repair. It was an unfortunate thing, but it did provide insight into Staccato’s customer service which we’ll discuss in this post. The good news is that the C2 and the mounted 507COMP have run flawlessly post repair and all signs point to them being in the spotlight on this blog more than a fair bit at least for the immediate future. And 1K rounds down the pipe, means it’s time for an update review on the Staccato C2 and the Holosun 507COMP.

Unlike most of the recreational or competition pistols that make their way into my hands, the C2 has not been modified. Granted, it did come with two customizations, a trigger job and slide cuts, and a mounted optic straight from the factory. However, I have opted to use aftermarket magazines from MBX Extreme instead for increased capacity in the same form factor. We will talk about the ammunition feeding devices in this post as well in addition to my current opinion of the C2.

Let’s get into it.

The Trip to the Mothership

I don’t recall where I heard this first, but I often tell folks that the difference between a good and a great company isn’t in the products they produce, but rather in how they make things right when something goes wrong with one of their products. In my opinion, this is an important distinction because regardless of how much a good company invests in quality control, the chance of shipping a defective product is never zero. Statistical anomalies are a real thing. This is also why I often tell folks to take a “trust, but verify” approach to their defensive tools regardless of how good a product’s reputation is.

The “hammer follow” issue that I described in the initial review of the Staccato C2 was unfortunate. However, it was resolved quickly and with negligible hassle. I contacted Staccato the Monday following the discovery of the issue which occurred while I was attending KR Training’s Top 10 Drills Level 2 class and described the issue. With zero objections, they asked me to send it to them and offered to provide a prepaid shipping label. Given Staccato’s almost brand new facility is within driving distance to my residence and I was keen on seeing it first hand, I asked if I could personally drop it off instead. They agreed and we set up an appointment for drop off later that week which lined up perfectly with my road trip to TacCon24. It was literally on the way. I was greeted in the lobby by a member of their warranty repair team who kept me informed of the repair process.

About a week after drop off, I got a call from one of their smiths who confirmed my suspicion of the issue’s root cause. The hammer and sear engagement geometry was just out of tolerance by the tiniest bit. Replacing the ignition system resolved the problem and I was assured the defect was escalated to their production team to help improve their quality control. I picked up the C2 a few days after that via an appointment that was convenient for me.

Coincidentally, I found myself back at the Staccato Ranch, a private range at Staccato HQ, a couple of weeks later for a fundraiser match organized by the Mansfield PD Shooting Team called Cinco de Plinko. While I was there, I noticed there were several members of the squad ahead of my squad wearing red Staccato shirts and struck up a conversation with one. The employee, who was competing and resetting targets like the rest of us, asked me if I had been to the facility before. I explained I had due to the unfortunate circumstance of a defective C2. The employee was genuinely interested in my experience with their customer service and warranty repair. I gave a full account and ended with thinking that the level of expedient service makes Staccato a great company with a great product in my mind. At the conclusion of the conversation, I asked the employee what he did at Staccato and informed me that he was none other than Nate Horvath, Staccato’s Chief Executive Officer. Learning that the CEO was an enthusiast like the rest of us and took the time to listen to a customer’s story was further evidence that Staccato is, as far as I can tell, a great company.

MBX Defender Series Magazines

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Staccato’s 16-round 9mm factory magazines. They are reliable. While folks often think the factory magazines are expensive, at $70 (or less when they go on sale) they are roughly half the price of MBX Defender Series magazines.

So, why did I opt for MBX magazines? For two reasons.

The first reason is that I get 18 rounds instead of 16 in the same form factor. While the capacity difference is only two rounds, that difference matters to me. I’m of the opinion that more capacity is “more better”. Sure I could have opted for Staccato’s 17-round, 20-round, or even 26-round magazines. But, 17 is less than 18 and the larger options change the form factor so much that makes the C2 harder to conceal effectively. I wanted maximum capacity in the same form factor without sacrificing reliability.

Reliability brings us to my other reason – I trust MBX magazines. I’ve quite literally sent many thousands of rounds downrange with MBX magazines that I’ve used in the CZ Shadow 2, the CZ Czechmate, and the Staccato P without any magazine related issues. While this experience is entirely anecdotal, MBX is also trusted by thousands of avid and skilled competitive shooters. Moreover, the MBX Defender Series magazines have been designed for reliable performance in personal defense and duty applications. The thousand or so rounds I’ve sent downrange with the MBX magazines in the C2 is anecdotal evidence that verifies my trust in these magazines.

Closing Thoughts

As of this review, the Staccato C2 has really grown on me. Its form factor is within what I consider to be the just right Goldilocks size for a defensive firearm. Small enough to conceal well while also large enough to shoot well which is what makes the Glock 19 and similar sized pistols ideal for concealed carry. I find the shootability of the C2 to be superior to the striker fired wonder 9s due to its fantastic 1911 style trigger. Since it proved to be reliable post warranty repair, it dethroned the H&K VP9 as my go to everyday carry (EDC) pistol. However, I will limit my recommendation of the C2 for defensive carry to highly competent pistoleros because the manual of arms of the single-action pistol demands a dedicated continuous investment of practice to run safely and competently. It also demands more disciplined routine maintenance to keep running reliably than striker fired alternatives.

I haven’t said much about the Holosun 507COMP in this review. This is because there isn’t much to say about it. It’s an excellent optic that has run flawlessly. I continue to hold the opinion that it is presently the best competition pistol mountable optic available on the market. While I’ve made the decision to run it on a defensive carry pistol and it’s worked well for me, I hesitate to recommend it for that application as there are more rugged and durable alternatives for that application. I’m also heavily considering swapping it out for a Trijicon RMR HD as soon as I can get my hands on one. If and when this will happen is still up in the air, but it is something I think about frequently.

So what’s on the horizon for the C2? I’m going to keep carrying it for the foreseeable future. That also means I’m going to be practicing with it on a daily basis, it will be what I use in local IDPA competitions, and what I will use in defense oriented training courses I attend. As such, I think the round count will accumulate quickly on the Staccato C2 this year which suggests a strong likelihood of follow up round count milestone reviews in that same time frame.