Unless you’re new to this blog or haven’t been paying a lick of attention, you’ve probably noticed I’m fully aboard the 2011 bandwagon. For the past twelve months or so, I’ve been living, eating, and breathing the Staccato P for competition and Staccato C2 for defensive carry. Sure, I flirted with the CZ Shadow 2 Compact for a bit. I even did a brief stint in USPSA’s Single Stack division with the Dan Wesson PM-45. And yeah, I toyed with the idea of campaigning in USPSA’s Carry Optics division with the CZ Shadow 2 for the first half of 2025. But those were just short-lived distractions—I can’t seem to quit the Staccatos. That’s especially true now that I’ve got my hands on a Staccato XL – which means it’s time for a first impressions review.

The Staccato XL isn’t some shiny new toy. It’s been around for a while, but to me, it’s the unsung hero of Staccato’s lineup. I don’t hear folks buzzing about it much, and I don’t spot as many as I’d expect at USPSA matches. That’s a shame, because it’s the only pistol in Staccato’s stable marketed strictly for competition, and it’s a damn good fit for USPSA’s Limited Optics division. That’s exactly why I snagged it—to run it hard in Limited Optics.

The Staccato XL

Staccatos are premium pistols, no question. With a starting price of $3,599 (as of now), it’s not exactly budget-friendly, but in the world of 2011 competition guns, the XL sits on the lower end of the price spectrum. Sure, you can find cheaper 2011s out there, but none I can think of are purpose-built and marketed for competition. Plus, those bargain-bin options aren’t as refined, tuned, or configured for the game as the XL. That’ll become clearer as we dig into the details.

Before we get lost in the weeds, here’s what the $3,600+ package gets you:

• The pistol with your chosen features and personalization
• A soft pistol case with a Staccato XL patch
• A manual
• A cable lock
• Tools for maintenance
• Two 17-round flush-fitting magazines

It’s a solid haul—except for the magazines. I’m not shocked, since most pistol packages skimp on mags, but Staccato could’ve done better here. They’re no strangers to the competitions their guns dominate, so they know two magazines won’t cut it. Three would’ve been nicer—enough for me to not gripe too loud. Even then, I’d probably still nitpick the 17-round flush-fit mags, because they don’t quite line up with the 20-round 140mm magazines that better suit the competitions the XL’s marketed for. More on that later. The saving grace? You can tack on extra mags of various sizes and capacities when ordering direct from Staccato—for a price, of course.

Now that I’ve vented about the mags, let’s eyeball the Staccato XL itself: a 38-ounce beast with a 9.1” overall length, 1.5” width, and 5.9” height (sans optic or magazine). Yup, it’s a big boy—Staccato’s largest and heaviest pistol, in fact.

At the business end, you’ve got a 5.4” DLC-coated stainless steel bull barrel chambered in 9mm. The DLC coating’s a $100 optional add-on, and there’s a $200 threaded barrel option available too. Want a second barrel to swap? That’s another choice on the menu.

Above that sits the slide, rocking traditional notch-and-post iron sights and a Dawson Precision Optic Reflex System. The front sight’s a high-visibility green fiber optic, while the rear’s blacked-out and serrated. For this “custom” XL build, I threw in a Holosun 507COMP, mounted and zeroed by Staccato before it shipped to my local FFL. The zero was dead-on, and the mounting’s rock-solid—complete with witness marks, which oughta be standard in everyone’s optic setup. It’s held up fine so far, with no signs of trouble looming, though failure’s never a zero-chance game.

The slide’s got functional front and rear serrations that make racking a breeze. The X-Series front serration cuts—optional on most Staccatos—come standard here. First time I racked it, I noticed how effortless it felt. Suspecting a light spring setup, I called Staccato and confirmed: it’s running a 7-pound recoil spring and a 15-pound main spring.

Under the bull barrel, between slide and frame, sits the recoil system—a 5.4” Dawson Precision Tool-Less guide rod.

The frame’s a billet precision-machined 4140 steel unit, and for those who like weighing down the front of their competition rigs with lights or weights, there’s an accessory rail under the dust cover.

Moving back along the frame, you hit the trigger guard on the 1.3” wide polymer Gen 2 grip module with Staccato TacTexture. It’s the same grip as the current Staccato P and XC, and one I’ve been running on my P for a while. I’m a fan—the texture’s like fine sandpaper, grippy enough to lock in without shredding your hands. The undercut trigger guard’s front is straight and lightly textured, perfect for folks who wrap a support-hand finger or two around it.

Not sure when Staccato started offering trigger customization, but for an extra $80, you can now swap the standard curved polymer trigger for a curved or flat aluminum one. I stuck with the default. No short or long trigger options for those with stubby or lanky fingers, though—too bad. Aftermarket triggers are out there, cheap enough, but they’ll void the warranty.

The single-action trigger’s tuned for competition, with a crisp 2.5-pound break—I confirmed it with a Wheeler digital gauge. Pre- and post-travel are minimal, and the reset’s short and sweet. Classic Staccato 2011 vibes.

The non-reversible mag release button sits just behind the trigger guard, set up for righties. Same deal with the recessed slide catch/release lever above it. Lefties, you’re outta luck there.

But it’s not all bad news for southpaws—the manual thumb safeties, perched above the grip module on the steel frame, are ambidextrous. They’re contoured and functional, but not quite what I’d want on a competition gun. I’d prefer them bigger, with a steeper angle for more fudge room. Not a dealbreaker, just something I might swap out later.

Speaking of safeties, the XL’s got a beaver tail grip safety—tricky for some whose hand shape doesn’t consistently depress it.

Above that’s the usual skeletonized hammer you’d expect on a modern Staccato 2011.

And what competition pistol would be complete without a wide-mouthed mag well at the grip’s base for lightning-fast reloads—or in my case, making fumbled ones look slick? It’s not the biggest I’ve seen, but it’s plenty wide to help, doubling as a physical index for nailing that master grip on the draw.

Preemptive and Potential Tinkering

Besides maybe swapping the thumb safeties down the line, I’m also flirting with replacing the polymer grip module. Don’t get me wrong—I dig the Gen 2 grip a ton. It’s easy to lock in a firm hold that keeps the XL steady. But I’ve been drooling over Cheely Custom E2 grip modules forever—they look and feel great, and the extra weight and aggressive texture could boost shootability. Then there’s the new Atlas Gunworks grips that just dropped, catching my eye too. I’m not saying a swap’s definite—just that it’s on the table.

While those tweaks are future possibilities, I’ve already made one preemptive move: ditching the stock mag release for an extended one from Extreme Shooters, topped with a low-profile button from Dawson Precision. It was a no-brainer—I’ve always struggled to hit the mag release on the Staccato P with my firing-hand thumb, but the similar setup on the STI Legend cured that.

Oh, and I slapped a Target Focus Trainer (aka sun shield) from Stonebridge Gunworks on the Holosun 507COMP—occlusion’s the gift that keeps on giving for most shooters.

Handling

Once I learned how lightly sprung the XL was, I figured it’d crave low-powered bunny-fart competition handloads. Since I don’t roll my own ammo, I went with factory competition loads—lighter than standard FMJ practice stuff. Those specialty rounds cost more than my usual training stock, so I hit up my pals at Ammo To Go and asked if they could spare a few boxes of 150-grain Federal Syntech Action Pistol 9mm to test the XL. They hooked me up quick.

First up: a function test. I ran two dozen Federal Syntech rounds across two mags, then two dozen 147-grain Blazer Brass rounds the same way. The XL ate both flawlessly. The optic’s zero from Staccato was spot-on—unsurprising and expected. Post-drill target inspection showed tight clusters, hinting the XL’s a precision machine.

Only hiccup? When I loaded a third mag of Syntech for fun after the initial checks, the first round wouldn’t feed on the first rack. A second rack fixed it. Not sure what to make of it—maybe the light 7-pound recoil spring plus me half-assing the slide rack.

After a solid function test, I took it to a local match to burn the rest of the Syntech ammo. The match was mostly smooth sailing. Aside from two out of six stages where the first round hung up while making ready, the XL ran like a champ.

I’m still betting those feeding hiccups are user error, but I wonder if a heavier recoil spring might nix them. Not ready to test that yet, though. For one, it’s only happened pre-stage, so I can fix it without penalty. Plus, I’m still adjusting to the recoil profile and don’t wanna mess with it yet.

That recoil profile? Wildly different from the P and the C2. It’s insanely flat and soft—especially with the Syntech competition ammo. I’ve shot flat, soft guns like the CZ Shadow 2 before, but the XL’s got this weird slowness to it I’ve never felt elsewhere. Shot timer splits from the match say it’s all in my head—zero performance hit. Not sure if I love it or not yet. All I can say is the Staccato XL feels, in one word, gentle.

I haven’t tried hot defensive loads or +P/+P+ ammo in the XL, and I don’t plan to. No point—it’s not built for that. I’ll save those for guns that make sense for it.

I also haven’t put enough rounds through it to call it reliable. That’ll come after 500+ rounds with zero issues. Expect that report in a few weeks for the 500-round update—unless it goes sideways.

Potential Applications

I don’t see the XL shining in hunting, defensive, or duty roles. It’s too big to conceal well. You could argue for open carry or home defense, maybe stretching to hunting or duty, but that feels like a reach to me. Someone might use it for those anyway, but I’d file it under “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Better options exist. To me, the XL’s a competition or recreational gun, plain and simple—though even its competitive uses have limits.

Staccato’s marketing calls out USPSA, 3-Gun, and Tactical Games. I’m no expert on 3-Gun or Tactical Games, but I know USPSA. As a single-action, double-stack 2011, the XL’s legal in Limited, Limited 10, Limited Optics, and Open divisions. Legal doesn’t always mean competitive, though. Here’s my take:

• Limited Division: The 9mm XL’s high capacity with 140mm (20-round) or 170mm (26-round) mags makes it viable. But it’s stuck at minor power factor scoring. Capacity vs. power factor is a hot debate in Single Stack, not so much in Limited, where I only see major power factor guns. It’s not uncompetitive—just rare in a division that’s already quiet.
• Limited 10 Division: With no capacity edge (10 rounds max) and no major power factor option in 9mm, it’s a no-go.
• Limited Optics Division: This is the XL’s sweet spot—single-action, optic-ready, minor power factor only, 140mm mag limit. The factory 17-round included mags are a handicap, though, against 20-24-round 140mm setups. Aftermarket mags bridge that gap in a jiffy though.
• Open Division: Without major mods, it can’t hang with tricked-out race guns slinging major power factor rounds.

So yeah, it’s a USPSA Limited Optics gun.

From my shaky grasp of 3-Gun and Tactical Games (TTG), the XL seems playable in 3-Gun Limited or Tactical divisions and all TTG divisions. But those 17-round mags are a drawback—20-round 140mm Staccato mags fix that.

The 17-rounders don’t hurt in two spots:

1. Steel Challenge’s new provisional Limited Optics division.
2. IDPA’s Carry Optics (CO) and Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP) divisions, thanks to their capacity caps. But the XL’s 9.1” length busts IDPA’s 8.75” limit. Some say certain XLs sneak into the test box, but that’s a gamble—stick with the Staccato XC for IDPA.

I won’t detour too far into the XC since it’s not today’s topic and I don’t own one, but folks might wonder where it fits. IDPA: CO and ESP, with or without optics. USPSA: Open minor, not super competitive. 3-Gun: Open, maybe Tactical. TTG: all divisions, like the XL.

Closing Thoughts

My take? The Staccato XL is a gamer’s pistol—specifically, an attractively priced USPSA Limited Optics contender. If I knew 3-Gun or TTG better, I might widen that “gamer” label, but I don’t, so here we are. It squares off against pricier 2011s like Atlas Gunworks, but my 2011 world’s all Staccato, so no comparisons yet.

It’s a steal for its niche, but don’t call it cheap or budget-friendly. I’d only recommend it to serious enthusiasts and competitors dead-set on gaming with it.

That said, some bits—like the factory mags and thumb safeties—leave me wanting. None are dealbreakers, and all have aftermarket fixes. When the dust settles, it’s one hell of a smooth shooter that begs you to push it faster.

The XL’s taking center stage for me this year in competition, with the C2 handling defensive duties. The P’s sliding to backup for the XL—same grip module means all my gear (holster, mags) swaps seamlessly. Nice perk. You’ll see plenty more Staccato XL reviews in the weeks and months ahead.