My good friend—the one who got me into guns—picked up a Staccato CS a few months back. He’s been too busy to shoot it, which I struggle to wrap my head around since I’d have made time. To each his own, I suppose. Over dinner a few days ago, we got to talking about it, and he asked what I thought of the CS. I told him, “I don’t know, I’ve never shot one.” He grinned and said, “Why don’t you borrow mine and let me know what you think? You’ll probably hit the range next weekend like you always do.” I did the only sensible thing and accepted his offer. He knew full well I’d end up writing about it. And here we are.

The Staccato CS

I think of the Staccato CS as the little Staccato that could. It’s a tongue-in-cheek nickname that’ll make sense as this first-impressions review unfolds. This is the smallest Staccato available, marketed for concealed carry. I hesitate to call it a 2011 because it deviates from tradition, which will make purists turn up their noses, but let’s call a spade a spade. The CS, while unconventional, is at its core a 2011. A small one, but a 2011 nonetheless.

The price tag starts at $2,499. You might find a base model for a bit less, but not by much. I suspect Staccato maintains price control agreements with dealers, though that’s just a guess. The price climbs with optional upgrades like barrel coating, threading, trigger selection, slide serrations, optics, and weapon lights. It’s spendy for a concealed carry piece, but some folks will find it worth it. Me? It’s not for me, but we’ll circle back to that later.

For two and a half grand or more, you get a package that includes:

• A Staccato-branded soft-sided gun case with a product patch
• Two 15-round magazines
• A manual and other required documentation
• A chamber flag (and likely a cable lock)
• The Staccato CS itself

It’s a decent package. But, once again, I’ll gripe about the lack of a third magazine, which is a must for shooting classes and competitions. I get that owners who take classes beyond state-mandated minimums or compete are a minority, but they’re also the ones with safes full of guns. Enough standing on that soapbox.

When I first picked up the CS, its size reminded me of a Sig P365 XMacro. The feel is different, but the CS is only about half an inch longer and the grip is 0.2 inches thicker. At 22.7 ounces, it’s also about an ounce heavier. The key takeaway is that its size and weight make it conducive to effective and comfortable concealment. The grip is noticeably thinner than traditional 2011s, though not quite as slim as pistols like the Sig P365 series or a Glock G48.

Spec-wise, the CS measures 7.5 inches long, 5.4 inches tall, and 1.45 inches wide at its widest point, with a 1.2-inch-wide grip. That makes it slightly smaller than the Staccato C2 across all dimensions by fractions of an inch. The difference is noticeable in hand, both in grip and recoil profile. It also reduces capacity by one round to 15 in a magazine, which is no longer a standard STI-pattern 2011 mag. Is that good or bad? That’s a matter of perspective, but I struggle to see the upside since I believe “mo’ capacity is mo’ better” always, and the new pattern lacks the aftermarket support of the old one. That said, MBX now offers 2011 Slim Line magazines that fit the CS.

The new magazine pattern, necessary for a slimline 2011, isn’t the only departure from tradition. The CS features an external extractor, which eliminates cleaning the extractor channel from maintenance tasks—a plus, as less maintenance is always nice and, in theory, reduces reliability issues. However, it slightly alters the aesthetics, enough to ruffle 2011 purist feathers.

Beyond that, it’s a series-70 2011 with a 3.5-inch bull barrel, ambidextrous thumb safeties, a beavertail grip safety, a high-visibility fiber optic front sight, a blacked-out serrated rear sight, and a crisp 4-pound single-action 1911 trigger. Oh, and it’s optics-ready.

The barrel has additional machining on the hood along with some flutes, reducing weight and looking sharp, especially with the X-series serrations.

The marketing team hypes the fully captured, tool-less recoil system. I just hope the $100 part lasts at least ten times longer than a $10 spring, because I’d be annoyed dropping that much to replace it every three to five thousand rounds.

First Impressions

I mentioned the CS’s size reminded me of a P365 XMacro when I first held it. It’s also noticeably smaller than the C2. The grip is big enough for me to get a full hold and manage magazine changes without pinching the pinky side of my palm. Folks with extra-large hands might prefer the full-size grip, which requires slightly longer 17-round magazines.

I really liked the full-coverage grip texture—Staccato’s “Tac Texture,” also found on their P, XC, and XL models. It’s aggressive enough to stay put without being so harsh it beats up your hands during long range sessions. Plus, it doesn’t snag clothing, which is crucial for concealed carry.

The next thing I noticed was the sight picture, specifically with the factory-installed green reticle Holosun 507K. There were no co-witnessed sights. That alone wouldn’t be a big deal, but the front sight was way up in the optic window’s field of view, while the rear sight sat well below the optic’s deck. My first thought was that the optic wasn’t zeroed, but my friend assured me Staccato had zeroed it, which aligns with my experience with Staccato-mounted optics. Still, I found it odd and remained skeptical.

That skepticism held until I took my first shot at the range—a head box shot at ten yards that was dead on, just below the point of aim, which is effectively perfect after accounting for height over bore. I fired five or six more shots, and the little Staccato stacked holes right on top of each other. Color me impressed.

Then I tried some rapid fire with a few Bill drills, and… well, I wasn’t as impressed. The recoil profile was sharp and snappy—more than I’d like. It’s not painful or hard to control, but it’ll build fatigue faster. That said, the return was solid. With a firm grip, it comes right back to where you’re aiming if you let it do its thing.

The high-visibility green fiber optic front sight, sitting so high in the optic window, was easy to confuse with the green reticle of the optic. This got annoying fast, giving me visual false positives where I reacted to the front sight instead of the dot. There were several shots where I couldn’t tell if I was tracking the front sight or the optic. This is an easily fixable configuration issue—swap the green optic fiber for a red one, and you’re good.

I was so annoyed by the front sight issue that I forgot to check if the iron sights were zeroed. Later, at home, I noticed the rear sight seemed too short for the front sight. I suspect the plate for the K-series Holosun optics was made expecting a lower front sight. I recall Staccato offering a sight height configuration option in the past, which is no longer available. The Dawson Precision CS adapter plate for the 507K notes it requires a carry-height front sight, supporting my suspicion. I didn’t confirm the iron sight zero before writing this, but if it’s off, I’d raise a stink with Staccato to fix it.

Final Thoughts

Annoyances aside, the Staccato CS isn’t for me, mostly due to the recoil profile. I prefer the Staccato C2 and will stick with it. That said, the CS is a great little pistol worth considering. It’s ideal for those wanting a 2011 in the smallest form factor for concealed carry or for folks with smaller hands who find traditional 2011s too wide. Still, I’d urge anyone eyeing the CS to also check out the C2. Personal bias aside, it’s not much bigger, and the recoil isn’t as sharp or snappy.