Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/342119
34 Law Enforcement Technology July 2014 www.officer.com FIREARMS TACTICS had some adjustment, but I didn't play with the adjustment. This gun was easy to hold on target and take advantage of the natural pointing characteristics. Some 1911 designs are undercut a little where the trigger guard meets the grip. The 1911 XO has some contour- ing, which makes it comfortable in the hand. Combined with the ERGO Grips and the 25 LPI checkering, it was easy to assume and maintain a master grip. The checkering is a little aggressive, which works for me, having held a gun on a suspect in really crappy weather before. Here's a challenge for you: Go and find a gun for this price with quality checking on the front strap. SIG SAUER did not cut any corners in the components of this gun. The mainspring is steel and it has a metal trigger. Again, give the price challenge a shot. For a production gun, it has a hand-fitted feel. There is almost no play in the parts and many parts, like the bar- rel/bushing fit, appear to be oversized, then lapped. I'm not saying this is a custom gun by any means, but it appears a lot more attention has been paid to detail than the price point suggests. The model also features an external extractor, which puts a lot of hook onto the case rim. I can't say that I prefer this design over the military contract design (I've heard that John M. Browning wanted an external extractor also), but it works well and is easily inspected. The XO came shipped with 2x8-round quality magazines with invisible welds and quality followers. Reputably, this company does not skimp on magazines. These were worthy of this reputation. My 1911 XO had no rattle with the mags in and the floorplate was fairly flush with the mag well. How it performed For this test, I used SIG SAUER's new Elite Performance Ammunition. The bullets have a proprietary V-Crown Jacketed Hollow point. The brass cases are TECHNI-CROM coated to improve their lubricity and therefore their reliability. For the 200-grain 45 Auto cartridge, SIG SAUER published a 918 fps muzzle velocity, using a 5-inch barrel. That's 375 foot-pounds at the Top: The 1911 XO uses all metal parts, including the mainspring housing. The beavertail grip safety is well fitted and the speed bump allows for reliable indexing. The Ergo grips were skateboard deck tacky. At Left: We were able to produce tight groups from the 1911 XO all day long. At Right: The attention to detail on this gun is outstanding. The front strap checkering is clean and sharp. This is a feature usually found on a more expensive firearm. It's welcome here: The checkering maximized the controllability of the firearm. The checkering is a little aggressive, which works for me, having held a gun on a suspect in really crappy weather before. LET_32-35_FirearmsTactics0714.indd 34 6/25/14 12:01 PM