Barnes spent a lot of machine time on the slides, adding the non-reflecting serrations on the top as well as the gripping serrations on the sides. One thing I wish I had insisted on was front-gripping serrations on the slide—he did not put them on either slide. While some say they are superfluous, I disagree. They are useful for safely press-checking the pistol to make sure it’s loaded and for emptying the chamber after a stage. Plus, I like the way they look.

I am a left-handed shooter, so of course there is an ambidextrous safety. We also kept the magazine release button to a reasonable height. There is a trend with some competition pistols to make the magazine release so tall it sticks up like a barrier column in a mall parking lot. When you shoot with the left hand, it not only gets in the way and prevents a proper grip, but it can cause you dump the magazine in the middle of a stage. The magazine release on my pistol rises 5/32 inches above the grip frame. That is enough for easy access, but it stays out of the way when shooting.

I believe that any gun is only as good as its trigger, and that that is never truer than with a pistol. Barnes and I actually differed a bit on the trigger pull. I wanted it lighter than he was willing to make it. We compromised, and, in the end, the gun had a 3-pound, 2-ounce trigger pull. It is very smooth, however, and it feels even lighter.

The gun has the Infinity Interlocking Trigger Insert System. This system has several options for inserts that fit on the front of the trigger. You can vary the shape and length of the trigger. I have short fingers and I have a tendency to push on the side of the trigger if the reach is too long, which is a bad idea that leads to misses. I tried several options before settling on the long-curved 2.3-inch trigger. This is the medium length. The shorter trigger option works well for small hands and helps position the finger correctly on the trigger.

The grip has an STI external magazine well to aid in quick reloads. The magazines themselves turned out to be a challenge. Despite the fact that everybody told me to expect problems, the .40 S&W magazines worked fine. But the 9 mm was not so easy. I got the magazine bodies and the conversion kits for use in 9 mm from Brownells, but I could never make them work. I learned that this is an art form that has been mastered by only a very few. In the end I ordered completed magazines direct from STI, which run just fine.

Switching cartridges is simple and fast. Pull the slide back until the relief cut in the slide is lined up with the slide stop lever, and push the slide stop out of the gun. Then pull the slide off the front of the frame. Push the new slide and barrel assembly onto the frame, lining up the guide rails. Push the slide back until the barrel link lines up with the hole in the slide and replace the slide stop. Insert the correct magazine for the cartridge, and it’s ready to go. Because the sights are mounted with the slide, you never lose zero, and the gun remains sighted in and ready for action.

I am unhappy with the blued finish. It’s not holding up well with all the tough use this gun is getting. My plans are to refinish it with Duracoat and to do the slides in different colors. That way I can know at a glance which slide is on the gun.

After two competition seasons I can say without hesitation that this was a good choice. The switch-top concept lets me adapt the pistol to any rules in effect at any 3-gun match, while maintaining essentially the same gun. That means everything else—grip, trigger, sights, etc.—remains constant. Everybody knows that consistency is the key to shooting well.