NRA Gun Of The Week: Staccato XL

The Staccato XL is the largest variant within the double-stack Staccato handgun lineup, and it provides a competition-ready platform that pairs extra capacity with M1911-like controls and ergonomics. Staccato is the successor to STI International, a company that made its name by offering double-stack variants on the classic M1911 design. STI International rebranded as Staccato in 2020 and still offers a line of competition- and duty-ready handguns based on the 2011 design, with the Staccato XL being a go-to for the competition circuit. Watch the video above to see the XL on the range.

In keeping with the XL’s M1911-inspired lineage, the gun is equipped with a skeletonized hammer for fast lock time, a generous beavertail grip safety complete with a memory bump and bilateral thumb safeties for ease of operation. Anchoring the gun in a shooter’s hand is a hybrid frame, featuring a polymer grip with aggressive texturing on the sides, front strap and back strap. The generously beveled magazine well accepts Staccato’s 17-round and 20-round magazines with ease, and there’s even an extended 26-round magazine that provides additional capacity, when needed. Measuring 8.9” long, 5.5” high and 1.3” wide, the XL is a large handgun that’s designed to shoot flat, accurately and pack a lot of rounds on board.

Packed into the gun’s lengthy profile is a 5.4” bull barrel, and the slide is topped with a Dawson Precision fiber-optic front sight and a Staccato 2011 T.A.S. II adjustable rear sight. Both components sit as far forward and rearward, respectively, as possible to give shooters the greatest possible sight radius for added confidence and capability in putting rounds on target. One option available on the Staccato XL is the Dawson Precision Optic System, which turns the Staccato XL into an optics-ready platform.

On the range, the competition pedigree of the Staccato XL was clear, as the gun balanced well, shot flat and displayed a remarkable trigger and a fast-cycling operating system that is definitely intended to trim fractions of a second off a top-tier competitor’s stage time. The specially tuned competition trigger breaks cleanly at a low pull weight of 2.5 lbs. and is a boon to its shootability. The gun’s weight is certainly geared toward range use, but it was a big benefit in taming muzzle rise and recoil, enabling us to put rounds downrange quickly.

Specifications
Manufacturer: Staccato
Model: XL
Action Type: single-action, hammer-fired, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Slide: steel
Frame: polymer
Barrel: 5.4" stainless steel
Sights: Tactical Dawson Precision Optic System rear; fiber-optic post front
Magazine: 17- and 20-round detachable box
Length: 8.9"
Height: 5.5"
Width: 1.49
Weight: 38 ozs.
MSRP: $3,399