Sig Sauer 1911 XO

To this day, the steel-frame Government model remains the apotheosis of the 1911 platform.  Everyone has their own take on the design, some successful, some not so much.

After a few false starts, Sig has gotten it right.

Their first stab at a 1911 was, to put it mildly, problematic.  In 2004, they introduced the first GSR models, with the manufacture of parts contracted out to Caspian Arms.  The resulting guns were poorly finished and plagued with reliability issues.

Sig rectified this by taking over all aspects of production, and rumor had it that reliability and quality had improved.  Nonetheless, they were playing in a crowded field, and one which doesn’t often offer second chances.  I didn’t hear much about their 1911’s for quite some time after that.

Last year, I started hearing some very positive feedback on them.  I’ve had the chance to shoot a few, and I’ve been impressed.  I’m not a fan of lightweight frames, Picatinny rails, forward slide serrations, or full-length guide rods, so nothing they offered appealed to me.

Until recently.  Their “bare bones” XO model is a restrained and tasteful build, without any unnecessary adornment or gimmicks.  I haven’t bought a new gun in something like six months (egad!), so I decided to pick one up.  It is the 100th anniversary of the design, after all.

Despite my best efforts, I can find little fault it.

All the major parts are forged.  Slide and frame are stainless steel, with a matte black finish I can’t identify.  It’s less porous than their Nitron finish, and it appears to be somewhat self-lubricating.  It’s evenly applied, with no irregularities, and it seems to soak up oil.  There are no garish “billboards” on the gun, the only conspicuous marking being the small “XO” moniker on the right side of the slide.

Only the disconnector appears to be cast, and I doubt this will ever be a problem.  The gun is fitted with Novak sights, a Commander hammer, and a “memory groove” grip safety that appears to be a Smith & Alexander type.  The frontstrap is aggressively checkered, but not to the point that it’s too abrasive, and there’s a relief cut beneath the trigger guard.  The frame safety is slightly extended, but not to the point that it is likely to catch on clothing.

All parts are fitted well, with little discernible play.

Yes, that’s an external extractor.  No, I do not have a problem with it.  I am not convinced in any way that external extractors are a problem with the 1911.  They do not cause famine, pestilence, or spontaneous tail growth. If anything, they are easier to adjust, should the need arise.

Before the internet goes asking, it also has a Series 80 firing-pin safety system.  Again, other pistols have been using these for years (take a look at the P38 and tell me it’s all that different).  I’ve never seen a failure related to it, nor have I heard of one from a reliable source.  I tend to think the idea of a gun not firing when dropped is a Good Thing.

I find it odd that they didn’t go with a skeletonized trigger, but again, this is a minor concern.  The guide rod is the short traditional type, meaning that the gun can be easily field-stripped without tools.  The bushing is very tightly fitted to the slide, and both slide/frame and slide/barrel fit are impeccable.

The magazines are an odd hybrid, constructed much like the beloved Wilson 47D, but with a McCormick styled follower.  The gun ships with two, both of which functioned without issue.

In fact, I was unable to make the gun fail at all.

I gave the gun a perfunctory wipe-down, then applied some oil to the frame rails.  That was the only preparation.  Break-in consisted of:

• 80 rounds of Atlanta Arms 230gr FMJ
• 50 rounds of Speer Lawman 230gr FMJ
• 50 rounds of Federal Gold Match 230gr semi-wadcutters
• 24 rounds of Black Hills 230gr hollow points
• 32 rounds of Remington Golden Saber 230gr hollow points

I only had two issues, both expected, and both related to ammunition.  With the Federal load, I was unable to hand-cycle the first round out of the magazine and had to use the slide stop to do so.  This is likely due to the shape of the bullet.  The Atlanta Arms loading is very mild, and as such, failed to lock the slide back once the magazine was empty.

Frankly, that’s just odd.  After all, isn’t part of the adventure of the 1911 drilling through 20 different loads to find one that feeds without issue?  I mean, really.  Somewhere a gunsmith must be pining away for a 1911 to fluff and buff, and I’m depriving him of that opportunity.  The guilt is almost tangible.

I limp-wristed the gun.  It did not jam.  Since nobody was looking, I shot a magazine with the gun canted sideways.  No problems.

To say the gun is consistent would be an understatement.  These are five-shot groups, the first using the Atlanta Arms.

The Federal load surprised me by printing a bit high.

This one was shot with the Black Hills, which is generally my preferred self-defense load:

As expected, the hotter loads printed lower.  The rear sight required a slight push to the right, after which it shot exactly where I should expect.  The last is a ten-shot group shot with the Golden Sabers.

After this, the gun cleaned up easily, and showed no signs of abnormal wear.  While the trigger is a bit on the heavy side, it is predictable and responsive.  I see no need to alter it.

The only two problems I see with this gun have nothing to do with function.  The contour of the slide is somewhat untraditional, being flattened a bit to match the profile of Sig’s P-Series pistols.  I find this to be a nice aesthetic touch, but it narrows the selection of available holsters quite a bit.

The second issue is the stocks. They are some kind of pebbly plastic or micarta. While I’m sure they’re quite “tactical,” real guns have wood stocks. You read that right. Real guns have wood stocks. Live by those words and you will find happiness in your life.

The gun is well constructed.  It shoots very well.  It’s reliable.  Unless you just hate modern concessions, I see no reason not to recommend it.