Last Updated on January 15, 2024

Staccato 2011 is one of those brands who decided not to fill in an existing niche, but rather create a niche of their own. A line of 2011 pistols has long become the brand’s signature firearm, and the Staccato line has also played a pivotal role in the company’s journey. Today, we take a look at one of the brand’s most renowned pistols ever – the Staccato 2011 P.

Table of Contents

What is a 2011 Pistol?
Staccato 2011 P Review
      Design and Construction
      Grip
      Barrel
      Action
      Trigger
      Ergonomics
Performance & Shooting Experience
Concluding Thoughts
FAQs

What is a 2011 Pistol?

Before I get into reviewing the Staccato 2011 P pistol, it might be useful to explain what a 2011 pistol actually is. The name must seem suspiciously similar to that of the renowned 1911 pistols and there is a good reason for that: one is the continuation of another.

The 2011 series of pistols was initially introduced by the STI International brand, which is now known as, surprise, surprise, Staccato. They made a line of competitive pistols that took after the timeless classic 1911 but made a few considerable changes.

The 2011 is essentially a double-stack 1911, offering more modularity and increased ammunition capacity. While the 1911’s single-stack magazine typically holds 7+1 rounds, the 2011 employs a double-stack magazine that can hold from 17 to 20 rounds.

The increase in ammunition capacity necessitated changes to the grip design. The 2011 features a wider grip to accommodate the double-stack magazine. But it isn’t the only parameter that sets the grips of these two guns apart. The grip of a Staccato 2011 pistol consists of two separate pieces, and the whole grip frame attaches to the subframe, which makes it possible to change the grip. The 1911 pistol, however, only allows for changing grip panels, but not the grip itself

In short, the 2011 pistol is a revamped version of the good old 1911 pistol. STI International was the first brand to introduce this model and thus owns the trademark rights. But I am not covering just some 2011 pistols today. No, I am going to tell you about a Staccato.

The Staple of the Brand

Staccato wasn’t always the name of the brand. At first, it was the title of the pistol series. Profound in competitive handgun production, STI decided to make a line of hard-use, duty-built, tactical handguns and named it Staccato. As you can guess, the success was astonishing, so much as to incentivize the company to take a new name. The Staccato P series is the worthy successor of that line of pistols. 

Staccato 2011 P Review

Design and Construction

Grip

Now let’s talk about the grip. The grip frame of the Staccato 2011 P 4.4 is TAC-textured. I don’t know exactly what TAC means here, but finding a firm purchase wasn’t a problem, so I assume it’s some texture pattern. I think this grip will shine in the rain – I didn’t have the chance to personally test it in wet conditions. 

The double-stack magazine orientation influenced the grip design as well. The frame is wider than in a usual 1911 pistol, even though Staccato dumped grip panels and screw bushings of 1911 for a single grip frame extension. While there is no going around it, it might be less convenient for people with smaller hands. I have medium-sized hands, so I sort of dodged the bullet, but I can clearly see this being an issue for shooters with smaller hands. The pronounced beavertail is nice, though. The grip safety is raised at the bottom, which makes it more notable but also more easily activated.

Barrel

The Staccato 2011 P features a 4.4-inch DLC stainless steel coated barrel. It also happens to be a bull barrel, which is completely cylindrical, unlike a standard barrel that tapers outward. The 4.4-inch length strikes a balance between compactness and accuracy, which makes perfect sense, considering it’s a duty gun.

Action

Trigger

The trigger felt crisp, with little pre-travel, a firm wall and a short break. The pull weight is around 4.5 lbs, which is probably a standard for duty guns, but it felt a bit heavy. I would say it’s a good trigger, but not a superb one, especially given the fact it’s polymer. For the price they ask, Staccato could have made it of metal.

Ergonomics

The same goes for the slide – it was pretty uncomfortable to hit slide release with the right hand. Things did get more comfortable when I started hitting releases with my left hand. However, that required some dedicated attention as when you are used to something, it’s hard to break the habit. Anyway, I’d recommend all right-handed shooters who acquire this gun to do the same: don’t break your grip to reload the firearm and use your left hand for all the manipulations involved. Luckily, the handgun is friendly to a wide number of gripping styles, so you don’t necessarily need to adopt a new one. 

Performance & Shooting Experience

I wasn’t able to fully savor this feature, but the Staccato 2011 P feels easier to shoot accurately. I assume that new shooters will have a much easier time honing their accuracy and learning to handle the gun with this model. I wouldn’t say this ease is something you can put a price tag on, but it is always nice to spend less effort to get the same results. The groups remained within a 4-4.5” margin, which for me is pretty good, and resetting target stood no chance. The sights came in really handy as well – the rear is wind-adjustable, and the front is fiber optic.

As I’ve already mentioned, the two minor reservations I have are regarding the trigger and ergonomics. The trigger is good but not great and the ergonomics for some reason feel like the gun is more suited for left-handed shooters. But you only need to get your left hand more involved, and the trigger is not bad, by any means. It’s just that for the price tag, I would expect a perfect gun. 

Concluding Thoughts

FAQs