The 1911 is a century-old design that has endured the test of time because of a combination of accuracy, reliability, and – most importantly – shootability. In the 1990s, gunsmiths began working on a way to use a thicker, double-stack magazine. One of the first companies to patent this design was STI, later called Staccato.
Another departure from the original design was STI’s use of a polymer grip. This gave some flex to the recoil impulse, resulting in a slightly softer-shooting gun.
First-generation double-stack 1911s were all very much custom guns. Around 2018, STI released its Generation 2 magazines. This significantly improved the reliability of all wide-body 1911s. Today, it is expected that these guns run reliably out of the box.
In 2020, STI decided to capitalize on this new reliability and rebranded its name to highlight these high-performance guns. Enter Staccato. I don’t believe there is another American-built, double-stack 1911 that is this reliable, regularly available, and at this price range.
MY C2 IMPRESSIONS: RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY
My biggest worry was reliability. I’ve owned a number of budget single-stack 1911s in the past. They have never been reliable, even after getting custom work. But the Staccato C2 I tested ran flawlessly with all the different ammunition I tried, including self-defense loads. Feeding was buttery smooth, and extraction was constant and predictable.