Simple, light, small, it is just nice to have. It’s just about finding a holster, and RDR Custom Kydex, and Simply Rugged Holsters took care of that. Leather is still incredibly comfortable to carry and Simply Rugged’s Sourdough is among the most comfy. Ron Leahy put together a holster to accommodate the light as well as my favorite magazine pouch holding one spare magazine and a Surefire handheld light. Jeff Wilbur put together what may be the most comfortable Kydex IWB holster ever used with this XC-1. It includes a sweat guard that keeps the rear sight from digging into my side. Incredibly comfortable, it facilitates training and classes where you are constantly coming in and out of the holster.
My last edition was the new Apex Tactical Forward Set Sear and Trigger kit. After extensive testing with the factory 2.0 trigger it was time to see if the APEX remained my preference. As a long time 1911 user the long take up most striker fired pistols have is bothersome for me. Not always, but generally, so it was time to make the swap and see if it was worth it.
Range Time
Accuracy was as good as any aftermarket barrels used in my other M&P 9 pistols. My best group at 25 yards was close to 1.5 inches using Hornady 135-grain +P ammunition. Proven several times during real world engagements, it’s becoming a favorite for agencies and concealed carriers alike. Soft shooting, it is accurate and reliable and designed from the ground up for carry. Very close in accuracy was the opposite end of the scale, Doubletap’s 115-grain Barnes TAC-XP at 1,300 FPS. It remained soft shooting and is excellent for off-duty or plain-clothes duty carry. Barnes TAC-XP bullets are some of the best you can use for just about any threat. Everything else was around 2 inches.
The Compact 2.0 is very comfortable to shoot during long sessions with higher round counts. Using mostly Remington 115-grain FNEB Leadless ammunition it was downright comfy to shoot. I would not hesitate a second to use this in a 5-day pistol class. Texturing is aggressive enough to maintain solid control, but will not tear you up. Over the course of a couple thousand rounds using the factory trigger it never missed a beat. Another thousand rounds with the APEX yielded the same results. Reliability is not an issue with the compact magazine, a newer factory 17 rounder with the extension, even my years-old magazines with 10-8 performance base pads. Having the spacer is nice but not necessary.
After an hour or so on the range I barely noticed there was a light attached to the pistol. Initially unsure it would stick around, after testing this pistol I’ve decided it will. It’s heavier by a few ounces, but not enough to notice. Concealability is unaffected. Carry is as good as it gets with either the leather or Kydex holsters. Range sessions were easier with the Kydex where holstering was constant, while long-term carry, especially in a vehicle, was excellent with the Simply Rugged holster.
The most noticeable difference with the APEX trigger is the lack of take up, which is huge for me, but maybe not for some. Using the heavier trigger spring provides an excellent carry weight consistently measuring 4.75 pounds using my Timney Trigger scale. Even my highly customized 1911 pistols use 4.5 pound triggers so it’s about right for me. Use the lighter spring and you are closer to 4 pounds. A flat trigger is nice, another preference for me. It’s really not any “crisper” than the factory trigger and the reset is about the same, neither have any real over travel. If long take up does not bother you the factory trigger will be just fine.
Bottom Line
