This weekend I had the opportunity to compare what is probably the most asked about trio (TTI Sandviper, NH TRS Comp, Staccato XC) of comp’d 2011’s, and figured I would write out a long format breakdown of the experience.
Taran Tactical Sand Viper
Unquestionably the coolest looking pistol of the trio, the Sand Viper also seems to be the most contentious. For starters, no one seems to know who actually makes these for TTI, and no, it isn’t Staccato. You can immediately notice that the frame is wider than the Staccato frame, sitting flush with the sides of the slide and the light rail is cut in a unique manner. The slide to frame fit on this example is excellent and the recoil spring is on the light side, feeling similar to the XC’s 7 pounder. The PVD finish has held up very well and immediately draws the eye in a sea of black guns.
As for the details, the thumb safety is a real highlight for me, well dehorned, large and very ergonomic, it is an excellent piece. It reminds me of the larger Wilson offering, but I am uncertain of its source. The slide stop looks to be a 10-8 piece which I consider the among the best, and an oversized Dawson disk on the mag release is attractive, easy to use and doesn’t get in the way of my support hand while shooting. Magwell of course if from TTI and therefore excellent.
The trigger is spectacular on the SV, sub 2lbs, crisp with a quick reset. Hands down my favorite trigger of the group.
The grip on this one for the shooting was a stippled gen 1 STI module, though the owner has now swapped a new TTI/MJD grip on it, which will undoubtedly add to a more “premium” feel.
Staccato XC
It is no secret that I love the XC. For me it represents the perfect baseline gun, a palate cleanser in an increasingly over saturated market of overpriced 2011s. If I start to lose track of what a great feeling 2011 feels like, I bring out an XC. If you start to think the XC doesn’t perform, watch Matt Little put in work with his, and remind yourself that it isn’t the gun that isn’t performing, it’s you. It is hard to call a $4000 gun a great value, but with how well it stack up against guns costing 2 to 3 times as much as it, added to the fact that it is by far the easiest $4000 gun to sell (I’ve sold 3 of them) if needed, if your time and your wallet is a consideration in this comparison, just buy the XC.
As for the details, Staccato has upped their game with their blended thumb safeties and the slide to frame fit has been excellent on the last three new examples I have purchased from them. The slide stop is 10-8 and has a nice undercut beneath the paddle for easy access. Staccato does the little things VERY well. The trigger out of the box is a very nice 2.5lbs with a short roll. I replaced the trigger shoe with a Red Dirt flatty and it makes for a very nice all around trigger, The Dawson magwell is OK, but I prefer the TTI piece. For note, both the Dawson and TTI work with the Dawson/Staccato basepads.
The grip module on my example has been stippled by Darkside Precision. I am a big fan of the gen 2 Staccato grips, especially after a stipple and reduction. In my experience my reduced Staccato grips end up feeling smaller in hand than the MJD grips.
Nighthawk TRS Comp
I’ll just get this bit out of the way, I’ve not been the biggest fan of Nighthawk’s double stacks, but for the sake of comparison I went into this one with an open mind. The slide to frame fit was good on this example. It was noticeably the heaviest gun of the trio, and also had the heaviest trigger pull. This example has a slide stop on it that I hadn’t seen before, so I won’t judge the gun on that other than the lack of undercut underneath the slide stop paddle is a shortcoming of the NH doublestacks for me. The beavertail was better blended than I usually see on the NH’s, though the lack of forward cocking serrations… shoot, I am doing it again.
Two big positives for me on this NH are the thumb safeties, which have become my favorite thumb safeties to use and on this particular NH, the aggressive grip. Oh what a great addition this is. I have waxed poetic my disdain for the NH soap bar. Their slippery standard double stack grip module. The aggressive version immediately rectifys my problem. It actually isn’t nearly as sharp as something like a PT or Cheely aggressive, but provides a very nice amount of traction without destroying my hand. Honestly, a very optimal amount of texture for my preference. The magwell on this example was large and aftermarket, and although the NH does not come with a magwell, most magwells for gen 1 STI grips should fit on it.
The Test
So for comparison we set up a simple enough test. 12 yards, from a compressed ready, double tap on silloute steel, then clean 3 8” plates for time. Simple enough, addressing recoil management on a fast presentation with a double tap and then a transition into more precise targets that also allowed a good look at dot behavior.
The results. I started with what I knew best, the XC. I set my baseline on a couple runs before switching to the NH. I immediately shaved a couple tenths off of my baseline with the NH, only to then find another tenth with the XC. In my hands though, the SV was the gun to beat, consistently finding a tenth and then two tenths over my best with the XC or NH. The best time of the day though, that went to my buddy, with the XC.
So, that is the objective data. Now for the subjective.
The XC
The gun did exactly what it excels at doing. It shot great, flat and smooth, no additional flair or drama, just solid.
The NH
I was very pleasantly surprised by this TRS Comp. It shot very softly and the dot tracked very comfortable on the plate transitions. It was an easy gun to shoot and my times were very consistent with it. For a drill like the one we were doing, the extra weight was definitely to it’s benefit, and the aggressive grip was a godsend.
The SV
I really liked the SV. It felt like tuned XC, which is to say excellent. Very soft shooting, excellent dot behavior and the best trigger of the bunch. This was the only one of the trio without an X300 on it, so it felt more nimble than it’s peers, but was not producing any noticeable additional recoil.
The Verdict.
The verdict is they all shot great. I’d be lying if I told you I was experiencing noticeably more recoil with one than the other. I have no doubt that if I picked one and only shot it for a month and ran this drill again, that gun would be the fastest. And that is really my point here, they all work, pick the one that makes the most sense for you and get after it.
You can have an XC in hand this week for the lowest amount of the 3 and it isn’t giving up anything in terms of fit or performance to the others.
The NH is the heaviest of the group. The heavier recoil spring and metal grip gives it a more “premium” feel but some of the little details fell a little short for me. Regardless that doesn’t carry over to add or detract anything when it came to performance. Whether or not that is worth the extra $1000ish or the rather long lead times from NH is up to you.
The SV is the most expensive of the lot and it is hard to argue that the price makes sense. But if the price doesn’t need to make sense for you, then it is an absolute joy to shoot. Sure you are paying the Hollywood Tax, but you are still getting a gun that runs fast and looks the business.
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Taran Tactical Sand Viper
Unquestionably the coolest looking pistol of the trio, the Sand Viper also seems to be the most contentious. For starters, no one seems to know who actually makes these for TTI, and no, it isn’t Staccato. You can immediately notice that the frame is wider than the Staccato frame, sitting flush with the sides of the slide and the light rail is cut in a unique manner. The slide to frame fit on this example is excellent and the recoil spring is on the light side, feeling similar to the XC’s 7 pounder. The PVD finish has held up very well and immediately draws the eye in a sea of black guns.
As for the details, the thumb safety is a real highlight for me, well dehorned, large and very ergonomic, it is an excellent piece. It reminds me of the larger Wilson offering, but I am uncertain of its source. The slide stop looks to be a 10-8 piece which I consider the among the best, and an oversized Dawson disk on the mag release is attractive, easy to use and doesn’t get in the way of my support hand while shooting. Magwell of course if from TTI and therefore excellent.
The trigger is spectacular on the SV, sub 2lbs, crisp with a quick reset. Hands down my favorite trigger of the group.
The grip on this one for the shooting was a stippled gen 1 STI module, though the owner has now swapped a new TTI/MJD grip on it, which will undoubtedly add to a more “premium” feel.
Staccato XC
It is no secret that I love the XC. For me it represents the perfect baseline gun, a palate cleanser in an increasingly over saturated market of overpriced 2011s. If I start to lose track of what a great feeling 2011 feels like, I bring out an XC. If you start to think the XC doesn’t perform, watch Matt Little put in work with his, and remind yourself that it isn’t the gun that isn’t performing, it’s you. It is hard to call a $4000 gun a great value, but with how well it stack up against guns costing 2 to 3 times as much as it, added to the fact that it is by far the easiest $4000 gun to sell (I’ve sold 3 of them) if needed, if your time and your wallet is a consideration in this comparison, just buy the XC.
As for the details, Staccato has upped their game with their blended thumb safeties and the slide to frame fit has been excellent on the last three new examples I have purchased from them. The slide stop is 10-8 and has a nice undercut beneath the paddle for easy access. Staccato does the little things VERY well. The trigger out of the box is a very nice 2.5lbs with a short roll. I replaced the trigger shoe with a Red Dirt flatty and it makes for a very nice all around trigger, The Dawson magwell is OK, but I prefer the TTI piece. For note, both the Dawson and TTI work with the Dawson/Staccato basepads.
The grip module on my example has been stippled by Darkside Precision. I am a big fan of the gen 2 Staccato grips, especially after a stipple and reduction. In my experience my reduced Staccato grips end up feeling smaller in hand than the MJD grips.
Nighthawk TRS Comp
I’ll just get this bit out of the way, I’ve not been the biggest fan of Nighthawk’s double stacks, but for the sake of comparison I went into this one with an open mind. The slide to frame fit was good on this example. It was noticeably the heaviest gun of the trio, and also had the heaviest trigger pull. This example has a slide stop on it that I hadn’t seen before, so I won’t judge the gun on that other than the lack of undercut underneath the slide stop paddle is a shortcoming of the NH doublestacks for me. The beavertail was better blended than I usually see on the NH’s, though the lack of forward cocking serrations… shoot, I am doing it again.
Two big positives for me on this NH are the thumb safeties, which have become my favorite thumb safeties to use and on this particular NH, the aggressive grip. Oh what a great addition this is. I have waxed poetic my disdain for the NH soap bar. Their slippery standard double stack grip module. The aggressive version immediately rectifys my problem. It actually isn’t nearly as sharp as something like a PT or Cheely aggressive, but provides a very nice amount of traction without destroying my hand. Honestly, a very optimal amount of texture for my preference. The magwell on this example was large and aftermarket, and although the NH does not come with a magwell, most magwells for gen 1 STI grips should fit on it.
The Test
So for comparison we set up a simple enough test. 12 yards, from a compressed ready, double tap on silloute steel, then clean 3 8” plates for time. Simple enough, addressing recoil management on a fast presentation with a double tap and then a transition into more precise targets that also allowed a good look at dot behavior.
The results. I started with what I knew best, the XC. I set my baseline on a couple runs before switching to the NH. I immediately shaved a couple tenths off of my baseline with the NH, only to then find another tenth with the XC. In my hands though, the SV was the gun to beat, consistently finding a tenth and then two tenths over my best with the XC or NH. The best time of the day though, that went to my buddy, with the XC.
So, that is the objective data. Now for the subjective.
The XC
The gun did exactly what it excels at doing. It shot great, flat and smooth, no additional flair or drama, just solid.
The NH
I was very pleasantly surprised by this TRS Comp. It shot very softly and the dot tracked very comfortable on the plate transitions. It was an easy gun to shoot and my times were very consistent with it. For a drill like the one we were doing, the extra weight was definitely to it’s benefit, and the aggressive grip was a godsend.
The SV
I really liked the SV. It felt like tuned XC, which is to say excellent. Very soft shooting, excellent dot behavior and the best trigger of the bunch. This was the only one of the trio without an X300 on it, so it felt more nimble than it’s peers, but was not producing any noticeable additional recoil.
The Verdict.
The verdict is they all shot great. I’d be lying if I told you I was experiencing noticeably more recoil with one than the other. I have no doubt that if I picked one and only shot it for a month and ran this drill again, that gun would be the fastest. And that is really my point here, they all work, pick the one that makes the most sense for you and get after it.
You can have an XC in hand this week for the lowest amount of the 3 and it isn’t giving up anything in terms of fit or performance to the others.
The NH is the heaviest of the group. The heavier recoil spring and metal grip gives it a more “premium” feel but some of the little details fell a little short for me. Regardless that doesn’t carry over to add or detract anything when it came to performance. Whether or not that is worth the extra $1000ish or the rather long lead times from NH is up to you.
The SV is the most expensive of the lot and it is hard to argue that the price makes sense. But if the price doesn’t need to make sense for you, then it is an absolute joy to shoot. Sure you are paying the Hollywood Tax, but you are still getting a gun that runs fast and looks the business.
