You Will Shoot Your Eye Out

I first laid eyes on the Beretta 92X Performance at the 2019 NRA Annual Meetings conference in Indianapolis, IN. It was a featured attraction at the Beretta booth, and as a self-confessed Beretta enthusiast, I could not wait to see it in-person. There are two reasons why the 92X Performance’s launch was significant. First, before the pistol’s arrival Beretta 92 pistols with all-steel construction and frame-mounted safeties were rarities or extremely limited-release items that only seemingly changed hands between serious collectors. The 92X Performance’s release curtailed this phenomenon, as these new pistols are easier to source and retailed for less money.

The second reason is that these guns are outfitted to go directly from the gun shop to a match like a USPSA or IPSC event. Beretta also started shipping an IDPA-legal variant of this pistol called the 92X Performance Defensive in late 2021. In the past, Beretta built pistols like the 92 Stock or 92 Combat for IPSC competition. However, these models are also extremely rare, coveted and hard to find. The Stock or Combat versions were only released intermittently, and production numbers were low, unlike these new competition pistols.

The heavier all-steel construction of the 92X is great for absorbing felt recoil, especially in the context of competitive shooting. The Beretta Brigadier slide was originally fielded on Beretta 96, chambered in .40 S&W. The slide was meant to reduce felt recoil and increase reliability by keeping extra material around the slide’s critical areas. Beretta 92 pistols with Brigadier slides are sought both by serious collectors and shooters.

Shooters love them because these slides are cut with front and rear sight dovetails, allowing sights to be swapped out. Collectors favor them for their exclusivity and rarity. Compared to a standard frame, the 92X Performance frame features an internally beveled magazine well. Reloading and inserting mags is subtly easier with this pistol.

The 92X Performance has an excellent sight picture, which is one of my favorite aspects about this pistol. Picking up steel plates, poppers and paper targets is quite easy with the red fiber-optic front sight and the horizontally serrated LPA rear sight, which is fully adjustable for windage and elevation and has a generous wide square notch. Though the 92X Performance is a traditional double-action pistol, it comes with ambidextrous oversized “competition” style frame-mounted thumb safeties, not the standard slide-mounted safety/decocker found on most Beretta 92s.

However, this pistol must be manually decocked by carefully and deliberately pinching the hammer with the thumb and index finger and holding it tightly until the hammer rests against the back of the slide. This can get tricky, but it is important as decocking is required in certain divisions in the action shooting sports. The takedown lever on the left side of the frame has an extended ledge (aka a “gas pedal”) where right-handed shooters can rest their left thumb for a little more recoil control. 92X Performance barrels come in the traditional Beretta 92 profile and length of 4.9 inches. The pistol includes a steel guide rod, adding mass towards the front of the frame helping to mitigate muzzle flip.

The 92X Performance’s “Xtreme-S” trigger system is optimized for competition from the factory. All “Xtreme-S” critical trigger components have a diamond-like coating that reduces friction and protects parts from wear. The trigger itself has vertical grooves reminiscent of Smith & Wesson wide revolver target triggers of old, and the trigger is adjustable for overtravel. The first time I dry-fired this gun, both its double and single action pulls were noticeably smoother compared to a stock Beretta 92 trigger.

The pistol also has a Beretta Elite 2 skeletonized hammer and a competition-weight mainspring. Like the Brigadier slide, the Elite 2 hammer is a Beretta 92 icon and somewhat of a status symbol, which is why these hammers are commonly found on specialized Beretta 92 models. Similarly, the oversized magazine catch found on the 92X Performance pistol originates from the Beretta 92 Billenium, another highly coveted and collectible all-steel model. The Billenium style mag catch works very well and its inclusion as a standard part in the 92X Performance is a great idea.

I have been shooting my personally owned 92X Performance since late 2020. Though the “Xtreme-S” system is touted for competition use, I find the pistol’s ignition system to be wholly reliable after shooting a myriad of factory 9mm options in addition to my own handloads that are loaded with primers of varying hardness. I have shot my pistol at several USPSA matches, various range trips and one high-round count weekend training class. At this point, I estimate that I have probably fired over 3,000 rounds of handloads and factory ammo. The 92X Performance, like any other Beretta 92 in good mechanical condition, has been highly reliable in my experience. Shooters just need to ensure that the slide, locking block and lugs are properly lubricated and the design advantages inherent to the Beretta 92 will take care of the rest.

Accuracy-wise, the 92X Performance has plenty to offer and I admit I will not be outshooting this pistol any time soon. I shot some NRA-B8 repair centers, freestyle, at a distance of 25-yards with a double action first shot. I used three different 9mm loads: 115gr Blazer Aluminum, 124gr Federal Syntech and my own 147gr subsonic handloads loaded with 3.3grs of HP38. I fired 10 rounds at each target for score.

The attractive Nistan finish found on this pistol’s frame and slide contrasts handsomely with the rest of the black metal parts. However this finish can be susceptible to corrosion, so 92X Performance shooters would do well to wipe their pistols after shooting them to avoid blemishes, especially during the hot and humid summer match months. Because I am left handed and use my trigger finger to fire the gun, release magazines and actuate the slide release, I would have preferred more neutrally sized safeties out of the box as these oversized parts can make pistol manipulations feel clunky. For me, the size of the safeties is large enough to somewhat crowd out the ledge of the slide release.

This can also be a concern for right-handed shooters with shorter thumbs. Since the 92X Performance has a Vertec frame, it also ships with an optional full-size grip insert. My own pistol wears this insert, but it does not fully mimic the natural curvature of traditional full-size Beretta 92 backstrap. The 92X Performance’s beavertail has a downward beak-like shape, and I think the standard beavertail would have suited this pistol just fine. One of the stronger shooters who competes with this pistol at local matches told me this beavertail shape clashed with his drawstroke and had to shift his hands accordingly.

Since its launch in 2019, there is an ever-growing number of accessories being released for the 92X Performance. Not only do I keep seeing them for sale at more gun shops nowadays, but I also notice them in other match participants’ holsters. As a hobbyist level competition shooter and all-around Beretta 92 enthusiast, I can say that a pistol like the 92X Performance with its excellent trigger, useful sights, great accuracy, strong reliability and match ready configuration is a welcome addition to the selection of available metal framed competition pistols.

I’m not going to lie; when I saw the press release from Smith & Wesson about its new CSX pistol, I was skeptical. At a time when the polymer-frame, striker-fired, micro-9 mm double-stack pistol was conquering the landscape, Smith & Wesson launched the CSX, a metal-frame, single-action-only handgun. Heck, even trying to describe the CSX is on the complicated side. It’s kinda, sorta like a 1911; kinda, sorta similar to the Hi Power, and, then again, neither of those. 

Closer inspection, though, and the CSX isn’t as much of an oddball as it first might seem. In fact, it’s rather ingenious. There’s a market for vaguely-1911-ish, concealable handguns that started with the Colt Mustang/Government 380 in the 1980s. This trend continued with the SIG Sauer P238 (.380 ACP) and P938 (9 mm), the 911 in both .380 ACP and 9 mm from Springfield Armory and Kimber’s Micro (.380 ACP) and Micro9. All of a sudden, the CSX isn’t looking as much the odd gun out as before, is it? 

Then you realize, wait a minute … The CSX starts with a 10-round magazine, and has a 12-round, slightly extended variant available. Hold the phone. It’s now competitive, capacity-wise, with the P365, Hellcat, et al, while maintaining a single-action-operating system, which is one of the most prominent features mentioned in support of the 1911. Smith & Wesson has, with its CSX, carefully blended the worlds of the 1911/Hi Power with the micro-9 mm double-stack handgun. That’s basically sorcery. Well, at least very clever engineering.

There’s no sorcery in the name, though. It’s clear Smith & Wesson was reaching back in its long history for the “CS” part of “CSX,” a nod to the “Chiefs Special” line of five-shot, small-frame revolvers launched in the 1950s as a backup gun to the larger K- and N-frame pistols of the day. The “CS” designation would be added to a short-lived line of double-action, semi-automatic pistols in the late 1990s, again aimed squarely at the growing concealed-carry market. With the advent of the M&P line of polymer-frame, striker-fired handguns in the mid-2000s, the CS line made way for subcompact M&Ps. Until now, that is. The “X” in “CSX?” Smith & Wesson tells us it stands for the intersection of the company’s past and future. I like that.

Identical in size to the Shield Plus (which itself is only a fraction of an inch wider than the original Shield), the CSX is perfectly suited for concealed carry, especially in inside-the-waistband applications • With engineering clearly integrated from Smith & Wesson’s M&P line of handguns, two interchangeable backstraps allow the CSX to be better fit to each shooter’s hand • Mildly aggressive texturing on the frontstrap serves to anchor the CSX in the hand, helping the shooter control the pint-size 9 mm in all shooting conditions, without being painful under recoil • While the hammer should only be manipulated once the pistol has been completely cleared of ammunition and double- (or triple-) checked, Smith & Wesson added fine knurling on the top of the hammer for assistance. Blending it into the beavertail is a nice aesthetic touch.

Dave O’Connor, Smith & Wesson’s media-partnership relations manager, explained it simply: “CSX is 100 percent a nod to our ‘Chiefs Special’ heritage. Smith & Wesson has such a robust history with metal-frame handguns, and because of that we wanted to pay homage to our past. The CSX was built on some of our history, but we really tried to incorporate modern features that the consumer of today is looking for—higher capacity, caliber choice, interchangeable palmswells, etc.”

Still not convinced about the CSX, though? Let’s run the numbers. Compare the CSX to its sibling, the Shield Plus. Overall length? Identical. Height? Identical. Barrel length? Identical. Capacity? Identical. The CSX is wider than the Shield Plus—by a whopping .02 inch. I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t tell the difference between a pistol that’s 1.1 inches wide and one that’s 1.12 inches wide. The only significant difference between the CSX and the Shield Plus is the weight, and here’s where things get interesting: The metal-frame CSX is .7 ounce lighter. Basically, the CSX and the Shield Plus are indistinguishable in all dimensions. Since the Shield Plus is pretty middle-of-the-pack, size-wise, in the micro-9 mm double-stack world, it’s the same for the CSX.

It’s the similarity in size and capacity to the Shield Plus that leads to a natural question: Why? Why would Smith & Wesson devote time, research and development and effort into producing a micro-9 mm, double-stack, concealed-carry pistol immediately on the heels of introducing the Shield Plus? Pro- duct Manager Corey Beaudreau stated it simply: “Smith & Wesson launched the CSX to provide today’s firearm enthusiast with more options to answer the question of concealed carry. Not everyone prefers striker-fired, polymer [-frame] micro-9 mm [pistols], so we wanted to still deliver the higher capacity in a small, metal frame, but with some improvements from a micro 1911.”

There is one unfortunate difference between the Shield Plus and the CSX, though: the magazines. While both pistols have a flush-fit, 10-round magazine and a slightly extended, 12-round magazine available, the two are not interchangeable. Per Smith & Wesson, the quest to provide the smallest, most concealable hammer-fired pistol required a completely new magazine geometry that would not allow cross-compatibility. It’s not a deal-breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but it something about which to be aware.

Slim, svelte and with serrations to reduce glare, the top of the CSX’s slide is useful and elegant • Two magazines ship with the CSX, a flush-fit 10-round mag and an extended 12-round variant that adds a little extra real estate for the pinkie finger of the strong hand • Also ambidextrous is the slide-stop lever, allowing southpaws to actuate the lever as easily as right-handed shooters • More M&P M2.0-related touches include front cocking serrations, useful in administrative handling.

In its quest for that diminutive, hammer-fired pistol, Smith & Wesson crammed an absolute ton of clever engineering into the CSX. Intended to be carried “cocked and locked” like a 1911 or Hi Power, it has a thumb safety like both pistols. It also has a trigger-based safety like most striker-fired guns to guard against discharging if dropped or struck—something other, similarly designed pistols often lack. Oh, and did I mention the interchangeable backstraps? Two sizes are available to better fit the CSX to the shooter’s hand. And talk about ambidextrous: The thumb safety and slide-stop lever are both completely ambidextrous, while both left- and right-side magazine releases are included to make the CSX as friendly as possible for all shooters.

Other smart design features include the textured frontstrap of the pistol. While recoil isn’t terribly significant, it’s nice to have the moderately aggressive texturing of the M2.0 M&P design incorporated into the CSX frontstrap and interchangeable backstraps. The trigger has a flat-face with an integrated safety mechanism, consistent with the latest round of M2.0 upgrades on the M&P line as well. It’s easy to see where the modern aspect of the CSX comes in, here. Up on top, the CSX has dovetail-mounted front- and rear sights, with the familiar three-white-dot arrangement. The top of the slide is serrated to reduce glare, a nice touch; as are the cocking serrations, front and rear, with a pronounced edge at the rear to assist in charging the pistol.

In its takedown, the CSX is more like a standard, striker-fired pistol than a 1911. Standard caveats apply, of course: Make sure no ammunition is present, remove the magazine, check the chamber manually and visually, etc. Lock the slide to the rear with the thumb safety engaged, then drift a small pin out in the slide-stop lever, right-to-left, after aligning the lever with the takedown notch. The pin falls out, attached to the left-side slide-stop lever, and then the slide can be taken off the frame. Remove the guide rod with captured recoil spring, then tilt the barrel up and out of the slide. To reassemble, complete the steps in reverse. There’s no need to pull the trigger as part of the disassembly process, which some find reassuring.

Dovetail-mounted and containing white dots, both the front and rear sights can easily be replaced if desired • Ambidextrous in operation, the thumb safety proved easy to manipulate with either hand • To help prevent hammer bite, the CSX has an extended beavertail • Unlike many other single-action pistols, the CSX has a bladed-trigger safety.

I had the opportunity to shoot the CSX at a pre-SHOT Show event sponsored by Smith & Wesson in Las Vegas. Whether it was a paper target at 10 yards or a rack of hanging (polymer) plates, the CSX performed spectacularly. Working the pistol from plate to plate, the trigger’s short reset made even my mediocre shooting look good. Some reviews mentioned problems with the reset, but I’ve tested three separate CSX pistols and haven’t had any issues with the trigger. I’ve never been a fan of the bladed-safety lever on triggers in general as a tactile thing, and I’m still not 100-percent sold on this version of Smith & Wesson’s trigger on the M&P line as it is, but the trigger on the CSX has been one of the better versions I’ve tried.

When it comes to carrying the CSX, well, if you’re comfortable carrying the Shield, you’ll be fine with the CSX. Since the CSX is the same size as the Shield Plus, which is only a tiny bit wider in the slide than the original Shield, it shouldn’t present any unusual difficulties for inside-the-waistband carry. While in certain pants with larger pockets it’s possible to pocket-carry the CSX, the advisability of carrying a single-action pistol in this manner varies from person to person. It certainly can be done, and there’s nothing inherently unsafe as long as a quality holster is used and nothing other than pistol and holster are in the pocket.

On the range, absolutely no surprises were to be had with the CSX, although there was something of which to take note. I tend to keep a high (very high) grip on a pistol, and with only medium-size hands found the bottom left edge of the slide to graze the top of the bottom knuckle on my thumb. I’ve had this happen before, mostly on similar-size pistols, and with the CSX it wasn’t bad. After I’d fired approximately 300 rounds, I had a slight blister. On other pistols, it has been so bad that it hindered operation of the slide. Not a deal-breaker, but something to watch for, especially if you’re planning on taking a high-round-count training class. Might be a good idea to bring some gloves.

The accuracy surprised me, although I guess I really should have expected it given the single-action trigger. The CSX has exactly the same length barrel as the Shield Plus I reviewed in August, 2022, and is chambered in 9 mm rather than the lighter-recoiling 30 Super Carry of the Shield Plus; however, I shot more accurately with the CSX. Again, it’s a very pleasant surprise, and it’s not entirely unpredictable given the trigger, but it was quite interesting to note.

Our Handgun Editor, also in the August 2022, issue, pointed out that defining a trigger is difficult, and often results in the trigger-pull weight being given as a be-all, end-all number. For the CSX, that’s especially true: While the 5 pound, 12 ounce weight of the trigger is right in line with that of many striker-fired pistols, there’s far less travel and zero mush, resulting in a supremely clean break. For a small gun, it shoots well. Heck, even were it a large gun, it shoots well.

Over the course of testing the CSX, I put somewhere between 450 and 500 rounds through three different pistols, between the initial launch, featuring the CSX in an episode of our “I Carry” online video series and the standard testing we do for each firearm we review (accuracy, velocity and function testing). No malfunctions of any type were experienced over a wide variety of both defensive and practice ammunition. There comes a point where you realize that there’s not much more to say other than it works. Period. Full stop.

Smith & Wesson considers the CSX to be a completely new product line, so the future almost certainly will see line expansions and upgrades. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see an optics-ready version, or perhaps one chambered in 30 Super Carry in the near future, although there are no concrete plans at the moment. Six months from now, though? There are all kinds of directions the CSX line could take, and as I’m fond of saying in our “I Carry” videos, more options are a good thing. Personally, I’m hoping for an optics-ready version. In any case, the CSX has respectable capacity, eminent shootability and Smith & Wesson’s legendary reliability in its corner.

With all this, what’s the bottom line on Smith & Wesson’s new CSX pistol? Well, it’s good to see a company thinking beyond mere line extensions. Smith & Wesson certainly took a chance with the CSX, offering an all-metal pistol with a single-action-only operating system at a time when everyone and their brother seems to be launching polymer-frame, striker-fired micro-9 mm, double-stack, optics-ready pistols. The CSX still checks all the right boxes in capacity, weight and size, so it’s an excellent choice for concealed carry, particularly for those who prefer other-than-striker-fired pistols. It works well, it shoots well and it carries well. I think it’s a no-brainer to say that Smith & Wesson is on the right track with the CSX.