Several features really came into play to help the quick,
accurate groupings produced by the pistol. One of these not
often reported on is the one-piece steel guide rod and 1911
recoil spring unique to the Legion XFive. This really absorbed
the felt recoil of the pistol much better than any other P320
variant I have ever shot. This minimized the muzzle flip and
helped re-acquire the front sight faster after each round fired
for much quicker follow up shots. This feature allows shooters
to use various weight 1911 springs to further dial the pistol to
their own unique preference. For shooters not used to using
high end competition guns, this feature’s advantages may
sadly never be enjoyed to full use.
Most will immediately recognize the Gray Guns Flat Face
Trigger as a large factor in the impressive shot placement. The
trigger stops at 90 degrees with very little overtravel and a very
short trigger reset to give the shooter a better angle on faster
follow up shots. If you are not experienced with a flat faced
trigger, this will take a full magazine (or two) to get used to
but will still “feel right”. I have smaller hands, so it seems to be
a slight initial stretch for my trigger finger on the presentation
onto target but once the minimalistic pre-travel sets the trigger
at the perfect staging point for my reach.
Just as important as a good trigger is the ability to keep
the gun feed and running. The flared magazine well from the
Henning Group made it easy to index loading and aided in
very smooth and efficient reloads. The Legion branded bump
pads on the bottom of each 17-round magazine, also from the
Henning Group, offered enough of the magazine sticking out to
effectively strip it free of the gun in the event of an issue such
as double feed. Fortunately, during the test process, this feature
wasn’t needed but it’s nice to have just in case.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Rarely have I tested a gun, sent it back to the manufacturer
and then continued to keep it in my thoughts. So much so, that
I requested the gun a second time to review and eventually
purchase. The fact of the matter is, after over 200 published
firearms reviews of various pistols, shotguns, rifles, etc., the SIG
Legion XFive P320 was the first for this to happen with. Since
re-acquiring the Legion XFive, it has cycled well over 2000
rounds flawlessly with very minimum cleaning. At some point,
I hope to come back and provide a 10,000 round update to look
at continued accuracy, spring wear and more. Two notations
thus far I can speak about are the trigger and pistol’s overall
feel being noticeably smoother after the first 600 – 700 rounds
As with everything, the firearm industry as well as training
techniques are ever changing. Sometimes those changes are
extremely dynamic and visual such as that of the 1980s and
1990s with Glock charging to the industry’s forefront through
the consumer education of striker-fired handguns. While I was
not as impressed with the standard P320 as my fellow gun
writer and PMCI colleague, Clint Steele, I did wholeheartedly
agree with his summation of SIG now rising beyond its
competition to soon lead the way in the future of polymer
technology.
Is the SIG Legion XFive P320 the perfect 9mm combat pistol?
The simple answer is NO. It was designed to be a competition
pistol to play games with live fire in a world where misses are
“OK” and no one is shooting back. The lack of night sights may
be a big issue to some, but I found the fiber optic front sight
worked very well unless in complete zero darkness in which I
could not see the target either. Compared to the triple threat
style sights on the P320 VTAC version, I’ll take the Dawson
Precision sights any day!
While the open slide concept of the XFive design greatly
changed the balance and perceived recoil of the pistol, it does
unfortunately allow more dirt and debris in harsh environments
to get down into the gun. I feel the ruggedness of the original
P320 design combined with the Tungsten-infused grip module,
amazing Grey Guns flat trigger and 17 / 21 round magazine
capacities are great characteristics of what the future of combat
pistols should incorporate. I regularly use the Legion XFive as
my instructor pistol when teaching pistol fundamental courses
due to its impressive performance and long-term
comfort in shooting along with my students for
eight hours.
To find out more about the SIG Legion XFive
P320 and other products, visit www.sigsauer.
com and check out the wide range of guns, gear
and ammunition available.
SIG LEGION XFIVE P320