A pistol with an honest to God metal frame is the best thing for my heart. Generation X is me. When I was old enough to purchase a handgun, the first polymer-framed pistols hit the market. It was easy enough for me to make the switch. But I grew up with pistols such as Smith & Wesson’s 4506 and 6906, 5906 and 3913. When I think back to the good times, I still get a little misty-eyed. Smith & Wesson’s metal frame pistols, such as the micro-compact CSX, are something I love. The Smith & Wesson micro-compact CSX. It’s 2022 and very few metal-framed pistols are available for concealed carry or general use. S&W decided to bring back the past and give us a chance. The company combined the popular micro-compact design with an aluminum frame. The result is the CSX, a small carry pistol that’s very compact. The new Smith & Wesson CSX micro-compact has a little bit of the Shield Plus’s styling. Although it may not look exactly the same as the Shield Plus, you can see the family resemblance. It is hard to believe that the “CSX” moniker harkens back the company’s.38 Chief’s Special. It was the O.G. It was the O.G. The CSX is a micro-compact. There are a few distinct differences that set the CSX apart from other micro-compacts. The first difference is the aluminum frame. The second difference is that CSX uses a hammer instead of a striker. Yes, that’s correct. A hammer. This one is definitely old-school. The Smith & Wesson CSX pistol is single-action-only (SAO). It does not use a striker-fired operating mechanism. This means that the pistol must be fired before the hammer can be cocked. It is similar to a 1911. We don’t want to be fiddling with the hammer during a defensive encounter. The CSX has a 1911-style thumb security that allows the pistol’s lock and cocking. The thumb safety can be removed safe during presentation and the pistol is ready to rock and roll. The CSX is small and compact, but it packs a lot of features. The CSX has a large magazine capacity. The CSX includes a 12-round and a 10-round magazine. The 12-rounder has a slightly longer baseplate. A shorter grip is more concealable but the extended baseplate only adds an eighth of an in height. I would trade height for two more rounds. It’s worth noting that there is no magazine disconnect safety. The pistol will fire even if there is no magazine. Modern design features include ambidextrous controls for both the slide stop/release and manual thumb safety. For southpaws, a left-handed shooter can enjoy an extra magazine release that is easy to install. The CSX’s modern design includes two backstraps that can be adjusted to fit each shooter, despite its aluminum frame. The company provides a small tool that can be used for depressing the backstrap lock. This allows the backstrap to be removed and replaced with the other. This is a solid idea that will definitely change the grip’s size. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this design. First, if the CSX has a smaller backstrap, there is no texturing to the grip. It’s just one smooth piece of aluminum. The appearance is the second problem. The larger backstrap slides in through a semi-circular opening. The exposed area means that the grip sides are not flush with each other. It’s not an attractive aesthetic and you can see the difference between the two areas. It doesn’t affect the CSX’s shooting ability. Other Amenities: The CSX features a sleek slide with Smith’s Armornite finish and top serrations to reduce glare. To ensure that the slide is easy to manipulate, there are also fore- and aft-cocking serrations. Yes, the front serrations look bold, substantial, and direct. They’re not the small, kludgy indentations that were found on older M&P slides. The slide’s edges and corners have been rounded a bit to give it a more soapy feel. The ejection port has also been chamfered to give it a cleaner look. It prevents any snagging during draw. The slide also has EZ-tabs on the rear for easy racking. The slide also comes with a set white, three-dot sight. These are good enough for daytime use, but I would love to see an upgrade option like night sights or a high contrast set. The three-dot sights were first introduced to keep the CSX’s MSRP low at $609. The CSX’s Unusual trigger The trigger is the last piece of the CSX puzzle. It’s a little strange, to be honest. The trigger has an integrated safety, despite the SAO operating system as well as the manual thumb safety. It is very similar to modern striker-fired guns. It pulls a bit heavier than what you would expect from a SAO system. My Lyman digital gauge measured the pull at the break at 4.8 pounds. The trigger’s break is not felt at all. The trigger doesn’t give you the crisp, light break that you would get with a 1911. There is no tactile click that you can feel. The only way to know if the break has occurred, is if the hammer moves forward and the round fires. It’s not a bad trigger push. It’s just a different way of firing. To the Range One of the things that has always bugged me about going to range and practicing range ammo is how the range loads hit the target and the defensive loads I have. This is especially true if you have a red-dot scope that allows for pinpoint precision. It’s nice to have the same hold for practice ammo as you do for the carry stuff. It makes training more efficient and consistent. Federal Premium recently introduced ammunition specifically designed for this purpose. It’s the new Syntech Training Match ammunition. It’s currently available in 9mm in the 124 and 147-grain weights. Each load is designed to match the velocity, trajectory, point-of-impact and equivalent-weight HST load. Federal’s Syntech line is used to build the training match loads. They are distinguished from other range loads by a synthetic purple jacket. The synthetic jacket reduces friction and barrel heat as well as prevents metal fouling. Federal’s Catalyst primer, which is lead-free and high-performance, is used in the training match rounds to ensure reliable ignition. Federal’s HST line has been a favorite of mine for everyday carry. I reached out to them to ask if I could test the new Syntech Training Match rounds. They were very accommodating and sent me a lot of it. I took a portion of it to the range to test the Smith & Wesson CSX. The CSX was given a good workout by a few of my shooting buddies. It performed as I expected, with its reliability and excellent accuracy. However, there were a few issues. It took some time to get used to the trigger, especially when trying to take quick follow-up shots. The trigger reset was a bit sloppy and the pull was heavier. After firing a shot the trigger moves forward and there is a slight click one assumes is the reset. The trigger continues to move forward, and then there is a louder click that indicates the reset. It was a little confusing at first. It took some practice with the CSX to get to grips with trigger mechanics and to establish a rhythm that allowed for quick, on-point follow up hits. The pistol pointed very naturally due to the 18-degree grip angle. Another quirk was the pistol’s size and beavertail design. Two of the five of them who were putting rounds through CSX experienced slide bite. To get the slide to bite, we had to grab the grip for a good hold. As I write this article, I have a nice little scar. It’s worth trying the CSX out first. You can also test it out by holding it in your hand and then cycling it a few times to see if you feel it taking a bite out. The S&W CSX performed admirably. Every type of food, from round-nose balls to TSJ loads to hollowpoints, was fed perfectly without any problems. The reliability was as good or better than the accuracy. Three Federal loads and one Hornady load were sent out. All three prints printed within an inch of each other when taken from the bench at 7 meters. Federal sent out the new Syntech Training Match ammo in 124-grain, but they had no +P HST defensive ammunition. The point of impact was not perfect, but it was good enough for government work. The HST +P was 1,087 feet per seconds, while the Syntech Training Match load was 1,064 feet/second. I will be able to determine the POI results more accurately once I have standard-pressure HST in my house. I had some of my own 124 grain Hydra-Shoks that I tried out. Its point-of-impact was very similar to the Syntech loads. This is despite the fact that it ran about 100 feet per second slower with the Syntech round. However, this was only at 10 meters. The more POIs you use, the more difference it will make. The Hydra-Shoks standard produced the best group. It was able to achieve a group of 0.81 inches and a group size of.94 inches. Despite its small size, the CSX was light and easy to shoot, even from a distance. Recoil with standard pressure loads was easily managed. Even with the short sight radius, we were able to make quick and consistent offhand hits at 8-inch plates at 30 meters. The CSX is the right choice when it comes to what is most important on the firing line. The Right Choice The new CSX is a great addition to Smith & Wesson’s lineup. It has a high capacity, compact form factor, outstanding build quality, and exceptional performance. It’s a great addition, especially considering it incorporates an aluminum frame and its MSRP is just a little over $600. It is almost certain that the street cost will be lower than that. When I first saw the CSX, I was excited. It was something I wanted to like, and it is. It’s extremely reliable and accurate and packs a huge payload for its size. Smith-Wesson.com has more information. Smith & Wesson CSX Specs Caliber 9mm
Barrel: 3.1 inches
Overall Length: 6.9 inches
Width: 1.12 inches
Weight: 19.5 ounces
Grips: Polymer
Sights: Three dots, white
Action: Single-action, semi-auto
Finish: Armornite, black
Capacity: 10+1,12+1
MSRP: $609 This article originally appeared in Combat Handguns May/June 20,22 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email [email protected]. Continue Reading Search The post 21st Century Chiefs Special: Testing Smith & Wesson CSX first appeared on Personal Defense World.
