{"id":113192,"date":"2019-07-25T11:51:32","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T15:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=113192"},"modified":"2019-07-25T11:51:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T01:29:42","slug":"p320-x-five-legion-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/p320-x-five-legion-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The “Weight” Is Over for the P320 X-Five Legion!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
SIG\u2019s new P320 X-Five Legion is the company\u2019s newest innovation in firearms.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every new gun evaluation always seems to wind up focusing on one key element of the firearm. For some it\u2019s the trigger, other times it might be aesthetics or accuracy. And although this is the first polymer-framed pistol that SIG has branded with their LEGION moniker, the moment I picked it up I knew what this story would be all about \u2013 it\u2019s weight!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could just be that I\u2019m getting older, but the phrase, \u201cnow I\u2019ve seen everything\u201d, comes to mind. When polymer-framed pistols first arrived (HK, then Glock) it literally revolutionized the firearms industry. Lighter and more flexible than steel, and clearly less expensive to produce, the polymer-framed handgun has become the norm. We even have polymer-framed 1911\u2019s for crying out loud \u2013 and revolvers with polymer frames! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, just as the audiophiles and hipsters have rejuvenated the market for old-fashioned vinyl records \u2013 there has been a growing new appreciation for the heft of an all-steel handgun. There are young men and women shooting IDPA and USPSA matches today that have never known a time when most handguns were not at least half plastic. And so, for them, the \u201cretro\u201d thing to do is shoot all-steel pistols. And in doing so, many have discovered that the added weight of the gun greatly aids the shooter in managing recoil and controlling muzzle lift. It\u2019s simple physics \u2013 the energy of the fired round can\u2019t move the heavy steel as much as it can move the lighter polymer. It started with the ubiquitous model 1911, but look around you at a match and you\u2019ll see CZ\u2019s (and the many copies of it), Beretta 92 variants \u2013 I\u2019ve even seen a Browning Hi-Power at a match. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But one comment I\u2019ve heard over and over from competitive shooters that are using steel-framed guns is that they wished it had the flex of a polymer. Well, once again the engineers at SIG Sauer have stormed Area 51 (or perhaps just snuck in late one night) and stolen alien technology. Last year they gave us the P365 that holds 11 rounds of 9mm in less space than 11 rounds of 9mm takes up\u2026. And this year they are giving us a polymer-framed handgun that weighs MORE than many steel-framed handguns. It begs the question from Monty Python and the Holy Grail<\/em>, \u201cwho are you, who are so wise in the ways of science?\u201d.\u00a0 Well, science it is apparently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SIG has found a way to infuse tungsten into the polymer during the molding process of the frames. I learned this before holding the gun, and thought it was mildly interesting and perhaps another win for the marketing department in New Hampshire. I didn\u2019t realize just how much tungsten they were talking about \u2013 this thing weighs a ton! Well, maybe not a real ton\u2026 43 \u00bd ounces to be exact. My copy gained nearly another ounce when an optic was installed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The P320 X-Five Legion comes with three 17-round magazines that should be legal for most shooting sports.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is more to this new Legion than just extra weight. Let\u2019s review the main features, with a reminder of what the Legion Series is about. When the Legion concept was introduced some years back, SIG Sauer talked about them being out-of-the-box ready with the most frequent upgrades done by customers. Things like upgraded sights, a nicely tuned trigger, better grips, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To distinguish the sub-brand name, SIG treats each gun with the \u201cLegion Gray\u201d PVD finish. Once you buy your pistol, you can register the purchase with SIG online and you\u2019ll receive a nice molded case with cutouts to precisely fit your new gun, along with a challenge coin that is specific to each model Legion made. There is no additional cost for these items, you bought them when you bought the gun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a Legion product line that includes custom holsters and mag carriers, knives, and swag. Your membership to this club gives you access to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The X-Five Legion comes with a nice set of Dawson Precision adjustable sights \u2013 a green fiber front sight is mounted, and spare light tubes in green and red are provided. The rear sight is a blackout style with a medium-to-wide notch. The slide is pre-cut to accept an electronic red-dot sight, however, support for the industry is limited to a select few optics \u2013 SIGs Romeo1Pro and Leupold DeltaPoint Pro are the two I can name for sure at this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the box \u2013 3 mags, an extra recoil spring, replacement front sight light tubes, access to the Legion Owner\u2019s group, and some swag.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SIG Sauer has a history of making their guns somewhat\nproprietary when it comes to aftermarket accessories, and this continues that\ntradition. When you remove the cover plate to install an optic, you also remove\nthe rear sight. What\u2019s worse is that there is no dovetail to mount another,\ntaller rear sight that might co-witness. Yes, some optics have options for a\nbackup rear sight, but this once again paints you into a corner. If it sounds\nlike I\u2019m complaining, I am. I\u2019m not a fan of proprietary basics on guns. The\nsilver lining in this Legion gray cloud is that the optics it is compatible\nwith are among the best on the market, and sooner or later, adapters will\nexist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLegion\u201d also means competition trigger and this one does not disappoint. With more weight removed, it has a snappier reset, and it breaks at almost two pounds less pull than the non-Legion X-Five.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The trigger is also upgraded for the Legion version of the X-Five. This one is a lighter, skeletonized trigger that requires less spring force to reset. I measured the trigger pull to be 3 lbs., 13 oz. with my Lyman digital gauge. This compares to 5 lbs., 9 oz. using the same gauge on the \u201cregular\u201d P320 X-Five. The trigger is light and crisp with a wonderful reset. The barrel is essentially the same 5\u201d heavy barrel, but it is finished in SIG\u2019s traditional Nitron\u00ae finish and looks good against the gray exterior. And you\u2019ll see it easily through the lightening cuts in the top of the slide. Most everything is the same as the non-Legion version, with a couple more exceptions. The P320 X-Five Legion comes with three 17-round magazines, each with a nicely milled metal baseplate with the Legion logo engraved on the bottom. Lastly, SIG provides a different guide rod\/recoil spring assembly system for the Legion. Instead of a captured flat spring, as on the non-Legion, this pistol uses a non-captured coiled wire spring. And you get two of them \u2013 a 14 lb. spring comes installed, and a 12 lb. spring is in the box. The presumption is that many competitors shooting lower power ammo can use the lighter spring and still achieve proper cycling of the action. Those springs slip over a much heavier guide rod than found in the regular X-Five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtually all the weight difference is in the frame itself.\nI put the bare frames of each, the X-Five original and the X-Five Legion on the\nscale (both with the grip weights included). The original frame weighs 7.75\noz., while the new tungsten infused frame tips the scale at 16.6 oz.\nMathematically, that accounts for the difference between the guns, which leaves\nme scratching my head just a bit \u2013 because the Legion also has a heavier guide\nrod, but probably just by fractions of an ounce\u2026 and I don\u2019t do fractions very\nwell, just ask my math teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The familiar components of the P320 have been enhanced by such things as Nitron\u00ae coated barrel, heavier steel guide rod, and a choice between two supplied recoil springs.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SHOOTING THE X-FIVE LEGION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never shot the P320 X-Five at all, then you have been missing out on one of the most competition-ready handguns in mass production today. I know a good number of very fussy competitors who have switched to the X-Five and not looked back. The Legion edition of this performance machine takes it up more than one notch. I have to talk about the weight again \u2013 because that is the single biggest difference and the one that you\u2019ll notice immediately. At 43 \u00bd oz. vs. 35 \u00bd oz. for the \u2018regular\u2019 X-Five, there is no guesswork at all about which one you\u2019ve picked up. But all that weight is very balanced and does not feel \u201cheavy\u201d while shooting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The color matching of the PVD coated slide to the molded synthetic frame is excellent.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even during slow fire trying to print good groups, the long\nperiod having the gun fully extended at arms\u2019 length was not fatiguing. Where\nit pays dividends is during fast fire. The weight of the gun gives the 9mm\nround something substantial to try and move, while the flex of the polymer\nabsorbs the micro-shocks as they move toward the shooter\u2019s hand. The gun shoots\nflat and allows you to maintain a sight picture through the follow-up shot. The\ncombat style shooter will appreciate the light and crisp trigger, while the\nadded weight and choice of recoil springs will allow you to safely achieve\npower factor without the penalty of added muzzle lift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first careful groups were shot using the very nice open adjustable sights.<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As I am apt to do when the opportunity presents itself \u2013 I ran this new Legion through a complete 5-stage IDPA match (note: The X-Five Legion is \u00bd ounce too heavy for IDPA, and must be shot in NFC unless you remove the extra weight located in the backstrap of the grip frame). Did I mention I did that without firing a single test shot first? No, I didn\u2019t win the match, because I suck (I\u2019m a middle of the pack sorta guy) \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t because the gun couldn\u2019t do it. It was almost perfect, except for one ammo malfunction I had with my match hand loads. Once I cleared an early feed jam, it ran flawlessly the rest of the day \u2013 and has since. I suspect the 12 lb. spring would have prevented that problem (which is why SIG supplies it, I reckon). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To test accuracy more formally, I made careful 5-shot groups from 20 yards with a variety of ammunition, using a CTK Precision rest. I shot the gun with open sights, and again with the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro installed. The red-dot optic does nothing for the gun or the ammo, but can certainly aid the shooter. Even so, results with the optic were not significantly better \u2013 except that it did allow me to hold more precisely to get a sub-half-inch group (0.464\u201d) with SIG\u2019s 124-grain defense ammo. The SIG V-Crown also printed the best 3-shot group (0.574\u201d) using the standard sights. I guess it likes the family label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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