SHOT Show 2025 | Day 1 Part 1

SHOT Show 2025 kickoff in Las Vegas

The team opens Day 1 of SHOT Show 2025 in Las Vegas, noting the energy on the floor and the number of new products to cover. Multiple hosts, including Jason, Matt, and Brandon from CF Clips, talk about being back for another year and already losing their voices on the first day. They emphasize that this segment will move quickly through several booths and that the focus is on seeing what is new and noteworthy rather than extended commentary. With that, they head straight to the Staccato booth to begin the first set of product discussions.

Introducing the Staccato HT family and Glock-pattern mags

At the Staccato booth, Paul introduces the new HT family of pistols, including the P45, described as part of the Staccato HD/HT line. He explains that this series represents a new direction from the traditional 2011 platform, driven by end users who requested a pistol built around Glock-pattern magazines. Instead of simply adapting a magazine to an existing frame, Staccato engineered the pistols from the ground up around the Glock-pattern mag to match known reliability in demanding environments, particularly for law enforcement and military users. The HT family is positioned as a response to several years of specific customer requests and operational requirements.

P45 sight-block design, P4 performance, and ambidextrous controls

Paul details the P45 as a sight-block pistol with a 4.5-inch overall barrel length, including roughly a half-inch sight block at the muzzle. Mechanically, it behaves like a 4-inch pistol, similar to the P4, but the added mass of the sight block keeps the muzzle flatter and speeds return to target, giving shootability closer to an XL model. The P4 is described as a very flat and quick-shooting 4-inch pistol using a 1:10 twist barrel, a change Staccato has been rolling through the product line. The pistols feature ambidextrous slide stops, ambidextrous thumb safeties, and a swappable magazine catch, reflecting a move to fully ambidextrous controls based on user feedback over several years.

Direct-mount optics system and backup sighting

Staccato’s new host optic mounting system is a direct-mount design where the optic screws thread directly into the slide rather than into an intermediate plate. A spacer plate is used only to adapt different optic footprints, eliminating a second set of screws and a potential failure point. The rear sight is mounted independently to the slide, separate from the optic, providing a true backup sighting system on a different failure path. This configuration was requested by law enforcement and military users who insist on redundant sights. The pistol is intended primarily as an optics-ready platform, with the irons serving as a secondary system, and Staccato is also developing an iron-sight plate for users who prefer traditional sights.

Series 80 implementation, drop safety, and trigger feel

Paul addresses the move to a Series 80-style firing system in the HT family, acknowledging the traditional concerns about Series 80 triggers. He breaks those concerns into mechanical feel issues and the pursuit of extremely light, roughly 2-pound triggers, which is not the goal for these defensive pistols. The HT pistols are built around a 4 to 4.5-pound trigger pull. Staccato manufactures the Series 80 components in-house in Florence using wire EDM to maintain very tight tolerances and preserve the familiar Staccato trigger feel. Extensive internal and third-party drop testing has been conducted, and Paul states that the pistols have been heavily tested without drop safety issues, emphasizing that reliability and safety were central to the redesign.

Grip safety deletion, ergonomics, and bore axis changes

The HT pistols delete the traditional 1911/2011 grip safety, a change the host notes appreciating. Paul explains that Staccato did more than simply remove the part; the back of the gun was re-engineered. The mainspring is loaded differently, and the interface between the mainspring and the former grip safety area has been redesigned. Ergonomics at the rear of the frame were smoothed, with hard edges removed to allow a higher grip. While the operating system remains a linked barrel design, the effective bore axis is lowered because the shooter’s second finger and the backstrap sit higher relative to the slide. This lets shooters get higher on the gun without changing the classic 1911 grip angle, which remains around 17 to 17.5 degrees compared to the roughly 21–22 degrees of a typical Glock.

Slide, frame, and slide stop redesign for reliability

Paul notes that the HT pistols use a wider frame and slide than a traditional 2011 pattern to accommodate the new geometry and Glock-pattern magazines. The redesign is not just about magazine compatibility; mechanical aspects such as locking surfaces and timing were optimized. A key change is the slide stop, which now has a spring underneath that biases it downward. Under recoil, this keeps the slide stop out of the way, reducing unintended interference and allowing a larger mechanical window for the slide to lock back reliably when the magazine is empty. These changes are presented as part of a comprehensive re-engineering effort to improve reliability and durability under hard use rather than incremental tweaks.

Optic and rear sight placement plus Taurus GX2 and GX4 intro

The discussion turns to the placement of the optic and rear sight on the HT pistols. The optic is pushed as far back on the slide as possible, while the rear sight is placed in front of the optic. This layout is intended to work well with larger offset-style optics such as the Trijicon SRO and RMR HD by moving the optic away from the ejection port and using the rear sight as a debris guard and partial brass deflector. Staccato has found that this keeps the optic lens cleaner and reduces blowback and occlusion. The host notes that the rear sight remains visible but passive, not cluttering the sight picture, and that the optic is the primary sighting system. The segment then shifts to the Taurus booth, where a representative introduces the GX2 as an affordable polymer, striker-fired carry or home-defense pistol, available in black or stainless, and briefly mentions the GX4 as another model on display.