Staccato HD P4 Review: 2011 + Glock Mags?!

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Whether you love or hate Staccato, you can’t deny that they aren’t afraid to innovate, grow, and expand their products. The Staccato HD series brings that transition and growth to full fruition, evolving the original 2011 design into a whole new animal with new features and Glock magazine compatibility.

But does the HD P4 actually deliver, or is it just another 2011? We took it to the range to test it out! So keep reading as we dive into the specs and features, and let you know what we loved and hated.

Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 4.0”
• Overall Length: 7.6”
• Height: 5.5”
• Width: 1.6”
• Weight: 32 oz

Features

• Comes with 2 steel Glock magazines
• 4” Flat Wire Recoil System
• 4 – 4.5 lb trigger

Some Background on the Staccato HD P4

Staccato, formerly STI, has been known for its competition pistols for a while. Around a decade ago, when I first entered the competitive shooting scene as a complete novice, I couldn’t help but notice that their pistols were among the most popular at the local club matches.

Over the years, the company has slowly pivoted from offering just competition-shooting pistols to offering more duty-use handguns. As page after page of catalogues went from 1911 and 2011 setups for matches and divisions to tactically focused pistols, the move towards duty handguns was a bold one.

Most notably, the company’s C series was built on the standard 2011 design but offered positive changes and improvements over the P and C2.

Now the HD P4 stands to possibly even overtake the C series as Staccato’s flagship model.

How the HD P4 Shoots

I think the fairest comparison to use when evaluating the Staccato HD P4 would be against the duty guns it seeks to replace.

While the HD is technically a 2011, it’s enough of a departure that it wouldn’t be fair to compare it to a standard race-2011.

It was also specifically created to meet the strict needs of a singular demographic- law enforcement. Many LE agencies don’t allow duty guns with porting or compensators, and place a minimum trigger pull weight. So, it’s no surprise the HD P4 doesn’t have those features and also sports a heavier trigger.

Considering all these caveats, the ideal comparison would be against guns like the Glock 17/47/45 or other similar striker-fired duty guns.

I ran a multitude of drills utilizing my personal Glock 17 with an optic in direct comparison to the HD P4.

An immediate difference I noticed was the grip angle and subsequent red dot acquisition off the draw. Even though the HD P4 uses Glock 17 magazines, it manages to retain the same grip angle as other Staccato models.

The HD also has an obvious advantage in the trigger department. While you can certainly shoot a Glock fast and accurately, the level of ease of doing so is not the same between the HD P4 and the Glock.

I offered both the HD P4 and Glock 17 to a newer shooter at the range, and the results were night and day – favoring the HD P4. It’s difficult to deny that the HD P4 cuts the learning curve and allows newer shooters to perform a higher level. That said, in the hands of a highly proficient shooter, I believe the performance differences become slimmer.

While we’ll discuss ergonomics later, it’s worth noting that the slightly thicker grip and aggressive grip texturing offer more control over the pistol.

The Staccato HD P4 uses a lowered optics system that allows the red dot to sit at a lower height than other pistols. This is immediately beneficial. Target acquisition is easy, which helps speed up shots. Pair that with a nice trigger, and the HD P4 starts to make sense, even with its steep price tag.

Accuracy Testing

As expected from Staccato, its accuracy was excellent. Every ammo type printed well within a 1-inch group, with one exception on the HST (a slight push left on my end).

For me, the question is not whether I can reliably hit that C-zone steel target at 30+ yards between the Glock and the Staccato, but how much faster and with what level of confidence. In testing, I found my times to be about 1% quicker shooting targets past 25 yards with the HD versus my G17.

Your mileage may vary, but it will ultimately be a personal decision as to whether this difference is worth the significant price hike between the two.

Reliability Testing

During the more than 700 rounds we fired through the P4, we experienced zero malfunctions — and that’s with steel case, brass, and hollow point rounds.

We also fired the gun with the strong hand only, the weak hand only, and both hands to ensure the gun would cycle regardless of how it was being held.

As expected, the Staccato HD P4 handled our testing like a champ with no issues. We can confidently say this is a reliable pistol.

Ergonomics: Fit & Feel

The grip safety is a departure from previous Staccato models. With the addition of the firing pin block, the necessity for a grip safely goes away.

Personally, I have never been a fan of the grip safety. I don’t love the idea that I can’t fire my gun with a somewhat compromised grip, in the rare but possibly scenario you find yourself in.

Removing the grip safety eliminates a layer of complexity. It ensures that with the primary safety disengaged and nothing obstructing the path of the hammer, my handgun will fire even with a sub-optimal grip.

Grip Texture

If you are the type of shooter who likes to grip sandpaper when holding a pistol, then the HD P4’s texturing is going to be right up your alley. Believe me when I say the HD P4 may have the most aggressive factory texture I have ever felt. We are talking near silicon carbide levels of grittiness.

For OWB duty carry, I think this aggressive texturing is a huge win. While shooting the HD P4 with sweaty hands during multiple Texas spring mornings, I found no issues whatsoever with the pistol sliding around in my hand under recoil.

With no grip safety, the HD P4 includes texturing all the way up the back and side panels of the handgun. This is an often-overlooked design for many handgun manufacturers, but including the grip texture all the way up to the frame is a huge win for shooters.

This means that, even with large hands, the meat of your thumbs will be in contact with the texture. So, you will have traction on the gun during recoil to maintain speed and accuracy.

I found the texturing a bit aggressive for an IWB or AIWB role. If you intend to carry the HD P4 in one of those positions, you might have to make some alterations (like aftermarket grip texture) to make it more comfortable.

Optics & Sights

As I mentioned in the shooting portion above, Staccato redesigned the optics mounting system. The HOST mounting system offers a rear sight forward configuration, and, for red dot shooters, this is a Godsend.

With the new mounting plates being so thin, users are able to use just the screws for the optic to mount the optic to the slide. This makes adding a red dot more intuitive and easier to use. Not to mention, this type of optics plate creates fewer points for failure and a deeper-seated optic on the slide.

If you prefer irons, you might not love the design change. The irons-forward design with no optic looks plain ugly. But, aside from looks, the design is functional. Staccato includes a blacked-out rear with a bright green front sight post. This allows for fast target acquisition in different lighting conditions.

That said, it’s clear Staccato is pushing users towards mounting a red dot. Red dot shooters will notice the rear aperture is relatively thin, allowing less of the optic window to be obstructed when running an RDS.

Compared to previous generations, I immediately noticed an easier time indexing the gun and having the dot appear in my vision.

Trigger

You would think that the addition of the firing pin block would make the trigger on the HD mushy. From our sample size of one, it isn’t.

Dropping triggers directly next to other Staccatos and other-brand 2011s, the trigger pull felt nearly indistinguishable.

When you depress the trigger, you will feel a minimal amount of take-up, come to a firm wall, and push straight through to make the hammer drop.

While testing, we used a Lyman Digital Trigger Gauge to measure trigger pull weight. We averaged high-3 lb trigger pulls with the HD. This is slightly less than the advertised trigger weight, but I never complain about a better trigger from the factory!

Shooting at speed, the difference is noticeable versus your standard duty style striker-fired trigger.

Who Is the Staccato HD P4 For?

The new Staccato HD P4 has a few people it targets with its design — namely, law enforcement wanting to carry a 2011 on duty and hobbyist shooters who just love a good 2011.

For an LEO looking for the utmost safety from their duty gun, with the benefits that largely only come from a 2011 platform, the HD is the only gun currently that can deliver on all those fronts.

Moving to the HD P4 from a Glock platform for these users will be less of a headache and a stab to the wallet than previous 2011s due to the HD P4’s adoption of Glock Magazines. This improvement is extremely well received because previous model 2011 magazines cost between $60-$80 and don’t have near the life cycle of a Glock magazine.

I know personally owning many magazines for my Glock 17 made testing the HD P4 all the easier.

Staccato’s HD P4 really does sit in a class of its own.

By the Numbers

Ergonomics: 5/5

The grip texture and design make it easy to control while shooting.

Accuracy: 5/5

The HD P4 is as accurate as the shooter behind it.

Reliability: 5/5

We ran over 500 rounds through the HD P4 without malfunctions or issues.

Customization: 3/5

The one area where the Staccato suffers is in the aftermarket. While it does accept Glock magazines, other accessories are pretty limited.

Value: 4/5

It’s pricey and may be out of reach for some gun enthusiasts, but it’s a solid gun that is well worth the cost.

Overall: 4.4/5

Upgrades for the Staccato HD P4

You’ll also want an optic to toss onto the Staccato HD P4. We used the RMR for this review.

We ran AAC 9mm for this test as our training ammo, and it worked well.

Ears and eyes are also needed, so check out the ShellShock Protection Combo for both.

How We Tested the Staccato HD P4

For this article, we tested the Staccato HD P4 with over 700 rounds of both hollow point defensive ammo and training FMJ. Ammo used in testing included:

• AAC 115g FMJ
• Blazer Brass 115g FMJ
• Magtech 115g FMJ
• Federal HST 125g

We used a Ransom Rest on a tripod to assess accuracy and remove shooter error, and tested the trigger pull weight with a Lyman Digital Trigger Gauge. Five-round groups were shot starting at 7 yards and backing up to 100 yards.

Meet the Experts

Behind the Staccato HD P4 review is Preston, a former emergency room and trauma RN with plenty of shooting experience. He attended the North Texas Police Academy before having to leave due to a shoulder injury. Preston is a competition shooter and owner of the Citizen Response channel on YouTube. His expertise lies in pistols, concealed carry, and competition shooting. Preston led the research, testing, and evaluation of the HD P4 using his extensive experience as a competition shooter and concealed carrier. This isn’t his first rodeo with a Staccato…he tested and reviewed the Staccato C for Pew Pew Tactical too.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers and edited this review. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Verdict

Staccato’s HD P4 offers a host of new features from previous Staccato 2011 designs. Of all the new changes, the new firing pin block, compatibility with Glock magazines, and the HOST mounting system make the HD P4 stand out among the competition.

Overall, the Staccato HD P4 is the answer any serious-use shooter has been looking for a durable, reliable, and safe duty 2011.

What do you think of the Staccato HD P4? Let us know in the comments below. Looking for more duty-centric guns? Check out our round-up of the Best Duty Weapons.