9mm Revolvers, Sig P320 M18 and Staccato Pistols – Gunslinger Radio 02/21/26

[0:15] Welcome and California Political Landscape

Jeff kicks things off with a quick nod to a Chad Bianca event he attended over the weekend out at Silver Lakes, a big facility somewhere between Norco and Eastvale. He was not expecting the turnout, but the crowd pulled in from twelve different counties. The message he came away with is straightforward: the people who sit home grumbling that no Republican can win in California are the same ones who never make a phone call or cast a vote. Winners get off the couch. Quitters stay put and complain.

If the Democrats run their expected ticket, the choice on that side looks like Gavin Newsom or Rob Bonta, the current California Attorney General and the man responsible for pushing a steady stream of firearms legislation through Sacramento. Neither option excites the crowd. Jeff encourages listeners to get on the phone, reach out to contacts in the Tehachapi Pass area, Bakersfield, and anywhere else they can find like-minded folks, and make the effort count before the fight is already lost.

[1:55] John in Maryland: 9mm Revolvers and the Smith and Wesson Model 547

John calls in from Maryland looking for a modern 9mm revolver without an internal lock. His first choice would have been a Smith and Wesson Model 547, the 9mm wheelgun Smith produced from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, but those have been off the market for decades. He is also considering the Alfa Proj AL-9, a Czech-made 9mm revolver sold in the United States through Armscor.

Jeff explains that California’s approved handgun roster makes this a trickier conversation on the West Coast. Guns that have not gone through the California Department of Justice approval process cannot be sold through a California dealer as new handguns. Armscor has had product on the roster before, and Jeff characterizes their revolvers as bottom-end acceptable: not the finest iron in the case, but functional for the price. The Kimber K6s comes up as a step up in quality, a solid double-action only revolver chambered in .357 Magnum that would also digest .38 Special, though at a noticeably higher price point than the Armscor offering.

For John’s actual mission, the best bet is GunBroker or Guns America. Used Smith and Wesson Model 547 revolvers do move through the secondary market, and a patient buyer willing to search can usually find one. Maryland’s gun laws continue to tighten, which John confirms, noting the state is trending toward the same restrictive posture as California and a dozen or so other states.

[4:26] Kent in Wickenburg, Arizona: Sig Sauer P320 M18

Kent calls from Wickenburg asking about the Sig Sauer P320 M18. The M18 is the compact-carry variant of the P320 that won the U.S. military’s Modular Handgun System contract alongside the full-size M17. The M18 runs a shorter barrel and grip than the M17 and ships in Coyote Tan with a rail and manual safety, matching the military specification.

Jeff is a P320 man himself, carrying the 365 XL on his hip during the broadcast. He also recently picked up the P320 Legion, a variant with a heavier stainless steel grip module designed to reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise, and he plans to run it at the range the next morning. Sig’s Legion series represents their premium tier, with enhanced triggers, tungsten-infused grip modules, and X-Ray tritium night sights as standard.

The P320 had some high-profile drop-safety concerns in earlier production, and Jeff addresses it plainly: the military and law enforcement agencies that investigated concluded the reported incidents were user-induced rather than a true mechanical defect. Sig has since updated the fire control unit across the entire P320 line. Either way, Jeff’s position is that Sig is top drawer and that any remaining concerns are well behind the company at this point.

Kent mentions the Mantis X training system that mounts to the magazine baseplate, which the crew confirms works well for tracking trigger discipline and shot process without burning through ammunition. A caller had mentioned it earlier in the broadcast, and Kent picks up the thread. For competitive shooters and folks running dry-fire programs, the Mantis X is a practical tool.

The conversation drifts toward the Sig X5 Legion, their dedicated competition pistol built around the P320 platform. Jeff just took delivery of a couple at the Azusa store and handled one. He reports 50 percent reduction in muzzle flip and a trigger pull roughly 30 percent lighter than the standard P320. He predicts that will be the gun Kent actually wants once he puts hands on it. Price runs around a thousand dollars, which puts it in the same territory as purpose-built competition guns from other manufacturers.

[7:28] Staccato Pistols and the Business of Letting Go

Jeff shares a story about almost buying a Staccato that came through the store. A police officer friend of his had purchased one but found the grip a touch too blocky for his hand, so he put it up for sale through Gunslinger. Jeff wanted it. A customer walked in an hour later and bought it before Jeff could make the call. He let it go rather than pulling it off the floor for himself, because business comes before personal acquisition, and that discipline is part of why the operation stays healthy.

He eventually did land a Staccato compact and a full-size, most likely the P model, and both will be going to the range the next morning alongside the P320 Legion. He offers to run a side-by-side comparison between the Staccato and the Sig X5 Legion and report back the following week. Staccato builds on the 2011 double-stack platform, which gives you 1911 ergonomics and trigger geometry with a higher-capacity magazine and a more modern frame. For shooters who grew up on single-stack 1911s but want the capacity, it is a compelling option.

[8:40] Chad Bianca Event Recap and Closing

Jeff circles back to the Bianca fundraiser. He went as a sponsor, which got him a little closer to the front of the line. When he finally reached Bianca, he introduced himself as Jeff from Gunslinger Radio and got a bear hug in return. Bianca confirmed he would come back on the show anytime, and Jeff notes that a candidate who does not forget the people who helped him get there is worth paying attention to.

The live entertainment was a Willie Nelson impersonator who Jeff initially mistook for a recording. Coming from a musician who has done vocal impressions of John Lennon, Elvis, and covered material from the Animals to the Zombies, that is a meaningful endorsement. The one note Jeff had was about the hat, but he kept that critique cordial.

The segment closes with a quick mention of a Donovan track Jeff dedicated to someone, a nod to his sister who received seven copies of the same Donovan album from different friends at Christmas in 1967, which gives you some measure of how big Donovan was in that moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources, Credibility, and Continuing the Conversation

The recommendations and observations herein rest on decades of hands-on experience: restorations, hunts, auctioneering, and studio conversation. Practical advice leans best when tempered by cautious humility – test gear, vet sellers, and keep learning from trusted elders in the trade.