I’m not a big M1911 fan. Sure, they are fun and historic, but their high weight-to-low-capacity ratio makes them a fun gun to me. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a more modern take on the M1911’s strengths. The S&W CSX is essentially a mini-1911, but it doesn’t have the capacity problem. The S&W CSX is a micro-compact that uses SIG P365-inspired stacked and a half magazines.
The original CSX was a neat gun when it premiered in 2018, but it lagged behind the competition. It had some minor issues with a false-resetting trigger, no optics capability, and just didn’t strike the same chord as other S&Ws like the Shield Plus. S&W has re-released the CSX as the E-Series and introduced a new 3.6-inch model. I have my hands on the CSX E-Series with the 3.6-inch barrel, sent by S&W for test and review.
Getting the CSX E-Series In Hand
The CSX E-Series represents a mini, modernized M1911. The gun is a single-action-only, hammer-fired gun. It has an ambidextrous safety, an ambidextrous slide lock, and ditches the grip safety of the classic M1911. The CSX E-Series keeps the thin nature of the M1911 but shrinks everything to a more concealable platform.
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As far as I can tell, it’s the only all-metal, single-action-only, hammer-fired micro-compact on the market. The new E-Series comes with an optics cut that accommodates the Shield RMSc footprint optics, which is the standard for micro-compacts. My only complaint about the optic’s design is being forced to remove the rear sight to mount the optic.
The E-Series comes with three magazines. We get a flush-fitting 12-round magazine, a 15-round magazine, and a longer 17-round magazine. The CSX E-Series comes with an incredibly modular grip design. First, you can keep the original grip length, and each magazine comes with a spacer to attach to the magazine to form a longer grip.
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That’s fine, but I prefer a longer grip. My fingers pin the magazine in place when I go to reload. For guys like me, we get the option to swap the backstrap with a grip-length extension. This is perfect and makes the 15-round mag fit flush, and the 17-round pokes out just a hair. It doesn’t allow you to use the 12-round magazine, but that’s fine with me.
With the 3.6-inch model, I don’t mind a slightly larger magazine. If I were rocking maximum concealment with the 3.1-inch model, I’d keep the 12-rounder and deal with it.
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At the Range With the CSX E-Series
What I want from a 1911-like pistol is a fantastic trigger. I want my single-action pull to be light and crisp. That’s what I get with the CSX E-Series. It’s a flat-faced trigger with a trigger safety dingus. The trigger has some take-up, then a crisp pull with a great break. It’s short, which makes it easy to pull fast.
I could pull this trigger fast and deliver multiple rounds on target extremely fast. Hitting double taps in less than a second with just a few inches between impacts was easy. I shot a few 10-10-10 drills and hit them in less than six seconds, with all of my shots in the black.
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I nailed IPSC-sized steel at 50 yards more than I missed, and could do this fairly quickly, and I credit this accuracy to the great trigger and extended grip. That longer grip allows for better recoil control and accuracy. For a more standardized test, I was able to fire five rounds into a two-inch group at ten yards.
For a small, concealable pistol, that is more than accurate enough for me. The meager 9mm doesn’t create any substantial recoil. The gun remains easy to shoot quickly with good effect on target.
Bite The Hand
Ergonomically, the controls are quite nice. The safety is large and easy to reach. The ambi design is a nice touch. The slide release is dinky, but it sits far enough forward that my thumb doesn’t press it down while shooting. This makes reloads easy and quick.
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The grip texture is that M&P aggressive, hand-gripping type. It’s beastly and clings to your hand. It’s placed in panels around the grip, and while there is a lot to grip, I do wish the entire grip were coated with this texture. It helps keep the gun positioned in my hand with minimal movement during recoil.
Where I run into problems is with slide bite. It hits my big hands hard. A few hundred rounds in, and I’m bleeding. This is fairly common for me with small guns, and I’ve come to accept it. Luckily, slide bite never induced any failures.
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Speaking of, the gun eats and eats without a problem. My primary testing ammo is Academy’s cheapest steel-cased stuff, and it cycled through it all without a problem. The gun extracts, ejects, and feeds flawlessly.
What’s Old Is New
The CSX E-Series is here to stay. S&W polished the platform and delivered a gun that’s reliable, easy to shoot, accurate, and very capable. The E-Series platform is packed with updates needed for the original CSX. It’s now a top contender in the micro market that offers something a little different than the polymer-frame, striker-fired masses.
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