SIG Sauer 1911X .45 ACP Semi-Automatic Handgun Review

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Sig Sauer's New 1911X (w/ROMEO-X Compact Red Dot Sight) INSIDER Range Report

There are undoubtedly varying opinions on who has had the greatest impact on design and engineering. The list of innovators is long and fills a spectrum of arenas, but for me, one name stands above everyone else. John Moses Browning with his 128 firearm patents on over 100 different firearms has made a world-changing impact.

Why The 1911 Lives On

While innovative, one of the main characteristics of his designs is longevity. Many are still used and being built today for both consumers and the military. None is more ubiquitous than the 1911. This is the pistol that fought in two World Wars, countless military operations, fought against gangsters and lawmen, as well as won international glory on the firing lines in multitudes of shooting disciplines. This gun is as popular today as it was over a century ago. One thing that has changed in the 1911 is an evolution in manufacturing and fine-tuning design. To see an example of that, you need to look no further than Sig Sauer with their new 1911 X.

Sig Sauer’s New 1911X Marks The Spot

The Sig Sauer 1911X guns are stainless steel, .45 ACP hammer-fired pistols with an optics-ready 1911X slide, X-RAY3 Day/Night sights, a serrated flat trigger, custom engraved and checkered G10 grips, extended slide release and ambidextrous safety levers, and each ship with two 8-round steel magazines. The pistols are available in the 1911-XCARRY and 1911-XFULL sizes in either black or coyote tan; both sizes offer the option of a factory-installed ROMEO-X red dot optic. The 1911-XFULL is now shipping to dealers, with Carry models expected to start shipping summer of 2024.

Specs On The ROMEO-X Compact Sight

The 1911X ROMEO-X models feature a factory-installed ROMEO-X red-dot sight from SIG SAUER Electro-Optics; the optics are crafted from 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum featuring machined anti-reflection grooves on shooter-facing surfaces with distortion-free aspheric glass and a patent-pending Beryllium Copper flexure-arm adjustment system. The ROMEO-X incorporates a high-efficiency point source red LED emitter with 2 MOA dot / 32 MOA circle reticle, side independent brightness adjustment buttons, 15 brightness settings including night vision settings, and a side-mounted CR1632 battery compartment with a threaded battery cap so the optic does not need to be removed from the pistol for battery changes.

Additionally, the ROMEO-X offers a low deck height for standard-height iron sight co-witness, has a minimum continuous runtime of 20,000 hours at a medium brightness setting, and utilizes MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination), MAGNETAC (Magnetic Activation), and D.A.R.C (Dark Adaptive Reticles & Coatings) technologies.

Range Tests With The Sig Sauer 1911-XFULL

The fit and finish on the 1911 XFULL (with the ROMEO-X Compact) are exactly what gun owners expect from Sig. Coming in at 42 ounces, it has heft but is not a boat anchor. I like that it is chambered in .45ACP, or more accurately, God’s caliber. While I love 1911s in 9mm, there is something classic about the .45 ACP. The ROMEO optic was a solid addition to the gun. While some may say it is blasphemous, the truth is that it improves the gun. If red dot optics had been around in the days of Browning, I believe he would have mounted them on his gun. Yes, I said that.

The aesthetic of the pistol has a very Sig Sauer P320 vibe to it with the cuts. While still obviously a classic 1911, you can see some design similarities. I took time to confirm zero on the optic and was pleasantly surprised to find it already dialed in.

Accuracy Analysis

I ran a spectrum of ammunition, but the 1911X ROMEO-X seemed to prefer the Black Hills 230-grain jacketed hollow point. It gave me a 1.5-inch group at 25 yards. Every variety of ammo I ran functioned well. In the 400 rounds I ran that day I had no malfunctions. The only hiccup I experienced was a failure to have the slide lock back when the gun ran dry. The magazines seem to be well made, but after trying another brand of magazine it functioned fine. I have had colleagues who have run this gun with the supplied mage with no issue, so I am chalking it up to a mag issue with my gun. While the gun ran fine and was accurate, I would have liked to see a little more attention spent on the trigger. On my gauge, it measured at 5.5 pounds consistently. Other than that, I enjoyed shooting the 1911X ROMEO-X.

Sig has built a reputation with new guns and the 1911X ROMEO-X falls in line with that. “America has a love affair with the 1911; the platform has a rich history that has withstood the test of time,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, Sig Sauer, Inc. “The 1911X honors the standard and delivers innovation and ingenuity to the platform. The pistols are available in carry and full-size, come optic-ready, have a smooth flat trigger, and are loaded with feature-rich upgrades straight from the factory.”

For more information on the new XFULL model, please visit sigsauer.com

Specifications: Sig Sauer 1911X XFULL ROMEO-X

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action: Single Action

Barrel: 5 inches

OA Length: 8.7 inches

Weight: 42 ounces (empty)

Grips: Black G10

Sights: P-Series XRAY3 Day/Night Sights

Finish: Stainless Nitron (Coyote PVD available)

Capacity: 8 + 1