It’s always exciting to hear about a new ten millimeter being introduced to the market. The 10 Auto is a cartridge with a troubled past and has had quite the uphill battle since its introduction in the 80’s. These days it seems as though every major manufacturer is offering a version of their more popular sidearms for this potent round and Sig is no exception. In fact, the X-Ten is their second 10mm handgun. As a very happy owner of the earlier P220-10 and a big fan of the big ten, I was very intrigued by the X-Ten’s announcement.
As a reviewer, guns like the X-Ten put me in a peculiar situation as it isn’t so easy to write details for what is essentially “the same, only different.” The P320, its host platform, is everywhere. They’re insanely popular. Aftermarket support has exploded for the series. Unlike the P365 which is its own animal, the X-Ten is simply an upscaled P320. If you’re familiar with the P320 then you’re already familiar with the X-Ten. It’s a little bigger and heavier by necessity but the grip angle and texturing, the ergos, the controls, they’re all the same stuff.
As with the other P320’s it has a reversible triangular shaped magazine release, an ambi slide catch, no manual or external safeties, and a left side disassembly lever. Being a part of the “X” family, the X-Ten is optics ready. As Sig seems to be doing lately the pistol comes with a flat faced trigger, however the X-Ten is fortunately compatible with all other P320 triggers and there’s no shortage of options should you want to do some parts swapping.
There is a catch with the new X-Ten, however. Because of the necessary bump up in scale there are many parts which are not compatible. The fire control unit, the serialized component of the gun, had to grow in size to fit bigger bullets seated in bigger magazines and thus will not slot into 9mm, .40, or .357 sized frames. Now, here’s the part which might stir up some questions. I have read and seen online video reviews where others state the X-Ten is compatible with .45 ACP frames. However, I have been told straight from an official Sig Representative that they are, in fact, not compatible. The X-Ten uses its very own grip module.
The X-Ten is a sizable piece of hardware with some notable and expected weight up front but when loaded with a full magazine the balance works out quite nicely. Despite its large profile it nicely fits the hand. The trigger has the same feeling as any X-series P320 which I’ve handled which to me is perfectly serviceable but leaves a bit to be desired as far as crispness goes.
The flush fit magazines do indeed hold fifteen rounds but in my quite new example the last round was extremely difficult to load. I had to double-check that it wasn’t a 14 round mag, it was suuuuper tight.
Anyone who has fired a 10mm, and more of a proper 10mm load rather than the .40 S&W power level, will know how much force you’re dealing with. As physics dictate, the more force which you’re pushing down the barrel the more force you’ll be getting sent back into your hands. Metal framed 10’s do a great job of soaking up some of this energy (and even more so with a nice Hogue overmold rubber grip!) When putting the same energy through a lighter polymer framed handgun, you’re going to notice it. You’re going to notice it a lot. The X-Ten is no exception here, you’ll want a strong hold and would be forgiven for wanting to wear gloves. There’s enough recoil that I start to feel bad for the frame!
If, and this is only an IF, Sig decides to release the X-Ten as a Legion model, I suspect the tungsten infused frame would add just the right amount of mass to really help smooth out the shooting experience in this platform. Here’s hoping they introduce one someday, the X-Ten seems like a perfect candidate.
Oh, and speaking about the frame… For me the X-Ten has one nasty little flaw, albeit one which a Dremel and a touch of sandpaper could fix. The shape of the X-Series frame has a small raised ledge around where the thumb joint is. On a 9mm this probably passes most people by without notice. On a 10mm this tiny ledge will ruin your day. Where I can comfortably run a box of fifty rounds through my P220-10, with the X-Ten I had to stop after only a few shots. Do note that my hands aren’t super tough but I’ve heard that someone else who owns an X-Ten had rounded down this ledge for his own comfort.
On a more technical matter, there’s the matter of ammo compatibility. While being developed the X-Ten was designed to accept any and all manner of 10mm ammo you can throw at it…but I’m told there’s a slight exception here. Some of the more specialized loads available, the ones with super heavy hard cast lead bullets, have a COAL, or cartridge overall length, which is ever so slightly too long to reliably cycle in the X-Ten. This aside, I was assured the gun itself was built to last and is perfectly comfortable running the properly hot stuff. For most shooters in most applications this won’t be anything to worry about.
My feelings of the X-Ten overall are a bit mixed, although I’ve come to discover this is the norm for me whenever I try out any 10mm in a polymer framed handgun. The same feeling holds true for the 10mm Springfield XD-m, the Smith & Wesson M&P, and every model of Glock in this caliber. If you’re comfortable with the way any of these guns handle then you’ll know what to expect with the X-Ten and can make a decision based upon features and ergos.
The X-Ten’s build quality is certainly up to snuff with flawless machining and a proper feeling of substance in the hand. If I was in the market for this manner of firearm then the X-Ten would rank at the top of the class. Purely from a shooting perspective I’d much rather drop half of the capacity and increase the overall mass and keep my P220-10 with a wraparound rubber grip. I just wouldn’t want to be stuck carrying it in a holster.
