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In September of 2023 I stumbled upon the Ermox X-Fire and was intrigued. A manufacturer I hadn't heard of before, making an all-metal striker-fired pistol that incorporated a couple common parts from the Glock 19; namely barrel, recoil assembly, and magazine. The design was interesting, quality good, but most intriguing was the low price.
I had some points I'd like to see improved upon the X-Fire, but otherwise really enjoyed the gun. I began talks with the manufacturer about future products and what the future might hold for the US market. That future included a partnership with Fusion Firearms in Florida who also had some ideas about the gun. Fusion Firearms also became the importer of the XP Pro double stack 1911 that we saw at IWA Classics 2024.
What Is It? The Fusion Firearms XF Pro is a compact, all-metal, striker-fired 9mm pistol that improves upon the Ermox X-Fire design. The XF Pro is a collaboration between the two companies with most of the manufacturing being done by Ermox, though my receiver is only marked by Fusion Firearms which suggests the legal "firearm" is being made in the United States.
What's New and why does it cost more? The partnership between Fusion Firearms and Ermox has resulted in some of the changes I, and I'm sure others wanted in the X-Fire. Namely in enhancements to ergonomics and the trigger. The original model had a trigger heavy enough to retard performance more than neccessary, especially for less-experienced shooters. The XF PRO has lightened and smoothed that trigger pull to make it easier for the average shooter to enjoy.
Another big one was a fix to the tail end of the receiver above the tang. By adding a slight beaver tail a pressure point on the hand was rounded to reduce fatigue and impact felt by larger-handed shooters. Additionally, a left-side thumb rest was added and right-side textured memory point.
Adding that thumb ledge to an aluminum frame means beginning with a larger block of aluminum and a lot more machining (plus the extra length for the beaver tail). That combined with the now aluminum grip pannels (compared to the earlier plastic pannels) makes for a more expensive gun to make. I still find the pricing to be a great deal considering other makes will sell a pistol with a squirted-plastic frame for the same price or higher. Amazingly, I did not find a notable difference in slide mass between the old and new styling and and cuts. If you enjoyed the soft shooting of the original, you'll not be left wanting with this update.
Who's It For? This question still remains from the X-Fire. At 26.5oz the XF Pro is a bit on the heavy side for many to carry, while the compact size makes it a bit small for competition use. That doesn't mean it couldn't serve either role, just that it's not specialized for any particular role. The XF Pro is a great range gun, and could also serve as a house gun. I'd also suggest that the soft-shooting nature and simple operation might make it a good fit for newer shooters.
NOT A GLOCK CLONE: This is a point I've been trying to hammer home since the X-Fire, and thankfully Fusion Firearms has put it in writing. There are four parts that interhcange with Glock, the rest are unique to the XF Pro. If you catch media calling it a Glock clone take that as an indicator that they may not know what they're talking about.
Take a Look at the Fusion Firearms XF Pro in the tabletop video below. Rumble link used as YouTube has proven itself to not be a safe place for journalism. Note that there are three colorway options. My sample is "Bronze & Black".
Specifications
CALIBER: 9MM
SLIDE: Pro Serrations | Pro Vents | Tennifer Finished
RECOIL SYSTEM: Full Metal Glock® Compatible
WEIGHT: 26.5 oz / 1.66 lbs
PATENT: Pending
COLOR: Black & Bronze
GRIP: 2 Aluminum (Bronze Camo & Black Included)
FRAME: Aluminum | Tactical Rail | Sure Grip Checkering | Thumb Rest
OVERALL LENGTH: 7.29 Inches
MATERIALS: Bar-Stock
BARREL: 4" Fluted Glock® Compatible (Bronze PVD)
SIGHTS: Fixed Combat | RMR Ready| RMR Plate With Cowitness Sights Included
MAGAZINES: Glock® Compatible | (2) 15-round Magazines
TRIGGER: 4.5 lbs Flat Face
The Fusion Firearms XF Pro comes with the kit pictured above, including some more-subtle black aluminum grip pannels and two optics plates labeled with the compatible optic makers including Trijicon, Truglo, Meopta, Docter, Insight, and Vortex, however not which specific footprints.
As promised in the tabletop video, above is an image of the contents of the handy cleaning kit included with the Fusion Firearms XF Pro.
Of course it's not a real review unless the same protocol and standards are applied equally to all firearms. Anything else would just be an advertisement. This is why we have the GBGuns Range Protocol including:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up, no practice.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.
Multi-Mag: Because the Fusion XF Pro accepts Glock-pattern magazines it's important to get an idea of which of-the-many aftermarket magazines fit and function. This is just a sample size of one, but can help point us in the right direction. For the XF Pro magazines from BUL Armory, Go-Safe, Derya Arms, Factory Glock, Jagermann, Extar USA, Mec-Gar, and TorkMag.
What's For Dinnerâ„¢: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun the following ammunition was used:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
50gr +p Liberty Ammunition Civil Defense $28.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
100gr Fiocchi Frangible $35.29 / 50 at Optics Planet
115gr Sig 365 $19.99 / 20 direct from Sig
115gr Hornady American Gunner JHP $18.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
115gr Specialty Cartridge Elite Defense From Atlanta Arms (unavailable)
124gr PMC SFX $22.07 / 50 at Target Sports USA
124gr Federal HST $25.99 / 20 from KYGunCo
135gr Hornady Critical Duty $30.49 / 25 at Optics Planet
147gr Fiocchi Defense Dynamics $20.36 / 50 at Global Ordnance
150gr S&B FMJ $12.87 / 50 at Target Sports USA
165gr AMMO, Inc. /stelTH/ $30.69 / 50 at Ammunition Depot
Standard range ammunition was PMC Bronze 115gr FMJ $229 / 1000 at Target Sports USA
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of the shooting experience and time for to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
See the process yourself from my very first shot as I explore the Fusion Firearms XF Pro in the Shooting Impressions video below.
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
On the range I quickly came to enjoy the enhanced ergonomics and trigger. The X-Fire had great potential, the XF Pro realizes more of that potential. As so many of us are rediscovering, the heavier the non-reciprocating mass is relative to the reciprocating mass, the softer shooting the gun feels. Aluminum may only add a couple ounces over polymer, but it's a noticable difference.
The gun still feels a bit broader in hand than most, but that surface area is also what permits more grip and distributes recoil sensation all the more. Especially when combined with the under-powered 150gr and 165gr loads it hardly feels like a 9mm.
With the X-Fire I recommended the gun as a fun semi-oddity, but now that we have a US company standing behind it, the XF Pro is something to seriously consider, especially if you're looking for something to spend more range time with, use to introduce newer shooters, or simply are tired of basic plastic guns, but don't want to give up inexpensive and readily-available magazines.
Most barrel coatings I've seen wear off at a disappointingly quick rate. The above image is of the barrel from my XF Pro after filming the range review and a quick wipe down. I see no finish wear. It's nice to have a nice=looking part remain nice looking after use.