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For more than six years now I've openly been a fan of Grand Power pistols. Complete and truly-ambidextrous controls, a rotating barrel system that seems to knock recoil down by a caliber (making 9mm feel like .380 for example), and an internal steel chassis that makes for an incredible crisp trigger are just some of the reasons I've had Grand Power pistols not just in my range bag, but also on my hip for years. If this sounds familiar, you've like seen one of the dozens of videos we have on Grand Power in its own video playlist.
SEE CURRENT GRAND POWER LISTINGS HERE
One of the models I hadn't yet tried was the K100 X-Trim. I carried a K100 for a couple of years until the trigger had worn so finely that the single action became a bit too crisp for what I felt comfortable carrying. I retired that gun to my collection and picked up a decocker model so I could have a heavier, longer first-shot pull for safety. The skeletonized-slide and fluted, bull-barrel XCalibur (old video) was my first Grand Power, so the X-Trim looked like a nice blend of the two models.
Specs from Grand Power's website are:
Trigger pull weight: 20-25N / 35-40N
Overall length: 202,5 mm (7.97")
Height without magazine: 133,5 mm (5.24")
Width: 36 mm (1.4")
Barrel length: 108 mm (4.25")
Weight w empty magazine: 790 g (27.86oz)
Weight w/o magazine: 680 g (23.98oz)
Standard magazine capacity: 15
We of course had high expectations of how the gun would do on the range. 14 other Grand Power guns couldn't be all fluke-good guns right? The X-Trim's three main differences from a standard K100 include: A fiber-optic front and blacked out rear sight, deeper rear slide serrations and lightening cuts on the front of the slide (reduces slide weight slightly less than one ounce), and an enlarged magazine release on the left side of the pistol. Would these three simple changes make a difference?
If I hadn't run the X-Trim and standard K100 side by side for the slow motion I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference, but the X-Trim is a smoother shooter. The sights might be enhancing the experience, but the gun felt smoother. In the slow motion footage you can see a slight edge. Is it a huge difference? No, but it is noticeable. So much that I might just take the slide from the X-Trim and slap it on the frame of my decocker K100.
If you're on the fence about a Grand Power I'd say the X-Trim is worth seeking out, if you haven't shot a Grand Power before the difference isn't quite enough to worry about. It's sort of like if you've only driven a 90's Honda (let's say a stock Gen 3 Glock) then any Porsche will feel amazing, but if you've driven lots of nice cars then you might want a specific model of Porsche.