Savage Arms was another company that decided to buck the high-capacity trend with its new compact pistol, the Stance. Available with or without a manual safety, the Stance is a striker-fired pistol and, with its relatively low MSRP of $561, it has quite a bit going for it. The pistol ships with a flush-fitting, seven-round magazine as well as a an eight-round magazine with an extended baseplate.
The slide is “ported” at the front serrations to provide additional traction for press-checking if desired, and the slide features a hearty nitride finish for excellent protection against corrosion. The sights are a low-profile design that include a U-notch rear sight with two white dots and a front sight with a painted, orange dot for solid contrast.
Down low, the frame incorporates an ambi slide stop/release as well as an ambidextrous magazine release that’s generously textured and sized. The grip texturing is very nicely done as well, offering a good bit of tackiness without being overly aggressive. The grip frame houses a modular trigger chassis system that is considered the “firearm.” Theoretically, it can be swapped out to a different frame if Savage decides to manufacture differently sized frames in the future.
Despite its relatively low capacity, the Stance got some very positive feedback about the trigger. Though not best in class, it was still a fairly clean pull with a decent break, especially for its price point. A couple of the guys commented on the comfortable grip and how well the pistol soaked up felt recoil. One of the evaluators, Addison, said if he had to choose between the Stance and a S&W Shield Plus, he would pick the Stance.
A couple of the shooters liked the sight arrangement, especially the high-visibility orange dot up front, though that may wear off in future since it’s painted. Time will tell in that regard. All in all, the Stance was well received by everyone. It didn’t exactly break new ground, but it was still a very competent offering that offered a lot of features and value for the money.
