The folks at Smith & Wesson have tried to keep things interesting over the years, and the new CSX is a prime example of that effort. Even though the Shield Plus fits well into the micro-compact niche, the CSX is another offering from the company to spice things up a bit. Rather than using a striker-fired system, the CSX uses a more traditional, hammer-fired, single-action-only system. Essentially, it is carried cocked and locked with the hammer back and the thumb safety engaged.
Another departure from the current micro-compact trend is the use of an aluminum-alloy frame rather than a polymer frame. However, the CSX does include interchangeable, polymer backstraps for a more custom fit to the user. The grip also includes a textured polymer front strap as well for better recoil control.
Supplied with a 10-round and a 12-round magazine, the CSX has an all-business appearance with its black Armornite finish. A simple set of white, three-dot sights sit on top with serrations on the top of the slide for a bit of elegance and to help mitigate glare. At the rear of the slide, there’s a set of EZ tabs, sort of like cocking ears to assist the user in manually racking the slide.
For its size, the controls on the CSX are ample and offer easy engagement. There’s an elongated slide stop as well as a reversible magazine release for a more universal approach. The thumb safety works well with a positive and snappy release, yet it is still fairly easy to activate the safety with a sweep of the thumb and without shifting the grip. There are even a set of well-crafted slide serrations at the front and the rear for a more confident interface for slide manipulation.
On most counts, the CSX is an impressive little pistol. I found the accuracy to be better than average and the reliability was exceptional with a variety of ammunition. But like some others, the Achilles heel for the CSX was the trigger. For an SAO pistol with a manual safety, the trigger pull was unnecessarily heavy with a mix of grittiness and mushiness.
The reset didn’t help matters any since it was a bit hinky. There was a false reset that could be felt in the trigger before the true reset occurred. This messed with most shooters who were trying to find a nice cadence for quick follow-up shots, though with enough practice, I’m sure it could be mastered. Another weak point for a couple of us was the slide bite that occurred with those who had bigger hands.
One strong selling point for the CSX is its relatively low MSRP of $609. Pistols with metal frames tend to be more expensive these days, so it’s nice to see Smith & Wesson trying something new while keeping the price more affordable for the average buyer.
