VALUE FOR MONEY
At a current Street Price of $129.99, the SIG P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is selling at a similar price to many other high-quality, BB-firing replicas. It’s a new introduction, but the price definitely seems competitive for the functionality and level of realism offered.
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SIG Sauer P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback Pistol 0.177
REALISM – LOOKS AND FEEL
The SIG P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a remarkably realistic version of the P320 XCARRY RX. Length, width, height and weight are all identical – or almost – to the centerfire original.
Thanks to Rodd Rambo – SIG Air’s Assistant Product Manager – for clearly explaining where this model sits in the company’s bewildering range of P320 centerfire models…
“The XSERIES in the P320 is the variant with the enhanced polymer grip module that has more ergonomic features over the standard P320 such as the deep trigger guard undercut.” Rodd explained.
“It also features an extended beavertail and more aggressive stippling as well as being equipped with the flat trigger and coming standard with an optics ready slide. The “Carry” refers to the size of the gun in that configuration, so the “XCARRY” is the size in-between the “XCOMPACT” and “XFULL”.
HAM Tester Doug Wall commented “Very realistic in size, looks and weight.” in his testing notes.
SIG sets high standards both throughout the organization and in its products. It’s clear that this is the most realistic pellet pistol that they have introduced to date. It’s thus ideally-suited for the training role that the company sees as a key value proposition for its airgun products.
The overall appearance of the sights is very realistic. It’s true that that sights do not offer the night vision capability of the centerfire version. However, that’s a very small difference and one that’s expected in a CO2 replica.
As with the P320 RX series firearms, the SIG P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is designed for easy installation of a reflex optic.
The SIG AIR Reflex Sight is a close copy of the centerfire ROMEO2 red dot optic. It’s supplied with mounting plates for both airgun and airsoft versions. The result is a very neat, integrated solution, as we can see below.
ACCURACY AND POINT OF IMPACT
While the P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol tested by HAM met our “minute of soda can” accuracy guide at 6 Yards range, it definitely shot low and left. As both front and rear open sights are non-adjustable, that means that the owner will need to learn to compensate when aiming.
The SIG AIR Reflex Sight is a huge asset to the X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. This is the answer to matching the point of impact to the point of aim.
It provides elevation and windage adjustment capability, combined with multi-brightness control of the projected red dot. It’s delightfully small and light and makes accurate shooting the X-Carry so much more enjoyable!
Installing the SIG Reflex Sight requires that the existing rear iron sights and the sight plate they’re attached-to be removed. This is not difficult to do: the instructions in the on-line manual are clear, precise and make it easy to follow-along.
Of course the SIG Reflex Sight is an additional cost option. However it’s one that many will want for their X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol.
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
The major claim for the P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is that it represents a well-nigh exact version of the P320 XCARRY RX 9mm firearm. It certainly does!
Because of this similarity, it can be used as a training tool by owners of the P320 firearm. Again, as claimed by the manufacturer.
As this is an airgun, there’s the inevitable specification for Muzzle Velocity. SIG claims a maximum of 350 FPS for the P320 X-Carry BB pistol.
The highest velocity achieved in HAM testing was an average of 328 FPS average for 10-shot strings with both Crosman Copperhead and Avanti BBs. This included a first shot as high as 360 FPS.
As always, the projectile velocity attained by CO2-powered airguns varies with temperature. It increases by about 2 FPS per degree Farenheit increase.
As HAM testing was undertaken at a cool 60 degrees F, this means that the 328 FPS average we recorded would be as high as 388 FPS at a 90 degree ambient temperature. That comfortably exceeds the manufacturer’s claims!
SIG further claims that between 50 and 60 shots can be made using one, 12 Gram CO2 cartridge. As you will read below, HAM Tester Doug Wall achieved 60 shots.
CONSISTENCY
The P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol tested by HAM displayed fair consistency. Accuracy was quite similar with all the standard HAM test BBs at 6 Yards.
As with any CO2-powered airgun, the X-Carry shoots slower and slower throughout the string. The slowing of successive shots is fairly predictable. Standard Deviation (the measure of shot-to-shot FPS variability in a string) was quite satisfactory for a BB gun at an average of 15.09 FPS throughout the test.
However, trigger pull weight was somewhat inconsistent. It varied from a minumum recorded pull of 7 Lb 13 Oz to a peak of 9 Lb 9 Oz.
Although this was a wide spread, it was not sufficient to cause issues with shooting the pistol.
REALISM – TRIGGER AND ACTION
In HAM testing, the trigger pull of the P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol was quite smooth. However, the sample tested by HAM also had a trigger pull weight that varied considerably about its 8 Lbs 10 Oz average.
This average trigger pull weight is well above the specs for the firearms version. Centerfire models typically have a trigger pull weight in the 5.5 – 6 Lbs range.
The safety lever is ambidextrous, functioning correctly from both sides of the gun. This is an improvement on some previous SIG CO2-powered pistols, which had the safety operable on one side only.
Safety operation was smooth and effective under test.
The blowback action is easy to field strip in a manner similar to that of the firearm version. This can be useful for cleaning, jam removal or – more likely – just fun!
Another good feature of the X-Carry BB pistol is that the slide locks open after the last BB has been fired from the drop-free magazine. This is excellent and a feature that’s not present on many other semi-automatic BB pistols which allow the gun to be “blank fired” even when no BBs are left in the magazine.
That’s another feature which replicates the action of the firearm realistically.
SHOT COUNT
In HAM testing, the P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol achieved 60 shots from one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge. That was before the Muzzle Velocity dropped below 200 FPS.
60 shots per fill is slightly less than average for the blowback replica pistols tested by HAM. However, as is indicated in that story, there’s only a certain amount of energy contained in one 12 Gram CO2 cartridge.
CO2-powered airgun designers have to achieve many things with that fixed amount of gas. In the case of the X-Carry BB pistol, it’s likely that the requirement for the strong blowback capable of driving not only the slide, but also the reflex sight (if fitted) trumped FPS and shot count.
The HAM Team understand this and feels that the designers and product management team made some good calls in producing this air pistol.
MUZZLE VELOCITY
In the cool HAM test range, at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the X-Carry BB gun delivered an average Muzzle Velocity of 318 FPS across our standard range of test BBs.
This is pretty snappy performance compared to other blowback BB pistols and it’s definitely sufficient for the intended use of shredding paper targets and feral soda cans at ranges out to 10 Yards.
| BBs | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosman Copperhead 5.13 Grain | 328 FPS | 1.22 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. Best Tested. |
| Umarex Steel 5.29 Grain | 314 FPS | 1.16 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| ASG Blaster 5.32 Grain | 307 FPS | 1.11 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| Hornady Black Diamond 5.36 Grain | 312 FPS | 1.16 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
| Daisy Avanti 5.44 Grain | 328 FPS | 1.30 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
APPEARANCE AND FINISH
Overall appearance and finish of the P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol tested by HAM was outstanding!
The quality of the metal slide molding was very good and the finish uniform matt black.
The quality of the plastic frame molding was even better – in the HAM Team’s opinion. In particular, the quality of the molded stippling on the pistol grip was quite outstanding. (This is often a strong point of SIG CO2-powered replicas).
Another good feature is that the obligatory warning notices – “This is not a toy” etc – are printed very unobtrusively on the underside of the frame. This obviously complies with legal requirements while not offending the many CO2 replica buyers who find such warnings displayed in bold white text to be irritating and unrealistic.
BUYING AND OWNING
The P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is widely-available both online and in retail stores. So it’s easy to buy.
It’s supplied complete with a very substantial 1/4-Inch Allen wrench and a pack of steel BBs to get you started. (That’s even though SIG does not sell BBs as a separate item).
The warranty is for 6 months. This is longer than most other replica BB guns currently in the market. Another important maintenance point is that the valve is built into the drop-free magazine. This means that any valve problems can be rectified simply by replacement with a new magazine.
BB loading is through the top of the magazine. It’s analogous to loading cartridges into a centerfire magazine. There’s also a catch to hold the BB follower down without stripping a thumbnail!
However Doug Wall recommends holding a finger over the top of the magazine when releasing the follower after loading with BBs. He says that keeps the BBs from flying out. (That sounds like the result of personal experience!)
Finally a point that may – or may not – concern you. The X-Carry is supplied with a single-sheet “CO2 airgun safety guide”. In order to obtain an operator’s manual, you have to download it from the company website.
However, it’s worth making the effort because the online manual is very well written and illustrated. All documentation is in English only.
SAFETY FIRST. As with all BB-firing airguns, it’s necessary to wear shooting glasses when firing this airgun. Also do not shoot at hard surfaces or water. BBs tend to bounce off these surfaces and may hit you, or something other than what you intended. If in doubt, don’t pull the trigger! Due to the realistic appearance of this product, handle it as you would a firearm. Do not display it in public or in any place where it could be mistaken for a cartridge firearm.
5 YARD TEST TARGETS
10 YARD TEST TARGETS
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SIG Sauer P320 X-Carry CO2 Blowback Pistol 0.177
Sig Sauer Air Reflex Sight
This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.
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