First Impressions – Staccato’s HD P4.5

If you are unfamiliar with the Staccato brand of pistols, where have you been for the last several years? However, for the few of you this applies to, here is a brief back story:

There once was a Texas-based company that focused on making competition pistols – they were known as STI (Strayer Tripp International). They also had at least one government contract involving the manufacture of a double-stack .40S&W caliber 5″ barreled version of their 2011 for a Department of Defense special mission unit.

 

In 2019, they rebranded to Staccato and began focusing on pistols for duty use. Their first offering was the P – a 4.15″ barreled, double-stack 9mm descendant of their 2011s. That pistol was traditionally designed, meaning it was right-hand friendly. It came with an ambidextrous thumb safety, a grip safety with a bump, and more. There was a DUO variant that was optics-friendly.

I bought one as a retirement gift to myself.

From the P Model, Staccato began to evolve and adjust its line over time. They have produced several models, some of which have been retired.

Their 2011 offering has spawned several other similar products from various manufacturers. I covered one of those here.

STI’s 

As someone who is cursed with shorter-than-usual fingers, the frame/grip size was right at the limit of my hands. Fortunately, the after-market community stepped in and began offering frame reductions.

The other thing I noticed with the P I bought was that the rear-most area of the thumb safety was not profiled. That created discomfort during extended-range sessions. Numerous other shooters voiced a similar concern.

Third, there was concern about the reliability of the magazines. Their cost was also a concern. However, some of this was a carry-over from the STI era.

One Other Concern

There were many complaints about the grip safety. How much of that was because of an unfamiliarity with its operations? Or because they had come from striker-fired pistols without one? Regardless of the cause, I saw several shooters taping down the grip safety, rather than learning how to use it correctly.

I carried a 1911 for over twenty years as a deputy working patrol, gang enforcement, and narcotics. That model was my choice for classes and matches as well. I learned early on how to use both the thumb and grip safeties.

Evolution

While all this was happening, Staccato was working on a significant evolution of their pistols.

Prior to SHOT 2025, information began leaking out that they had a new design coming. As people began packing for SHOT, Staccato released a video talking about the new pistol. The longer I watched it, the more interested I became.

Staccato’s co-CEO, Buck Pierson, was the primary speaker on the video. He spoke at length about the input that led to the development of the new gun – the HD P4 and P4.5. The design and development were covered, too.

Some of that input from various military and law enforcement entities included a more left-handed-friendly design, one that accommodated left-handers rather than working against them. A more reliable and far less expensive magazine, specifically the ubiquitous Glock 9mm magazine.

Finally, several end users requested the removal of the grip safety. It is a vestigial legacy item that was there because cavalrymen (not infantrymen) wanted it on the 1911 pistol.

SHOT

There was a significant level of enthusiasm for the HD pistols at SHOT this year. I did not even try to get hands-on with one until Thursday – the crowd was too deep.

Once I was able to examine a couple of display models, I quickly reached out to inquire about getting one for a review.

 

Initial Thoughts

While I really appreciate the ambidextrous models on the market, I am not always successful when manipulating the slide stop/release on the right side of the frame. That is not the case when the HD P4.5. Its longer slide stop is easy to depress with my right thumb after seating a magazine. And I can depress the one on the left side with my trigger.

The ambidextrous thumb safety is both positive and well-executed, yet easy to take off and put back on. The rear of mine is rounded and profiled, which addresses an earlier complaint.

There were three (3) MecGar Glock-pattern magazines in the case when I picked it up.

The removal of the grip safety no doubt contributed to what feels like a thinner frame. That also removes an area of concern with some shooters.

First Range Session

Before mounting an optic, I wanted to get it to the range. It was a 100-round session using Blazer Brass 124-grain ball. There were no ammunition-related stoppages, which I wouldn’t have expected.

The sights are very visible (without an optic) but do not appear to be suppressor height. The rear sight is pinned into the slide immediately behind the breech face, ahead of the optic cut.

I did not encounter any issues with the MecGar magazines. However, one of the older 17-round 9mm Glock magazines did not lock the slide to the rear when the magazine was empty.

Even though it was only a few slide-lock reloads, I was able to send the slide forward with both slide stops without issue. So, both the support thumb and the trigger finger were able to reach and depress the slide stop without issue.

For Now

This review is just getting started, so these are not final thoughts by any means. I’m intrigued with the process that led to this gun hitting the market. And I’m encouraged by what I’ve experienced in dry practice and very minimal live fire.