Grand Power X Calibur review

I've done that hammer/sear swap and it's not for the faint of heart lol. I had a friend with an X-Calibur who actually preferred the feel of the standard K100 trigger break so I swapped his hammer & sear into my K100 and put my K100 hammer/sear into his X-Calibur. You can see the difference in the hammer/sears below.

X-Calibur hammer/sear on top, the K100 set is on the bottom
View attachment 61577

If you are not swapping between guns, you will need some extra parts to install the X-Calibur hammer/sear in to the the X-Trim. The sear spring is different and there's an extra pin needed to hold the X-Calibur sear in place. Also, I think the X-Calibur Trigger Bar was hand fitted at the factory as it didn't appear to #### the hammer back far enough in D/A mode, so I ended up swapping the Trigger Bars as well.

The end result was a 2lb 6oz SA trigger pull for My K100 with just a tiny bit of creep (identical feel to my 2 other X-Caliburs and K22 X-Trim), and a 3lb 12 oz trigger break for my friends X-Calibur with a very crisp trigger break.


Avenida said:
you can set the trigger of the Xtrim with the same parts of the Xcal and have a Xcal trigger on a xtrim :), which is absolutely awesome.
One thing (among other things) I love about the Xcal is that no matter what gun you grab, the triggers are VERY consistent from XCAL to XCAL and the difference (if any) is negligible.

This is something I could not get even on Glocks (that is probably the easiest trigger to replicate).

You won't be disappointed with the Xtrim. I had one but sold it as I was not using it (have no use for 4" barrel as I no longer shoot IDPA) but I was curious about them and bought one. I am curious about the Q100 now, I wish I could put my hands on one, but with a baby on the way, this is not a good time for buying toys.

The K100 base, never tried it, I am sure it is just as good as the xtrim albeit the firing pin safety...
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I have watched IPSC Grandmaster Remi Doucet make a$$es out of other IPSC guys using 6k guns with his well worn Grand Power. The gun is awesome.
 
Interesting info here .. the problem is for DA/SA guns I really like decockers. I've been in touch with Grand Power to have my P1S converted, but it's a no go on the Xtrim and Xcal. Funny, where do you get your work done? I was given the impression (well told) I can't get parts and do it myself, approved armourers are 'required'.

The Xtrim and XCal triggers are much different than the k100. The Xtrim I recently got on trade is an older model and black barrel - although it came absolutely filthy throughout lol - GP tells me this comes from a time when they didn't have a consistent supply of 416R stainless blanks. Trigger pull, I'm sure in part this is due to a well worn in pistol, but the double and single action pull of the Xtrim and stock k100 is significant.

I've told GP that if they had a K100 with slide scallops and better sights like the XCal and Xtrim the k100 would be smoking hot offering. Those enhancements make a big difference in grip, overall feel and well, more usable stock sights.
 
Ottawa said:
I have watched IPSC Grandmaster Remi Doucet make a$$es out of other IPSC guys using 6k guns with his well worn Grand Power. The gun is awesome.
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I think when you are that good, the tool used doesn't matter that much so long as it's reliable. For us mere mortals, I'll take all the advantages the X-Calibur gives me ;)
 
You can get your parts directly from Canuck223. His Grand Power Canada website doesn't have on-line shopping yet, but you can see the parts and send him an email with what you want
h ttp://www.grandpowercanada.ca/

The high end GP guns like the X-Calibur have parts hand fitted at the factory, so an approved Grand Power gun smith is recommended (Kelly over at DVC can help you out). I've done all the work myself, but I leave my X-Calburs alone because I use them for IPSC Production div and there's just not a lot you are allowed (or need) to do them anyhow. The only things I've done to them is swap in the thin safeties, add grip tape, and swap recoil springs and extractor+spring after ~15,000 rounds.

xdmer said:
Interesting info here .. the problem is for DA/SA guns I really like decockers. I've been in touch with Grand Power to have my P1S converted, but it's a no go on the Xtrim and Xcal. Funny, where do you get your work done? I was given the impression (well told) I can't get parts and do it myself, approved armourers are 'required'.

The Xtrim and XCal triggers are much different than the k100. The Xtrim I recently got on trade is an older model and black barrel - although it came absolutely filthy throughout lol - GP tells me this comes from a time when they didn't have a consistent supply of 416R stainless blanks. Trigger pull, I'm sure in part this is due to a well worn in pistol, but the double and single action pull of the Xtrim and stock k100 is significant.

I've told GP that if they had a K100 with slide scallops and better sights like the XCal and Xtrim the k100 would be smoking hot offering. Those enhancements make a big difference in grip, overall feel and well, more usable stock sights.
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Decockers make any trigger more complicated therefore the trigger pull ends up being longer or harder.
Which is why the Xcal has been discontinued with a decoker.
The simpler a da/sa trigger is, the better the trigger is. The Xcal is a masterpiece of a trigger.
 
xdmer said:
Interesting info here .. the problem is for DA/SA guns I really like decockers. I've been in touch with Grand Power to have my P1S converted, but it's a no go on the Xtrim and Xcal. Funny, where do you get your work done? I was given the impression (well told) I can't get parts and do it myself, approved armourers are 'required'.
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The reason is simple. I'm not prepared to deal with the fallout when someone fouls it up, has the gun fire when not intended, and then post the results on YouTube.

I can't prevent every negative outcome, but I'm not going to enable this one. End of story.
 
Ottawa said:
I have watched IPSC Grandmaster Remi Doucet make a$$es out of other IPSC guys using 6k guns with his well worn Grand Power. The gun is awesome.
Click to expand...

VanMan said:
I think when you are that good, the tool used doesn't matter that much so long as it's reliable. For us mere mortals, I'll take all the advantages the X-Calibur gives me ;)
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You are both correct.

The most rewarding moment for me in dealing with Remi was watching him put the first mag through his first X-Calibur.
He got through 5-6 rounds before letting out an almost child like giggle with an full face grin. You could tell that he liked the way it handled.
 
You sound like we're arguing, and we're not. I can understand why you feel this way, I'm just glad not all vendors / manufactures insist on this. I'll still be sending you my pistols for work =)

Canuck223 said:
The reason is simple. I'm not prepared to deal with the fallout when someone fouls it up, has the gun fire when not intended, and then post the results on YouTube.

I can't prevent every negative outcome, but I'm not going to enable this one. End of story.
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Here is a quick link with 124 vs 147 campro in the Xcal.
147 clearly shoots 1" left every 8-10 yards. These 2 targets were the last ones of a series of 6. In all series, the results were the same.
I have always found 124 to be the best overall bullet for 9mm, some people seem to be more recoil sensitive, to me both recoil the same and I still prefer 124.

The strange thing is that 147 are very precise from a manufacturer standpoint, they all weigh exactly 147gr whereas 124 usually have a few grains difference from bullet to bullet (I am referring to campro bullets).

Nonetheless, 124 are far more accurate in the Xcal.

This load is :
124 campro
S&b primer
4.1 titegroup
1125 col
1128 fps
139ish Power factor

A little bit too hot, going to dial down 1 grain and try again tomorrow.

https://imgur.com/a/ThZSV
 
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For those seeking some reference:
124 Campro
3.9 Titegroup
1120 COl

Made an average of 1037 FPS, for 128 PF.

I will try 4.0 GR and see what the difference is.

As a reference, I am running the medium spring and the gun cycled perfectly, still, I prefer a little bit hotter, and might settle on 4.0 gr of TITE depending on results. Will post on Wednesday.
 
Wow, did I luck out! I pick up my X-Caliber today although it will be a couple weeks until my registration arrives and I get to try it out, but I just pressed 1300 rounds this weekend of this exact recipe:
124 Campro
3.9 Titghtgroup
CCI primers.
1.13 OAL

This is my 1st batch using TiteGroup. I pressed a few each of 3.6gr, 3.8gr and 4.0 gr and tried them in my HK P30L. All ran fine, all had similar accuracy off the bag at 5 yards, all seem to shoot softer than the Longshot I was using. I might've got lucky with the 3.8gr groups, but they were the most consistent, especially on the 1st round, so I settled in at 3.9. Not bad for a handloading noob.

Looking forward to your 4.0gr TITE results. I was also able to order a lefty holster from the link VanMan supplied. Thanks all.

I should mention, I love my K22 X-Trim (40gr CCI minimags), it made getting an X-Cal an easy decision.
 
I did another run of 124.

4.0 GR of tite is what you should be aiming to do

I got about 1070 to 1100 FPS in the Xcal with 1120 COL

The xcal ran fine with 3.9gr tite, but it is too close to not making PF.
Ejection is very positive with 4.0 GR and gun run perfectly.

I am getting good PF and excellent accuracy out of 4.0 gr Tite.

Good luck,
 
Canuck223 said:
You are both correct.

The most rewarding moment for me in dealing with Remi was watching him put the first mag through his first X-Calibur.
He got through 5-6 rounds before letting out an almost child like giggle with an full face grin. You could tell that he liked the way it handled.
Click to expand...

I know the feeling! :)
 
Ottawa said:
I have watched IPSC Grandmaster Remi Doucet make a$$es out of other IPSC guys using 6k guns with his well worn Grand Power. The gun is awesome.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is last year I told David Copping that Remi would have won the Nationals if he wasn't shooting the X-Calibur. I hadn't even shot it when I made that comment. After really putting the X-Calibur through its paces I realized I should keep my mouth shut unless I have actually shot a gun I was making comments about. Love the gun. Now I have two X-Caliburs. One I traded my Shadow 2 for.

Disclaimer: I am a sponsored shooter for GP but that only happened after falling in love with the X-Calibur.
 
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Avenida said:
I did another run of 124.

4.0 GR of tite is what you should be aiming to do

I got about 1070 to 1100 FPS in the Xcal with 1120 COL

The xcal ran fine with 3.9gr tite, but it is too close to not making PF.
Ejection is very positive with 4.0 GR and gun run perfectly.

I am getting good PF and excellent accuracy out of 4.0 gr Tite.

Good luck,
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This is exactly what I've been loading and it's been working fantastic! The X-Calibur tears the center out of the x ring no problem, when I shoot it in PPC for fun. Accuracy is all there, as long as I do my part. I was shooting a CZ Shadow and Tanfoglio stock 3 Extreme before, both accurate guns but I shoot the X-Calibur the best and it's really fast :) I can't wait for IPSC season!!

I've had the opportunity to try a lot of different guns over the years and I think the X-Calibur is one of the most underrated superstars on the market.
 
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VanMan said:
I reload 147gr Campro's with 3.5gr of VV N320 at 1.100 COL and CCI primer. It gives me a nice ~910 FPS in my fluted barrelled X-Cal and 925FPS in my bull barreled X-Cal. I've tested some loads at Campro's suggested COL of 1.060 and think 3.4gr would give me the same speeds. I'm going to do some more testing of that and may switch over to that in the winter.

I've also worked up loads with Titegroup @ 3.4gr and Longshot @ 4.3gr that gives me a nice 910FPS in my fluted barrelled X-Cal. I just find the VV N320 burns a little cleaner

I initially started using the lighter coil spring with my 147gr loads and had my reloads set to a 130pf. I've since switched to the medium coil spring and bumped up my pf to 132. I find the slide cycles a bit faster, and returns to battery more positively. With the light coil spring, I occasionally had the slide fail to fully return to battery if the gun was dirty (eg towards the end of a 500 round practice session).
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Just curious as to why you load the Campro 147gr RNFP FCP so short, were you just following Campro's suggested OAL? Drop testing with 147gr Campro's in my GP6C (GP K100 target) comes out at about 1.200" but it obviously wont fit in the magazine. At 1.170" the round spins freely and fits the mag.

I have successfully loaded the Campro 147grains from 1.120-1.150" in my Grand Power.

I would like to hear some thoughts from you fellow GP owners about bullet weight vs recoil. I'm only shooting paper, no metal targets, pins etc. I prefer something soft shooting, don't worry about power factors as long as it reliably cycles the gun and is accurate. Is the 147gr a good choice?
 
MET said:
I would like to hear some thoughts from you fellow GP owners about bullet weight vs recoil. I'm only shooting paper, no metal targets, pins etc. I prefer something soft shooting, don't worry about power factors as long as it reliably cycles the gun and is accurate. Is the 147gr a good choice?
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I can't find a downside to using a bullet with a longer bearing surface. It's not a magic trick, but I find most the longer heavier bullets can produce tighter groups and greater consistency. YMMV.
 
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