First Shots: Smith & Wesson CSX
In general, I like Smith & Wesson products. Dating back to the ancient 1980s when I first qualified with a Model 64 revolver, I’ve owned and carried their guns on and off. Currently, my main everyday carry (EDC) choice is the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus. Recently, I got the chance to put some rounds through the Smith & Wesson CSX pistol and these are my thoughts on it.
What is the CSX?
The CSX is a micro-compact 9mm, but it’s a bit of a departure from the norm. It garnered attention for its unique combination of a metal frame and single-action-only trigger, distinguishing it from many other micro-compacts on the market.
Unlike many of the competitors, it has an aluminum alloy frame and stainless steel slide, making it lightweight and strong. The pistol is chambered in 9mm and comes with 10-round and 12-round magazines.
The Specs
Let’s compare the Smith & Wesson CSX to 2 other commonly encountered 9mms, the Sig P365 and its corporate sibling, the Shield Plus.
| Metric | CSX | Shield Plus | Sig P365 |
| Overall Length- inches | 6.1 | 6.1 | 5.8 |
| Barrel length- inches | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Width- inches | 1.12 | 1.1 | 1 |
| Height- inches | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Weight- ounces | 19.5 | 20.2 | 18.5 |
| Capacity | 10/12 | 10/13 | 10/12 |
As you can see, all 3 guns are virtually the same in all the metrics.
The CSX frame does not have a rail to mount a light, nor is there an optics-ready version of the slide. The slide has serrations front and rear.
The sights are basic white 3-dot sights, with the rear sight being serrated. There are also serrations along the top to reduce glare.
Click here to purchase a Smith & Wesson CSX
The Ergonomics
In terms of ergonomics, the CSX comes with interchangeable backstraps to accommodate different hand sizes. There is also a textured insert on the front of the grip. Other than those points, the frame is mostly smooth, which seems a little strange considering the potential for checkering on an aluminum gun.
It is also a fully ambidextrous gun. The manual safety and slide release are on both sides and the gun comes with a reversible magazine release. The slide release is long, similar to Canik or Walther. The safety, however, is not as big as you might expect it to be on a single-action gun. I get that they made it smaller for carry purposes, but even my average-sized hands found it less than ideal.
One unusual feature of the Smith & Wesson CSX is that the slide will operate with the manual safety on. This is not the norm for single-action guns. This allows you to have the safety on while you load, unload or perform press checks.
Single-Action v Striker Fired:
The Smith & Wesson CSX is a single-action pistol. In a single-action firearm, the trigger performs one action—releasing the hammer or firing pin to strike the primer and fire the round. The hammer must be cocked manually or by the cycling of the slide before each shot.
In a striker-fired gun, like Glocks or the Shield Plus, a spring-loaded striker (firing pin) is partially cocked by the action of the slide and fully cocked by the trigger pull. The trigger both completes the cocking of the striker and releases it to fire the round.
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Shooting Impressions
I only had time to put 100 rounds of 115-grain Blazer Brass through the gun. But that was enough to give me some impressions.
Let’s start with the good. The CSX was 100% reliable for me. That isn’t unexpected. Smith & Wesson makes a good product and CCI makes good ammo. As long as you do your part, it should be fine.
The gun also shot pretty accurately. It’s not going to rival my Walther PDP, but for a small gun, the accuracy was good. The sights did well. Nothing to complain about there.
Now, the not-so-great parts:
Shooting the Smith & Wesson CSX was unpleasant. The gun is very snappy and the lack of texture made the gun harder to control. This actually surprised me since it is virtually identical to the Shield Plus and P365. It’s not as if I am not used to shooting micro 9mms. I have thousands of rounds through each of those, as well as shooting plenty of other micros.
I also found the controls to be a little hard to use. While the slide release wasn’t too bad, the safety was not as crisp and easy to manipulate as I would want it to be on a single-action gun that I was staking my life on. I understand why they made the safety small, but it wasn’t as easy for me to hit because of the size. Granted, if I put a lot of time into the gun, that would probably get better, so take that criticism for what it’s worth.
One minor thing is the spacer on the magazine. Smith & Wesson is notorious for the spacers they put on their magazines. They can move and sometimes pinch your hand pretty painfully. The CSX magazines, however, have a spacer that pretty much slides around freely. It’s not helpful at all. (Photo below)
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The Trigger
In general, single-action triggers are lighter and crisper than striker-fired guns. That is not the case with the CSX. The trigger is neither light nor all that crisp. I did not have my trigger gauge with me so I can’t give you numbers, but it was not the light, crisp trigger I was expecting. I can easily say that both my Shield Plus and P365 have better triggers in my opinion.
The CSX has a little idiosyncrasy in the trigger. It is prone to a false reset. If you are used to shooting striker-fired guns, you know you can let the trigger out to the reset point and shoot again usually quickly and easily. The CSX acts like it has a short reset but it does not. If you don’t let it pretty much all the way back out, you have a dead trigger.
I didn’t do a lot of fast shooting with the CSX, but when I did, the trigger made it strange. Overall, I wasn’t a fan.
Would I Carry the Smith & Wesson CSX?
Remember, this is just my opinion, based on a sample size of 1.
Based on my experience with it so far, I would say no. For me, the gun doesn’t do anything better than the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus or Sig Sauer P365 that I already own, but it does do some things…not as well.
Click here to buy a Smith & Wesson Shield Plus
However, if you are already carrying a 1911/2011 or other single-action gun and don’t want to use optics, this could be a viable choice for you.
Also, the gun may fit your hand differently than it fits mine. For me, it was not pleasant to shoot, meaning that overall, I would probably shoot it less often. That translates to less training, which is not a good thing.
I will not be buying a CSX. If you are considering one, find a range that has one as a rental and try it for yourself. Ultimately, when it comes to things like ergonomics, what you like and can use best is more important than how it feels to me.
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