When it comes to concealed carry, it’s important to have a pistol that’s concealable and you can shoot well. Durability and reliability are also of utmost importance. Price will be largely dependent on your budget and the importance you place on quality and specific features. I would never say to overextend yourself to purchase a firearm that is too expensive for your budget, however, if it’s in the cards, a high-end carry pistol is an incredible option. For me, the high-end pistol of choice is the Staccato C2 DPO.
Staccato C2 DPO Features
Staccato pistols may be expensive, but they are absolutely feature-packed with everything you need and even some things you may not. Being the compact model in Staccato’s lineup, the C2 incorporates a 3.9-inch, match-grade heavy bull barrel, shorter grip frame with a slightly beveled magwell, and lightweight aluminum-alloy receiver. The version I selected features a black DLC barrel, but there are natural stainless variations as well.
The crisp single-action trigger is the heart of the Staccato 2011. This isn’t an ultra-light race gun trigger. Instead, it is a great 4.5-pound duty trigger. Additionally, the skeletonized trigger is adjustable for overtravel and features a textured face. The ambidextrous thumb safety exhibits firm and tactile clicks into place and the grip safety was easy to engage naturally — sure signs of quality.
The pistol incorporates front serrations to assist in racking the slide and for press checks. The serrations are wide and slightly lipped, and they work incredibly well. An accessory rail allows you to mount a light or laser to the pistol, another distinguishing duty gun feature. Of course, common to the 2011 design, the Staccato C2 is constructed from three main components: the slide, a frame insert, and a grip module. This allows the shooter to customize the pistol to their needs and replace necessary components down the road.
Not only does the pistol feature an excellent set of sights with a fiber-optic front paired with a blacked-out rear, but it also incorporates the Dawson Precision Optic (DPO) system for mounting a red dot sight. Red dots are the future and it’s good to see that Staccato supports this.
Specifications:
Action: Single-action, hammer-fired
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 16+1 rounds
Sights: Fiber-optic front, blacked-out rear, DPO optics-mounting system
Barrel length: 3.9 inches
Overall length: 7.5 inches
Height: 5.5 inches
Width: 1.3 inches (1.5 inches at safety levers)
Weight: 25 ounces (empty)
What is DPO?
There are two main versions of the Staccato C2, the standard and the DPO. DPO stands for Dawson Precision Optics mounting system and it allows you to mount a red dot sight. This is a plate system similar to the Glock MOS where you use an additional plate to mount the optic of your choice. The most popular choice for this system seems to be the Trijicon RMR/SRO footprint, however, the system allows for the direct mounting for the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro without a plate. These models also come from the factory with taller iron sights to co-witness with your dot.
Accuracy and Handling
Accuracy leaves nothing to be desired, the C2 was an absolute tack driver. Shooting was done with the iron sights, as I have yet to select an optic. Standing at 15 yards, I was able to fire 10 rounds into a group the size of my fist, and if I slowed down I could close that up a bit. The Staccato C2 was far more accurate than the vast majority of shooters, myself included.
As for handling, reloads were fast and smooth, and recoil was minimal. The C2 seemed to push me faster and faster, all with a grin on my face — ear to ear. The grip texture allowed for a secure grip to keep the pistol on target and the 1911-style trigger made for some incredibly quick follow-up shots.
Concealed Carry & Blackpoint Tactical
A quality carry pistol deserves a quality holster, and that’s where Blackpoint Tactical comes into play. The Mini Wing from Blackpoint Tactical offers an excellent balance of security and concealability. This inside-the-waistband holster features durable steel clips that are completely tuckable. Additionally, the holster incorporates a sweat guard to protect your firearm when carrying in those hot summer months. Thick polymer and leather construction provides lasting durability and extremely positive retention.
With all of these features, it’s hard not to recommend the Blackpoint Tactical Mini Wing. It conceals well with just a simple T-shirt and allows you to carry comfortably all day long with no need to adjust throughout the day.
Is high-end carry worth it?
Obviously, high-end carry is subjective. What is high-end to you? Is high-end carry worth it? Well, that’s an entirely personal decision. If you just want a gun that goes bang! when you need it, then it’s probably not. However, if you believe that those extra little details and refinements are worth it, then the high-end carry gun may be for you.
The comfort and happiness that carrying a high-quality, expensive gun gives you may be worth far more than the financial cost. This is especially true if you shoot the luxury gun better. Don’t put a price on your life. That being said, don’t go into debt trying to buy the most expensive gun because you think it’s going to make you shoot better. Whichever option you choose, you still need practice and training.
Conclusion: Staccato C2 2011
The question here isn’t whether the Staccato C2 is a good pistol or whether Staccato makes a fine firearm, it’s whether the price is worth it to you. For me, this isn’t even a question. Staccato makes an accurate, dependable, and high-quality pistol that’s well worth the price tag, but we each need to make our own decision. Are you ready to step up to a pistol that’s more than just an EDC? A gun that’s an investment, both in your safety and in the future value of the firearm? Give one a shot if you can, the results may surprise you.
What do you think of the Staccato C2 DPO? Do you practice high-end carry? Let us know in the comment section.
The thick bull barrel provides excellent accuracy. The C2 is a midsize pistol similar in size to a Glock 19. 
The included gun bag has plenty of storage for your magazines. 
Carrying dependable gear helps you prepare for the worst. The blacked-out rear and fiber-optic front sight combo worked wonders. A beveled magwell makes for some silky-smooth reloads. The Staccato comes with a nice gun bag for the range. The DPO system makes mounting an optic hassle-free. The Blackpoint Tactical Mini Wing offers a secure fit and discreet profile. 
The holster contours to the curve of your body. 
The clips on the Blackpoint Tactical Mini Wing are durable and secure.
Carried both professionally and personally for many years. Another article on a high end weapon you can’t live without, that sounds like another marketing commercial. Like many magazines, same old story. Better to buy a reliable weapon, practice the basics, shoot regularly, clean and maintain, practice more, shoot more, and maintain. The best gun in the world means nothing if you do not regularly practice, shoot, and clean. Save your money on the hype, buy more bullets, targets, take a good course, and have fun.
I have a staccato XC and a C2. I thought my Sig P220 target was high end. I thought my desert eagle was high end. I thought my HK was high end. None of them remotely compare to the Staccato. I tell people it practically shoots itself. It is the finest quality firearm I can imagine. You can rack it with 2 fingers. I am so much more accurate with it I would never carry anything else. I shoot my XC up to 100 yards. If you have never shot one sign up for a demo but be prepared to never want to shoot anything else.
Regarding Staccato 2011, I own the XL and 2 XCs. I have been shooting for 65+ years. I have found these weapons extremely reliable and the most accurate out of the box firearms I’ve ever shot.
You must shoot it to understand what I mean.
Colonel, when I am asked about the best caliber for a deer rifle, the first thing I ask is where they will be hunting, what kind of terrain, etc. If they are hunting in an area where longer shots are the norm, I recommend .270 as the best all around deer caliber. I have taken elk and a slew of whitetails with mine. It is flat shooting and accurate, not to mention the recoil is not unpleasant. I have taken deer at ranges just over 400 yds. Granted, they were does, and Oklahoma whitetails, at that, which are smaller than the Nebraska whitetails that I grew up seeing. I did not keep a record of the number of deer I have brought home with that gun, something that now I wish I had kept a record of, just for grins.
One time when I was talking with another hunter about the deer I had taken that year, he asked about the range it was at. When I said it was around 300 yards, he proceeded to tell me that was too far for anyone to shoot and he didn’t believe I could do that. I told him that when I was in the Army, in 1971, we were shooting man-sized silhouettes at 300 meters (328 yards) with iron sights. At that time, I had a 3-9X scope on that gun and said using a scope at 9 power almost felt like cheating, the word cakewalk came to mind. I added that I qualified Expert with a number of weapons and took Expert with all of them. That kind of ended his trying to sharpshoot what I had been saying about shooting “long” distances.
I have taken a number of does at “long” distances with that .270 using head shots in order to not ruin any meat. That is harder for me to do now as I have a tremor in my left hand from a stroke and I require a much better support, read shooting sticks, if I am going to hit those targets. Several of those 400 yard deer were off my sticks but they were all center of mass shots and using a 4-12X scope.
Bo, that is interesting. I’m still kicking myself for passing on a nice looking early 1960s vintage Steyr-Mannlicher in 30’06 with double set triggers and a buttery smooth action that I could have picked up for a song in the late 1980s. I wasn’t very familiar with them back then and it being pre-internet days, I could not quickly look up reviews. I had a second chance in 2007 when I stumbled across an identical version chambered in 270. I didn’t own a 270 and had little interest in the caliber, but I was able to talk the price down because the rifle had several spots of rough pitting on the barrel, receiver, and spoon type bolt handle (something to do with a divorce and a can of Coke poured into the gun case). Anyway, I bought it just to have one in my collection. I didn’t think it was powerful enough for hunting large game until I saw my neighbor dressing a cow elk he’d shot with his 270. That’s when I learned the 270 is very popular in Montana. Today I would not hesitate to take it into the bush, but it only has iron sights. I’d attach a scope if I could find a mount that did not cost me an arm and a leg. Anyway, I can still enjoy shooting that sleek little carbine.
I am going to kinda echo the Colonel here, but my reasons are a bit different. Because of my general modus operandi in life, well, my wife says I am hard on everything I touch, clothes, gear, even my guns. I clean them and do not use my guns for any other purpose than shooting or hunting, no hammers or stuff like that, but I hunt in areas that are what some people would say are taxing… on people, hunting clothes, gear, and even guns. But those guns are all well maintained and perform flawlessly.
Somewhere between thirty five and forty years ago, a guy I knew told me he had a Weatherby rifle for say. He was in dire financial straits and was going to let it go for about $200 less than he had paid for it. I think it was a .25-06 but I will not swear to it. It was a beautiful gun in pristine condition. And he had most of the only box of ammo used in it. But it was just too pretty, too gorgeous, for me to drop the hammer on buying it. The reason… the area that I was hunting then was known for scrub brush, bois d’arc, and mesquite trees. I spent a lot of time with my rifle in front of my face at a modified port arms just to keep the thorns and what not out of my face. Consequently, my gun stocks were somewhat scratched up, but my skin was mostly intact, notice I said mostly. It would have killed me to scratch a gun like that up, kind of like putting the first dent in a brand new car.
A couple of years after that, I had a chance to buy a used Remington 721 in .270 that shot like a dream but someone had gotten something on the finish of the stock that peeled it off and it looked terrible. For several years, different friends of mine told me how terrible that gun looked. I did not care what it looked like, I knew it could shoot a tighter group than most of my friends’ newer and more expensive rifles. I printed a 3 shot group at 100 yds that was covered with a dime and only part of one hole showing, about a ⅝” group. My reason for relating this is it is not a gun that would be the first one to be chosen to steal, although several years ago, I refinished the stock and that improved its appearance remarkably. I do not choose guns because of how they look but for how they shoot.
The closest thing I have to a high end gun is a little Smith & Wesson Performance Center® SW1911 Pro Series® in .45 ACP. It is their version of the Officer’s Model and I have used it as a carry gun. It is not my only 1911 and I have another one that is my carry gun when I am out in the woods, for wild pigs, feral dogs. It harbors an old Remington Rand government slide that was well used when it was put on that Caspian frame. I have had it for well over 30 years and I find it to be very functional, but some people do not see it as aesthetically pleasing. It shoots well, giving me good groups, so I do not care that it shows wear.
And, truth be told, I am just not a high end kind of guy for anything. I have known people who had high end guns that cost several times what I paid for any one of the guns I own. None of those guys or their guns could outshoot my .270 with their nice looking high dollar ammo eaters. I am good not being high end because God knows that, at 71, I sure show some heavy duty wear and my wife is the only one who finds me aesthetically pleasing. That’s what 42 years together does.
Do i carry high end? Nope. Agree with other comments. My carry sidearms are tools. They are absolutely reliable and kept in top notch condition.
The STI, Staccato now, firearms are nice for sure, but I’m not gonna ccw 2K or 3K worth of pistola.
I’m gonna stick with my ~$500 sidearm that i can go out and replace same day and have it shoot just the same.
I have some nice stuff for sure, but it stays in the safe unless it goes to the range with me.
I like guns, Viet Nam’s where I fell in love with Colt 45’s. I carried 45’s till the kick got to be less fun. I’m 72 now and the 9mm is my choice for carry and yes Mr.Cole I like high end weapons also. I have a Kimber that I think fits this category. I like the looks, workmanship and what it can do. I try to keep up with gun makers and their offerings. Now, after all that I’m gonna admit I’ve never heard of a Staccato pistol. It looks good and I’m gonna check it out but again it’s new to me. You mentioned the slightly beveled magwell. Slightly beveled, it looks like a funnel to me. After all the high-end talk you don’t give a price. I guess I’ll find out when I research it.
I never carry expensive firearms on my person or in my vehicles. If they are stolen or I ever use one for self-defense, I will be lucky to see it again. If I do get it back, I won’t expect it to be in pristine condition.