While at World Rimfire Challenge in Alabama, I met with the new lead designer from FRA and returned the CSA45 I had. The original, while very promising, under-delivered on accuracy. He promised a revised version and I expected to see something minimally different. Not so!
The new version of CSA45 exceeded my expectations:
- Uses Glock magazines rather than proprietary mags, which also makes loading much easier.
- Much lighter and better balanced.
- Uses standard AR15 buttstocks.
- Has a much superior longer rail with plenty of slots.
- Has much stronger ejector.
The design will evolve a little more, in part to reflect my input, but it looks like a serious competitor to MPX (albeit in 45ACP rather than 9mm) and far superior than UMP. Hopefully, the new barrels would provide good accuracy. We should know for sure in a month.
A friendly ammunition maker may be offering a new load for it, 185gr with an all-copper expanding bullet loaded with slower powders to maximize velocity from the 16 inch barrel. 1400fps is the expected velocity and, like all offerings from that makers, it should have excellent accuracy.
Which Glock .45ACP magazines, single or double stack?
Glock magazine – now you are talking !
Just don’t sell me on the idea of pistol and carbine ammo interchangeability, and then push a carbine-specific load. That rather misses the whole point.
If have to keep my loads segregated, then the segregation process would be easier if the carbine were chambered for a different cartridge and used different magazines, and in that case I may as well go with a more powerful round like 5.56 x 45, et al.
The PCC/pistol pairing is a major compromise in carbine range and power for the sake of interchangeability. If you’re not getting the interchangeability you’re paying for, then you’re making a bad deal. Go with a more powerful carbine chambering in that case, OR make sure that your carbine and pistol can reliably use the exact same loads and magazines.
Will it safely eat +P .45ACP ammo? As Lyle says, I really don’t want to have to worry about two different loads for pistol and carbine, that kinda defeats the whole purpose.