Fusion Firearms

XF Pro Review

I am a huge fan of new, feature rich, handguns at an affordable price. When I say new, I don’t mean just another Glock clone or Sig remake. Fusion Firearms has brought out a new compact handgun that is packed with features. It is the Fusion XF-Pro 9mm. They were gracious enough to send the Black and Bronze version out for this review.

When you first see the Fusion XF-Pro, you notice a bunch of things. First is that they designed it to be an all metal handgun and the machining on the outside is just perfect. Next you notice the aluminum grip panels it uses. It came with the bronze camo ones installed and an extra set of all black grip panels. More important is that the XF-Pro uses common Glock magazines. It comes with 2 in the box. After that, you notice that it is optics compatible and comes with the plates you need. There is also a cleaning kit and some empty brass test shells in the box.

The Fusion XF-Pro’s frame is made from aluminum. This gives the compact pistol some weight. It weighs in at 33.4 ounces with an optic and empty magazine, or around 31 without an optic. The XF-Pro’s frame design looks like a CZ-75 and a Glock had a kid. The backstrap dips in at the top, like a CZ-75. But then the grip kind of resembles a Glock. Both the front and rear backstrap have some curved lines on them for grip. It runs a large squared trigger guard with some texture lines on the front. Then there is a 3 slot picatinny rail for mounting lights or whatever. The magazine button is raised and only on the left side. The grip panels have small golf ball style dimples. Probably the coolest feature of the XF-Pro is the machined in thumb rest on the left side of the frame. At least if you are right handed, because on the right side of the frame is some indexing texture for your trigger finger, not another thumb rest.

Fusion did a nice job of designing the slide on the XF-Pro. It has front and rear angled serrations. These serrations look good, plus they are useful. I would personally like them cut a little deeper. That way you can grip them better if your hands are wet or muddy. The top of the slide has a cut out for a ported barrel. Fusion sells a ported barrel for the XF-Pro, if you want some extra recoil mitigation. On each side of the port cutout is also some very aggressive texture. This is so you can get some grip, if you need to rack the slide on a table or barricade. The XF-Pro slide also has some side window cuts that allow you to see the bronze Gen 4 Glock compatible fluted barrel. Both the barrel and slide have a Tennifer finish.

As we move back on the slide, you will find a cutout for mounting optics. Fusion uses a plate system for the XF-Pro. It comes with 2 plates. One is for an RMR footprint optic. The other is for Truglo, Docter, Meopta, Insight, or Vortex footprints. I would like to see a RMSc plate, but since there is an included RMR one, I don't need it. I mounted the new Primary Arms RS-10R and one of their Classic series to the XF-Pro. Both mounted up easily with the supplied RMR plate. The optics sit really high with the plate. Even slightly higher than the slide. This makes it so that back up iron sights will not work with an optic, even suppressor height ones. However, even if you could get high enough sights, the XF-Pro uses 2 different types. The rear sight uses a Glock dovetail and the front uses a Novak dovetail. Fusion, please make them compatible with both a front and rear set from something that matches. Maybe a Sig or Springfield cut if you want to keep a front dovetail.

Trigger pull is important to some people, I am one of those. The Fusion XF-Pro has a decent trigger for a striker fired handgun. It is a flat face style with a little hook at the end. It also uses a trigger safety. Both of these make it function, and look, very much like a Glock trigger, but better. It has a long take up stroke that is a little grainy. But after the initial take up, the trigger hits a short wall that breaks pretty clean. Reset on the trigger is pretty good. You can shoot the trigger from reset if you like, and that shortens the pull a bunch. My sample has a 4.75 pound pull. It started out around 5 pounds but works its way down a little. In all, it is a pretty decent trigger. To go along with the trigger is a striker indicator on the rear of the slide. A nice touch to let you know that the firearm is ready to fire.

Performance on the XF-Pro is decent. I really liked shooting the pistol. The all metal construction just shoots so nice. I have only had one problem with feeding and I fed it various different types of ammunition. That one malfunction was a stovepipe malfunction, with cheap 124 gr ball ammo, and that was in the first 50 rounds. The gun seems to run just about anything I put in it. After that, it has gone another 900 without any problems. The thumb rest really helps get a good grip to help reduce some muzzle rise. Having the texture on the other side lets you know when your finger is not on the trigger. However, I do have a few complaints about the XF-Pro. When mounting an optic, it just sits too high above the slide. Does it affect anything? Not really, but it is hard to pick up the dot because of this. Next is that the grips are a little slick and could use more texture. Since it comes with 2 sets, I would like one of them to have a more aggressive texture. The XF-Pro also has a “tail” on the back of the grip frame. This tail makes some mag extensions not work in the gun. Lucky for us, all the extended Glock style magazines work. Another problem with the XF-Pro is that there isn’t any holster compatibility. It needs a special holster because of the thumb rest sticking out on the left side. Before I put the optic on the XF-Pro, I found the iron sights to be very useful. The serrated blacked out rear and white dot front worked well. Another feature I really like is the magazine release button. It is extended and makes dropping mags super easy. Thus making reloads quick. The Fusion XF-Pro is a fun gun to shoot.

The Fusion Firearms XF-Pro is a nice sporty compact handgun. It has a lot of nice features that you will only find in higher priced handguns. Coming in at $550 makes it a good deal. Using Glock magazines and a few Glock parts makes it a win for anyone that already has Glocks, and if you don’t, the magazines are cheap. If you are in the market for a new handgun, I would check out the Fusion XF-Pro and see what you think.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Newly designed, aluminum framed, pistol that takes Glock magazines

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a compact pistol

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Caliber: 9MM
Magazine Compatibility: Glock magazines
Construction: All bar-stock materials, precision CNC machined
Barrel: 4" fluted Glock Gen 4 compatible, Tennifer finish
Sights: Fixed combat sights, optic-ready with RMR and others included
Trigger: Competition flat-face, one-piece steel milled
Grip: Interchangeable panels, Bronze Camo & Black included, aluminum & poly construction
Frame: Aluminum with tactical rail, Sure Grip checkering, Thumb rest, hard coat finish
Slide: Pro Serrations, Pro Window Cuts, Tennifer Finish
Recoil System: Full metal, Glock Gen 4&5 compatible
Overall Length: 7.29 inches
Weight: 26.5 oz / 1.66 lbs

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Black or Chrome

What others are saying?:

Christopher at fusionfirearms.com

Excellent pistol

This pistol is awesome. Received today and went straight to the range to shoot some freedom seeds. 200 rounds and smooth as butter. Only critique I have is wishing this came with a magwell like the XP pro did!

Link to other reviews:

Gammage on YouTube

GB Guns

Price point:

MSRP = $549.99

Retail = $500.00

I need it now! Availability:

Palmetto State Armory or Guns.com

Our Rating:

Pros:

All Metal
Shoots nice
Takes Glock magazines and barrels
Thumb rest
Trigger pull
Comes with optic plated

Cons:

Not ambidextrous
Optics sit extremely high
Slick grips
Holster compatibility

Score: 7.50 Good

Favorite Link: Primary Arms Classic Mini & Micro red dots review

Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum review

Years ago the only answers I wanted from knife reviews were “Is it sharp? Does it cut? Did it stay sharp? How much does it cost?”. The Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum folder is sharp, cuts well, stays sharp and is a great deal at $72 especially when you see how well it's built and works.

I was sent the Vosteed Aluminum Raccoon to review. This is the latest version of their Raccoon knife line. Chad did a review on the micarta version of the Raccoon last year. The difference between the two versions is the “Aluminum” has a Nitro-V blade steel and the CNC cut aluminum scales.

The Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum uses a crossbar lock that you pull back to release the blade when it is closed. The blade can then be flipped open or dropped open. It also has a double thumb stud that is well designed. I like using the crossbar lock to release the blade. I don't know why, but I use that method most to deploy the blade.

The handles are CNC cut black aluminum arranged in a diamond pattern. The edges of the handles are rounded so they won't snag clothing or dig into your hand. The aluminum, diamond cut handles aren't aggressive like stippling on pistol grips, but my hands never slipped regardless of what I was cutting. The 3.25 inch drop point blade deploys smoothly due to the ceramic ball bearings.

As you see from the included photos, I use my knives for food preparation. This knife chopped vegetables, deboned chicken thighs, sliced blocks of cheese, and easily cut large cardboard boxes into trash bag sized segments. Plus it still has a serviceable edge.

One of the reasons I like being on the Firearms Insider Gun and Gear Review Podcast is because we actually use these products and tell the truth. This knife was used nearly every day for months. I would occasionally use a couple other knives that I am reviewing long term, but this was the main knife. It could use a good sharpening to bring back the razor sharp factory edge. However, I just peeled an apple with no issue. This Nitro-V blade steel holds an edge, I'm impressed.

The knife shows some wear on the aluminum handles. Mainly because it has been smashed against my EDC light, the Streamlight Wedge. If you want a pristine knife, I am not the person to review it. You want a knife that is a good all around knife, that opens smoothly, and has a better than average blade steel for a good price, the Vosteed Raccoon Aluminum folder may be for you.