Chad Wallace

July 2, 2023

Review

Strike Modular Chassis (SMC)

Chad Wallace

July 2, 2023

Review

After using the Strike Industries Strike Modular Chassis for the Sig P320, I am finally letting you know my thoughts. The Strike Modular Chassis - Alpha series, or SMC for short, is made to drop in your Sig P320 fire control unit and slide. This gives you a more controllable platform with a bunch of different accessory options.

In the box with the Alpha series Strike Modular Chassis are a bunch of other accessories. You may or may not choose to use them, but they are there. Of course there is the Alpha series SMC. But along with the SMC is an optics platform, a side charger adapter, a set of gray grip panels, and an angled front grip that also will hold an extra magazine. Various screws and allen wrenches are also included to install all that stuff. There are also some added bonuses. Like a mini figure SMC for those brick toys, a SMC patch, and a SMC pin. Those little add-ins are pretty cool.

I’ll try to explain the SMC to you, but the pictures may explain it better. It is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, so it’s not your Grandma's plastic grip. As it sits, it looks like a pistol frame with an extension running off of the back. The extension has some QD’s on it, along with a vertical picatinny rail for attaching stuff, like a pistol brace, when they become legal again. Along this extension is also where the raised optic platform mounts. Up front is a standard picatinny rail section for attaching lights or the supplied angled foregrip/extra magazine holder. Oddly enough, there is also a hole through the front pic rail which is used to mount compensators, more on that later.

At first, I dropped my P320 FCU and a full length 4.7” slide into the Strike Modular Chassis. The FCU slid in pretty easily, but still fit snug. This slide had an optic already mounted to it, so I left it for the time being. I also installed the charging handle on the rear of the slide. One basically swaps out the backplate and then screws the charging handle on, on whatever side you want to use it on. Strike Industries also sent me their Dual Folding adapter, or folding brace. So I installed this on the rear pic rail. This was before using a brace was a problem. I also installed the foregrip. I shot it a while in this configuration. I might mention that where the rear pic rail is on the SMC, it has a “U” shaped cut-out, so you can see your iron sights or slide mounted red dot easier. While using this config, I did notice that the changing handle rubbed a little bit on the side of my optic. The charging handle moves with the slide, so it doesn't rub along the optic, it just rested up against it, causing the vibration of the firearm to rub a little wear mark in the side of the optic. The charging handle really did make it easy to cycle the slide, I can see why Strike Industries now offers it as a stand alone product. Other than the rub mark, I was pleased with how the SMC was working.

After a bit, Strike Industries sent out some more accessories to attach to the SMC. They sent the Magwell, Blast Shield, and 2 compensators. I immediately installed the Magwell as it makes reloads easier. I also installed the Blast Shield. The blast shield mounts up on the front pic rail. It gives the slide some “shields” to keep muzzle blast at bay. It also protects your hands when using one of the compensators. The Blast Shield has a lower pic rail also, so rail attachments can still be used, they just sit slightly lower on the firearms frame. I couldn’t immediately install the comps, because I needed a carry length slide with the 3.9” barrel. Zaffiri Precision was kind enough to help me out with one so that I could use the compensators.

The compensators come in two sizes, a Small and Large. The Large one has more mass and more ports, but it also is longer so it sticks out past the blast shield or dust cover. The Small comp is flush with the blast shield and barely sticks out past the pistols dust cover. Both of these comps are for non-threaded barrels only. This makes the comps 50 state legal. The comps come with a screw to mount them. They mount through the SMC’s dust cover in that previously mentioned hole. Just slide the comp into the SMC and tighten the screw. These comps will only work with the SMC and a 3.9” slide/barrel. I tried out both the comps and really liked them. The Large version seemed to reduce recoil and muzzle rise better than the Small one. But don’t get me wrong, the Small comp still did an excellent job, the Large one just worked a bit better. I would choose the Zaffiri compact slide and Small comp combo when the SMC is configured as just a stand alone pistol.

The Strike Industries SMC doesn’t come without problems. Since the SMC is a modular style chassis, it screws together in places. Mainly where the backstrap slides in. At the top, there are 2 tiny screws to hold it in place. These 2 screws loosen up and can strip the frame holes out. Strike industries now says to use “red” loctite 272 on these. They still loosened up on me and one of the screw holes completely stripped out. Luckily it was on the side where a longer screw can go. So I put a screw with a nut on it and it works fine now. Once I figure out which backstrap I want to permanently use, I will be doing something semi-permanent. So if you get one of the SMC’s, use a red threadlocker on these screws and check the tightness of them after every use. The backstrap, where the web of your hand meets it, is flat. This flat makes the pistol rub your hand a bit. If Strike Industries were to round this out, the SMC would be way more comfortable in your hand, especially after a day of hard use.

When I switched to the compact slide and compensator, I also started using the raised optics mount. The raised optic mount has mounting holes for just about any mini or micro pistol red dot, like an RMR, Shield, etc. The red dot mounting seems pretty high when you look at it, but when you are using it, it works well and doesn’t seem too tall. I really like how it has the ability to mount just about any optic.

The Strike Modular Chassis is a unique addition to your Sig P320. It gives you abilities that the stock P320’s don't. The fixed, non reciprocating optic mount works well. The compensator options are great. Having an angled front grip that houses an extra magazine is very useful, especially since you can put a 30 rounder in it. The screws that strip out are a big downer for me. But as a whole, the Strike Modular Chassis is a fun and useful addition to a Sig P320.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Chassis system for Sig P320 handguns

Target Market:

Those wanting to convert their Sig P320 into a pistol caliber carbine or SMG style pistol

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

SMC ALPHA BASE:

Over 20+ configurations
Included Ambidextrous Side Charging Handle with Slide Cover Mount
SMC Rear Module Backstrap
SMC Multi-Optic Mount (Footprints: C-More, DeltaPoint Pro, Docter/Noblex, RMR, Shield and all SIG SAUER Open Reflex Sights)
Ambidextrous QD sockets located on SMC Rear Module Backstrap
Picatinny rail located at front bottom of chassis and on Rear Module Backstrap for accessories
Spare Magazine Holder for SIG SAUER P320 with SI Modular Magazine Release is included
Uses SIG SAUER P320 OEM fitment takedown lever and P320 magazine release, SI Modular Magazine Release is pre-assembled and included
Machined from 6061-T6 aluminum

SMC COMPS: For use with 3.9” slide and non-threaded barrel

Small and Large sizes
Mount into SMC, not on slide
QPQ coated
Recoil reduction
50 state legal

MAGWELL:

Flared magwell for easier magazine insertion
Improved grip support
Lightweight
High-strength impact resistant custom blended SI Polymer

BLAST SHIELD:

Shield thumb from muzzle blast and heat
Redirects muzzle blast forward and upward
Add additional Picatinny rail length to for attaching accessories
Quickly dissipates heat due to aluminum’s good thermal conductivity
Fits 1913 Picatinny rails
Machined from 6061-T6 aluminum

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Lot’s of add on features

What others are saying?:

Nothing really found except full reviews

Link to other reviews:

The Firearm Blog

Price point:

MSRP = $549.95

Comps = $59.95 - $69.95

Blast Shield = $39.95

Magwell = $19.95

Retail = $539.95 at Primary Arms

I need it now! Availability:

Strike Industries or Primary Arms

Our Rating:

Pros:

Includes various mounting screws to mount optics
Foregrip with extra magazine
Picatinny Rail for mounting stocks or braces
Built in QD points
Raised optic platform

Cons:

Screws strip out or loosen up, even with red thread locker
Pistol grip could be more rounded up by the web of your hand
Charging handle can rub on slide mounted optic
Price

Score: 6.50 Okay

If the 2 rear screws didn’t loosen up or strip out, the score would be much higher

Favorite Link: Zaffiri Precision slide review

Chad Wallace

May 21, 2023

Review

Zaffiri Precision P320 Compact Slide and Barrel

Chad Wallace

May 21, 2023

Review

Zaffiri Precision is well known for making aftermarket slides. Starting out with Glock parts and slides, they have moved into doing Sig accessories as well. This includes their Sig P320 Compact slide and barrels.

As mentioned, the Zaffiri slide I received was for the Sig P320 compact. This slide would also be great for anyone building a P320 compact off of the Sig P320 FCU. Zaffiri also sent along one of their threaded and non-threaded barrels, more later on the barrels. I was looking for a compact slide so that I could run it on the Strike Industries modular 320 chassis with some accessories that needed a compact slide. I also installed it on a standard P320 compact grip module to see how it performed as a standalone slide.

The Zaffiri ZPS.2 P320c slide is very nice. You’ll notice that the slide is lightened with, what I like to call, the Zaffiri slide cuts. These slide cuts consist of some small rectangle windows on the side and some angled smaller cuts on the top. It makes for a nice look. Then, as per any slide, there are some rear cocking serrations. A big feature about these slides is that they are cut for an RMR footprint. The slide has bosses to rest the optic on, as opposed to just screw holes. Zaffiri also supplies screws that they say to use for optic mounting. A cover plate comes installed on the slide, in case you don’t want to mount an optic.

Zaffiri Precision has 4 standard color options for the ZPS.2 P320c slides. They are: FDE, OD green, Sniper grey, and Armor black, which is the one that was sent to me. In the custom line of P320 slides you have a vast selection of colors and patterns. Camo colors only add around an extra $90, total, over the standard 4 colors. The Armor Black is beautiful, probably a testament to the applicators. It’s smooth and didn’t even chip or wear off when installing the iron sights. The top notch machining used to produce these slides, also aids in the fact that the coatings look so good.

Now let us discuss the Zaffiri Precision P320 compact 9mm barrels. Zaffiri actually sent me both a threaded and non-threaded (Flush and Crowned) barrel. The flush fit was needed for the Strike Modular Chassis, and the threaded is for future add-ons. Both came in a black nitride coating. SS, TiN, and Spectrum are also available. All the Zaffiri barrels have a swirl pattern on the outside. The threaded barrel comes with a thread protector and is threaded ½-28. Both barrels have conventional rifling and a polished chamber and bore. One can definitely tell that the bore and rifling is polished when looking through the barrels. From shooting both of these, they appear to be very accurate. Or at least better than my shooting ability.

This Zaffiri slide and both barrels performed flawlessly. Both in the Strike Chassis and in a standard grip module. The P320 slide has way more time in the Strike chassis with the standard flush fit barrel. But this doesn’t take away that it works nicely in a grip module. In the Strike chassis, I used it without a slide mounted red dot. When in the 320 grip frame, I mounted up a Swampfox Liberty green dot. The slide functioned great with or without the optic. Lock up with the barrel is super tight. Slide to frame fit is not sloppy. Essentially, in both applications, the performance was good. Plus, the slide and barrel look good, which we all know that looking good is key.

If you are in the market for some aftermarket Sig P320 stuff, Zaffiri Precision has what you need. The ZPS.2 P320c slide and barrels are really well machined and just beautiful to look at. But that’s not all, they perform well too. So if you are building out a P320 compact, or just upgrading the one you have, I would recommend that you check out the stuff from Zaffiri Precision.