Rost Martin RM1CX

The Rost Martin RM1CX is the base model of the RM1X series, the Texas maker's third pistol line after the RM1C and the subcompact RM1S. Rost Martin describes the configuration as a full-size grip under a compact slide, and the published dimensions bear that out: the RM1CX stands 5.1 inches tall on a flush magazine with a 1.2-inch grip width and weighs 23 ounces, which are the same grip figures Rost Martin lists for the full-size RM1F.

The practical result is capacity. The RM1CX holds 17+1 with the flush magazine where the RM1C holds 15+1, and it ships with a 19-round extended magazine alongside the flush 17. The cost of those two extra flush rounds is a tenth of an inch of grip height, a tenth of an inch of grip width, and about two ounces over the RM1C.

Everything else is shared across the RM1X line: a nitrocarburized steel slide, a black polymer frame with Rost Martin's signature grip texture, fully ambidextrous controls, a black serrated rear sight with a white dot front, and a Double Action Striker trigger Rost Martin lists at 5 pounds. The slide is cut for an optic and the gun ships with an RMR-footprint plate, so a red dot is a plate-free purchase for the most common footprint on the market.