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We revisited the Grand Power P1 Ultra recently as the channel format had changed, the pistol had changed, and Teya wasn't apart of the channel for the original review. If there are other pistols you'd like to see revisited let us know in the comment section.
Grand Power makes a wide variety of pistols ranging in intent from concealed carry to duty use, and of course competition use. If you've wondered what a blend of those might be the P1 Ultra might be what you're looking for.
If you're new to Grand Power pistols here's a synopsis of some of what makes them different taken from our Grand Power Pistol Guide:
All Grand Power pistols use a billet-steel chassis inside the grip. This solid frame ensures consistent trigger pull shot after shot as there is no flex between the pins holding things together and the polymer grip. The chassis will also outlast conventional pistol construction as the steel pins wear the steel chassis considerably less than they do polymer on other guns. This partially explains how Grand Power has a rental gun at a Slovakian range with over 120,000 rounds through it without any major component replacements.
The steel chassis is stamped with the initials of the smith who assembled the gun. This is the ultimate accountability in the event of a warranty claim. Other makers like Night Hawk Custom take great pride in having the same feature.
Grand Power pistols of 9mm caliber and larger use a unique rotating barrel action. This action eliminates the need for a tilting barrel, reduces felt recoil, and requires a lower bore axis. Yes there are other pistols that have rotating barrels, but not quite like a Grand Power.
All 19 of the Grand Power models we've reviewed over the years have been truly ambidextrous. This is advantageous not just for lefties, but also for those who take their training seriously enough to work with their other hand.
Triggers that rival the best. Smooth double-action, crisp and short single action, and even the striker-fired models are enough to make Canik and Walther fans pause for reflection.
Four 3-sided Backstraps come with the standard-sized guns. These backstraps change not just the way the gun fits the palm, but also the sides of the grip. The largest of them also increases the reach to the trigger for those looking for perfect trigger-finger placement.
The P1 Ultra uses the shorter barrel and slide of the standard P1 model, but integrates some of the X-Trim line. These traits are a lightened slide, (though not to the extreme of the K100 X-Trim) fiber-optic front sight and blacked-out rear sight (though not target-style like the X-Calibur), and an enlarged left-side magazine release. The rest of the package is standard Grand Power, in fact the frame is the same used on Grand Power's other 15rd 9mm pistols. To get a better feel for the gun and what all comes in the box see the tabletop video.
Specs:
Caliber: 9x19
Trigger Mechanism and Weight: SA 4.5-5.6lbs, DA 7.87-8.99lbs
Overall Length: 7.38"
Width: 1.42"
Height without magazine: 5.26"
Barrel Length: 3.66"
Weight w/o magazine: 22.93"
Capacity: 15+1
We hit the range for our standard battery of experiences with Teya picking the backstrap of the four options included. Her favorite, at least when holding, was different than what I've been using on my K100, so this was bound to be a different range experience.
To try out the Grand Power P1 Ultra we of course hit the range for our standard battery of experiences conducted by two shooters:
Cold Shots: Truly our first rounds through the gun. For Teya also her first time handling the gun.
Full Magazine +1: Not all guns perform well when "fully stuffed", adding challenge we attempt this with the included extended magazine to see if the springs are proper.
What's For Dinner™: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun we used the following ammunition:
100gr Hevi Shot Hevi Duty
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of our shooting experience and time for us to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions from two shooters. We both have different interests, backgrounds, preferences, and approaches to shooting. We don't always agree, but that's why we present you with two opinions.
You can watch the process in the Shooting Impressions video below:
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared. Additional, on-demand ammunition through True Shot Gun Club.
Running that different backstrap did change the gun for me, as a non-Grand Power shooter Teya had no adjusting to do, but it certainly threw off my first shots for an embarrassing performance in the early shots.
Is there a difference? Is a question you might have between the P1 Ultra and regular P1. Aside from sights, the slide is about 1.4oz lighter. That makes for less recoil and a quick-cycling pistol. We didn't shoot the two side by side so it's hard to make a definitive statement, but 1.4oz is about the difference most red dots make. Shoot the same pistol with and without a red dot mounted and you'll feel the gain of less slide mass. Some think a lighter slide makes for a more violent cycling, others feel that the less mass reduces how much a gun tries to shift in hand.