Combat handguns are evolving -- maybe for the better, or maybe we are going backwards. The truth is somewhere in the middle. In my youth, we made sure all sharp edges were eliminated. It was called “melting” as the slide looked like a stick of butter that had started to melt, rounded on the corners and edges. Today, many pistols have ports and serrations to better grasp during rapid manipulations. Which is right? It depends on how you view the problem.
To keep the testing as consistent as possible, a stock slide was used to compare the performance of the Imperium. The same frame and trigger were used for both slide assemblies.
I like “simple” - not a fan of bolt-on accessories. Accessories today are not the same as in the past, but I can’t help but think of them as potential problems; carry optics for example. They are a useful addition, but one of the major problems is getting loose, even without mounting plates. It’s wise to keep an eye on them to make sure they stay tight. Compensators are growing in popularity, an accessory that has been around for quite some time. Whether they screw or bolt on, they can loosen with use and must be watched over. I fully expect the carry optic to become part of the slide, eliminating any possible loosening. We already have this feature with the compensator and the folks at Angled Spade Technologies offer an excellent example.
While walking the floor at the recent NRA Convention, I came across the Angle Spade booth and took a few minutes to look over their small, but excellent product line. Being a fan of the Glock 19, my eyes fell on their Imperium slide, a stock length unit with a compensator built in. No chance of this compensator coming loose, but I could not help but wonder how the shorter barrel would affect performance. Accuracy, ammo velocity and felt recoil all are part of a fighting pistol’s characteristics, so I could not help but wonder. Fortunately, the folks at Angled Spade were willing to help me find out.
I received the Imperium a week later, which is custom cut for your carry optic. All of the internal parts are included so all that is required is to slide it on your Gen. 1-5 frame and start shooting. Yes, you heard me right, the Imperium fits all generations of G19 pistols due to a unique device that fits on the end of the recoil guide rod. The Imperium fit both my 5th Gen G19 and my Ruger RXM, a 3rd Gen Glock clone. Due to the compensator, the Imperium comes with a 3.25-inch barrel that is 1/16 cut rifling with LH twist. It should also be noted that it’s made entirely in the USA from 416R stainless steel, then coated with black Melonite QPQ.
The Angled Spade Imperium slide was tested for accuracy, velocity and recoil mitigation. Accuracy was tested at both 10 and 25 yards.
Evaluating the Imperium consisted of three tests (accuracy, velocity and recoil mitigation) using the same Glock 19 frame and trigger group with a stock Glock 19 slide as a control. The stock slide was equipped with a Trijicon RMR while the Imperium was fitted with a Trijicon SRO. I would shoot a group with one slide and then change to the other with the same brand and type of ammunition. I wanted to see if the ¾- inch shorter barrel would have a profound effect on performance.
Those who have trained with me know I am a proponent of shot placement and use small targets. I use a 3 x 5 rectangle to represent the heart and aorta and a 3-inch square to represent the brain vault. These are the same targets I used in my testing. I started my accuracy testing by shooting 3-inch squares at ten yards as fast as I could reacquire the optic dot and reset the trigger. Yes, I could have shot slowly and placed one round on top of another, but I wanted to keep it “combative.” Inside ten yards still encompasses most domestic pistol fights, so this distance and target size would provide a valid test. I used some of the most popular carry rounds currently available in a variety of bullet weights. In the end, the two slides and barrels proved to be almost identical.
I tested pure accuracy at 25 yards by bench resting each slide assembly and shooting agonizingly slow, trying for the best groups possible. I cut this test short only shooting three different ammo types as it was just taking too long and I was trying to beat a rain storm. This is where I thought the shorter barrel of the Imperium would reveal itself, but that turned out not to be the case. The groups, which measured in the 1.5-to-2-inch area, were almost identical for both slides. As far as accuracy was concerned, the shorter barrel of the Imperium is not a problem.
A variety of proven combat ammunition was used in the testing. The Sim-X load is new but should prove to be an effective performer. Below, the 45 grain Sim-X hollow point offers a legitimate 2,000 plus feet per second option.
Velocity testing of the two-barrel lengths was next. I set up my Competition Electronics chronograph 15 feet from the benched muzzle of each slide assembly and shot three rounds of each ammo style. The results were as follows:
Federal 124 HST: Imperium 1,103 fps 1,103 fps 1,101 fps
Stock 1,096 fps 1,095 fps 1,091 fps
Speer Gold Dot 124 +P: Imperium 1,102 fps 1,117 fps 1,112 fps
Stock 1,111 fps 1,122 fps 1,127 fps
Sim-X 45 all copper HP Imperium 2,059 fps 1,959 fps 2,017 fps
Stock 1,943 fps 2,000 fps 2007 fps
Speer Gold Dot II 135 Imperium 1,057 fps 1,051 fps 1,061 fps
Stock 1,060 fps 1,062 fps 1,057 fps
Speer Gold Dot II 147 Imperium 894 fps 941 fps 930 fps
Stock 885 fps 868 fps 871 fps
The 25-yard accuracy test was completed slow fire from a bench rest to achieve the best results. The author cut it to three ammo styles to save time.
The shorter barrel of the Imperium did not affect the velocity of any of these popular carry loads. The Sim-X round is a new ammo that was supplied to me by my friend Randy Watt, former Police Chief and Green Beret. Randy is working with these folks to turn out some truly revolutionary ammunition. The word “fast” would be a bit of an understatement. As you can see, it is also accurate. I’m going to keep watching Sim-X.
The recoil mitigation test required a high level of shot placement which probably reduced the difference in split times. Still, you could feel and see the flatter shooting Imperium.
The final test was an absolute must. Without a significant reduction in recoil, the compensator would be a waste. Angled Spade claims their built-in compensator cuts felt recoil by 24%. I wanted to see if that was true. But I also wanted to do something more significant than just blast away at close range on an A-Zone and chart the splits. I opted to shoot 3 x 5 rectangles at 7 yards to emphasize shot placement. This probably “robbed” the internal compensator of some of its advantage, but hits end fights, not splits.
I think it’s fair to say that a young set of hands on the gun would have likely have shown a greater advantage. I could feel the reduction in recoil impulse which helped keep the carry optic dot in view. In the end, the Imperium compensator took a 1/10th of a second off the split times, even under my strict requirements. On a larger target going all out, the claimed 24% is probably realistic.
The use of compensators concerns some in regards to close retention shooting, so I fired a few rounds while performing close quarter drills. While I did feel some spray from the upward directed gasses, I doubt it would hinder my ability to shoot in close quarters. In the end, the Angled Spade Imperium proved to be a performance asset without any loss of performance. While I tested it on my Glock 19 frame, I think I am going to transfer this to my Ruger RXM for additional trials.
This is nicely made --
Angled Spade Technologies
11 Kenny Roberts Memorial Dr Unit 1
Suffield, CT 06078
Phone: (800) 527-9484
www.angledspade.com
— Dave Spaulding
