Over the last few years, my preferences have changed from Glock’s modularity to the P320 and its overall options for customization. Last week, I looked at the new RXP XCompact and the overall evolution of a factory SIG 320, but what about the aftermarket community?  The Glock community had an explosion in aftermarket parts as it became more popular and it created a cycle of new customers purchasing Glocks to build them exactly how they wanted them. I purchased my first Glock 19 for this reason but the P320 is different.

With a removable fire control unit, it’s easier than ever to put any slide and frame configuration together. This form of Legos for men is fun and companies like Parker Mountain Machine and Agency Arms are currently making aftermarket parts to take a standard P320 to the next level. Over the last few months, I’ve looked at the single chamber/barrel combo from Parker Mountain Machine and was impressed with the overall quality and compensation offered by the single port compensator. Recently I picked up a dual-port compensator from Parker Mountain Machine, so let’s check the big differences between the single and dual port compensator/barrel combos.

Single Port Compensator

I’ve had my single port compensated pistol for a few months now and it worked flawlessly. I have a couple thousand rounds with no issues. I posted up an initial impression review back in February which I will leave a link to here. The single port compensator with a compact slide is the best of both worlds with barrel length and compensation. The compact barrel has enough length to have decent velocity while offering less recoil. Having a compensator inside the frame offers the benefits of having a compensator without the extra bulk. I have a few thousand rounds through the single port PMM compensator and I can honestly say I am quite a big fan of it. The downside of the single port compensator is the fact it offers 35% recoil reduction where something like the dual port compensator will offer 50-55% recoil reduction.

Dual Port Compensator

After purchasing and using the single port compensator, I decided to purchase the dual compensator as well. I was looking for the flush fit look like the single compensator so I decided to use one of my XCompacts as a host for the slide and fire control unit. Having a 3.6″ subcompact slide on a full size frame can look a bit odd without the comp for trading half an inch of barrel for almost double in recoil reduction is a fair trade. Now I know some of you will say ” But Matt, it’s only 9mm, it doesn’t kick that hard” and you’re right! 9mm is extremely controllable, but adding a dual port compensator to a small handgun while keeping it inside the frame is a big plus when trying to minimize bulk.

The biggest issues often times with dual port compensators is the amount of space they take up in front of the gun. Before trying the PMM Compensators, I had a general dislike of compensators since they like to hang off the gun and make them overly cumbersome. There’s no denying the gun shoots AMAZINGLY flat with the dual port. For the loss in velocity due to the short barrel, the recoil reduction is almost unbelievable. I’ve never shot a handgun that recoils so flat and if you ever get the chance to shoot one I highly suggest you take the opportunity to experience it.

Overall Thoughts

Probably the best way to describe Parker Mountain Machine’s compensators is using toilet paper. Sure you can keep it simple and use the cheap single ply toilet paper, but it’s so much nicer to use higher quality stuff. That’s how it feels to shoot one of the PMM compensated pistols versus a regular long slide X-Five or regular handgun. The dual comp is by far my favorite even though it may have a break-in period for the comp and barrel combo.

I had a bit of a break-in period with the dual comp barrel but it runs like a dream and I couldn’t be happier. The single port compensator is a great option if you want a simple compensated handgun without buying a new slide or planning. If you have a P320 compact It would be a great conversion to a full size compensated pistol. Let me know what you guys think of compensated pistols in the comments below. I was not a fan before trying these but I’m curious what you guys think. If you have questions reach out to me on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there.