Recover Tactical’s S-Pro Pistol Stabilizer turns your everyday carry gun into a potent PDW. I had a chance to try out the Recover Tactical P-IX Glock chassis a while back, after seeing it at SHOT Show. It was a neat conversion kit for the Glock. It made it easier to shoot and allowed for attaching optics and other accessories to my old no-rail Glock 17.
Testing the Recover Tactical S-PRO Pistol Stabilizer Kit
More recently, I checked out their CC3H Grip and Rail System and 20/11 Stabilizer Kit for single-stack 1911s. While I was working with the 1911 kits, I also had the S-PRO Glock Conversion Kit. Since I work with Glocks a lot more than I do 1911s, I’ve given the S-Pro a much longer T&E period, and I’m creeping up on 9 months of on-and-off use now. Let’s see what it is, and what I found out.
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Digging Into the Details
While the P-IX+ was a Glock-specific platform, the S-Pro is available in models not just for Glock but also SIG, Canik, Springfield, PSA, and the Walther PDP as well. Aside from being available for more platforms, the S-PRO is also a more streamlined setup than the P-IX. It’s a little quicker to drop your pistol into it as well.
I still think the P-IX+ has some strengths as a more dedicated pistol to PDW conversion platform. However, the S-Pro may get my nod for a gun that’s going to be carried on your person primarily and dropped into the stabilizer kit when needed.
The S-Pro is built on a metal frame and has an M-LOK front shroud. This gives mounting options for adding lights, lasers, or other accessories. It features a push-button-activated, spring-loaded stabilizer brace. The brace can be converted to a buttstock by removing and swapping the included brace attachment. Assuming that you have your Glock SBR’d, in the US at least.
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I actually did that to my 17 to use with the P-IX kit so I could use a regular M-4 stock. My S-Pro kit came with the brace, though, so that’s how I’ve been using it. That also allows me to swap out pistols and use them with my non-SBR’d models as well.
The S-PRO Basic model comes with the stabilizer brace/stock, a charging handle, and the S-PRO frame. It has an MSRP of $299.95. The MG model includes everything in the Basic package and adds a forward mag carrier, a cheek riser, Picatinny rails, and a metal upper rail for optics mounting. Its MSRP is $374.95.
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The S-PRO is available in Black or Tan finishes. Being a modular unit, you’ll be able to switch out for other pistol models later using a swap-out adapter. That adds value to the unit since you can still use it, even if you change pistols down the line.
Assembly and Installation
When you get your S-Pro, it comes in a few different pieces. It’s simple to follow the instructions and assemble the pistol inserts, brace, cheek piece, and optics mount, if needed.
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Pistol installation is pretty simple. You don’t need to modify your gun at all. The S-Pro can be used with a pistol with a slide-mounted optic or with iron sights. Although there is a caveat to the iron sights part, which I’ll get to.
If you’re using an optics-mounted pistol, just open up the front clamshell with the release latch and drop your pistol in. Slide the beavertail of your pistol into the corresponding slot at the rear of the S-Pro chassis. Then drop the trigger guard into the slot at the forward part. Once in place, close up the front clamshell and ensure the lock latch is closed.
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Once the pistol is secure, you can slide on the front part of the S-Pro. The shroud provides protection from muzzle blast and keeps your hand away from the pistol’s muzzle. There are M-LOK slots on either side that you can attach Picatinny rails to or items without direct M-LOK mounts. There’s also a lower rail which will accept Recover’s combination angled foregrip and mag holder, a weapon light, or another angled grip of your preference.
In this configuration, you use your slide-mounted optic to rack the slide. If you don’t have an optic, you will use the included charging handle.
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The charging snaps in place over the Glock slide and rear sight. The caveat I mentioned is that you need a factory rear sight, or one very close in profile to it. Taller sights or longer sight bases won’t work with the charging handle. It’s designed to lock onto the rear sight and Glock slide grooves.
Similarly, if you have an aftermarket slide with funky slide serrations, you may have to confirm if it will work. That limited which pistols I could use with the S-Pro, as most of my Glocks have aftermarket sights of one form or another.
Sighting Options
When using the S-Pro, you basically have two options. You either use a slide-mounted optic or you use the included optics mount and add an optic to the S-Pro itself. Your factory sights sit too low to get a sight picture when using the S-Pro brace or stock. Plus, the charging handle will be covering them anyway.
I used a Vortex SPARC Solar on my S-PRO for testing. The kit comes with a high mount, and I adjusted the cheek rest as high as it would go to get a good sight picture. I found at GunCon that they also make an optional lower mount. I think that would work better for me.
The tall mount is included, though, to ensure it will work with the widest array of pistols possible, including ones with tall sights that might catch on the lower mount.
Options
The Glock model kit I have will fit a wide variety of full, mid, and compact-sized Glocks. Basically, if it uses a standard 9mm/.40 size Glock frame it should work.
Although I primarily used it with my Glock 17, I also tried it with the same frame and a 17L length slide, as well as with a Glock 23 with both the original .40 slide and a 9mm slide.
Sized for Travel
While the S-Pro obviously adds bulk compared to a standalone pistol, it’s still a pretty tight package. With the brace collapsed, it easily fits into my 5.11 RUSH 24 pack. I could carry the stabilizer with my pistol already installed and a 20-round Magpul mag in the gun and a spare 17rd mag in the forward Mag holder.
Or I could carry the gun on my belt and leave the stabilizer in my bag until I thought I might need it. Either way worked fine.
Handling and Range Use
Recover’s S-Pro is a pretty handy package. You’re using your existing pistol’s grip as your primary contact point, and your off-hand grasps the angled foregrip. There are thumb rests on either side of the front extensions that your hand falls naturally onto.
With the brace collapsed, you can still get a cheek weld and use the red dot in a two-handed offhand shooting position. But half the fun is the brace. When you hit the button on the right side of the chassis, the brace shoots out with authority.
It’s spring-loaded and fast. It locks into place once open and provides a stable platform for that occasional use from the shoulder. Or regular use if you SBR your pistol and get the stock attachment.
With the Glock installed in the S-Pro chassis, you can still reach and operate all of your controls. Which, in the case of a Glock, is really just the mag release and slide stop. Both are easy enough to get to.
As far as shooting goes, my hits definitely improve when shooting the Glock in the S-Pro versus in a standard two-handed pistol hold. Particularly once you creep out to 25 yards and beyond. The additional points of contact provided with a brace, both a hand and a cheek weld, make for a much more stable shooting platform. Recoil control is superior as well.
The open-ended muzzle part of the chassis leaves plenty of room for you to run a compensator or suppressor. With the Picatinny side rails attached, you can mount lights or lasers as well. That allows you to carry a basic fixed sight EDC pistol, but still be able to quickly convert it to an optics-ready, night-capable platform.
The People’s PDW
Between the available features and the wide variety of handgun models that the S-Pro is available for, it really is a PDW chassis for the masses. Most other platforms are limited to a couple of common handguns. Recover Tactical has broken through those barriers.
The modular system lets you assemble it just how you want it, for the gun you want to carry, too. I know not everyone is a fan of pistol conversion kits like this, but if you’re open to the idea, Recover Tactical’s S-Pro is one of the best.
S-PRO Key Features
- Metal frame
- MLOK-compatible front shroud
- Push button release spring-loaded stabilizer/buttstock
- Modular unit – swap out adapters to use the same platform for different pistols
- No tools are required to install
- Compatible with high-profile slide-mounted optics
