The height over bore was an issue. It’s something I could have trained through. But I had to constantly pay attention with the X95, whereas with my AR’s it’s not something I have to give as much thought to due to years of training and practice.
My split times with the X95 were slower than with the 6920. My split times with a 6920 are slower than they are with one of my midlength has AR’s with a 15” handguard.
The X95 wasn’t purchased for 3 gun competition. Was the split times good enough for the intended purpose of the X95?
Probably...?
For some reason, it was difficult to shoot from a bench rest accurately with the X95. It could be done, but it took much more effort than an AR, or even an AR pistol.
Transition from target to target was slower for me with the X95 when I was on a timer. This was to be expected with how close my support hand had to be to my body due to the short OAL than I am with an AR with a 15” handguard, or even a Colt 6920.
The rubber butt plate would catch on my clothing. IWI makes a nice, thin hard plastic replacement, but installing it shortens the OAL of the weapon to where it now becomes a SBR. (Gotta love NFA rules...) If you have an 18” X95, then you’re good to go. But I was buying an X95 for the short OAL, so I didn’t get the appeal of the 18” barrels.
Manual of arms for a magazine change felt funky when used to using an AR. I was never as fast as I am with an AR, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d assume it would be prior to actually owning one.
Things I remember surprising me were how easy it was to maneuver in a tight space, like a hallway. I also assumed it would be loud to shoot with the muzzle being closer to my face. But I really didn’t find it any louder to shoot than a traditional 16” AR using the same ammunition.
Bottom line is the X95 had potential to be a viable option for what I needed. But it didn’t work out as I would have hoped. Had the accuracy been on par with an AUG, or if the height over bore wouldn’t have been so much larger than an AR, or... if it were the only gun I shot so that I had the height over bore drilled into my brain, I’d probably have kept it.
Could it be a viable option for someone else to use as a travel gun that needs to have a small footprint? I definitely think so. I say this because I feel ALL of the issues I had with my X95 boiled down to personal preference. The gun was reliable, and accurate enough for the intended task.