Categories
1911 2011 9mm

Fusion Firearms XP Pro Stainless is on the Way!

Yeah, I changed my plans, although this was an alternative plan.

The plan was to obtain a 5″ 1911 in 9mm. I’d chosen to purchase the Prodigy DS 5″, but since I’m (sort of) not satisfied with the Prodigy DS Compact that I received last week (heavy trigger, pinching thumb safety), I was sort of not wanting to commit to another Prodigy.

Another alternative plan was to obtain a 5″ Emissary AOS 9mm, but then started thinking that I’d want a double-stack 1911 if I this gun’s purpose was for training.

So, I decided to check pricing on what I’d been looking at a few weeks ago – the Fusion Firearms XP Pro Stainless 4″. Normally, it’s $1200+ for the stainless gun (and $100 less for the non-stainless version). I found a (new) stainless version for less than $1000 at KYGUNCO, so I bit on it.

I’m awaiting for KYGUNCO and my gun store/range to chat with one another, which they’ll probably do tomorrow or the day after.

I can’t remember if I’ve spoken about why I had the XP Pro on my list, but the reasons why I wanted it are:

  • There are no 2011-patterned guns under $2500 that have metal grips (although the grips don’t have the best texturing).
  • The gun has gotten great reviews.
  • The gun uses Glock 17 mags, which are far cheaper than 2011-pattern mags.
  • The gun includes several optic plate adapters (the Prodigy guns only come with an obsolete formatted plate and to switch plates, you’ve to pay $120).
  • Fusion Firearms have updates/upgrades in the works (grips, 5″ versions, comp barrels, etc).

This might also bump up my Youtube viewership count, too, as I’ve looked at what folks are searching on on both Youtube and my blog and there’s a LOT of folks looking for information on the XP Pro.

I’m not sure if the great characteristics of my Bul Armory Ultralight made my experience with the Prodigy DS a bit sour. Granted, I’ve the grip safety issue with my Ultralight, but the gun is outstanding to shoot. It has a great trigger, good finish and great fitment, and great performance in general. The things about the Prodigy that pissed me off were the trigger being heavy, the pinching safety, and the optics plate offering. The MSRP between my version of the Ultralight and the Prodigy DS Compact are almost the same, but the Prodigy Compact lacks when comparing the two.

Some folks might say, “Well, what did you expect?” I’m the type of guy that wants to experience things for myself. As well, there are many folks who shit on a gun they’ve never owned and parrot what they’ve heard other folks say. There have been plenty of times where I bought what folks think are shitty guns and those guns turned out to work as intended. I’m not a trusting person when it comes to information that resides on the internet. I’d rather find out on my own.

Folks say the Prodigy DS has reliability issues. I’ve not seen that yet with my example. It’s been dependable thus far. My issues are that I think Springfield Armory could’ve done better. The trigger is sloppy. The choice on optic plate is crappy. The safety lever pinching folks is something they should’ve caught — I’m not sure why this isn’t occurring with the larger Prodigy DS variants. So, all my issues have nothing to do with reliability/dependability.

I’m not sure when the XP Pro will be ready for me to pick up. If I’m lucky, it’ll be Friday or Saturday. If not, it’ll probably be early next week.

Once I know it’s coming, I’ll order some KCI G17 mags.

Categories
1911 2011 Springfield Armory

I’ll Be Fitting A Different Safety To The Prodigy DS Compact

Today, I saw a few other folks complaining about the right side of the ambidextrous safety of the Prodigy DS Compact.

At least one person has removed the ambi safety and switched to a single-sided safety. He said he bought a Nighthawk safety and swapped it in. I asked him how much fitting it required and he said it took a bit of fitting, but he also said that he’s swapped in a new sear and that the sear required that he spend a bit more time than usual in fitting the safety.

I then went to Youtube to view videos showing how to fit 1911 safeties. I think this is something I can do. I’ve fit other parts in the past and I think this job is something that isn’t beyond me.

So, I’ll be swapping out the OEM safety levers for a single-sided safety. I’ve picked the Nighthawk Customs Carbon single-sided safety.

I also ordered a set of good gunsmithing files, as the ones I have are lacking as far as sharpness (they were bought from Harbor Freight).

I also have a spare safety to experiment with (it is unfitted).

If I mess this up, I’ll try a less expensive safety (EGW) next, but I don’t think I’ll fail in this.

The parts should arrive in 5 days. If this works, I’ll be converting a few other safeties on my 1911s, as I’ve no need for ambi safeties and I love the looks of the right side of a 1911/2011 that has a single-sided safety.

Yeah, I said I didn’t want to mod the Prodigy until I’d had a fair amount of rounds through it, but the safety pinches me badly and a new safety shouldn’t change the shooting characteristics of the gun any.

I’ll report back with the results of this effort.

Categories
1911 2011 Springfield Armory

I’m The New Owner of a Prodigy DS Compact!

I neglected to update the blog to say that I have received the gun and have shot it.

This whole transfer experience was outstandingly great. The shipper, Gunprime, was quick in shipping the gun where I needed it to go. I’d never used my range as a receiving FFL, so I was anxious to see how that experience played out. My range received the gun and notified me within 2 hours that it was ready to be picked up, which was something I’ve never seen before. In my experience, receiving FFLs typically sit on the gun. In many cases, I’d wait 2-3 days in the past to get a call from receiving FFL that the gun was ready to be picked up, and in some cases, I had to make an appointment that was usually the week after it arrived to them.

When I went to pick up the gun, the transfer experience was pretty cool. There was no paper involved. Everything was done on e-forms, on a laptop. I’d fill out the e-form, and the range employee would look it over and ask me to make any corrections (or not). I did both forms in that manner and process took the same amount of time as if I’d done it on paper. And the background check results were done 5 minutes after submittal.

To top all that off, the transfer fee was a total of $17!

So, I got home and ended up racking the gun maybe 100-130 times while watching TV with my wife. The gun is stiff AF.

As it is my first Springfield Armory 1911/2011, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The gun is clean. Fitment and finish is good. Grip texture is great. Both mags are good. I ended up ordering three more, for $37 each – note that MSRP on those mags are $60 apiece.

The gun fits in my current 2011 holsters (but I haven’t tested the QVO IWB holster since it keys off the gun light and the only gun light that I have is currently on the Ultralight).

Some things I don’t like:

The optics plate adapter that comes with the gun — I’m not sure why they insist on sticking with including the Docter plate with Prodigy handguns…IMO, that’s a seriously stupid choice of footprint, especially when most folks are going to end up having to buy another (they’re not cheap, either – $120). When I went to the SA page to order one in RMSc footprint, they were out of stock (WTF). In fact, they’re kinda scarce. I ended up ordering one from eBay (for $119).

Also, the right thumb safety is pinching the hell out of my hand when disabling the safety, unless I purposely shift my hand a certain way. I will either have to try to swap in a single sided safety, grind the stock right-side lever so that it won’t pinch me, or pay a gunsmith to sort it out for me.

The trigger measures at (an average of 5 pulls) 3 lb 8 oz but feels heavier. As with my experience with my Tisas DS, the trigger wall feels heavy.

Lastly, the gun feels seriously oversprung. I don’t want to mess with swapping springs, as I just received the gun and I don’t want to start swapping parts so soon. It may break in.

How does it shoot? I’m shooting left of most of my bullseyes – 1 inch left at 7 yards and 2-3 at 10 yards. I think it’s due to the trigger wall…as I’m negotiating the trigger, I’m inadvertently pulling my point of aim. With the Tisas DS, I waited until 500 rounds before I lost my patience and swapped in a different sear spring. I will do the same with the Prodigy, although I could just tweak the OEM spring, which may help.

The gun doesn’t feel snappy, probably due to the great grip textures – the Bul Armory Ultralight feels a lot snappier (probably due to lack of good grip texturing).

I shot 120 rounds through the gun before I ran out of range time. The gun didn’t choke or misfeed and the gun was dirty – I didn’t clean it, as I was working with limited time.

At some point, I need to try JHP through the gun, as I keep seeing folks saying that their Prodigy Compacts are experiencing feeding issues. I think that I should wait until maybe 500 rounds before I try JHP, as that will give the gun’s parts time to wear in.

Categories
1911 2011 9mm double-stack Springfield Armory

Will Be Picking Up Prodigy DS Compact This Evening

This gun came to my FFL in record time.

I ordered it from Gunprime LATE Thursday night. Gunprime processed it Friday around noon-ish and UPS picked it up that afteroon. UPS usually processes gun on a 2-day timeline, so, Monday and Tuesday were the transport days and they delivered it today (Tuesday around noon).

I was ready to wait for XCal to take a day or two to process it, but they sent me a text a few minutes ago saying it was ready for pickup. Wow! That’s exceptional, time-wise.

So, I’ll be heading out to XCal after work (maybe 6 or 6:30 PM) to do the background check, which shouldn’t take all that long to do.

As I’ve never used XCal as an FFL, I’m not sure what to expect. One thing that annoys me about FFLs is that I’ve been to more than a few that want you to process the background check without even looking at the gun. The problem with that is that the gun could have flaws (gun won’t cycle, or gun has massive scratches, for example) or might not have what was purchased (a mag, for example)…if they won’t let you see it and you do the paperwork first, it’s your gun, literally sight unseen. The gun isn’t yours until you perform the transfer (from FFL to you). Prior to that, the gun is being transferred from FFL (store) to FFL (store).

So, yeah, I’m excited. I also ordered three more mags from LockedLoaded.com, as they had them on sale for $37, vs the MSRP cost of $60 each.

I also scheduled a range visit for Wednesday evening…I’ll perform an initial assessment of the Prodigy DS then.

Categories
1911 2011 9mm Springfield Armory

I’ve a Prodigy DS Compact on the way to me!

So, I just completed the order of the next gun.

I had a seriously bad time trying to determine what guns I wanted this year.

I’ll be buying two within the next 30 days.

I just bought a Springfield Armory Prodigy DS Compact 3.5″, from Gunprime. I’d initially planned on buying the 4.25″ Compact but I do a lot of bending and squatting and when carrying AIWB, tasks such as tying shoes is sometimes difficult. I’ve carried Commander 1911s AIWB in the past, but it’s been a while. I was about to order the 4.25″ when I decided to keep it short, since I plan to replace my Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight with the Prodigy Compact.

I’m 100% sure the next gun that I’m buying is another Springfield Armory – I just don’t know which one I’m buying. It’s either the Prodigy 5″ (maybe Comp) or the 5″ Emissary AOS in 9mm. As I don’t have a full-size 1911/2011 in 9mm, I’d initially wanted a full sized prodigy, but the 5″ Emissary is BEAUTIFUL! I was locked onto a 5″ Prodigy Comp until I remembered the Emissary. There’s a very high chance I’ll end up getting the Emissary.

So, the wait is on. I’ve never ordered from Gunprime before, but I’ve been aware of them and have looked at their stock of guns in the past. I’m not sure how prompt they are in processing and shipping guns. There are several popular gun stores that I avoided because they insist on a 5-10 day processing regimen…that’s BS…yeah, I know they’re busy but waiting 10 days to have a gun processed is quite lame. What the hell – that’s like two business weeks!

Knowing my luck, this gun will come when I’m away. I’ve business in CA and will be gone week after next. I ordered this gun late Thursday night (3/20). It might not even be looked at until mid-week next week, and I fly out 3/29 and will be away a full week. That’s how my Ultralight came in – I got a call when I was fishing 300+ miles away. We’ll see how this plays out.

I’m excited but not excited. I know the Prodigy will be good, but it’s probably going to be similar to the Ultralight (not a bad thing exactly). Really, I just need it to be dependable and for ALL the controls to work – the Ultralight’s grip saftey doesn’t function properly (trigger can be dropped without touching the grip safety, although I’ve to hulk up a bit on the trigger). Bul Armory has had the UL twice but can’t (or won’t) fix the grip safety. I think they fucked up the gun when hand-fitting the grip safety – I think they may’ve removed too much material. When metal is removed, it can’t be returned (unless you weld more metal onto the part), which is probably why they’ve had a hard time fixing the issue, although I asked them to replace the part before I returned it the 2nd time, which they did not. I’m not even sure what they did to “repair” it, as the grip safety looked the same as before I sent it back to them, and the saftey was functioning for maye a month before it stopped working again. This is why I won’t buy another Bul Armory – they won’t stand by their own workmanship. I’ve never heard of Springfield Armory doing such a thing, and I’ve never owned a higher end Springfield Armory gun (I’ve two XD9 Mod 2 guns, though).

Of course, I’ll post here with initial thoughts and pics/videos once I’ve received the Prodigy Compact.

UPDATE (3/21/2025): It’s already shipped…Gunprime FTW! It’s supposed to be delivered early morning on Tuesday, via UPS. This is good. I do not know the receiving FFL’s policy on transfers (not sure how long I’ll have to wait for them to process it). They receive it on 3/25. I fly out on 3/29. That’ll leave 3/25 – 3/28 for them to process it. The earlier the better, so that I can have a day or 3 with the gun before I fly out. I’ve not used my range for a transfer since I’ve been a member (2+ years). I’ve been using a different store for that, but my range’s transfer fees are cheap, and I get a discount as a member. I’m curious how this will go, and excited, as well.

Categories
1911 2011 Optic range visit Tisas

My Thoughts on Using my First Closed-Emitter Optic

I visited the range yesterday, with the Tisas DS9 Carry. The plan was to zero the Viridian RFX45.

I spent maybe 40 minutes zeroing the optic – because Viridian’s instructions were backwards. Once I had the optic zeroed, I began to shoot to test out the optic…during the testing (all 10 min of it), the optic screws started backing out. I wasn’t initially aware, and I’d been tweaking the zero, so the optic’s current zero may be out of whack. I’ll address that at the next range visit.

The slide was hot, and because I was giving the gun the beans, I’m thinking the heat loosened the thread locker, and since the screws are so short, there wasn’t much thread locker on the screws.

I ordered more screws maybe 2-3 days ago (I stated that in my last post). They’ll arrive on 3/10. These are the M3-0.5 x 6mm screws. The gun is currently using a pair of M3-0.5 x 3.4 mm that were included with the optic. I’m now doubting that the 6mm screws will be long enough, so I ordered another set from eBay (8mm)…they should be here within 4 days.

I do have some longer screws that I might be able to cut down with a dremel…they’re too long – I tried using them and they bottom out before they start securing the optic.

Other than all that, the optic is great! Some observations:

  • The optic’s front glass got dirty quickly, much more quickly than my other optics, but none are as close to the ejection port as that optic/gun combo.
  • Brass was pinging off the optic’s frame, on it’s right side. I sort of expected this, as the prior optic I used on this gun (Cyelee CAT) was also catching brass.
  • The glass offers a much wider field of view than I’m used to, which is good.
  • I’m able to shoot the gun quickly with the optic, while still being accurate (at 10 yards, too).
  • As mentioned earlier, the zeroing instructions that Viridian supplied had me moving the damned POI to the edge of the paper target, which was frustrating.
  • Would love for this optic to have a two reticle system, as my Holosun ACSS Vulcan does…I may be spoiled by that double reticle system, as I was struggling to find the dot whenevev I was trying to look down the sight.
  • Cowitness of the irons look to be a bit less than 1/3rd, but is still more usable than when trying to use the integrated iron on the Holosun 507K with my Ultralight.
  • Due to it being a closed emitter optic, it’s super easy to clean off the carbon and fingerprints.
  • The Acro footprint is pretty badass. The two screws that hold the adapter in place will loosen well before the one screw that holds the optic onto the adapter.
  • One thing I don’t like about this optic is that it’s so big that I’ve to grab it behind the optic when racking, which is a PITA. I do not like racking a gun by grabbing it’s optic and I refuse to do it. Luckily, this is a setup I don’t plan to carry.

Based on my observations, I just might try to pick up an RFX44…it’ll sit better on an RMSc-cut slide than an RFX45 would on an RMSc-cut slide, for sure.

I love the RFX45 because I’m getting a lot of bang for the buck…the optic wasn’t super expensive because I found it for a good price (much lower than MSRP), but I’m getting a lot from it. Because it has all it’s innards up top within the optic, it sits low on the gun, which helps with cowitness.

I may try to visit the range again this coming Wednesday (my work day – I work not far from my range, so it may be easy for me to visit after work). If not, I’m also off on Friday (my birthday is Saturday). I think I’ll try to schedule Wednesday AND Friday.

Categories
1911 2011 Optic range visit Tisas

I Mounted The Viridian RFX45 To The Tisas DS Carry!

A few weeks ago, I bought a Viridian RFX45, knowing it’s mainly an optic that won’t fit RMSc-cut guns. I bought the optic for use with a few duty-sized guns that I’ll be purchasing…those guns are cut for RMR sights.

I then wondered if this particular optic will fit a Tisas DS Carry (I’ve the Gen 1 version). They are cut for RMSc (the new gens might allow for RMR, though). Looking at the RFX45, it’s quite a bit longer than a typical RMSc optic, so I doubted I could fit the RFX45 to it. This is also why the RFX44 exists, as it is a mailbox-type of optic that fits guns that are cut for RMSc. I didn’t want to buy the RFX44 because it’s specs are inferior to the RFX45.

So, I decided to see if I could get it to fit, knowing I might be unsuccessful.

I bought an RMSc-to-Acro adapter plate and it arrived today.

I removed the Cyelee CAT from the Tisas DS Carry and test-fit the adapter plate to the gun…it fit right onto the gun without issue.

I then wanted to see how the RFX45 would mount to the adapter plate. It fit onth the plate without issue.

The biggest problem for me was finding screws. I had to use M3-0.5 x 3.4mm, as those were the only screws I had that would fit. I’d other longer M3 screws but they were too long and wouldn’t even put tension on the plate. The M3-0.5 x 3.4mm screws are super-short but they had thread locker and I had enough length to secure the optic. I also decided right then to buy some M3-0.5 x 6 mm (I believe 6mm will fit). They’re on the way to me now.

So, with the short M3 screws, the adapter plate was able to be properly mounted to the gun’s slide. From there, all I had to do was clamp on the optic (I love the Acro pattern).

The adapter plate lifts the optic so that it sits above the milling, otherwise the optic wouldn’t be able to fit in the smaller footprint. I also still have cowitness of my irons.

Note that the RFX45 is a closed emitter optic. It has a large viewing port. It’s also a green dot (all Viridian optics are green).

I absolutely can’t wait to test this setup at the range. I’ve a scheduled range visit tomorrow evening.

Some pics are below. Yeah, the gun is dirty – I use my guns.

Categories
1911 2011 Optic red dot

I’ve a New Optic On the Way To Me!

In preparation for a new gun or two, I also decided to get one of the “mailbox” RMR dot sights.

While I’m still undecided on what gun to obtain, the gun will almost certainly be a bigger gun – I don’t have a 5″ 9mm 1911/2011. Since I’m going big, I wanted an RMR-sized optic.

What did I buy? The Viridian RFX45.

I was initially eyeing the Virdian RFX44, but saw that the RFX45 has better specs. It has a bigger viewer, has better power consumtpion ratings, uses a more common battery, and is designed to fit RMR-cut guns. The RFX45 is the better optic when comparing the two.

Both sights are green dots.

The RFX44 is immediately capable of being mounted on a gun that is cut for RMSc, which is why I was initially drawn to it.

If I find that I like the RFX45, I’ll more than likely get the RFX44. We’ll see.

UPDATE (2/24/2025): I received the optic yesterday. I installed the battery that came with it, but I’m not sure how long the optic has been sitting in someone’s inventory – that battery might not last long if it’s been sitting for a over a year. I’ve spares, but the reason I mention this is because it took a long while for me to get the battery cover back onto the optic – it was a true pain in the ass to get it back on. Other than that, the dot seems bright. I’m not sure I can lock the optic, but I don’t plan to carry this optic, so that’s not a huge deal. The optic came with an Acro-to-RMR plate, which I can use once I get the next gun. If I get the Prodigy 5″, I’ll have to order an RMR plate for it (it comes with RMSc, I believe). If I get the XP Pro, it comes with an RMR plate, which the Acro should fit onto. I thought the optic window might be bigger. This is also my first closed emitter optic…it’s NICE to not have to worry about dirt and lint getting caught deep in the optic glass. It’ll be a month or two before I make the next gun purchases, so this optic will be sitting on my desk.

Categories
1911 9mm Commander firearms Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra Tac Ultra

The Rock Island Armory Tac Ultra MS 9mm Is Now Dialed In!

I went to the range maybe two weeks ago and my main goal was to dial in the sights on a particular 1911. Instead of spending a significant amount of range time zero’ing the gun, what I’d been doing was shooting 1-2 mags every range visit, bringing the targets home, and making sight adjustments at home. I’d then bring the gun when next visiting the range and testing the sights to determine if further adjustments were necessary. I did this maybe 3 times before I was satisfied.

Why not just spend a whole range session to do this? I’ve other guns that I want to shoot (to work out similar issues in adjustment)…timesharing guns can sometimes be problematic and I don’t have my own range or know of anyone that does.

The below video highlights the culmination of properly adjusting the sights on this gun.

The gun is a Rock Island Armory Tac Ultra MS with the 9mm barrel (it came with two). I’ve never shot this gun well, accuracy-wise, and I’d thought it was due to it being bushing-barreled. I’ve another RIA MS 9mm gun and it is bull-barreled – that gun is a low-effort gun as far as accuracy is concerned. I’ve always been accurate with that gun and I always thought it was mainly due to the bull barrel.

Both of those guns lack front strap checkering, and I sometimes struggle with maintaining a proper grip on those two guns. I added a strip of Talon Grips tape on each on their front straps. I think that is why I had such a great session with the Tac Ultra.

Note that I’m shooting at 15 yards, at 2″ sticky bullseyes. I could barely see those sticky targets at that range, but tried to just aim as best I could and tried to maintain proper grip and trigger discipline. I think it worked out well!

Categories
1911 2011

How to Make a Series-70 1911 Drop Safe

Ever since Garand Thumb and Ben Steoger did their “drop a 1911/2022” contest, folk have been saying things like, “1911s aren’t drop safe”. Half the folks don’t understand the difference between Series-70 and -80 1911s.

Let’s discuss it.

What makes a Series-80 drop safe? It actually has a firing pin safety (it’s also called a drop safety.

Why is there a difference between a Series-70 and a Series-80 1911? Because the drop safety adds additional parts to the trigger mechanism, the trigger feel and weight on Series-80 guns tend to be heavy in feel/weight when compared to Series-70 guns.

Can the Series-80 parts be added to Series-70 guns? Not without serious modification by a professional and experienced gun smith.

The grip safety will not stop the firing pin from moving.

The thumb safety will not stop the firing pin from moving.

Can negligent discharges due to dropping be mitigated? Yes.:

  • Negligent discharges due to dropping can be mitigated by not dropping the gun.
  • As well, 1911/2011 discharges occur when dropped in a very specific manner – dropping 90 degrees on it’s muzzle. Don’t drop the gun on the muzzle.
  • Titanium firing pins and a stronger firing pin spring will mitigate NDs from muzzle drops. The lighter firing pin will not move when sudden inertia is applied after hitting the ground on it’s muzzle. A stronger firing pin helps to ensure that light primer strikes don’t occur due the lighter firing pin.

I’m hoping this helps folks that are new to 1911, as well as folks that have owned them for years and didn’t know or though they knew but were wrong.

I’ve ordered two titanium firing pins with heavier pin springs for two of my small 1911s that I’ve recently carried. They are Series-70 1911s and they do not currently have titanium firing pins. I’ll be swapping the parts in one but will wait to do the other. The other is my current carry gun and I don’t want to alter how it’s configured without testing the new titanium firing pin.

As well, those pins weren’t cheap. Two sets of pins and springs were just under $70 (parts were sourced from Nighthawk).

I’ll report back later on if I find that there are issues.