It’s nice to see two very knowledgeable individuals who understand how good the Beretta PX4 Storm is!
If I weren’t on a 1911/2011 fixation, I’d probably be shooting this gun more!
Month: June 2023
So, I’m done with my gun purchases this year. I’m quite happy with my recent purchases.
What’s for next year’s gun buy?
I’m looking at the Costaint COS21, which is a semi-custom 2011. It starts at $2200, comes with 2 x 17-round mags, and is optics-ready
I’m also considering the Stealth Arms Platypus – I’m aware that this isn’t a true 2011, but more of a double-stacked 1911 that uses Glock mags. I’ve spec’d one out at $1535 with all the options I want. Not sure if it comes with mags, though, but I can certainly order them without issue and it won’t break the bank!
Another consideration would be the Bul Armory SAS II UL Comp ($1890). Or, the 4.25″ SAS II Tac ($1760).
I’ve also been looking at Alpha Foxtrot’s single stacked 1911s, Fusion Firearms’ single stacked 1911s, and Bul Armory’s single stacked 1911s. No, I don’t need a Dan Wesson. I’d be happy with one, but I’d also be happy with any of the aforementioned 1911s.
Whatever I’ll buy next will be almost certainly a 2011 or 1911, though.
Someone asked me on Reddit, “Why not a Staccato?” I’ve no interested in a Staccato at all. Why? Everyone has one. It’s is THE gateway 2011. I don’t necessarily want what everyone else has. The Staccato is $1000 more than my most expensive handgun (the Bull Armory SAS II UL), but I’m that guy that believes in diminishing returns.
A Staccato C2 is $2000. A Staccato P is $2199. A Staccato CS (probably what I’d want and is very equivalent to the SAS II UL) is $2499, which is $1000 more than the cost of a SAS II UL but I’m not getting double the value of a SAS II UL.
I get that the Staccatos have no MIM and that they’re built in the US. I’m not afraid of MIM – most good gun makers that use MIM have never had issues with dependability of those MIM parts. I’m also not afraid of buying high end items from foreign companies.
Staccato mags are expensive at approximately $70…that’s $20 more than the SAS II UL mags, which I thought were expensive AF but still bought 2 of them. The saving grace is that each Staccato comes with 3 mags.
Staccato optic plates are REALLY expensive, at $160 for the 507K optics kit (they don’t include them with the gun as a package deal, either).
Why would I pay $2500 for a Staccato CS and then want to also spend another $300 on optics mounting gear and two extra mags? That’s close to $3000 at that point.
Basically, I don’t have a problem not owning a Staccato while owning Bul Armory 2011s. I’m not a brand snob and a non-Staccato will suffice, while I’m absolutely sure that I’ll shoot a non-Staccato as well as I would a Staccato.
I’m not sure why I haven’t posted about this yet, but a few months ago (Jan/Feb timeframe) I was cleaning my RIA Rock Ultra MS and noticed that the front sight was very loose. I’m not sure what occurred to loosen it, but I’d been carrying that particular gun for a while and hadn’t noticed that issue until it happened.
I was carrying that handgun in a Tenicor kydex holster, but the kydex doesn’t touch the front sight. I do remember dropping the gun once, on a carpeted floor. I’m thinking that might have been enough to dislodge the front sight. I can’t remember how the gun landed, but if it landed on the front sight, that would explain why the sight was loose.
The front sight was loose enough to where it slid all the way out of the dovetail with very little effort. Not only that, but the dovetail edge was surgically sharp and sliced my finger badly (had an issue stopping the bleeding).
When I cleaned the slide of blood, I saw that it looked as if the only thing that kept the sight in place was red threadlocker. I could see old threadlocker on the bottom of the sight and in the dovetail. I’m almost certain RIA didn’t fit this sight to the dovetail, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to slide it back on and off the slide.
I’ve ordered another sight (from Armscor) but do not have the tools needed to perform an installation (I’ve no vise, I’ve no files, I’ve no sight pusher).
I can either order the needed tools or give the slide and sight to a local gunsmith so that they can install it.
After I had the issue, I couldn’t carry the gun, but I ended up installing the 9mm barrel to my 22TCM RIA Tac Ultra so that I could carry that gun instead. That gun also fit in the Tenicor Certum holster.
My review notes:
Initial thoughts
- S15 is well-built
- Has tight tolerances
- No slide-to-frame gaps
- No slide-to-frame wiggle
- Nice barrel lock-up
- Nice trigger – not laterally loose and has no creep.
- Trigger does have some vertical play
- Has great finish
- Has very nice control surfaces
- Front and rear strap checkering is very aggressive, which offers great controllability.
- Has great shooting traits
- For me, it offers low recoil impulse
- Slide is heavier than my SAS II UL, which soaks up recoil
- For me, it offers low recoil impulse
- Has tight tolerances
- Sights are OK – not the best but can be worse
- Even with irons, I can shoot this gun just as well as the SAS II UL
- I was shooting 7 and 10 yard groups just as well with this gun as the SAS II UL.
- Caveat – my SAS II UL has an optic, so I’m not going to be able to match it’s quick follow-on shots, especially at distance.
- Even with irons, I can shoot this gun just as well as the SAS II UL
- Cons of the S15
- $1500 guns need to have at LEAST two mags
- WTF – the cost of a second Shield Arms mag is a drop in the bucket
- Fat beavertail is somewhat uncomfortable – it is very wide at the top, which isn’t the norm for 1911s/2011s
- I hear that the beavertail on the previous version was wider than how it is now
- Apparently this was a common complaint, so Alpha Foxtrot made an effort to lessen the width of this area.
- It is still wide and can be problematic for some folks.
- Apparently this was a common complaint, so Alpha Foxtrot made an effort to lessen the width of this area.
- If you normally shoot a 1911 with the thumb of your strong side hand over the thumb safety, you might have an issue with the beavertail beating up the knuckle bone at the base of your thumb
- I noticed that this may be an issue and also noticed that the thumb safety is super-stiff in actuation, so I shot the S15 without having a thumb over the safety – I had no issues with recoil making it back to that knuckle.
- I hear that the beavertail on the previous version was wider than how it is now
- I ran into an issue when field stripping the gun after I picked it up from the FFL. I field stripped it once without issue. The second time I field stripped it, I cleaned it, lubed it, and then attempted to put the gun back together. I couldn’t. This is my 6th 1911/2011, so I’m aware of how to take down these guns and put them back together, but I was having issues getting the takedown pin back into the hole. The pin wouldn’t go into the hole of the frame. I tried it after putting the side and barrel aside – it wouldn’t go in. I noticed that the front rail module slides into the frame and saw that it was out of alignment with the frame – I had to use a screwdriver to lever it back into alignment. After doing that, I tried putting the takedown pin into the hole and it slid in. I then tried to do it with the slide and barrel and failed – the rail module had moved again, so I again used a screwdriver to push it back into alignment with the frame. I tried again to put the gun back together and was successful, but that is a concern for an out-of-the-box $1500 gun.
- I’ll be reaching out to Alpha Foxtrot about that soon. Even with that issue, the gun still shot 150 rounds without a problem, but I don’t want to have to deal with this issue every time I have to clean the gun.
- $1500 guns need to have at LEAST two mags
- Comparison to the SAS II UL
- Fitment and finisih
- Between the two handguns, the AF has slightly better fitment
- The AF has far better finish
- DLC coating has that $$money$$ feel
- Grip
- Grip feels (and is) smaller on the AF
- Grip texturing and checkering is MUCH better on the AF
- Sights
- While I’ve moved to an optic on the SAS II, I did shoot it quite a bit with irons
- Irons on the SAS II are better
- They can be adjusted for windage as well as elevation; the AF sights can only be drifted for windage (but have elevation adjustability)
- Irons on the SAS II are better
- While I’ve moved to an optic on the SAS II, I did shoot it quite a bit with irons
- Shooting
- This is a tough one
- SAS II UL:
- For me, the SAS II UL talks a bit (not large) effort and/or some training to get used to it’s lightness. It might feel snappy to folks that are used to heavy 1911s. For how light and short it is, it should be much snappier than it is. What snap it has can be easily managed.
- Grip – the immediate impression for me was that the SAS II UL’s grip was not grippy. I thought it would be a problem, but it’s not (I shoot indoors, so I’m not sure if sweaty hands will compromise grip with this gun.
- The trigger on the SAS II is light, and may be too light for some folks to carry. I don’t consider it a HUGE issue but I DID have two instances of premature detonation when at the range. The first time it occurred was during the first range visit. I’ve been trying to train with the gun to get used to it’s trigger, but at the last (and 4th) range visit, it happened again.
- I may consider getting a sear spring adjustment done on this gun.
- AF S15:
- In my hands, I shot the S15 better than I did the SAS II (when considering both first range visits).
- Grip – I immediately noticed the checkering of the front strap of the grip and thought that this is going to give me an edge, and it did. The gun doesn’t move in my hand at all. The SAS II moves in my hand and I’ve to constantly re-adjust my grip to short it up.
- Trigger – the trigger on the S15 is a bit heavier but probably better for carrying. The trigger has no creep, which probably helps with accuracy, but it’s actually noticeably heavier than the SAS II’s trigger – that’s just an observation, though, not a con.
- SAS II UL:
- This is a tough one
- Fitment and finisih
They both shoot VERY well but are different in ways that require a decent amount of elaboration — there’s no quick way to discuss the differences.
I’m happy with carrying the SAS II for now, but that might change as get more trigger time wit the S15.