Category: 1911

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1911 2011 Optic range visit Tisas

My First Shots and Thoughts of The Viridian RFX45

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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1911 2011 double-stacked Springfield Armory

More Details on the Springfield Armory Prodigy 3.5″ Compact

I found a picture of the Prodigy 3.5″ Compact:

The gun’s manufacture details are here:

MPN#: PH9116AOS.
UPC: 706397969073.
Description: SPG 1911 DS PRD CMP9MM 4B 15R.
Brand: Springfield Armory.
Model: 1911 DS Prodigy Compact AOS.

Model: 1911 DS PRODIGY™ 3.5″ COMPACT AOS HANDGUN
Part#: PH9115AOS
CALIBER: 9MM
COLOR: Black
BARREL: 3.5″ Forged Stainless Steel, Black DLC, Match Grade, Bull, 1:16
SLIDE: Forged Carbon Steel, Black Cerakote®, Optics-Ready
FRAME: Billet 7075-T6 Hardcoat Anodized Aluminum, Black Cerakote®
SIGHTS: Tritium Front, Black Serrated Rear
RECOIL SYSTEM: Captured Guide Rod
GRIPS: Polymer
MAGAZINES: (2) 15-Round
WEIGHT: 25.5 oz
LENGTH: 7″
HEIGHT: 5.1″

Yeah, this wrecks my plans, but this is still a good thing!

https://youtu.be/a6DRi3S-rgs?si=3zt0VgDK4oq31W7s

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1911 9mm Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra Tac Ultra

My Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra MS 9mm is Fixed!

For some reason, I decided to take a look at my RIA Rock Ultra MS today, as it’s been sitting in a drawer the past 2 years since the front sight came off.

A while back, I ordered another (OEM) front sight but had been shying away from installing it myself. The new front sight was bought from Armscor (was maybe $20). The only reasons I’ve held off on installing it is because I’ve never done it in the past and because I’ve been busy with other guns.

I decided to try my hand at installing the sight. I’ve files but they’re cheap – I was hoping I wouldn’t need a file. I had sandpaper on hand. I’d slowly sand off the bottom of the front sight for maybe 10-15 strokes, and then test fitment on the slide. I don’t think I even needed to file the bottom down, because I think the slide has too much cut from the front (gun maker’s error). This is probably why I found so much red thread-locker under the front sight. I also have a hammer/punch kit that came with two heavy nylon rods (specifically provided for fitting parts). I was able to tap the front sight in. I used no thread-locker since I tend to get my guns hot at the range. I don’t want to depend upon thread-locker, but I honestly don’t think I need it, the sight is so snug on the dovetail.

The sight did not come with a fiber optic element but I have some on-hand. I installed a Tru-Glo rod.

This gun is now ready for the range again.

I thought I’d shot a lot through it but, per my records, I’m currently at 590 rounds through the gun. I’ll take it to the range soon so that I can test the sight…it shouldn’t come off — I used a decent amount of effort to get the sight onto the slide.

Last I remember (and per my notes, again), this was one of my favorite guns to shoot before I bought the SAS II Ultralight and S15. I shoot it extremely well, even at distance. The trigger is heavy, though…feels like maybe 5 lb, but I’ll test that again soon and update the post with the results. The gun has a thick bull barrel and is heavy, so it’s going to feel more planted that the Ultralight. I’ve a RIA Tac Ultra MS that is bushing-barreled and the Rock Ultra MS feels more solid/tight.

As I’m out of 9mm ammo, I’ll be visiting Cabelas tomorrow to grab maybe 250 rounds of WWB for the SAS II UL, since I’m close to 2000 rounds out of that gun.

Update – Trigger pulls of Rock Ultra

1 – 4 lb 8 oz
2 – 3 lb 13 oz
3 – 4 lb 2 oz
4 – 4 lb 6 oz
5 – 4 lb 14 oz
Average of 5 for Rock Ultra – 4 lb 5 oz
Average of 5 for Tac Ultra – 2 lb 14 oz

Categories
1911 2011 double-stacked subcompact

Girsan Witness2311® Brat Is Now Released for Purchase

I talked about the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 Brat a few days ago. Well, it is now released for consumption (meaning that it is now actually being sold).

I’ve checked the street pricing and, as of 11/11/2024, it is showing as $540 as a lowest-price (see pricing here). That’s not a bad price for such a gun, but I’m suspecting that it will have QC issues, as the other EAA Girsan Witness 2311 variants have all had issues when being reviewed by independent YouTube channels. I’d be very surprised if the gun actually does well, especially with it being a smaller 1911/2011, as the smaller versions can sometimes be difficult to develop.

We’ll see how well it does, but I’m not holding my breath for a good review.

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1911 2011 Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight

SAS II Ultralight Is On It’s Way Back from Repair

I posted here that the Ultralight had to be sent back to Bul Armory for repair (again).

It is September 27th and I just got an email that the UL is on it’s way back to me. They received it September 11th.

The notes they provided:

The pistol underwent a full inspection where we made sure all the different components are within spec.

We then adjusted the main spring and test fired the pistol and the pistol works well as it should. 

I’m kinda wary, as the pistol itself was working well when I sent it to them…the issue was that the grip safety wasn’t working properly.

It should be back to me on October 1st.

If it’s not fixed (as I suspect), I’ll stop carrying it. I may sell it to finance a different 2011. I may research to see if I can fix it on my own. Or, I may find a gunsmith that can fix it.

I may be overly worried about this, but I don’t think that the issue was a mainspring adjustment issue, especially since since Bul Armory has had the chance to fix this (twice now). I do not have any other 1911 or 2011 that has ever had this issue and I don’t believe mainsprings just loose adjustability out of the blue to the point that the grip safety stops working.

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1911 2011 holster Weapon-Mounted Light

QVO Tactical More Discreet Holster On the Way!

Two weeks ago, I bought a Streamlight TLR-7 X since I’ve never owned a good weapon mounted light (WML). I bought it during a Labor Day sale at Midway. I wanted a light that would fit my smaller 1911s and 2011s that wouldn’t stick out 3-4″ from the guns’ muzzles. BTW, this will fit on my Tisas DS9 Carry without using any of the extra keys that the TLR-7 came with.

I don’t currently carry with a WML but want to give it a try, so that’s the main reason I bought one. That means I need a holster that accommodates a WML, so…..

I ordered a QVO Tactical AIWB holster. The particular version I ordered was their More Discreet holster for 4.25″ 2011s so that I could use it with both my small and bigger 1911s and 2011s. I asked that the holster accommodate the TLR-7 format.

The only thing I didn’t opt for was the DCC clips, as they were a $30 add-on (!!!)

I will share my experience with this holster as I use it.