Category: 2011

Categories
2011 9mm Optic

The Time is Upon Us – Annual Gun Buy Planning Stages

I’ve been trying to determine what gun I’ll be buying for 2025.

My rule is that I buy at least one gun a year, as I get an annual bonus that’s rather significant, amount-wise.

I’ll walk it back the past 10 years to share my track record of gun purchases.

Last year, I bought the Tisas Carry DS9.

For 2023, I bought the Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight and the Alpha Foxtrot S15.

In 2022, I bought the Tisas Duty BR45.

For 2021, I bought a Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra HC 10mm in 5″ variety. I also bought a Canik TP9 Elite SC that was outside of the annual bonus purchase (it was a good price at a local gun store).

I’m not even sure what I bought for 2020 – as the COVID-19 pandemic was occurring at the time, I may not have bought a gun that year.

For 2019, I bought two PSA AK pistols: The AK-V with Magpul furniture and the AK-P with red wood furniture.

For 2018, I bought my first AK – a AK-63DS from Classic Firearms. I also ended up buying an Arsenal SAM-7UF (I had extra cash unrelated to my annual bonus). I bought a Springfield Armory XD45 Mod.2, as well — it was cheap and I didn’t want to pass on the deal – this as also outside of my annual bonus purchase.

In 2017, I bought a Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm Compact. Prior to 2018, I wasn’t getting an annual bonus, so I had to be mindful of what I was buying and there were no multiple guns being bought in the course of a year.

For 2016, I bought several guns: A Ruger AR-556 Davidson’s Collector’s Edition, and a Bersa Thunder Plus. At this time I was employed with Verizon and was receiving a large annual bonus. I also bought a Tristar T-100 (found it at a cheap price and I didn’t want to pass on the deal – this was outside of the annual bonus purchase).

In 2015, I’d just started buying guns – my firearms journey was just beginning. As the wife and I had planned to move to CA, I was trying to buy as many guns as I could that weren’t on the CA DOJ Approved Handgun Roster (I bought a shitload of guns). I ended up getting my concealed hangun permit and due to the ease of getting that license, I decided that I wasn’t going to CA.

Note that, to some of you, it may appear that I’m posting what I own and I’m aware that it might not sit well with folks. Keep in mind that no one knows if I sold or gifted away any of those guns…I’m just listing what I purchased, not what I currently own.

Now, what am I planning for the 2025 annual bonus purchase? I want to buy two handguns. One of them has to be a 5″ 1911/2011 9mm, as I don’t have a 5″ 1911-format gun in 9mm.

Nothing is concrete yet, but one of them will be a mid-tier 2011. I’m eyeing the Springfield Amory Prodigy DS 5″. I’m not yet sure if it’ll be coyote or black. Current street prices are around $1200. As well, there are comp models too, although the comp model is black-only and there are no comp models that come with the Hex optic.

The other gun may be the Fusion Firearms XP Pro, maybe in chrome. Those are around $1000.

Initially, I was considering the BUL Armory 5″ EDC, but after my issues with the UL grip safety, I don’t think I’m ever going to buy another BUL Armory. I also had several single stacked 9mm 1911s as consideration on the list: Sig 1911X 5″; Springfield Armory Emissary 5″; GP Arms Patriot; S&W 9mm 1911 (I forget which but there are only two 5″ 9mm 1911s they offer).

The Prodigy DS 5″ covers my requirement for a 5″ 9mm 1911-format gun. I was initially leaning toward the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus in 5″, but two things about that gun stopped me from considering it: AF doesn’t offer a lifetime warranty – it’s a one-year warranty; also, the Romulus is cut for RMSc, which I don’t want. I want optics options. and there are more than a few folks that are having issues getting an RMR optic onto a Romulus…I think the best option is to have the slide recut and it’s ridiculous to have to do that. The FF XP Pro comes with an RMR plate (they also have a lifetime warranty) and is cheaper than the Romulus. The Prodigy DS comes with with none but you can purchase a variety of them for $129 and they have an RMR adapter plate (as well, there are Prodigy packages that come with the Hex Dragonfly optic – those packages can be found for around $1200, street price).

The Prodigy DS will probably stay stock (unmodified). I’m aware that it has MIM internals…that doesn’t bother me. I may use it for training courses. It will not be carried (it’s too big).

The XP Pro might be modded. All XP Pro internals are bar stock (ie, no MIM in that gun). I might carry it (it’s a bit shorter than Commander-sized 1911s). It’ll be my toy.

As well, one or both of them will be using optics. I plan to put an RMR optic on the Prodigy DS, which means I’ll have to buy their RMR adapter. I also don’t have an RMR-footprinted optic, so I’ll have to buy one. I will be buying the Viridian RFX45 (currently at $319 MSRP – note that this is a closed emitter optic). I’m seeing several places online that are selling it with an RMR plate for $233, which is great because most places are marking up this optic – the common pricing is $399! The RFX45 will be for the Prodigy since it’s a big optic that might not conceal carry well. For the XP Pro, I’ll probably just use a Cyelee RMSc optic, especially if I might carry it.

Now, there’s one thing that might blow up all these plans: I really want the Kimber 2K11 base model 9mm, but I don’t want to spend $2000 on an as-of-yet unproven gun. Now, the gun is priced well for what it is; note that folks have been complaining, stating the price is too high, but keep in mind that the gun has a crapload of options: DLC slide and frame, crowned barrel, metal grip (!!), 3 mags, fluted barrel, unique slide cuts, great fitment and finish…I can go on and on, and that’s just for the base model (the other higher priced models come with more goodies than the base model). As well, the gun can be had in 45ACP! I believe the gun is priced accurately, MSRP-wise, but, again, the gun hasn’t been on the market long, so I think I should wait a bit, unless the street price drops significantly, and if it does, buying it is a no-brainer.

Battlehawk Armory has a placeholder for the 2K11 – for $1514!! I’d sure as hell buy the 2K11 for that price (and probably buy one of the other two aforementioned 2011s). My bonus will be issued to me in the March/April timeframe, so we’ll see if the pricing drops to $1500 around that time. Right now, lowest pricing for the 2K11 on gun.deals is $1723, which is over $200 lower than MSRP (MSRP is $1995)…not bad, but not enough for me. If the price hasn’t dropped significantly by March/April, I won’t be buying a 2K11…we’ll see how things play out.

For now, the plan is to buy the Prodigy DS 5″ and buy the AOS RMR plate adapter, along with the Viridian RFX45 RMR optic and also buy the XP Pro in Chrome. Hell, I can always get the Kimber 2k11 next year.

UPDATE (2/24/2025): I still haven’t locked in my decision on what guns to buy this spring. While I was leaning toward getting the Prodigy DS 5″ (probably the comp model) and the XP Pro, I’m now thinking that instead of the XP Pro, I can retire my Ultralight and get the Prodigy DS Compact 4.25″ to use in it’s place. So, I’m definitely getting the Prodigy 5″ but not sure on either the XP Pro or the Prodigy Compact.

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.

Categories
2011

The Fusion Firearms Ermox XP Pro 2011 Reviews are Favorable!

UPDATE (4/5/2025): I bought an XP Pro in chrome a few days ago. It’s currently on the way to the receiving FFL and will arrive on 4/7. This is my final gun purchase of 2025 (I also bought a Prodigy DS Compact). I’ll post an update and link it here once I’ve had a bit of time with the gun.

I’ve been seeing a few YouTubers posting about the new 2011, from the collaboration between Fusion Firearms and Ermox, called the XP Pro.

Usually, the first thing out of someone’s mouth is, “It’s a Turkish import that Fusion put their name on” or some crap like that. This is a true collaboration. Just as when SDS Imports worked with Tisas to improve Tisas build standards, Fusion Firearms did the same. If it weren’t for SDS Imports showing Tisas how to make the parts in the proper fashion using the proper specs, recent Tisas products would’ve been shitty. Fusion Firearms did a similar thing. The CEO of Fusion Firearms owned Dan Wesson and he later sold DW to CZ. He’s been working with Ermox, providing them with the proper specs for the parts and advising them on how the parts need to be made. He did this for the XP Pro and XF Pro firearms.

I’ve already seen the table-top video of the XP Pro by Graham Baates. This gun looks to be well-made. Yes, there are machine marks, but that doesn’t outright define a bad 1911/2011. The culmination of parts, fitment, and finish is what makes the gun a well-received product. My first thought was that the gun looks to punch way above it’s level, similar to how $400 Tisas 1911s usually matches a gun twice their price. I think this gun is equivalent to a Prodigy. Many folks think that Apollo 11s are equivalent to Prodigies. They are not. From what I’ve seen, the XP Pro looks to be over-built, which means it’s probably going to make a great 2011.

Some things that stood out to me were the fact that the gun comes with two optics plates – one for RMSc and equivalent footprints and one for 507C and equivalent footprints. The plates have irons built into them.

Another thing is that the gun is 100% non-MIM (all small parts are from bar stock).

Many of the parts are interchangeable with other 1911s/2011s. About the only parts that are proprietary (by necessity) are the slide catch, the mag catch, the safeties, and the beavertail. The proprietary parts are necessary because the gun’s design requires accommodating the Glock mags, as the mags are thicker than the normal 2011-style mags.

Additionally, the grip module (yes, this is a 2011) is all-metal. The gun is heavy, which means that this gun will probably be a recoil sponge.

There will be a comped version later on.

There will be a 45ACP version later on.

The grip angle is good – it’s not Glock-like, but not quite 1911-like, either, due to accommodating Glock mags.

The controls appear to cater to concealed carry.

TheHumbleMarksman has one, as well…he’s just waiting for time to begin conducting the review. [UPDATE – the video is here and his example appears to be well-engineered.]

GBGun has his but he’s leaving the country for 2 weeks, so the range portion of his review will be on-hold until he returns. [UPDATE – his write-up is here, his tabletop video is here and his range footage is here; his example appears to be well-engineered.]

I’d talked myself into not settling for another budget 2011, but I might have to buy this one this coming spring. I’ve another 4-5 months for the kinks to be worked out and for the major channels to review the gun. If things are favorable by March/April, I’ll be grabbing the XP Pro (and possible another higher-end 2011 too).

We’ll see how things play out.

Categories
2011 subcompact

Girsan Witness2311® Brat – 45ACP Officer-sized Offering

A while back (maybe a year ago or close to it), I’d posted about the EAA Girsan Witness 2311 Subcompact. Well, that gun still isn’t yet for sale, but there are some changes.

Firstly, the gun will be sold as UPC 741566907081.

The gun will also be sold in two calibers – 9mm and 45ACP. The 9mm will hold 17 rounds, and the 45ACP will hold 11 rounds.

It’s barrel will be 3.4″ in length (that’s an odd length – not sure why both LFA and EAA sell odd-sized 1911s/2011s).

It will be optics-ready and will have a bull barrel.

Lastly, MSRP dropped significantly, to $679.

It’s called the 2311 Brat!

What is this gun bringing that the other 2011 variants aren’t? Well, You don’t see all that many 2011s chambered in 45ACP, especially in Officer size and while having a bull barrel.

That price is definitely attractive and offsets the fact that it’s an EAA/Girsan offering.

Categories
2011 magazines

MPA DS9 Hybrid / 2011 Magazines are Currently On Sale!

I got an email from GunMag Warehouse today and saw that they are having a sale on MasterPiece Arms DS9 2011 mags. Currently, some of them are around 50% off.

I ordered 3 17-round mags since they’re so cheap. See below – these are regularly over $50 each.

I figured I’d buy a few – I do not know if they’ll fit in my Tisas but if I’m sure if the Duramag fits (it does – I bought a 17-rounder), the MPA DS9 mags will fit. I plan to buy another 9mm 2011 in early 2025, so if these don’t fit in the Tisas, they’ll probably fit in a Romulus or Prodigy (those are the two guns I’m considering buying).

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
1911 2011 Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight

SAS II Ultralight Sent Back to Bul Armory for Repair

The grip safety was not stopping the hammer from falling.

This occurred back in January 2024 and I sent it back to Bul Armory then.

When I received it back, I tested it and the grip safety was functional.

Eight months later, I checked again, and the hammer is dropping again, although I’ve to hulk up on the trigger to get it to drop.

I went to Reddit and asked why this would be occurring and I got several answers. The first two were basically the same answer – that whoever built the gun removed too much material on the grip safety when fitting the part.

The last answer wasn’t really an answer…it was more of an accusation that I wasn’t engaging the grip safety fully, which excessively wore the part over time. I told the guy that that wasn’t the issue, and thanked him for his time. I highly doubt that was the issue, as I’ve to tightly grip the gun to control it and when I grip, the grip safety is disengaged.

Another guy chimed in stating that he’d had the exact same issue. He said he’d bought his gun from GP Arms, who was a Bul Armory importer up until a month or so before I bought my Ultralight. Gabe said that he’d seen the issue before with BA guns, and he fixed it. The guy said the issue never recurred.

So, this leads me to believe that this is indeed a manufacturing issue.

Keep in mind that the one-year warranty expired back in March 2024.

My options were to:

  1. Get the safety pinned – not an option on a $1500 gun.
  2. Find a gunsmith that could fix the safety – not an option on a $1500 gun.
  3. Reach out to Bul Armory and explain to them that they “fixed” this back in January, only for the issue to recur eight months later. Ask them to fix it under warranty and if they won’t, ask them to diagnose the issue and if the cost was reasonable, I’d pay to have it fixed.
  4. Fix it on my own – last resort option (would find a gunsmith before I did this).

I ended up reaching out to Bul Armory and explaining that whatever fix they applied did not work, that the gun was out of warranty but wasn’t when the “fix” was applied. I asked them to fix it under warranty since their fix didn’t remedy the issue. I explained to them that reliability was important to me, as the gun was a carry gun. I also asked that they ensure the gun stayed fixed this go-around and asked them if they needed to replace parts, to please do so.

Bul Armory honored my request. I sent the gun to them last week – they’ve had it a week, so far.

I’m carrying the Alpha Foxtrot while the SAS II UL is being repaired.

I will post an update once the gun has been returned to me.

Categories
1911 2011 Alpha Foxtrot

A Quiet Production Release of the AF-1911 Romulus

Alpha Foxtrot has added a new product to their product line: The Romulus.

It is a double-stacked 1911, patterned specifically around the 2011, and has a polymer grip module.

It is chambered in 9mm and utilizes a bull barrel. It is being sold as either a 5″ or 4.25″ gun.

The gun is optics-ready, utilizing the RMSc footprint. When using an optic on this gun, you retain your rear iron sight.

The gun uses Staccato-patterned mags. I’m not sure how many mags it’ll come with, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it came with only one.

I’m also sure it’ll have some MIM internals, which isn’t a huge deal (MIM parts can always be replaced with tool steel parts).

The gun is priced at $1620, which is actually a pretty good price.

The only real con is that it is only backed by a 1-year limited warranty.

They started selling the Romulus on 8/1/2024, but I’ve seen NO marketing other than Alpha Foxtrot posting Instagram photos. There’s one Youtube video but it’s just a quick 10 sec video of the Romulus being rotated.

Approximately 80% of the information within this post came from their Instagram posts and not their Youtube or website content, which is a bit crazy. They REALLY need to step up their marketing game. I’m not surprised that I’ve not seen any Youtube reviews yet, and I’m not sure when I’ll see the first one, but when I do, I’ll post it on the blog.

Categories
1911 2011 Bul Armory holster SAS II Ultralight

I’ve Ordered Several Mastermind Tactics Products

Today, I was looking at a holster that I bought that does not carry well. The specific holster is the Priority 1 PCHS for the Bul Armory SAS II UL. The PCHS holster is designed for a short-barrelled handgun for appendix carry (inside the waistband) and has a habit of pushing out the gun’s grip. I want the grip to be tucked in.

Now, this issue is lessened if you buy a holster that is longer than the gun. For example, I bought the Tenicor Certum for 4.25″ 1911s and I use it with my short-barrelled 1911s. Since the holster is longer, it helps to stabilize and better position the holster – it pertains to the keel method and also applies to wedges and other contraptions that help with positioning the holster and gun.

With the Certum holster, I use a custom wedge that I made from a yoga bar and velcro’d the wedge to the holster. The wedge gives me some extra positioning and pushes the gun’s grip into my body. It’s not perfect but works well enough.

With the PCHS holster, I didn’t use a custom wedge, but received a PHLster holster wedge kit for Christmas present from my sister. I’ve been trying to use those wedges with the PCHS holster but it’s not working well.

Since I’ve been having issues with wedges, I decided to just buy several wedges from Mastermind Tactics.

I ordered the following items:

MASTERMIND TACTICS SHOP APPENDIX CARRY PILLOW – COMBO PACK

MASTERMIND TACTICS SHOP FOAM HOLSTER WEDGES – VARIETY PACK

I ordered the packs because I’ve several holsters and I can benefit from having several types of wedges and pillows to customize the fit/ride of my holsters. Plus, I can get rid of the custom wedge if I find that one of the above solutions works.

I’ll post updates once I’ve begun to experiment with the delivered products.