Tag: 2011

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1911 2011 AF1911-S15 Alpha Foxtrot

My Alpha Foxtrot AF1911-S15 Has Arrived!

Can’t wait to get this gun to the range – will try to visit the range either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Ordered it Sunday, received it today around 3 PM.

Comes with the one Shield Arms mag (this gun wasn’t cheap – they should think on including two mags with the gun). I ordered 3 more from GTdist.com and they arrived yesterday but they sent the wrong mags – sent me 3 AR PMAGS…WTF. So, I’ve to visit the range with one mag until GTdist.com remedies my order.

The mag doesn’t rattle within the grip, as I’ve seen in Youtube videos, which is very good.

The gun is very tight. The DLC coating looks and feels really good. I will more than likely sent it somewhere to get the slide cut for an optic, but I’ll probably do that 6-12 months from now.

It feels slim. I’ve been carrying the Bul Armory SAS II UL long enough to where this gun feels heavy in comparison, but realistically, it’s not heavy at all.

I love the grip texture (feels less “slick” than the SAS II UL).

The thumb safety is super strong, though…execessively so, IMO. Perhaps it’ll wear-in.

Trigger is super-crisp…no creep whatsoever. It’s the best trigger of any of my 1911s/2011s.

I checked the trigger pull with my Lyman gauge and got 4 lb 15 oz from an average of 5 pulls (lowest being 4 lb 8 oz).

It also fits in my Tenicor Certum 3 holster.

I’m impressed so far. Waiting for some gotcha to show itself, though.

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1911 2011 9mm AF1911-S15 Alpha Foxtrot

Alpha Foxtrot AF1911-S15 – On the Way!

I kept eyeing the AF1911-S15 even after purchasing the Bul Armory SAS II UL, so I took a hard look at it and decided to purchase it.

I bought Gen 2 version of the handgun, which also has a threaded barrel. I bought it from Battlehawk Armory. Since it only comes with one 15-round mag, I ordered three more (generation 3 mags from GT Distributors – I’d have ordered straight from ShieldArms.com, but they our currently out of stock).

Now, I could’ve waited until mid June for their optics-ready version but I’ll be out of the country that timeframe and these were currently in stock (they aren’t always stocked).

I’m excited, as this particular gun is very nice.

If I find that I want/need an optics cut, I can find a business that can perform that modification.

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2011 Bul Armory handguns SAS II Ultralight trigger

I Was Able to Upgrade My SAS II Ultralight’s Trigger Shoe!

I’d mentioned before that I bought a silver and flat-faced trigger shoe from the Bul Armory online store.

The SAS II Ultralight has a modular trigger shoe. At their store, you can chose between 15 different shoes (5 types of shoes, with each being offered in 3 colors).

The gun comes with the short curved black trigger shoe. I bought the short flat silver trigger shoe.

It took me a while to determine how to remove the trigger shoe (sounds simple to do, but not if you don’t have the correct sized allen key).

When I finally got the short curved shoe off, I found that the short flat shoe wouldn’t fit. It required fitting.

Now, I understand what fitting is and why there’s the need to fit 1911 parts, but this is a damned trigger shoe…marketed as modular. It should be immediately swappable, just as most mag releases or slide catches should be immediately swappable.

I was going to let it sit until I went on vacation but this was bugging me, so, today, I fitted that shoe. It was just a hair off. It took maybe 15 minutes to remove just a bit of material from the shoe. The most difficult part was trying to determine where to remove the material (the part that needed to be fit was curved. I ended up taking a bit of material from each end of the curved part, taking my time, removing a bit, then attempting to fit (wash, rinse, repeat).

Once I got the part on, I added a bit of blue thread locker to the overtravel screw (needed to be removed to remove the trigger shoe).

The new trigger shoe looks GOOD!!

SAS II UL with new trigger shoe
SAS II UL with old trigger shoe
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Bul Armory Optic range report SAS II Ultralight video

Four Week Review of the Bul Armory SAS II UL

This is just a video-captured 20 minute summary of my experiences with the SAS II UL.

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1911 2011 Bul Armory handguns SAS II Ultralight

This Video States That The SAS II UL Is Snappy!

The below video is the ONLY video I’ve seen that complains (more than once in the video) that the SAS II UL is snappy.

WTAF – it is not. All the other reviewers I’ve seen shoot this gun (Sootch00, Graham and Teya of GBGuns, James Reeves of TFB, Talon Sei, Roger Berrera, and more) have said that the gun shoots rather flatly.

As someone who owns and has shot a crapload of JHP from this gun, I’ll say that IT’S NOT SNAPPY.

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2011 Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight

Purchase Confirmed! I’ve Bought My First 2011!

Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight 2011
Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight 2011
Bul Armory 2011 – SAS II Ultralight 3.25″

I committed to purchasing the Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight. At one point during the purchase process, I cancelled the process, went to the Alpha Foxtrot page and almost started to order that gun instead.

I then went back to the Bul Armory page and committed to the purchase process.

Now, I’m trying to sort through the FFL process. It’s odd that Bul Armory wants the buyer to reach out to the FFL to obtain the FFL. In my experience (I’ve bought a shitload of guns via FFL), the seller reaches out to the FFL or the FFL reaches out seller to share FFL info. Asking the buyer to do that is fucking odd, in my opinion.

So, why did I almost change my mind about the Ultralight purchase? I saw the price of Ultralight mags. They are not cheap. The AF1911 S15 uses Shield Arms mags, which are cheap.

Why didn’t I buy the Alpha Foxtrot S15 instead? Their reliability/dependability is unknown. It’s an absolutely beautiful gun, but I need a carry gun to be reliable.

So, I now need to know if the SAS II UL will fit in my currentl Tenicor Certum 3 holster. UPDATE: I do believe my current holster will fit this gun! It should fit anything that’s under 4.25″ in barrel length.

I’ll also need 2-3 more mags. I also plan to try an optic with this gun.

Needless to say, I’m excited!

Categories
1911 Canik handguns

Annual Gun Buy is Almost Here!

It’s almost time for my annual bonus. Every year, I get 1-2 firearms.

Shot Show 2023 exhibited a lot of promising guns this year!

Rock Island Armory (RIA) has released two new firearms – the BBR 3.10 1911 in 9mm and the LI380.

The BBR 3.10 still looks as if the grip was an afterthought. I’m not sure I’d like this gun even as a range toy. Yeah, the gun should be more manageable in 9mm (versus the 45ACP of the original 1911). This gun looks good but isn’t for me.

The LI380 is almost certainly a rebadged (or licensed copy) of the Bersa Thunder 380. I already have one of those, a Plus model.

I frequent the r/1911 subreddit group. Someone asked about a particular 1911 and posted a picture of the Fusion Firearms 1911 Riptide Carry. It is a Commander-sized (4.25″) 1911 that is bob-tailed and chambered in 10mm, 45ACP, or 9mm. It is blued with nice wood grip panels. It is made by a gunsmith that used to work at Dan Wesson. The gun goes for $800-$900. It looks NICE. I’m considering this gun in 9mm.

I’m also looking at the newly press-released Canik Mete MC9, which is a micro-compact polymer handgun that is very similar but smaller than the TP9 Elite SC. It usese the same mags as all of the other Canik handguns. I’m definitely getting this firearm, as it’s MSRP is $439 and I can use my Elite SC mags with it.

There’s also the Springfield Armory Prodigy DS, which is not only a double-stacked 1911, but is a legit 2011 (the grip being modular, which is typical of all 2011s). If I obtain this firearm, it will be the version that comes with the Hex Dragonfly optic. This firearm is in the $1500 range.

There’s also the EAA/Girsan 2311, a new 2011 offering and this handgun starts at $999! It is optics-ready, is a true 2011 (grip is modular), will come in 10mm, 9mm, and 45ACP, and will come in four barrel lengths. I’m leaning toward this firearm in 9mm.

There’s also the Dan Wesson TCP, which is a single stacked 1911 but is, well, a Dan Wesson. It has a rail and has a tri-topped slide. It has a gold bead front sight, too. These can be found in the $1500 range. I’m leaning towards the 9mm version of this handgun.

I’m also eyeing the Bul Armory SAS II 3.5″ Ultralight 1911, which can be found in the $1400 range.

What’s currently decided is that I’m getting the aforementioned Canik Mete MC9. I’m not sure which 1911 I’m going to get yet. It’s a toss up between the Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight, the Springfield Armory Prodigy DS with optic, the EAA/Girsan 2311, or the Dan Wesson TCP 9mm. I really really want a 2011 variant, so I suppose the Dan Wesson is out. Of the 2011 variants, the EAA will be unproven since it is their first offering, so I suppose that gun is factored out based on that fact. Of the Bul Armory and the Springfield Armory Prodigy DS, the Prodigy DS has been having reliability issues, so, I could factor out that gun from the choices, which leaves the Bul Armory as the most likely handgun of choice!

Now, if I get the Bul Armory, holsters will be problematic, as I’ve spent close to $200 on holsters for Commander-sized 2011s the past two months. Well, if I’m buying a $1500+ gun, another $100 for a good holster (Tenicor) is a drop in the bucket, IMO, so I guess I can either see if the SAS II will fit in my 4.25″ Tenicor holsters first, or just straight-up order a new one. We’ll see.

UPDATE: I’d decided on the SAS II but then started focusing on the sights – I don’t really care for them, especially since the rear sight has to be removed to use an optic. That’s a huge turn-off. I’ve also seen at least one review that complains that the SAS II UL is so light that it feels snappy. That could be a problem, as well. The Prodigy 4.25″ is better in that regard, but I’m betting the SAS II TAC doesn’t have the same aforementioned issue with the rear sight. Then I started thinking about the EAA Witness 2311 – it will come in 4 barrel lengths and is optics-ready, which means they’ll be selling a 3.5″ variant (no idea how small, but it’ll be in the 3″ range). They said all 9mm 2311s will carry 17 rounds, so I won’t be losing any ammo capacity if I go the EAA route. So, as of 1/28, I’m leaning toward the EAA Witness 2311, or Bul Armory SAS II TAC, or the Prodigy DS 4.25″.

UPDATE 2: Well, shit. There isn’t much info provided on the Witness 2311, but I looked at the press release page and saw that there’s at least two slide versions: with and without optics cuts. Also, the optics-ready version will remove the rear sight when using an optic. WTF is up with that trend? I’m at a loss on which to choose. I’ll probably wait a bit for EAA to add the Witness 2311 to their product list, since I know NOTHING about that firearm. For example, what’s it’s weight? It’s not going to be lighter than the SAS II Ultralight, that’s for sure (my guess is that it’ll weigh close to 2 lb).

UPDATE 3: While waiting for the annual bonus to be released, I’ve been conducting research on my potential choices. I continue to see complaints of the SAS II Ultralight being snappy, and since I hate snappy guns, I think I’m going to put the choice of Bul Armory aside. This sucks because recoil perception differs from person to person – I may find that I can handing the SAS II fine, but I’m not willing to risk getting one only to be disappointed. I’m now focused on the Alpha Foxtrot S15 1911 (not a true 2011-spec gun – it’s a doublestacked 1911) or the Dan Wesson TCP, in that order. Following those two choices is the Fusion Firearms Riptide C. Why did the EAA Witness 2311 get bumped down? I have yet to see anything from EAA on the gun, other than what they showed during Shot Show 2023 and the pre-release details of that gun that they released back in December. So, as of 2/12, it’s the Alpha Foxtrot S15 as the gun of choice, unless I find any information that disqualifies it, then it will be the Dan Wesson TCP in 9mm.

UPDATE 4 (LOL): I’ve just discovered that the EAA Witness 2311 will be released to consumers in April 2023. So, with that being said, the Witness is back in the hunt. I’m thinking I’ll just stay with the Alpha Foxtrot, and get the Witness next year. Or, get the Witness this year and wait for the Alpha Foxtrot next year. I could get both in one shot but if I’m going to do that, I may as well get a Staccato 2011, but I’m not buying a $2K+ handgun…I can afford it but spending that much money on any handgun is fucking ridiculous, in my opinion.