Tag: 9mm

Categories
2011 9mm Tisas

Tisas is Now Producing 2011s!

So, I was checking Reddit today and saw a post that Tisas had listed a double-stacked 1911 on their website product list. Within an hour, there were like 5-6 other posts (in the r/1911 subreddit).

I decided to check the product page and was shocked. I thought they’d produced a Para-patterned 1911, but they actually produced THREE (3) 2011-patterned 1911s. They producted a 5″ variant, a 4.25″ variant, and a 5″ variant of their Night Stalker SF.

Not only that, but typical recent budget 2011s offer optics cuts that remove the rear sights. The Tisas variants will allow the rear sights to stay in place when using an optic. They’re also using 1/3rd co-witness of the rear sight through the mounted optic.

What’s the difference between Para- and 2011-patterned handguns? Para-patterned guns have the grips a permanent part of the frame. The frame and grip are one piece. 2011-patterened handguns have modular polymer grips that are separate from the frame. Many folks confuse Para-patterned double-stacked 1911s as 2011s, when there’s a distinctive difference.

Anyways, here are two videos: one of the 5″ Duty DS and the other of the 4.25″ Carry DS.

UPDATE (2/8/2024): I’ve removed the YouTube videos from this post, as the publisher marked them as private. It’s a bit annoying, because the publisher was Tisas.

Categories
1911 2011 9mm AF1911-S15 Alpha Foxtrot Bul Armory double-stack double-stacked safety

SAS II Was Returned To Bul Armory

I’ve started my Christmas 2023 vacation this week. Several things are on my agenda as far as firearms are concerned.

  1. I’ve to send my SAS II UL back to Bul Armory for them to fix an issue that I couldn’t resolve. The problem is that I can fire the gun without disengaging the grip safety. I did replace the trigger shoe with a flat shoe. That replacement required me to remove the over-travel screw, but I adjusted it properly. At least, I think I did. I’ve done the same to my other 1911s and none of the other guns are experiencing the issue. I don’t typically test to see if my 1911s will fire with the grip safety disengaged, so I don’t know why I tried it this time. BA sent me a shipping label so that I can send it back to them. I’ve boxed up the gun and will ship it out tomorrow. I’ve removed the optic and reinstalled the rear irons. I also included an empty mag (they asked for it to be sent with the gun). I’ve no idea how long they’ll have the gun and customer support is hit/miss as far as being good is concerned.
  2. I haven’t shot my Tisas Duty in a while. Someone asked in r/1911 about extended reviews of the gun. I stated that no one has been posting about the gun, other than after one range visit of shooting. So, tomorrow, I plan to visit the range with the Tisas. I went to Cabelas and found some somewhat cheap ammo. I bought three boxes of 50 rounds each. The whole reason I stopped shooting it was because 45ACP was expensive at the time. I’ll bring an extra box from home (I’ve a box of Herters JHP too). I’ve some Underwood +P too, but that’s expensive, and after a while, it actually hurts to shoot it. The jarring is pretty ruthless, at 1200 FPS. The plan is to try to shoot all 200 rounds. I’ve to remember to bring all the different mags I have.

While the SAS II UL is out for repair, I’m carrying the Alpha Foxtrot S15. I’d checked to see if the S15 would fit in my Tenicor holster (when I’d first bough the gun), but I’d never actually worn the holster with that gun. It EASILY carries. While I knew the grip was thin, it’s easy to hide – much easier than the SAS II UL’s grip. What I’m not used to is it’s heft. It’s heavier – not by a lot, but it’s noticeable.

As soon as the SAS II UL gets returned to me, I probably should ask Alpha Foxtrot to look at that gun, as the ramp frame insert sometimes moves. Once that has been fixed, I’m probably going to find a reputable place that’ll make the gun optics-ready.

I’ll update you all on the status of the Bul Armory once it is returned to me.

Categories
9mm AF1911-S15 Alpha Foxtrot Grand Power limp-wrist P11

Summary of Range Session – 9/8/2023

I went to the range tonight because I wanted to work off some steam (been busy with work and have been stressing).

I’d been thinking about my Grand Power and recently had someone reach out to me on YouTube. She said that she has the P11 and that she’d been having the exact same issue (fails to return to battery, or FRTB), but that her husband didn’t have the issues when shooting it. She hinted that it may’ve been limp wristing that caused it.

I did a bit of research and it seems that limp wristing can cause FRTBs.

I never realized that I could’ve been limp wristing the gun. It is rather slick, with no significant texturing on the grip.

I decided to begin taking it to the range to see if I can shoot it without experiencing the FRTBs. I shot 50 (well, 48) rounds of Koenig 110-gr JHP Match through it tonight and I didn’t have any failures. Note that the gun is configured a bit differently since I last shot it — I’m using a small Hogue rubber grooved slip-on grip, which helped with getting control of the handgun. I was ensuring I had a strong grip on the gun. I’ll continue to bring it to the range, shooting 50-100 rounds from it when I can, and trying to practice good grip technique so that I’m accurate as well as not limp-wristing.

I also shot 155 rounds from the Alpha Foxtrot S15 1911. The ammo of the night for that gun was Herters Target 115-gr FMJ with a splash of Fiocchi 115-gr FMJ. Whereas I didn’t have any issues last range visit, I had 8 FTEs this range visit. I shot the same ammo last visit, as well.

The issues could be (possible solutions are below, in italics):

Bad magazine – I shot with all six mags and only one mag generated failures, so I kept shooting with it to see if I was limp-wristing and causing the failures. I shot many rounds through that mag tonight and there was only one time where I got thorugh a mag without failures. I marked the mag and will put it aside. The plan is to use the other mags next range visit – if the failures stop, then I’ll know that the mag is the problem.

Bad box of ammo – I bought 200 rounds of Herters (2 x 100-round boxes). I got through one box with only two fails to extract. The other box had five FTEs. The Fiocchi had one failure – not only did it the spent case not extract, but it was still fully in the chamber, and the slide did not lock back (it was the last round of the mag). Also, I noticed that the slide would sometimes seem to be moving a bit slower than normal after a round is fired, which is usually indicative of inconsistent amounts of powder within the case. As well, some of the ammo looked funky where the case crimps onto the projectile, as if the ammo had possible QC issues. I’ll bring some good JHP with me next range visit, to see if the issues still occur with good ammo.

Limp-wristing – I won’t count this out, since the FTEs started occurring mid session of my range visit. I tend to fatigue myself as I practice (this is normal). Next range visit, I’ll test the S15 (and the other 5 mags that didn’t have issues) before shooting any other guns.

I did have fun shooting the Grand Power again. I was accurate with it. I shot it once at 10 yards but the spread was wider than when I shoot the S15 at that range, which I initially thought was odd until I realized that the S15 has far better grip texturing. I ended up sticking with shooting at 7 yards.

The S15 is accurate AF! I spent a large amount of time shooting at 10 yards and was accurate. Not only that, there were times where I was shooting pretty fast and my groups were tight as I shot further out. And that was with irons. This gun is uncanny, but it’s really because of the front checkering on the grip. It’s going to seriously spoil me. I’m already thinking about selling all my other 1911s so that I can focus on 1911s and 2011s that have front checkering. Yes, I can get checkering added to my existing 1911s, but some gunsmiths won’t touch non-US guns and all guns that get checkering will need to be repainted/refinished.

I also now have just under 500 rounds through the S15. I’m slowly accumulating the round count on this gun. I’ve just under 1600 rounds through the GP P11.

Categories
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.

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.

Categories
1911 9mm RIA Rock Island Armory

Range Visit Summary For 11/15/2022

I visited the range for the first time since April 2022. I’m still focusing on 1911s, and I’m preparing to carry my RIA Rock Ultra MS in 9mm.

Why carry the 9mm instead one of my 45ACPs? The two 45ACP 1911s I have are the Metro Arms American Classic Commander and the Tisas Duty (full-sized). I’ve found that even though the heavy metal frame soaks up a good bit of the recoil of those 1911s, 9mm shoots even better from the 1911 frame. As well, 9mm is cheaper and easier to find, locally or otherwise.

Another thought: If I end up ever having to defend myself, I’d have to temporarily give up my gun for case evidence. I do not want to give up any gun but of my 1911s, the ugliest is that 9mm Rock Ultra! While it’s the ugliest, I shoot it the best, by far!

I didn’t want to bother with capturing video footage during this range visit, so I have none, but I did keep the targets and I’ll post them down below.

The below pictures are in chronological order of when I shot at them. Each second picture is a picture of quick range notes (written on the back side of each target).

I shot between 7 and 10 yards – anything further and I struggle to see where I need to hit (all but one target are designed to be shot from 7-10 yards. My actual range notes will be at the bottom of this page.

I’ve two holsters that’ll fit the Rock Ultra without issue, but I’m wondering if I should try carrying appendix – I’m eyeing a holster but need to know if I can commit to it before spending $100-120 on a AIWB holster.

I also just bought two extra 10-round mags so that I can use my two WC mags for carry duty.

Photos of the targets:

I numbered in which order I shot at each mini-target.
I numbered (and circled the number) in which order I shot at each mini-target. I also counted each hit per mini-target.
I aimed between the dead space between the right-side mini-target, attempting a group of five.

Range Notes:

**********************

I brought 350 rounds with me, but only shot 228 (one box of 50 was half empty).

I brought the following brands:
Norma 115-gr FMJ (100)
Federal Hi-shok 115-gr JHP (50)
Belom 115-gr FMJ (50)
Fiocchi 115-gr FMJ (28)

Of the total, there were 8 FTFs and one FTE (stovepipe). It was with one brand of ammo – the Federal Hi-shok JHP. The FTFs were almost certainly due to the hollow points – I expected as much. The FTFs only occurred at the top of each mag (top 3 rounds). After the 2nd-3rd round, the issue stopped. It stopped after 3 mags, as well. Note that the mags were Wilson Combat mags and two ACT mags. It happened with both mag brands, so this wasn’t a mag issue.

This gun is accurate as all hell! I ate the middle out of a target at 10 yards (shot 50 rounds). It’s flat-shooting. Yeah, the initial grouping had opened up but I found I had to just be steady (and watch my breathing as well) to get tight groups.

I will probably begin to carry this gun, which is why I put so much ammo through it this range session. I just need to refer to my notes on which JHP this gun didn’t have issues with – I think I shot some 9mm SD ammo through it last range visit.

Rock Ultra MS in 9mm
Categories
1911 45ACP American Classic ammo B45R JHP Metro Arms Rock Island Armory SDS Imports

My Thoughts Regarding 1911s and Jacketed Hollow Point Ammunition

One thing I’ve never done is attempt to carry a 1911. Carrying means I’ve to test JHP before committing to carrying. Everyone knows (or should know) that most 1911s don’t always readily shoot JHP.

I currently have shot 429 rounds from my SDS Imports DB45R 1911. Most of that ammo has been FMJ. Since I’ve been curious about it’s carry capabilities, I’ve been trying to shoot JHP from it, initially with mixed results.

I initially shot Remington HTP 185-gr JHP, which generated several failures to feed (FTFs).

I also shot Federal LE 185-gr JHP as well (maybe 25 rounds), which also generated some FTFs.

I documented in a previous post that I’d shot International Cartridge Corporation’s (ICC) 45ACP 155-gr frangible hollow points. For the most part, these shot without issue. That ammo can be used as defense ammo.

This past week, I shot 20 rounds of Underwood ($$$) 45ACP +P 230-gr JHP. 8 of the 20 rounds generated FTFs. I was using Wilson Combat mags with this ammo. Since this ammo is expensive and since it generated so many FTFs, I will stop shooting that ammo through the DB45R. Once I suspect that the gun will shoot it without FTFs, I’ll test the ammo again.

I shot Inceptor ARX 118-gr defense ammo (non-JHP), using the WC mag. There were no FTFs.

I shot PMC Bronze 185-gr JHP (non-SD ammo), using the WC mag.. There were no FTFs.

I shot Hornady Critical Defense 185-gr JHP, using the WC mag.. There were no FTFs.

So, I now know that I can use the following ammo as viable ammo for self defense:

  • ICC 155-gr FHP
  • Inceptor ARX 118-gr
  • PMC Bronze 185-gr JHP
  • Hornady Critical Defense 185-gr JHP

I plan to continue to shoot the PMC Bronze JHP ammo as range ammo, to continue the break-in process of the DB45R 1911.

During this round of testing, I also shot the same ammo listed above from the Metro Arms American Classic Commander (ACC) 1911 chambered in 45ACP. Note that I didn’t shoot the Critical Defense nor the Inceptor ARX from this gun, since the projectiles will almost certainly feed without issue (I tested them by chambering a round of each make, as well).

I shot most of the ICC 155-gr FHP ammo from the ACC 1911. There were initially a few FTFs, but I believe the issue was a worn recoil spring. I replaced the recoil spring and the FTFs disappeared.

I shot Underwood (again, $$$) 185-gr +P JHP from this gun, using the WC mag. This ammo was almost TOO hot, but in the gun’s defense, it isn’t as heavy as the DB45R 1911, so there’s less weight to mitigate the recoil of this hot ammo. The ammo was so hot that I had to pause in shooting the 8-round mag, since my hand was in pain. Even so, there was only one FTF, but I’m sure this may have been because the ammo was so hot that I was beginning to limp wrist.

The Remington HTP 185-gr JHP was tested the visit prior to this visit. There were some FTFs.

I also shot some of the Federal LE 185-gr JHP…there were two FTFs with that.

The rest of the listed ammo shot without issue. I’m at 520 rounds shot through this 1911, so it may be close to being broken in, which is why there’s less issues with JHP with this gun.

I also shot my RIA Rock Ultra 9mm MS 1911. I also have a RIA Tac Ultra MS 1911 which has a 22TCM barrel and spring, as well as a 9mm barrel and spring. I installed the 9mm barrel and spring for this range visit.

Both 9mm MS 1911s ran without no feed issues whatsoever. I shot several types of SD ammo, some of it JHP and some of it frangible ammo. I did have one failure to extract (FTE) with the frangible ammo when shooting the Tac Ultra, but that’s to be expected with 100-gr ammo (this ammo make was Hevi-Shot).

I was extremely impressed with the 9mm MS 1911s. I’m thinking of just carrying the 9mms instead of the 45ACP 1911s.

I’ll continue to document the testing of shooting the defense ammo.

Categories
1911 1911A1 45ACP 9mm American Classic Commander Metro Arms RIA Rock Island Armory

New YouTube Video – 1911 Range Day!

I tried a new format in this video, using my GoPro hat-clip. What I didnt’ account for was the volume isn’t crisp, as the hat-clip requires usage of the GoPro case, which is apparently covering the camera’s mic. 🙁

There were issues with the Metro Arms 1911. I’ve been suspecting as much the past 1-2 years, but my handgun experience is expanding and I’m confident to say that this handgun has issues with it’s sights. I’ll be looking into obtaining a new set of sights for this handgun (I wouldn’t mind having the sights that are on my RIA Tac Ultra installed on this handgun).

Also, I finally installed the 9mm barrel into my RIA Tac Ultra (I have always shot it with the 22TCM barrel installed). I shot 140 rounds of 9mm from the gun. The gun now has a total of 746 rounds through it. It’s my third most-fired handgun (the Grand Power P11 and Bersa Thunder Plus are 1st and 2nd).

There were some fails to feed when firing the Tac Ultra, but the feed issues only occurred with the OEM mags. I’ve Wilson Combat 9mm ETM mags, which didn’t have any feed issues. I also used the 38 Super mag that came with the Tac Ultra. I also used the 9mm mag that came with my RIA Rock Ultra. The latter two mag are the mags that had inconsistent issues. The feed issues were occurring mid-mag.

Lastly, I need to research who is the new US importer for Metro Arms. Eagle Imports was the importer, but they went out of business earlier this year.

Categories
100-gr 2.0 9mm Alien Gear Canik Cloak Tuck frangible Hevi Shot holster N8 Tactical subcompact TP9 Elite

More Testing – holsters for the TP9 Elite Subcompact

So, I received the holster shell for the Canik TP9 Elite SC on Saturday.  

I installed it on my Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 holster base, although I hat to mess around with the mounting screws and bushings to customize the fit.  As well, I used blue thread locker on the screws.  I’ve been carrying the handgun in this holster half the day.  It carries well with this holster.  It doesn’t protect from the grip texture, though, but I installed rubber Talon Grip tape on the grips on Saturday, as well, so the texture doesn’t beat up my skin.

I’ve yet to give the N8 Tactical holster a try.  Maybe soon.

Also, I want to give the holster that came with the handgun another try, soon, too.

I found that I’ve another box of Hevi Shot 100-gr frangible 9mm ammo.  I shot most of a box (of 50) from the TP9 SC.  I think I may attempt to use this ammo as SD/HD ammo.  It shoots flat and doesn’t jam the handgun.

UPDATE:

I’ve been giving the Alien Gear holster a try, carrying it around the house.  It carries well but the included Canik holster works surprisingly well.  I still do not know which I’ll use.  I suppose I can use all three over a long time span and report on my findings.  So, with that being said, I’ll be carrying with the Alien Gear first!

Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 with TP9 Elite SC shell
TP9 Elite SC in the included holster provided by Canik
TP9 Elite SC in the N8 Tactical OT2 holster
Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 2.0 with TP9 Elite, IWB