I wanted a place to discuss my handguns and firearms in general. Everyone seemingly has lots to say about guns, so I promise you this won't be a rant blog.
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.
I’ve been thinking on what my next handgun should be.
A listing:
Dan Wesson (CZ) DWX (full sized)
Cosaint COS21
Bul Armory Tac 5″ or Tac Pro 5″
Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5″ or Spatha 5″
Stealth Arms Platypus
Springfield Armory 1911 DS (Prodigy) 5″
GP Arms Patriot 4.8″ or Forza 3.10″
My budget is between $1000 and $2000.
What I really want is something I don’t already have, configuration-wise. I do not have a 5″ 1911 that is chambered in 9mm. I’d prefer it to be double-stacked. I’d prefer it to not be over $2000. I do not want another cheap 2011, either – that includes any Tisas, MAC, LFA, or Witness…basically, nothing under $1000.
The Dan Wesson DWX is something that I’m curious about Dan Wesson makes great 1911s and this is apparently a blend of CZ and 1911. They’ve an MSRP of $1999 and can be found as low as $1700, so they’re within the budget. DWXs are a bit different and I love the unique guns. The con of this gun is that they are not optics-ready, which is a bit crazy considering that it costs that much and modern guns are usually cut for an optic.
I was thinking Cosaint COS21 (it’s their 5″ duty gun) but that’s rather expensive, starting at $2600! The smaller variants are $100 and $200 less (starting at $2500 for the Commander and $2400 for the Officer variants). If I’m going to spend that much money, it’ll be on a Stacatto, so scratch Cosaint off the list, simply because they assault my sensibilities. They’re probably great guns but I’ve a budget to consider.
I was also considering the new 5″ Bul Armory TAC or Tac Pro, in 5″ length. The Tac Pro is only a bit lessexpensive than the the Cosaint COS21. The Tac is $2250. Both are out of budget, sadly. As well, Bul Armory only have 1-year limited warranties on their guns, so no more Bul Armory guns for me.
I may do another Alpha Foxtrot – they’ve two new double-stacked 1911s that are in the pipeline: the Spatha and the Romulus. The Spatha appears to be a double-stacked 1911 that is solid-framed, and the Romulus appears to be a legit 2011. The con for Alpha Foxtrot is that, like Bul Armory, they only have limited 1-year warranties, but I love their guns, so I may be willing to overlook the warranty. Of the two (pictured below), the Romulus has more of my interest. Prices aren’t listed yet but I’m thinking they’ll be in the mid $1000s.
There’s the Stealth Arms Platypus. The Platypus’ pro is that it’s highly configurable. It’s cons are that it’s not really a 2011 and that most folks have them.
The Springfield Armory Prodigy is something I’ve always desired, and it has a full warranty, will take standard 2011 mags, has a very robust optics mounting system, has a great grip module, and is very flat-shooting. Yes, they initially had problems. I haven’t heard of any recent complaints, though.
The GP Arms Patriot is not new (they also have the 3.1″ Forza, which is very like the Bul Armory SAS II UL and is priced at $1590) but is very configurable. They are a tad bit pricey, though…they start at $1950.
Outside of 1911s/2011s, I’ve been curious about the Glock 43X and Glock 48. Hell, I can get both of them, in MOS configuration.
Of them all, the 5″ Prodigy is the stand-out option. I can even get the variant that has 3 mags and the HEX optic,which will certainly already have the optic mounting plate, and it will still be reasonably priced (at around $1400). Plus, I already have two Checkmate mags and a 17 round Duramag.
I’ll also keep watch on what else is released this year, as I’ve until next spring to decide.
