Tag: double-stacked

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1911 2011 double-stack double-stacked Prodigy DS Springfield Armory

Shooting Self Defense Ammo From The Prodigy DS Compact

I visited the range yesterday with several goals in mind.

I wanted to test other self defense (SD) ammo from the Prodigy DS Compact so that I can know of other JHP options.

I also wanted to zero the Holosun 507K that is now attached to the gun (removed it from the Ultralight since I’ve stopped carrying it).

I also wanted to shoot the gun with the Streamlight TLR-7X attached.

As well, I wanted to see if I could finaly use the SIG Connect OHD training app at the range.

For ammo, I brought

  • 25 rounds of Barnes Vor-TX 115-gr JHP
  • 25 rounds of Federal Premium HST 124-gr JHP
  • 50 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 124-gr JHP (I only shot 15 rounds of this)
  • I also shot 50 rounds of Blazer 124-gr FMJ.

I ended up shooting more SD ammo than I did range ammo.

There were no failures to feed or extract.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve cleaned the gun (I usually run a bore snake through the barrel, though). I’ll maybe clean the gun tomorrow.

I’m currently at 771 rounds.

I spent half the range session zeroing the 507K optic to the Prodigy DS Compact. I think I like the Cyelee optic better – I’ve grown used to the green dot. If I end up not adjusting well to the 507K, I can always switch to something else…I’ve been eyeing the Cyelee Wolf EDG. I’ve also been thinking of the Viridian RFX-44 (which is an RMSc-footprinted and closed emitter optic). We’ll see.

I finally got the OHD training app to work. I’ve been trying to get it to work the past 6 or so months. It’s been requiring a network connection to work, but the firing line at the range doesn’t have Wifi or network connectivity. After testing a week ago, I decided to let the app developers know of the issue. At first, they insisted that there was an issue on my end, but after showing them that I could reproduce the issue and that it was an app issue, they backtracked and said it was a bug within the app. They said they’re fixing the bug.

They gave me free 30 days of premium access to the app. I’m not sure I’m going to continue to use it, as it has limitations. One limitation is that it won’t register impacts when the impact lands on a prior impact point. As well, the targets I printed are 8.5 x 11 and at 15+ yards, those are difficult to use if firing quickly – I’m used to shooting at man-sized targets when shooting afar. I suppose I can try to shoot printer paper up close, but even then, that’s rather small when shooting quickly, no matter the distance.

My next goal is to research how to easily carry an extra magazine. I’d recently bought the QVO Tactical Flex Connector, which is a side car for use with their More Discreet holster. The side car contains a mag holder. I tried to carry using that holster and didn’t like the side car at all…it’s extra bulky, which I don’t like. It makes me feel pregnant, as the attachment portion of the side car pushes out further than the actual holster itself. So, for now, I’m back to carrying an extra mag in my cargo pocket.

I’ll need to order more range ammo soon, as I’m quickly burning through the 1000 rounds I recently bought. One thing: I’m not sure if I like the Blazer 124-gr ammo that I recently purchased – it doesn’t seem to be as accurate as the Magtech 115-gr ammo I’d used prior to the last purchase. Yes, I know that the point of impact will change between the two weights of ammo, but I think I prefer the Magtech better, as it generally hits where I’m aiming (which isn’t always the case with this batch of Blazer).

I’ll continue to post updates.

Categories
1911 2011 Bul Armory double-stack Prodigy DS SAS II Ultralight Springfield Armory

Current Status of Assessing The Prodigy DS Compact

I believe I’m ready to switch over to carrying the Prodigy DS Compact. Right now, I’ve begun to use the Tenicor Certum to carry the gun, but will eventually remove the Streamlight from the Ultralight so that I can install it onto the Prodigy DS – I’ll need to do that to use the More Discreet holster.

I might remove the HS507K from the Ultralight, as well, and install it onto the Prodigy DS, but that would mean that I’d have to re-zero the optic for use on the Prodigy.

I also tested more Hornady Custom XTP 124-gr ammo with the gun. The gun has shot 49 rounds of that ammo. One round of that ammo didn’t feed. I unsuccessfully tried 3 times to get it to feed. When I looked at the round (I still have it), it appears that the projectile has a defect that is making the round out of spec. There are also barbs on the case lip. This is not an issue with the gun. This is also not an issue with that particular box of ammo. Sometimes things aren’t perfect, manufacturing-wise – shit happens. As long as the whole box of ammo wasn’t flawed, it’s OK.

I also bought another box of Speer Gold Dot 124-gr (we now have 2 boxes of that) and a box of Federal HST 124-gr – we’d been using Federal Hydra-Shok but my ammo store was out of that model of ammo. I have not yet tested the Speer GD and the Federal (Hydra-Shok OR HST) through the Prodigy DS, but at least we know that the Hornady Custom XTP works.

I now have 656 rounds thorugh the gun. There have been no feed or extraction issues. The gun is accurate. The trigger has lightened but I also slightly tuned the sear spring (although I did that after the trigger felt that it lightented a bit). Still, the trigger is nowhere as good as the trigger on the Ultralight. The springs are heavier in the Prodigy than the Ultralight, too. I’ll address that after I’ve reached 1000 rounds (will probably add lighter springs, although this is probably a mainspring issue).

Once I’ve begun to carry the Prodigy, I’ll begin the process of finding a gunsmith that can fix the grip safety issue on my Ultralight. I think I might have to send it somewhere reputable, though…there aren’t all that many 1911 gunsmiths around here, and I’m not willing to muck with the gun since I don’t know where to begin.

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1911 2011 Cyelee double-stack Fusion Firearms Optic XP Pro

The Cyelee Chameleon Has Been Mounted Onto the XP Pro!

To secure the plate adapter to the slide, use the short screws that came with the gun. I’ve used blue thread locker here, but some folks use red. Note that, to remove the screws, the red will require heat to be applied to the screws – the heat will dissolve the thread locker.
These screws were pefect. Anything longer than this will not screw onto the adapter plate. Max torque is 15 in-lb. Don’t red thread locker for these screws…use only blue!

I’ll let you all know when the optic has been zero’d and how it performs. This optic was highly recommended by competition shooters. I’m certain it will carry well, too.

Note that the optic was LONG in length…it’s the longest of all the Cyelee optics but also has the biggest view port. I thought it wouldn’t fit well, but it fit as if it were made for the gun.

The dot is 8 MOA, which some folks think is too big. It’s designed to lessen brightness of the dot, to lessen the effects of astigmatism. I’ve heard that it shoots fine at distance (and I’ve also heard that some folks have issues shooting this dot at distance due to the large size of the dot).

The battery is housed on top of the optic’s deck, between the glass and the screws.

The irons offer co-witness, as well. IMO, though, my RFX45 would offer excellent co-witness with this gun’s adapter plate, as the optic sits low already…it’s a pity this will not fit onto the adapter plate.

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1911 2011 Springfield Armory

I’m Now The Owner of a Prodigy DS Compact!

I neglected to update the blog to say that I have received the gun and have shot it.

This whole transfer experience was outstandingly great. The shipper, Gunprime, was quick in shipping the gun where I needed it to go. I’d never used my range as a receiving FFL, so I was anxious to see how that experience played out. My range received the gun and notified me within 2 hours that it was ready to be picked up, which was something I’ve never seen before. In my experience, receiving FFLs typically sit on the gun. In many cases, I’d wait 2-3 days in the past to get a call from receiving FFL that the gun was ready to be picked up, and in some cases, I had to make an appointment that was usually the week after it arrived to them.

When I went to pick up the gun, the transfer experience was pretty cool. There was no paper involved. Everything was done on e-forms, on a laptop. I’d fill out the e-form, and the range employee would look it over and ask me to make any corrections (or not). I did both forms in that manner and process took the same amount of time as if I’d done it on paper. And the background check results were done 5 minutes after submittal.

To top all that off, the transfer fee was a total of $17!

So, I got home and ended up racking the gun maybe 100-130 times while watching TV with my wife. The gun is stiff AF.

As it is my first Springfield Armory 1911/2011, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The gun is clean. Fitment and finish is good. Grip texture is great. Both mags are good. I ended up ordering three more, for $37 each – note that MSRP on those mags are $60 apiece.

The gun fits in my current 2011 holsters (but I haven’t tested the QVO IWB holster since it keys off the gun light and the only gun light that I have is currently on the Ultralight).

Some things I don’t like:

The optics plate adapter that comes with the gun — I’m not sure why they insist on sticking with including the Doctor plate with Prodigy handguns…IMO, that’s a seriously stupid choice of footprint, especially when most folks are going to end up having to buy another (they’re not cheap, either – $120). When I went to the SA page to order one in RMSc footprint, they were out of stock (WTF). In fact, they’re kinda scarce. I ended up ordering one from eBay (for $119).

Also, the right thumb safety is pinching the hell out of my hand when disabling the safety, unless I purposely shift my hand a certain way. I will either have to try to swap in a single sided safety, grind the stock right-side lever so that it won’t pinch me, or pay a gunsmith to sort it out for me.

The trigger measures at (an average of 5 pulls) 3 lb 8 oz but feels heavier. As with my experience with my Tisas DS, the trigger wall feels heavy.

Lastly, the gun feels seriously oversprung. I don’t want to mess with swapping springs, as I just received the gun and I don’t want to start swapping parts so soon. It may break in.

How does it shoot? I’m shooting left of most of my bullseyes – 1 inch left at 7 yards and 2-3 at 10 yards. I think it’s due to the trigger wall…as I’m negotiating the trigger, I’m inadvertently pulling my point of aim. With the Tisas DS, I waited until 500 rounds before I lost my patience and swapped in a different sear spring. I will do the same with the Prodigy, although I could just tweak the OEM spring, which may help.

The gun doesn’t feel snappy, probably due to the great grip textures – the Bul Armory Ultralight feels a lot snappier (probably due to lack of good grip texturing).

I shot 120 rounds through the gun before I ran out of range time. The gun didn’t choke or misfeed and the gun was dirty – I didn’t clean it, as I was working with limited time.

At some point, I need to try JHP through the gun, as I keep seeing folks saying that their Prodigy Compacts are experiencing feeding issues. I think that I should wait until maybe 500 rounds before I try JHP, as that will give the gun’s parts time to wear in.

Categories
1911 2011 9mm double-stack Springfield Armory

Will Be Picking Up Prodigy DS Compact This Evening

This gun came to my FFL in record time.

I ordered it from Gunprime LATE Thursday night. Gunprime processed it Friday around noon-ish and UPS picked it up that afteroon. UPS usually processes gun on a 2-day timeline, so, Monday and Tuesday were the transport days and they delivered it today (Tuesday around noon).

I was ready to wait for XCal to take a day or two to process it, but they sent me a text a few minutes ago saying it was ready for pickup. Wow! That’s exceptional, time-wise.

So, I’ll be heading out to XCal after work (maybe 6 or 6:30 PM) to do the background check, which shouldn’t take all that long to do.

As I’ve never used XCal as an FFL, I’m not sure what to expect. One thing that annoys me about FFLs is that I’ve been to more than a few that want you to process the background check without even looking at the gun. The problem with that is that the gun could have flaws (gun won’t cycle, or gun has massive scratches, for example) or might not have what was purchased (a mag, for example)…if they won’t let you see it and you do the paperwork first, it’s your gun, literally sight unseen. The gun isn’t yours until you perform the transfer (from FFL to you). Prior to that, the gun is being transferred from FFL (store) to FFL (store).

So, yeah, I’m excited. I also ordered three more mags from LockedLoaded.com, as they had them on sale for $37, vs the MSRP cost of $60 each.

I also scheduled a range visit for Wednesday evening…I’ll perform an initial assessment of the Prodigy DS then.

Categories
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

Categories
2011 Springfield Armory

Is an Officer-sized Prodigy on the Way?!

Is an Officer-sized Prodigy on the way? I believe it is!

There was a Reddit post of a gun shop receiving two Prodigy handguns. One was a 3.5″ 9mm handgun and the other was a 4.25″ 9mm handgun. The poster supplied pictures. Both had compact-sized grip modules (think BUL Amory Ultralight grip size).

I knew I should’ve grabbed a screenshot of the post, because I went back maybe 30 min later and the person that had shared the pics had deleted the pictures and his comments. I think the guy realized that he shouldn’t have been posting about those guns since he was probably under NDA.

For sure, these two guns are on the way, and that pretty much wrecks my gun-buying plans this year…LOL! For certain, I’m going to get that Officer-sized Prodigy when it is released to the public…it will replace my Ultralight. As well, I still need a 5″ 9mm 2011/1911, and that will probably be a Prodigy…I can afford both.

That Reddit thread is here.

UPDATE: Here’s another Reddit post of this, only it is the 4.25″ Prodigy Compact (4.25″ barrel with compact grip with 15-round mags). The UPC code is 706397969073 and the MPN is PH9116AOS. There is one store that has a staged product page that has the UPC code and MPN. I’ve seen no data on the 3.5″ Prodigy Compact, though. This post pertains to a person that actually bought a Prodigy Compact, surely a mistake on the gun store’s behalf.

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
double-stack double-stacked

New 2011-esque Handgun: Kimber CDS9

There was a quiet release of the Kimber CDS9, which appears to be a smaller Kimber KDS9C.

This is not a 2011, though. As with the KDS9C, it is a double-stacked handgun that is very similar to a 1911. The biggest differences are that the barrel link is more similar to a CZ handgun, and the trigger is entirely different than a typical 1911, as it is hinged. This gun is more like a Kimber Micro 9 or S&W CSX.

There is no grip safety, either, which the KDS9C also doesn’t have.

The gun is optics-ready and the barrel length is 3.19″. The gun comes with 13- and 15-round mags. There’s also a version that has a threaded barrel, which also has a reverse two-tone color scheme.

The CDS9 has an MSRP of $1075, although I’ve seen street prices of $917.

As well, the KDS9C has no MIM. I believe the CDS9 will also be MIM-less, although I’ve seen nothing supporting that claim. It would be stupid of Kimber to have no MIM in the CDS9 when the KDS9C is MIM-less.

The Humble Marksman has a great review of this handgun. It shoots well and appears to be just as reliable as the KDS9C, of which I’ve never seen a video that shows unreliability. Most folks hang onto older opinions that Kimbers are not dependable. Again, I’ve seen no videos showing bad reliability with either the KDS9C or R7 Mako variants.

I will add this to my list of To-Get guns for 2025 and will watch as others review this gun.