Categories
Bul Armory holster SAS II Ultralight Weapon-Mounted Light

The Ultralight and New Holster are Here!

I’m late in reporting but my SAS II Ultralight is back from Bul Armory.

It was delivered yesterday, on a Sunday – was unexpected, as the shipping info stated it would be delivered on Monday, 9/30.

I tested the gun. It is no longer dropping the hammer without actuating the grip safety.

I’m not sure if I’m going to carry it again or wait, but I did check to see how well the gun fits the Streamlight TLR-7 X – it fits extremely well, without having to change keys (it’s still using the same key it came with out of the box).

I tried fitting the TLR-7 X on my AF1911-S15 – it fits but not fully back to the trigger guard. I’d probably need to change the key to get it further back and I’m not sure if that will adversely change the fitment with the Ultralight, so I’m going to leave the light alone and not change the key.

As well, the new holster was delivered today. As I reported earlier, I bought a 2011 holster from QVO Tactical. I tested fitment today. With the Ultralight and TLR-7 X, it fits perfectly. I did drop the holster down to it’s lowest hole settings (it’s using Double Tacware 5-hole clips) so that it sits low in my waistband.

I also test fitted the S15 to the QVO Tactical holster and TLR-7 X. The S15 is a bit taller at the muzzle than the Ultralight, so there is a bit of rubbing inside the holster. I’m able to account for most of it by loosening the retention (I’ve to do this with all the holsters I use with the S15 – it’s rail is extra beefy).

I also attached velcro to the holster so that I could use my pre-cut foam wedge from Mastermind Tactics. With the wedge, the holster being Commander-sized, and the fact that he has an aggressive wing, the S15 is very concealable. This is why I’m probably going to keep carrying the S15 for a while. No, it is not RDS capable (yet) but I shoot the gun just as well as a gun with an RDS.

Oh, and yeah, the empty space around the trigger guard is not an issue – ALL holsters that accommodate WML (weapon-mounted lights) have extra space around the trigger. That’s unavoidable.

I think I should’ve looked at custom holsters a long time ago. Tenicor is great, but being able to tune a holster to your specific needs is a powerful thing.

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
Canik Canik TP9SA Holosun range visit TP9 Elite Subcompact

Canik Day Was Decent Fun

This is a follow up to the last post.

I had planned a lot for a one-hour range session – maybe a bit too much.

I ended up not shooting the S15 since I forgot to bring extra mags. I didn’t want to have to empty my carry mag and use one mag to shoot that gun, so I opted to not shoot it. It wasn’t a huge deal, since I’ve shot well over 1000 rounds through that gun — I’m not saying that that’s a huge amount but that amount certainly enables me to shoot the gun well enough.

I also opted to not use the Sig OHD app, as I didn’t want to mess with configuring the phone and tripod, as well as having to use the special targets (the printed targets are a turn-off for me, too). I do need to test the app and start using it, as it’s not cheap to subscribe to ($10/month).

I ended up shooting the two Caniks, starting with the TP9SA first. I shot 72 rounds from it, shooting it for roughly 30 minutes. I wanted to spend the time to learn the trigger and how to control this gun. It is full-sized but has a very light trigger and for some reason, I have issues shooting it accurately at 10+ yards. I did better this go-around than I did the prior range trip. If I shoot slowly, I can group the rounds somewhat tightly. As I speed it up, I lose all sorts of control, having pretty bad flyers.

At the half-way point of the range session, I swapped out the TP9SA for the TP9 Elite Subcompact. I had to zero the optic and was going the wrong direction in zeroing for a bit. Once I got it dialed in, I didn’t have a lot of time left. The optic worked well with this gun and I was also able to test out the irons through the optic, which I used o nail a bullseye at 10 yards. They barely cowitness (they cowitness like my SAS II UL does with the 507K, which is, barely). The gun is still difficult to control because it’s small and doesn’t offer a lot of grip support. It feels like it has a lot of muzzle flip, which is odd because my 1911s are roughly the same size and they don’t have nearly the same amount of flip. The Elite SC is far more top-heavy than the 1911s, though, and it’s also using a polymer lower. I shoot it a bit better than I did in past range visits, but it’s not really a fun gun to shoot, IMO. Well, it’s not bad, but is probably the least fun gun to shoot of my collection.

I’ll update this post with pics of the targets tomorrow.

Categories
9mm AF1911-S15 Alpha Foxtrot Canik Canik TP9SA range visit

Tomorrow is Canik Day

I plan to go to the range tomorrow. I will post the particulars after the range visit.

I’ll be taking my Canik TP9 Elite Subcompact, as I haven’t shot it in ages. I want to see if I have issues shooting it. One of the things I disliked about it is that it felt too small — I had a difficult time controlling it.

I’ll also be taking the original Canik TP9 SA. I shot it at my last range visit. I shot it well.

As well, I plan to take the Alpha Foxtrot S15 tomorrow, as I’m now carrying it since I’ve to send the SAS II UL back to Bul Armory this week.

The S15 will be getting the majority of the attention since I’m now carrying it, but since I removed my Holoson 507K from the SAS II UL, I installed it on the TP9 Elite. The optic will almost certainly need to be zeroed, though.

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.

Categories
1911 2011 Alpha Foxtrot Bul Armory Springfield Armory

So, What’s Next?

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.