And I’ve shot it, as well as shooting the XP Comp! Both shoot ridiculously flat! They’re loud but shoot flat.
Category: Alpha Foxtrot
I have been checking several times a day using search engines for an Alpha Foxtrot Attila but haven’t been seeing any. I’d been told that the gun wouldn’t be released to the public until end of April. It is currently April 3rd.
I checked gun.deals today and saw that Guns.com had one! Initially, I didn’t see it and closed the browser tab, but did a mental check – “did I just see what I think I did” and double-checked by going back to the page. Yep! I wasn’t hallucinating.
I quickly bought it. Now, I’ve bought guns in the past, only to find that the store didn’t actually have the gun in stock…we’ll see if I’ve been lured into a waiting game. (Not that I wasn’t already waiting, right??)
I also checked after I bought it, to see if the product would show it as OOS (out of stock). It’s not showing as OOS, so maybe they’ve several. Or, maybe they’re making a list. Dunno.
For those of you that don’t use gun.deals, you can set up watch lists to watch for certain UPCs. That’s what I did.
Even if I’ve to wait til the end of April, at least I’ve bought one.
As well, I guess this means I should buy a bunch of G48 mags now, especially since they upped the round capacity for those mags.
This is my third of four guns. I just need to get the Ruger Mark IV now, and I’ll probably buy that from my range’s store.
UPDATE (4/3/2026): And….it shipped. It’s not even 5 PM yet. It arrives sometime Tuesday.
UPDATE (4/7/2026): The gun was delivered around 10 AM this morning. I was hoping that would be early enough for the FFL to process it and contact me today, but nope. I hear they’ve been extremely busy, with folks trying to buy before the bans hit in July. That means business is good for them. They should call tomorrow – with the other two guns, I had to wait a day and a half before they contacted me, so I expect it will play out the same with this particular gun.
I’ve had issues getting my Streamlight TLR-7X to sit well (not too far from the trigger) on my Alpha Foxtrot S15. I’ve also seen folks experiencing the same issue.
I saw a guy posting in the Alpha Foxtrot subreddit a few days ago, sharing several 2011 pictures. I saw that he had a TLR-7X installed and it was sitting perfectly on his S15 rail. I asked him what key he was using.
He first explained that the -7 kit that he bought was for the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro. He said that he was using the #5 key.
I looked at the keys that came with my -7 and didn’t see any labeled as #5. I then realized that I didn’t have the same -7 kit that he had.
My kit is the 1913 kit. They base the kits on rails of specific guns. 1913 is generic.
I took my light off of my carry gun and remove the key that I was using for it (I put it to the side with the gun, so I wouldn’t get it mixed up with the other keys). I then grabbed the S15 and began testing fitment to see which keys would fit.
My kit came with a “universal” key, and four “1913-” keys, suffixed as 1 through 4.
The “universal key wouldn’t fit on the S15.
The 1913-1, -2, and -3 fit onto the S-15. We’ll talk more of these in a second.
I was already using 1913-4 for my Prodigy DS.
Of 1913-1, 1913-2, and 1913-3, only 1913-3 fit perfectly on the S15. It fits so that the front of the light is flush with the gun’s muzzle, but also close enough to reach the light’s controls. -1 and -2 were sitting too far from the trigger: -1 sat furthest, and -2 sat a bit closer but was still a distance from the trigger guard.
So, here are the keys that I know will fit the AF-1911-S15:
If you’ve the Hellcat kit, use the #5 key.
If you’ve the 1913 kit, use 1913-1, 1913-2, or 1913-3. This a subjective thing, IMO, as each person’s hands/fingers are different, but I chose the #3 key. If the light’s controls are too far from your trigger finger, you’re going to struggle to reach it.
Another thing: almost all TLR-7 lights share the same footprint, so what I mention up above about key fitment applies to other TLR-7 variants, such as the TLR-7 HL-X, or the TLR-7 Sub (for example). They all share the same keys.
Also, if you’ve a TLR-7 variant and have the Prodigy DS Compact, the 1913 kit’s 1913-4 key will fit the DS Compact.
Yesterday, I visited the range for the first time in maybe a month.
Since I’m now carrying the AF1911-S15, I wanted to shoot a good bit from it. As well, I wanted to shoot the my RIA 22TCM 1911, as it has minimal recoil and wanted to check to see how fast I could shoot it.
I also tried to use the SIG Connect OHD phone app to get some practice shooting in, but the app appears to require wifi or cellular band connectivity when being used – it would not let me use the app without logging in, and I couldn’t log in while on the range because they’ve no wifi/cell connectivity when in the shooting booth. Because of this, I decided to cancel my subscription. Last range visit, I tried to use the app but couldn’t because I couldn’t properly aim the phone’s camera using the desk tripod I had, so I bought a new tripod that had lots of adjustability. Now there’s this problem with wireless connectivity with the app. The app appears to be too high maintenance for me.
I shot 120 rounds of WWB 115 gr FMJ from the S15. There were two fails to feed, but I know this was almost certainly due to the ammo being not-so-good, as I could feel the slide sometimes moving slower than normal after a round detonated. As well, I neglected to oil the gun (which is a huge no-no, since I’ve been carrying the gun a bit now and the lube has probably dried or moved). As well, there were a few times where the slide wasn’t locking back on the last round, but again, this is probably due to the cheap WWB ammo.
With the S15, I was attempting to shoot quickly from low ready and was fairly successful at hitting where I was aiming at 7 yards – I was actually stacking many of the rounds on top of one another. I think the light on the gun (this is a first time of me shooting a gun with a WML) makes the gun shoot flatter (not that it wasn’t shooting somewhat flat before then).
I also shot 50 rounds of 22TCM9R from the 22TCM 1911. There was at least one instance of the primer blowing out, but I didn’t notice, as the brass ejected without issue. Even so, the slide didn’t lock back and the hammer didn’t cock, but there was a round in the chamber — odd.
I shot both guns somewhat fast. I shot between 5 and 10 yards and attempted to group my shots (was shooting groups of 5). I was also attempting to quickly use the iron sights, as well as conduct quick follow-on shots.
I may have to adjust the rear sight on the 22TCM 1911, as I’ve never zero’d it at 10 yards and at 10 yards, I’m always pulling shots left.
It also may be time for me to start thinking about getting the slide of the S15 cut for an optic (will be using the Holosun optic footprint).
I’m now at 1187 rounds through the S15 and 1097 rounds through the RIA Commander with the 22TCM barrel.
I think I’m going to start shooting the RIA Commander using the 9mm barrel from now on, just to get some rounds through that barrel. I do love 22TCM9R, though.
This was a fun range visit.
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.
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.
I’ve started my Christmas 2023 vacation this week. Several things are on my agenda as far as firearms are concerned.
- 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.
- 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.
Once again, I took the Alpha Foxtrot S15 to the range, as it exhibited some failures during my last range visit, which I believe I documented on this blog.
I also forced myself to shoot the SAS II UL this go-around, since I’ve been neglecting the gun (and I’m also carrying it).
I brought some of my open boxed SD ammo to test the S15, as I initially thought it was having issues due to bad ammo. Another culprit could have been the mag (there was one magazine in particular that was having issues). Another culprit could have been me – I’d shot the gun toward the end of the visit and I was probably getting tired (hand/wrist/arm fatigue).
Right off the bat, I got two fails to feed, with the suspect mag (I’ve marked it). I ended up stopping everything, emptying the mag of ammo, and putting the ammo in a different magazine. The failures stopped.
I’m thinking I might ask Shield Arms to replace this mag. The mag is new and should be covered by manufacturer’s warranty. It’s odd that the failures don’t always occur, though. The ammo it was choking on was Sig Sauer V-Crown 147-gr JHP.
It also failed once when shooting Remington Golden Saber 147-gr JHP. It ate 21 other Golden Sabers without issue, though.
Those were the only failures, so it wasn’t really all that bad this time around.
I’m at 623 rounds through the S15 now. The gun is uncannily accurate. It doesn’t seen to be as snappy as the SAS II UL, but it has better grip surfaces (by far). Now that I know that it’ll eat JHP without issue, and now that I’ve tested the mags, I can actually consider carrying this gun now, although I’ll keep testing it (I’m still wanting to carry the SAS II UL, too).
I’m at 661 rounds through the SAS II now. I shot 38 rounds tonight, all Herters Target 115-gr FMJ. There were no hiccups or failures. I shot all the ammo at 10 yards, quickly (since I’ve the optic installed).
I’ll be working on posting range video footage this weekend, of both guns. I have footage from the last visit but the settings were out of whack and the field of view wasn’t the best (the framing was off-center, as well).
Next week, I’ll be attending my first handgun course. The plan is to use my current carry gun (SAS II UL). I’ll be bringing my Glock 19 as a backup gun, in case they state my SAS II is too small and in case the SAS II has a breakage. I’ve other guns I can consider as backup guns but most of my guns are DA/SA and I’m more used to SAO nowadays. I’ve several striker fired duty- and compact-sized guns but I’ve no holsters for them (nor extra mags). At this point in time, the Glock 19 is my best option (I’ve extra mags and several holsters for it).
I plan to shoot Blazer 124-gr FMJ for the course (was told that I’d need 200 rounds, so I’ll buy 4 boxes of 50). Blazer is reliable for me, but so is the Herters Target, so I may buy that brand instead, although the Blazer is just a few dollars more.
I was planning on a rifle course too, but I need the time to purchase mags and magazine pouches that’ll fit my carry belt. I may have to wait until next year for that, although I can also take a rifle course by XCal. We’ll see.
I went to Cabela’s to get some SD ammo and was actually looking to buy Sig 365 SD ammo to test with my Bul Armory SAS II. They only had the Sig 365 in FMJ, though. I’ll keep looking for it or order it online.
Since I was there, I bought what they had, and focused on types that I haven’t shot before. I bought (from top to bottom, left to right) all 9mm, Sierra Outdoor Master in 124-gr, Hornady Custom 124-gr XTP, Federal Punch 124-gr, and Barnes Vor-TX 115-gr. Those are boxes of 25 rounds each.
I also have an unspent box of Koenig Defense 110-gr JHP (from the last time I visited Cabela’s).
I’ll be shooting these 125 rounds of ammo from the Alpha Foxtrot S15, since I’ve not tried shooting good ammo from that handgun yet. Maybe I can shoot half from the AF-S15 and half from the SAS II, since I’d prefer to be practicing shooting my current carry gun.