If anyone can make a reliable, 9mm version of Browning’s Government 1911, it’s the Israeli company, Bul Armory.
Few firearms in history reach the legendary status of John Browning’s 1911 handgun. Serving the U.S. military faithfully for decades, the 1911 set the gold standard for reliability and became a classic that continues to thrive today.
Originally chambered in .45 ACP, Browning’s pistol has since been adapted by numerous manufacturers worldwide, leading to a vast range in quality and craftsmanship. Among these global interpretations, Bul Armory stands out to me because of its quality and detail on every part of the gun.
I have owned my Bul Armory 1911 Government for years now, and it remains one of my all-time favorite guns. If you have never looked at a Bul Armory 1911, you should. Here is a quick overview of mine.
Who is BUL Armory?
Founded in Israel in 1990, Bull Armory wasn’t just a gun manufacturer. They were a company that built indoor ranges before producing their first 1911. From their first model, the Bul M-5, they have come a long way and are regarded as a high-end manufacturer today.
The company remains privately owned and I headquartered in Tel Aviv with a distribution network out of Florida.
Bull Armory initially earned its reputation by focusing on high-performance competition pistols, primarily built on the 1911 and 2011 platforms. As its popularity grew, the company expanded into defensive and tactical firearms.
Today, Bull Armory’s product line includes a diverse array of handguns suitable for competitive shooting, concealed carry, and military/law enforcement use. Even their line of knives that use standard 1911 grips is pretty cool. If you’re into knives, you should check them out.
Bull Armory 1911 Government
The Government 1911 by Bul Armory is precision-machined from high-quality stainless steel. This choice of material makes it heavier than newer, polymer or aluminum models, but it’s built like a tank.
I purchased my Bul Armory 1911 at a local gun store years ago, and I’ve put a lot of rounds through it.
I like the looks of a stainless 1911 with dark grips, so this was a perfect model for me. The gun came with some G10 grips on it, but I swapped them out for a dark set of Buffalo horn grips.
A 1911 in 9mm
My experience with 9mm 1911s is that they are hit and miss, depending on the company. Especially when you start using hollow point ammo, the steep feed ramp often causes feeding issues. But I haven’t had a single malfunction with this one.
There is a lot of controversy out there about a handgun made to fire .45 ACP being chambered in 9mm. But we live in an age where certain calibers dominate, and handguns must adapt to that caliber. For now, the 9mm is the king of the handgun world. Don’t get me wrong, I love my .45 ACP handguns. But if I’m going to just shoot for fun, however, a 9mm version is much cheaper.
What makes it such a great gun?
Switzerland is known for making the finest watches in the world. China is known for making cheap, low-quality stuff, and Israel? Well, they know how to make guns.
Ok, a lot of countries make some great guns, but Bul Armory turns out some of the best guns I’ve seen for the money.
They use CNC machining for crafting the frame and slide, which is pretty common. But what stands out with the Bul Armory guns is their tight-fitting tolerances. Even though there is no play in the moving parts on the slide, it still cycles perfectly. My friends started referring to it as “smooth as glass”.
Besides their attention to detail when machining the parts, they also pay attention to ergonomics. As much as I love the original design, shooting an older 1911 isn’t exactly pleasant compared to newer ones. Bul Armory uses an extended safety and slide release to make it easy and comfortable to engage.
The trigger face has some serrations on it that give it the perfect texture for your trigger finger. And of course, there are the deep slide seriations on the front and back of the slide. On 1911 handguns, I prefer to use an overhand grip on the front of the slide. The serrations, combined with the smooth motion of the slide, make it easy to manipulate.
The split, skeletal hammer has some serrations on it that give it a modern look while keeping it functional. Even though the frame is smooth, they put some nice waffle-style checkering on the front and back of the mag well. This gives it a good grip without eating into your hands.
Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 10+1 rounds
- Barrel Length: 5 inches
- Overall Length: 8.5 inches
- Weight: Approximately 38 ounces (unloaded)
- Frame and Slide Material: Stainless steel
- Sights: Novak-style front and rear sights
- Grips: Checkered polymer or optional wood
- Trigger: Adjustable skeletonized
- Finish: Stainless
On the range with Bul Armory’s 1911
I keep talking about the feel of the slide on the Government 1911 as you cycle it. Once you handle one, you will see what I’m talking about. Well, it shoots as smooth as you would expect from a slide that felt like it was “sliding on glass”.
Of course, the weight of the gun helps a lot with the felt recoil and muzzle rise. When you combine the smaller 9mm cartridge and precision parts, you get a gun that is accurate and pleasant to shoot.
I mentioned before that I had never had a malfunction with this gun. For full transparency, I’ve fired a lot more ball ammo from it than I have FMJ ammunition. Up until I wrote this review, most of my HP ammo was Winchester 147-grain Defender ammunition.
For this range visit, AmmoToGo.com supplied multiple types of self-defense ammunition. These included: 124 grain Winchester USA Ready Defense, 100 grain Sellier & Bellot XRG, and 96 grain G2 R.I.P HP LF ammunition. I was the most curious to see how the Bul Armory handled the R.I.P. ammo because it uses the most flat-faced bullet.
I was not surprised, but still glad to see that the Bul Armory 1911 cycled everything I put through it. With the R.I.P. ammo, I was able to get the round stop against the feed ramp if I let the slide down slowly when chambering it. But that was more out of curiosity than anything. When I racked the slide and let go, the cartridge chambered, and the gun cycled without any issues.
Did the Israelis get it right?
So, how well-made are Bul Armory’s 1911 handguns? I would give them an A+.
Even though 1911s are on the heavy side compared to more modern pistols, I like to carry my 1911s every now and then. This one will fit in any standard 1911 holster, including the Safariland 7378 7TS ALS OWB concealment holster.
The Bul Armory 9mm 1911 holds 10+1 of and from what I can tell, will work with just about any type of defensive ammo.
You can find a baseline government 1911 model for about $750, which is extremely cheap for what you get, at least in my opinion. When you compare the Bul Armory to other 1911s that retail for under $1,000, this one stands out when it comes to quality and craftsmanship.
If you’re getting an inkling for a new 1911 handgun, I would check out Bul Armory. Mine is simple and plain, but if you want something more aggressive and modern-looking, they have some awesome variants to select from.
