TriggrCon 2024 was chock full of new products, but one reliable old warhorse was well-represented too. John Moses Browning’s greatest creation adorned many a firearms booth.
Of course, we’re talking about the 1911 pistol. No fewer than nine companies featured some form of 1911, from traditional to cutting edge. Let’s go through those companies and see how the old girl is faring these days.
Alpha Foxtrot
Duluth, Georgia-based Alpha Foxtrot manufactures new, feature-rich 1911s for every application. High-quality steel, precise machining, and modern grips are the norm. You also get flared mag wells, night sights, extended mag releases, and double-stack magazines. .45 ACP, 9mm, and 10mm chamberings are available.
Alpha Foxtrot featured their flagship AF1911 Romulus 9mm with its 19-round capacity, as well as previewing the new 6-groove Ultra match barrel Spatha.
The Colt 1911
You know Colt had to have a 1911. Despite understandably focusing on revolvers this year, Colt brought a Gold Cup Trophy 1911 to the party. I stopped by the Colt booth on Range Day to shoot some snake guns, but I stayed for the 1911. After all, who doesn’t want to shoot a Colt 1911?
The Gold Cup Trophy was chambered in the Lord’s caliber, and it was buttery smooth. The tritium sights show that Colt doesn’t just rest on what happened a century ago. Despite all the fancy upgrades from other companies, there’s nothing quite like a Colt 1911.
EAA Corp/Girsan
EAA Corp partners with Girsan to provide quality 1911s and 2311s without the sticker shock price tag, sometimes costing 50 percent less than their competitors. Notable among the EAA offerings were the Girsan MC1911 Influencer, Girsan Witness 2311, and Witness 2311 Match. The Influencer and Witness 2311 are available in multiple calibers and barrel lengths. The Witness 2311 Match has a 5-inch bull barrel and comes in 9mm.
Kimber
Kimber makes some of the nicest 1911s anywhere. Innovative slides, multiple grip options, and high-quality steel make Kimber 1911s trophy guns for many folks. But Kimbers run too, whether chambered for .45 ACP, 9mm, or 10mm.
The stainless steel Raptor II caught my eye, as did the Flat Dark Earth-finished Warrior and the snake-like Aegis Elite. Kimber 1911s are also firmly in the 21st century, with available optics-ready slides, accessory rails, and ported slides.
Nighthawk Custom
Nighthawk Custom operates on the “One Gun, One Gunsmith” philosophy, and their quality products show the power of that approach. The company hearkens back to the time when master craftsmen plied their trade in the firearms world.
Nighthawk 1911s come in the full-size Government Model, the more compact Commander, and the carry-sized Officer Model. The new Agent 2 pistol is a collaboration with Agency Arms, which Nighthawk says represents “the pinnacle of 1911 evolution.” It is indeed a beautiful gun but sit down before you look at the price.
OA Defense (Oracle Arms)
The OA Defense OA 2311 9mm pistols were among my favorites at TriggrCon. It was impossible to shoot everything at Range Day, but I was able to get into the OA Defense booth.
The OA 2311s are fully ambidextrous, optic-ready, and feature modular grips and mag wells. The grips filled my hand perfectly and I don’t think I handled a more ergonomic pistol all weekend. I fired the full-size model, but the 2311 Compact Pro seemed like it would be a comfortable and viable carry gun. The full size OA 2311 was very accurate with its tritium sights and the trigger was very nice.
These guns stack up very favorably with the Staccato 2011s, in my opinion.
SDS Imports/Tisas
Knoxville, Tennessee-based SDS Imports deals with the Turkish Tisas line of 1911s. Tisas makes a nice gun at an attractive price. My first 1911 was a basic Tisas model. It shot very well and was a solid gun. But the 1911 Raider is what drew my attention at TriggrCon.
Featuring a Flat Dark Earth finish, the Raider is a faithful reproduction of the Marine Corps Special Operations M45A1 service pistol. The gun is available in .45 ACP and 9mm.
Sig Sauer
Sig Sauer has long made quality 1911s with several memorable special editions. The hot new Sig Sauer 1911 is the 1911-X, featuring branding reminiscent of the P365 line. I gravitated to the 1911-X Emperor Scorpion with its Coyote PVD finish and black grips. A very striking pistol indeed.
The 1911-X line is optics-ready with an accessory rail. They are traditional .45 ACP single stack 1911s with 8-round magazines. 4.25-inch barrel Carry models are also available with the same features.
Wilson Combat
Finally, Wilson Combat makes some of the nicest, most reliable 1911s anywhere. The company says that building and customizing 1911 is the foundation of their business, and it shows. Even the basic ACP (American Combat Pistol) Series is one of the slickest 1911s you’ll ever run. Or you can go up to the X-Tac Supergrade or the X-Tac Elite Carry Comp.
Wilson Combat 1911s are available in Full Size, Commander, and Compact sizes with your choice of .45 ACP or 9mm chamberings. I admit to being drawn to the X-Tac Elite Carry Comp. Man, what a nice pistol. The slide was like it was on rollers. Unfortunately, I’m a poor starving writer, so I’ll have to admire it from afar.
The Continuing 1911 Legacy
One wonders whether John Browning grasped the power of his US Government pistol design when the Army adopted it. It’s doubtful. Browning died before World War II and missed the explosion of the civilian 1911 market in the late 20th century. Today, the 1911 has proven to be among the most influential, versatile, and beloved handgun platforms ever devised.
Considered dated and obsolete 40 years ago, the new wave of double stack 1911s, 2011s, and 2311s prove that Browning’s now-immortal design isn’t going anywhere but up. And the many reproductions of the original concept show that the 1911 never really went anywhere, despite the rumors of its demise. And 1911 enthusiasts benefit from the wide range of 1911 holsters from Safariland.
One also wonders how far modern firearms technology can take the 1911. Given the last 20 years and the continuing enthusiasm around Browning’s pistol, we would be unwise to bet against its continuing for a long time to come.
