Buying a 2011?
There are unprecedented options for American handgun enthusiasts these days, and one of the more popular genres is the 2011 pistol market. 2011 is actually a trademarked name owned by Staccato who played no small part in making the double stack 1911 design. But like Jet-Skis and Kleenex, the name 2011 has become a universal label for the product and others like it.
Getting into a 2011 pistol can be expensive, especially if it’s an actual 2011. But today I wanted to share with you a few of my preferred and procured 2011 options that I can strongly recommend. I’ve had a few of them now, and thought I would share some insight on what you might choose if you are debating the options.
Made in America
It may seem like heresy to many 1911 fans out there, just putting a 9mm barrel into John M. Browning’s masterpiece. Not unlike putting a Toyota dual overhead cam inline-turbo-six into a 69 Camaro. But lets get right past the nonsense, and get into the guns.
You’ll find a bunch of great 2011 options made in America, but not many of them are going to come in under the $2000 mark. Many of them are well over that price-point, but there are reasons for it. I have a Staccato XC that I will often compare these other 2011 pistols to, but it is nowhere near the same price. If you are curious about the Staccato you can read my review of it here.
There are a couple options like the Kimber 2k11 series of pistols, as well as the Sig Sauer P211 GTO that I intend to review individually here soon. Though they are a bit over our $2,000 price point as well. The intro-level Platypus pistol from Stealth Arms would fall into our sub $2000 price range, and I fully intend on getting hands on one of those as well.
The Springfield Armory DS Prodigy
The SA Prodigy comes from a big name manufacturer, and has all the features 2011 fans are after. And it comes in well under the $2000 mark at around $1600. The Prodigy uses the polymer grip frame mated to a steel frame, this is pretty common among 2011’s. It has ambidextrous safety levers, and feeds beautifully from its 17 or 20-round magazines.
In my experience with the Prodigy, it is a smooth, well-built pistol. Its five-inch heavy match grade barrel is cut for a compensator that vents upward through the top of the slide. This helps keep it on target between shots. It also has a full length dust cover, which incorporated a picatinny accessory rail. It uses a two-piece guide rod assembled with an Allen wrench.
The Prodigy is a great balance of performance and value. It feels great and shoots just as well. With its slide cut for optics, it is ready to accessorize using the SA AOS plates and hit the range hard. If you’d like to see my in depth review of the Prodigy, you can read it here. This one has had zero updates from the factory, and is still going strong after the first thousand rounds.
Bersa M2Xi
You might not think of Bersa when you think of domestic manufactured 2011 pistols. But since opening their Georgia plant, Bersa has been making many new things. The Bersa M2Xi is a 5-inch ultra-match heavy-barreled 2011, with a 416 stainless frame and slide. It has a smooth glide on the frame that feels amazing. The Bersa is operated by a spring over a two-piece guide rod.
Its deep slide cuts give great purchase, and its controls are crisp and clean. The M2Xi uses a Holosun K optics footprint as well as some serrated iron sights. The flat trigger breaks nicely at just under 3 lbs, and it comes with an extended slide release that I really like.
It comes with 18-round Mec-Gar magazines that are seated neatly with the flared mawell. And as the only 2011 listed here today without a compensator it still shoots very nice, though it could shoot flatter with one. With its MSRP of $1479, the M2Xi sits neatly in the middle of our pistol lineup today. You can read my complete review of the Bersa M2Xi here.
Imported 2011’s
Many of the options for 2011 pistols getting closer to the $1000 mark are going to be imported. Not surprisingly they come from Turkey. There are many models from the Tisas brand that look nice, the Duty 9 DS Comp model very closely mimics the Prodigy’s design, and comes in a good $500 cheaper.
The Military Armament Corp MAC 9 is another pistol, nearly identical to the Tisas that appears to come out of the same factory. For not even $100 more. Both of them seem to enjoy some pretty positive following from American shooting enthusiasts. I am still trying to get my hands on both of those to see how they stack up to what I know.
Girsan 2311 Match X
Imported by EAA, the Girsan Match X incorporates an island compensator to its 5-inch barrel. Set on its two-tone black and tungsten frame the Match X looks fantastic. And it shoots very nicely as well with its flared magwell and fiber optic sight. An MSRP of $1199 makes it very appealing.
It too has a full length dust cover with a pic rail for accessories, and its polymer/steel frame carries its 17 or 20-round magazines. The Girsan is also optics ready, using an RMSC footprint. Its slide is returned using a spring over a single piece guide-rod.
Having shot this pistol, I was quite impressed with its price. It handles just as good as all the others, and it shoots accurately and reliably. This one already has over 1,000 trouble-free rounds through it.
Girsan 2311 CMXX
The CMXX from Girsan appears to be the smaller sibling of the Match X. This one uses a Commander length 4.25 -inch compensated barrel, an island compensator like the Match X. It is all black however, and looks like a shorter clone of my Staccato XC. It also is very comparable to the MAC 9 DS, as they both share the 4.25 barrel and comp design.
Like the Match X, the CMXX has a great trigger to match its heavy barrel. Again a single-piece guide-rod operates the pistols action, feeding from the same 17-20-round magazines as the Match X. The big difference between the CMXX and all the others I mention here today is that it doesn’t use a grip safety. Instead they went with a firing pin block like you’d find on striker pistols. Not gonna lie, I kind of like it better.
The CMXX is optics cut for RMSc optics, and its flared magwell and full-length picatinny rail makes it easy to mount your favorite light. This little pistol shoots fantastic and very flat, making it an easy choice to buy at $1149 MSRP. You can read my in-depth review of the CMXX here. Sharing the same internal extractor as the rest of these models, it has yet to malfunction on me.
My Opinion
If you are a die-hard America only kind of guy, then you’d have to choose the SA Prodigy I guess. It brings great value from a big name domestic manufacturer, and with it comes great performance.
The Bersa while a little less-known brand, might even bring a better performance for the price. Its just as smooth and refined as the Prodigy, and might even be a little better. As is the trigger, and this for almost $200 less.
Out of the two Girsan models, I prefer the CMXX. I love it so much I would probably even pick it over the Bersa despite it not feeling quite as nice as the Bersa. Now, if the Bersa had an island compensator on a Commander barrel length that would change everything…
I you are absolutely tapped out on funds, then I expect the MAC and Tisas are probably your choices. Or some of a few others that are similar.
I can happily recommend the pistols I’ve shown here, and if you are interested in them I would recommend reading my in depth reviews of them to get a better perspective on them. One thing is for sure, you will like shooting 2011 pistols. And it may be the beginning of an addiction you wont be able to kick.