The Wilson Combat SFX9 is the second iteration of Wilson’s series of double-stack, 1911-style pistols. The series was introduced with the EDC X9 in 2017 and was followed by the SFX9. The SFT9 is the newest in the series. I purchased an SFX9 in the spring of 2023. A year and a half later, what do I think? This Wilson Combat SFX9 review covers my experience from day 1 to present.
VIDEO: Nighthawk 1911 Long Term Review – 5 Years/11K rounds
In 2018 I purchased a Nighthawk Custom 1911. About a year later, I gave you a 5,000-round review. This post is an in-depth, video review of the pistol from the perspective of having fired over 11,000 rounds, and carrying it daily for five years. I hope you enjoy this Nighthawk 1911 long term review!
VIDEO: TISAS Raider Review by Former MARSOC Operator
I recently had an opportunity to review the TISAS Raider, a full-size, 1911 pistol manufactured in Turkey. What makes this pistol special is the homage it pays to the Marine Raiders and their long-lived penchant for custom 1911s. Check out my TISAS Raider review below!
Carry 1911 Review: RIA TAC Ultra CS 9mm
Pistols of the 1911 persuasion are not generally at their best when forced into the budget category. Notoriously finicky eaters by nature, their reliability is usually directly proportional to their cost, and cheap 1911s usually suffer in the “fit and finish” department, as well. Usually. Rock Island Armory has a strong reputation as an affordable 1911 that is still a solid shooter. I decided to test out the RIA TAC Ultra CS 9mm 1911, and here’s how it did.
Best 1911 Magazines: Wilson Combat ETM Magazines
I have a deep body of experience with the 1911 handgun. I am one of a fairly small group of U.S. military personnel to deploy with a 1911 pistol well in to the 2000s, and trained with it for tens of thousands of rounds. Since that time I have used a lot of 1911 pistols. One question this experience has definitively answered is the best 1911 mags: Wilson Combat ETM magazines are the best 1911 magazines, period.
Carry 1911 Review: Kimber Aegis Elite Pro
I write quite a bit about 1911s, and really enjoy shooting and carrying them. In the interest of offering some defensive 1911 recommendations, I recently borrowed a commander-sized 1911 from Kimber. The gun, the Kimber Aegis Elite Pro is the subject of this review.
Defensive 1911: Managing 1911 Safeties
The 1911 has a two manual safeties that must be disengaged simultaneously to operate the firearm. These safeties are often misunderstood or simply misused. Managing 1911 safeties effectively and reliably is paramount to deploying the defensive 1911. There are hardware and software issues that go into managing these safeties, and today we take a look at those factors.
Reasons to Consider the 1911
The 1911 isn’t recommended by gun writers and YouTube people much anymore. I think this is because of a unwritten rule I’ve observed in the gun world that says, “if it’s not suitable for everybody, it’s not suitable for anybody.” I don’t agree with that. Nor do I agree that the 1911 is the “ultimate” handgun. The 1911 can be a viable option, but it has some serious limitations. Here are some reasons to consider the 1911 when weighing defensive handgun options.
Defensive 1911: Dropping the Slide
The 1911 design is, as most of its more emotional followers are quick to point out, over 100 years old. Mostly I don’t care about that at all. It’s interesting but it’s not better because it’s ancient any more than your Glock is better for being filthy or Austrian or grey in color. However, I do care about that in as much as the old design requires some special considerations in use and handling. Today I’m going to talk about one of those: dropping the slide on the 1911.
Defensive 1911: Cleaning & Maintenance
The 1911 is not a platform that suffers long periods of inattention gracefully. It has to be cleaned and lubricated at least somewhat regularly in order to keep running efficiently. This is in contrast to a lot of guns that will keep running notwithstanding a dearth of maintenance. Let’s look at cleaning and maintenance of the defensive 1911.