What is the best 2011 Handgun running today

[M-Wtactical]

Recently I seen a few firearms coming to market and of course everyone is stating their product is new and the best. What firearm makers do you see as being the best and more reliable product to purchase for competition today.

[TheSandMan491]

Infinity. The new as of 2020 extractor design is a major upgrade to the 1911/2011 platform. 
 

They are engineered, not gunsmiffed. 

[Rnlinebacker]

If you're loading your own ammo, whatever you can make run consistently lol

[Furrly]

There are a hand full of good builders out there, it comes down to what you prefer with feel and fit.. I have infinity 2011, super pistols. I also own Atlas pistols, also very good. 

 

[zzt]

I build my own 2011 and 1911 Open guns.  Because of that I get to handle a lot of custom guns.  Infinitys and Limcats are always nice.  However, lots of money and a long wait.  I think the Limcats are a little strange looking.  Atlas has had some problems with Open gun slides.   There are a lot of 2011 builders out there with excellent reputations.  I can't comment, because I've never handled their guns.  Since I do build my own guns and they run 100% from the start, the notion of spending $7k~$9k on a custom gun and waiting forever for it seems like a waste.

 

That being said, If I were going to buy a custom 2011 instead of build one, I'd get it from Bob at Brazos Custom.  His attention to detail is amazing.  

[lrdchaos]

Currently have a 2011 limited 9mm built by Venom Customs.  Haven’t held it yet,  but communication has been excellent and he answers every question in great detail.

[midatlantic]

Another vote for Brazos. Buy the small block kit if you’re familiar with 1911s. His sear, hammer and disconnector are great too. 

[Mike21STI]

I have a cheely xwf that Matt built.  It is awesome.  I'm not sure if he's back to building guns again though.  

[MikeyScuba]

My local gunbuilder does me right,  but taking a gun with less than a 100 rounds to a L1 maybe wasn't the best idea.  I am surprised the Cheely Aggressive  grip isn't as bad on my hands as I thought.  Not that I would want to do 2 days of training with it.

 

As for limcat I know someone who bought a used open gun as he cannot get his brand new Limcat to run.  He tried to take it to Nationals, well he took it to Nat's but was a disaster.

[Pickin]

What kind of competition are you looking to do? USPSA, 3 gun, IDPA? Do you have a price you are wanting to spend? If you don't have any gear remember you'll need to factor that in as well to your budget. 

 

Right now I'm running an Atlas Gunworks Nemesis in 40 for USPSA limited.  Best purchase I've made.  Started with a CZ TSO then moved to a Bul Armory.  Adam and his crew are super helpful and knowledgeable. 

 

3 gun am running a CK Arms in 9mm. Works great, but want to go to an Atlas Hyperion.  

 

In my opinion Atlas is where it's at. But they are also $$$ but get what you pay for. 

[TheHooter]

STI Edge was my first 2011, no issues at all. It is now my back up gun to my Bedell custom. Dan built it for me in 2019, runs awesome, looks great. Has everything I need and nothing I don’t. 

[CC3D]

On 9/9/2022 at 2:51 PM, zzt said:

Since I do build my own guns and they run 100% from the start, the notion of spending $7k~$9k on a custom gun and waiting forever for it seems like a waste.

How much does it cost you to build one? 

[tre923]

On 9/10/2022 at 2:51 AM, zzt said:

I build my own 2011 and 1911 Open guns.  Because of that I get to handle a lot of custom guns.  Infinitys and Limcats are always nice.  However, lots of money and a long wait.  I think the Limcats are a little strange looking.  Atlas has had some problems with Open gun slides.   There are a lot of 2011 builders out there with excellent reputations.  I can't comment, because I've never handled their guns.  Since I do build my own guns and they run 100% from the start, the notion of spending $7k~$9k on a custom gun and waiting forever for it seems like a waste.

 

That being said, If I were going to buy a custom 2011 instead of build one, I'd get it from Bob at Brazos Custom.  His attention to detail is amazing.  

 

Do you care to build one for me??? Do you have a website or where i could check your work out? How much does it cost to build one??

 

Thanks 

[zzt]

17 hours ago, CC3D said:

How much does it cost you to build one? 

 

$3800 to $4000 depending on choices for an Open gun.  Less for a Limited or 1911.  It adds up quickly.  The easiest thing is to start with a good short block from Warwick Tactical or Brazos.  To give you an example, I needed a backup Open gun ASAP.  My 2011 frame had to go back for warranty replacement.  Fitting a frame, slide and barrel by hand is a very laborious process.  I've done it several times and it comes out perfect, but boy does it take time.

 

Bob L. at Brazos had an Open short block available with a Barsto barrel.  It was $2400 retail, which I paid.  Add another $610 for a steel grip and you are over $3k.  I get dealer pricing on the rest of the parts (EGW, Cheely), so it was just shy of $4k.  If you had to buy everything at retail it would be more.

 

Everything on the Brazos short block was done perfectly, and all the holes were in the right places.  So I did a little lapping with 4000 grit and fit the rest of the parts in an afternoon.  I had a gun that ran 100% from the first shot. I used it for the next three matches until my replacement frame arrived.  It is unbelievably easy to finish building a gun when everything is where it is supposed to be.  That's a lot more than I can say for the STI and Caspian slides and receivers I've worked with.

 

BTW, a LOT of 'custom gun builders' actually start with short blocks from Warwick Tactical.

 

7 hours ago, tre923 said:

 

Do you care to build one for me??? Do you have a website or where i could check your work out? How much does it cost to build one??

 

Thanks 

 

I am not an FFL7 holder, so I cannot legally build guns for anyone other than myself. 

[MHicks]

ZZT. That's great that you can build those yourself using your own labor. It sounds like one of those things that is fine for yourself but if you had to charge for all the labor you put into it the cost would be high like commercial outfits. 

 

I don't build guns. But for example I've built a workshop, decks, small barn and fencing on our 3 acres. They all came out very nice. But I couldn't do it commercialy with the methods I use. Too much one man labor.

[zzt]

3 hours ago, MHicks said:

ZZT. That's great that you can build those yourself using your own labor. It sounds like one of those things that is fine for yourself but if you had to charge for all the labor you put into it the cost would be high like commercial outfits. 

 

 

Not really.  If I had any FFL license I'd get a 20 to 30% discount on everything, and sometimes more depending on volume with that particular vendor.  If I had an FFL7 I could actually sell the guns.  So I could build and sell you a gun for exactly what it would cost you to simply buy the parts, and still make $1,000 on it.  The reason some smiths can charge $9k for an open gun is name recognition.

[donnyglock]

1 hour ago, zzt said:

 

Not really.  If I had any FFL license I'd get a 20 to 30% discount on everything, and sometimes more depending on volume with that particular vendor.  If I had an FFL7 I could actually sell the guns.  So I could build and sell you a gun for exactly what it would cost you to simply buy the parts, and still make $1,000 on it.  The reason some smiths can charge $9k for an open gun is name recognition.

Lmao. This as usual is some bad info. If you did it that way you’d be out of business in a hurry. $1,000 a gun. Lmao. I guess you forgot machine time and cost, end mills, supplies, tooling, electricity, rent….etc etc etc. oh and I guess you’d give that gun a lifetime warranty as well? I’ve heard you spew a lot of misinformation. 

[donnyglock]

1 hour ago, zzt said:

 

Not really.  If I had any FFL license I'd get a 20 to 30% discount on everything, and sometimes more depending on volume with that particular vendor.  If I had an FFL7 I could actually sell the guns.  So I could build and sell you a gun for exactly what it would cost you to simply buy the parts, and still make $1,000 on it.  The reason some smiths can charge $9k for an open gun is name recognition.

Also, if you differentiate smiths just by a name recognition you’re doing many that actually spend time on the details a disservice. You’ve mentioned a few that in my opinion are awful and have zero attention to detail or quality work in my opinion. 
 The “good” smiths not only know how to build a gun and why. They put superior attention to the details. Machine marks, propper tolerances, proper gaps in comps.. etc. then the prep before finish.. etc. there are gun builders then there are artists who sweat every detail and “good enough” isn’t good enough. Not by a long shot. 

[zzt]

35 minutes ago, donnyglock said:

Lmao. This as usual is some bad info. If you did it that way you’d be out of business in a hurry. $1,000 a gun. Lmao. I guess you forgot machine time and cost, end mills, supplies, tooling, electricity, rent….etc etc etc. oh and I guess you’d give that gun a lifetime warranty as well? I’ve heard you spew a lot of misinformation. 

 

as usual, you mischaracterize my post.  I was posting on a purchased short block and building the gun yourself.  If you are calling out my suggestion of Warwick Tactical or Brazos Custom, then I have no respect for your opinion.  If you want someone to spend an extra $4k for 'art' over function, and they are willing to pay for it, good for you.

Edited September 25, 2022 by zzt

[MHicks]

6 hours ago, zzt said:

 

Not really.  If I had any FFL license I'd get a 20 to 30% discount on everything, and sometimes more depending on volume with that particular vendor.  If I had an FFL7 I could actually sell the guns.  So I could build and sell you a gun for exactly what it would cost you to simply buy the parts, and still make $1,000 on it.  The reason some smiths can charge $9k for an open gun is name recognition.

 

I was mainly referencing the amount of time you said it takes you to make your gun 100% reliable from day one. If you set up to do it commercially you'd probably do things differently.  It's the same with my building on my property with hand tools. Takes more time then I could charge people.

[lrdchaos]

12 hours ago, donnyglock said:

Also, if you differentiate smiths just by a name recognition you’re doing many that actually spend time on the details a disservice. You’ve mentioned a few that in my opinion are awful and have zero attention to detail or quality work in my opinion. 
 The “good” smiths not only know how to build a gun and why. They put superior attention to the details. Machine marks, propper tolerances, proper gaps in comps.. etc. then the prep before finish.. etc. there are gun builders then there are artists who sweat every detail and “good enough” isn’t good enough. Not by a long shot. 

 

After reading your posts,  I’m even more excited about the hybrid/island pistol we are in the process of building!  Sounds like it will be a beauty!

[donnyglock]

5 minutes ago, lrdchaos said:

 

After reading your posts,  I’m even more excited about the hybrid/island pistol we are in the process of building!  Sounds like it will be a beauty!

Absolutely. I started on it. Slide to frame is fit!! 

[donnyglock]

12 hours ago, zzt said:

 

as usual, you mischaracterize my post.  I was posting on a purchased short block and building the gun yourself.  If you are calling out my suggestion of Warwick Tactical or Brazos Custom, then I have no respect for your opinion.  If you want someone to spend an extra $4k for 'art' over function, and they are willing to pay for it, good for you.

Lol. Ok. I read your post correctly. Art over function? Lol. Another statement that makes me laugh. 

[donnyglock]

12 hours ago, zzt said:

 

as usual, you mischaracterize my post.  I was posting on a purchased short block and building the gun yourself.  If you are calling out my suggestion of Warwick Tactical or Brazos Custom, then I have no respect for your opinion.  If you want someone to spend an extra $4k for 'art' over function, and they are willing to pay for it, good for you.

And Brazos charges $7k for a plastic grip open gun. So I’m not following your logic. 

[scroadkill]

well.. seems like mags and ammo cause most of my problems. you really cant blame the gun unless you acknowledge how picky they can be about mags and ammo.  and it took me years to sort out what works and what doesn't. reliable isn't a word I would use when talking about 2011.