Reliable 2011s - best value?

[RockAndSage]

Wondering what the inflection point is on 2011s, where they're just too cheap to be stone-cold reliable, for 1000s of rounds without a hiccup.

I'm hearing a lot of really good things from a couple of high-volume shooters on the Kimber 2K11s, and the better priced ones seem to be around $1650. Anything else in the sub-$2000 range out there that's worth taking a look at?

 

[Hoopleheader]

Glock (sorry, can’t help myself)

 

[RockAndSage]

Glock (sorry, can’t help myself)

We understand.

 

[Jwilly27]

When I “needed” a 10mm (I was like 23 and had to have one) I got a rock island tac45 2011, it’s a cheap gun but I have a ton of rounds on it and it hasn’t had one hick up, the prodigy I had went down the road, but I my brothers has been great it is in that sub 2k range

 

[Formidilosus]

Wondering what the inflection point is on 2011s, where they're just too cheap to be stone-cold reliable, for 1000s of rounds without a hiccup.

I'm hearing a lot of really good things from a couple of high-volume shooters on the Kimber 2K11s, and the better priced ones seem to be around $1650. Anything else in the sub-$2000 range out there that's worth taking a look at?

The issue with any of the $1,000’ish pistols is that any issue you may need to work on, is the same you would need to on any other- a Tisas 2011 is just as likely to need an extractor tweaked as a Springfield Prodigy.


The Kimber is about the only one I might expect to work without issue that isn’t a Staccato.

 

[RWT]

Well mine finally got here. Sights need work as I can see they were NOT installed correctly. Luckily I live close enough to Dawson Precision so I called and asked what’s the best COA. He advised shoot it at 20 yards and bring them the target and slide. They will do the math to determine the correct sight height and complete the install for a small fee. I’ll shoot it this weekend and likely pick up new sights next week

 

[Dobermann]

Wondering what the inflection point is on 2011s, where they're just too cheap to be stone-cold reliable, for 1000s of rounds without a hiccup.

I'm hearing a lot of really good things from a couple of high-volume shooters on the Kimber 2K11s, and the better priced ones seem to be around $1650. Anything else in the sub-$2000 range out there that's worth taking a look at?

Maybe Bul Armory?

I'm guessing Ben Stoeger is one of those high-volume shooters you've seen ... while he acknowledges he got his Kimber for free, he usually doesn't hold back if there are any issues. Will be interesting to see his updates. (And, given that paid influencers will call 200 rounds a high round count, where Ben prefers to wait for 10 000, says something.)

My Bul 1911 is significantly more refined than my Tisas, and the slide is far smoother. I don't have enough rounds on either that I can comment about reliability and issues though. However, the fit and finish have been enough for me to not feel inclined to pick up another Tisas and just wait longer for a Bul. FWIW.

 

[Jamie930]

I picked a Tisas 5" DS optic ready.
Put a Vortex 6moa dot on and ran about 250 rds through it with no problems.
Total cost was about $800 gun and dot with 2 mags. Extra mags are $50 each.
Sign up for their emails and they have 20% sales

 

[RockAndSage]

Maybe Bul Armory?

I'm guessing Ben Stoeger is one of those high-volume shooters you've seen ... while he acknowledges he got his Kimber for free, he usually doesn't hold back if there are any issues. Will be interesting to see his updates. (And, given that paid influencers will call 200 rounds a high round count, where Ben prefers to wait for 10 000, says something.)

Combo of one good friend with about 12k on his, one review from Stoeger I saw in looking into the 2k11s after friend's recommendation, and some other random stuff. I'm actually interested in the 2k11 in .45 ACP to lessen the volume I'm putting on an old custom Para-Ordnance I've been using lately with some recoil management work. But it made me wonder about other 9mm external-extractor 2011s, or others that might be out there and worthwhile considering for 9mm things.

 

[JohnJohnson]

There's that weird one, the Stealth Arms Platypus that some people seem to like. It takes Glock magazines which is odd but convenient cost-wise I guess? I think from the various reviews I've seen that the Kimber 2k11 is the way to go until you hit Staccato territory. Though for some odd reason I'm seeing a lot more people bashing Staccato recently.

I have a Sig P211 on order (could take months though) but that's mainly to try and because of a unique circumstance.

 

[Dobermann]

Combo of one good friend with about 12k on his, one review from Stoeger I saw in looking into the 2k11s after friend's recommendation, and some other random stuff. I'm actually interested in the 2k11 in .45 ACP to lessen the volume I'm putting on an old custom Para-Ordnance I've been using lately with some recoil management work. But it made me wonder about other 9mm external-extractor 2011s, or others that might be out there and worthwhile considering for 9mm things.

FWIW, I seem to recall Ben saying something about that the Buls were reliable and shot well - it was just that 'they were the thing that people got when they couldn't get the Staccato' (or something like that).

Not sure why he'd take that position, seeing as he's happy with other cheaper options that perform for him (such as Holosun), and that he's also critiqued Staccatos for being 'boring'. If a Bul in a 2011 configuration was 'boring' because it worked, and one didn't want to spring for a Staccato, I don't see why you wouldn't go for it (other than, perhaps political reasons, similar to how some don't want to buy items made in China such as Holosun, when there are alternatives).

 

[streamerfish]

20111's are kinda finicky by nature. And when you play around with them and start changing out springs, triggers etc they can get finicky really fast.....

Based on what I have seen first hand/guns that I have shot or guns people I know have that have run the p*ss out of them stock and they just run....

Kimber 2K11 I would vouch for, I know a couple guys running BUL armory and they seem pretty good.

I think if you know what your doing, you can run the Tisa's, Prodigies, MAC 9's etc etc etc type of guns and more or less be fine. But you probably need to know the basics at least of tuning them. Once tuned, running standard ammo, they seem to be o.k. Not sure I would pack one as my life or death gun, but for general plinking and whatever sure.

There is a whole gaggle of double stacks that I would choose long before I went with a $1k range 2011. Granted, they aren't "2011's". But there are metal framed, metal, single action, double stack pistols out there, that are much more robust then the cheaper 2011's. Especially full size.

 

[JDMBEND]

20111's are kinda finicky by nature. And when you play around with them and start changing out springs, triggers etc they can get finicky really fast.....

Based on what I have seen first hand/guns that I have shot or guns people I know have that have run the p*ss out of them stock and they just run....

Kimber 2K11 I would vouch for, I know a couple guys running BUL armory and they seem pretty good.

I think if you know what your doing, you can run the Tisa's, Prodigies, MAC 9's etc etc etc type of guns and more or less be fine. But you probably need to know the basics at least of tuning them. Once tuned, running standard ammo, they seem to be o.k. Not sure I would pack one as my life or death gun, but for general plinking and whatever sure.

There is a whole gaggle of double stacks that I would choose long before I went with a $1k range 2011. Granted, they aren't "2011's". But there are metal framed, metal, single action, double stack pistols out there, that are much more robust then the cheaper 2011's. Especially full size.

A few examples please?

 

[streamerfish]

SIG P226/229
P365
CZ 75 SA
CZ TS2
CZ SP-01
Tanfoglio Limited Master (my competition pistol)

A couple off the top of my head. The CZ and Tanfoglio's are basically bullet proof options. The Tikka's of the single action world IMHO. Not as familiar with the sigs. I'm sure there are others, but those came to mind first.

 

[RockAndSage]

But you probably need to know the basics at least of tuning them.

Welcome to Rokslide. What I quoted above is actually why I started the post the way I did - there hasn't been a single 1911 I've come across in 3 decades that ever required "tuning" that I'd stake my life on, and I've got 6-figures of ammo on 1911s. Absolutely love them, but intimate contact with the unforgiving has left pretty severe standards in what I'm willing to carry.

Just in the last 5ish years all that has started to change though, and we seem to be in a golden age of 1911/2011 reliability and performance, with new options coming out all the time. Thus far, Staccatos, and possibly the 2K11, seem to be proving stone-cold reliable. I've been extremely impressed with the Dan Wesson DWX Compact's reliability too, even if it's not a 2011. Overall though, hoping there was another absolutely reliable 2011 out there under $2k I was missing.

 

[streamerfish]

Welcome to Rokslide. What I quoted above is actually why I started the post the way I did - there hasn't been a single 1911 I've come across in 3 decades that ever required "tuning" that I'd stake my life on, and I've got 6-figures of ammo on 1911s. Absolutely love them, but intimate contact with the unforgiving has left pretty severe standards in what I'm willing to carry.

Just in the last 5ish years all that has started to change though, and we seem to be in a golden age of 1911/2011 reliability and performance, with new options coming out all the time. Thus far, Staccatos, and possibly the 2K11, seem to be proving stone-cold reliable. I've been extremely impressed with the Dan Wesson DWX Compact's reliability too, even if it's not a 2011. Overall though, hoping there was another absolutely reliable 2011 out there under $2k I was missing.

I'm not staking my life on any 2011/1911 personally. A staccato might be fine, but I'm not betting my life on it. They aren't even making the list....

Yeah, the Wesson's are kind of a hybrid. I don't have a lot of first hand experience with one, but I've shot them and I do like them.

 

[RockAndSage]

Yeah, the Wesson's are kind of a hybrid. I don't have a lot of first hand experience with one, but I've shot them and I do like them.

Over 16k rounds on my DWXc, not a single failure to feed of any kind. After about 10k, the extractor spring seems to have started to fail at an increasing rate, leading to extraction fails with the rim of the casing getting caught on the case mouth of the next live round - every 1k-1500 rounds, then every 500-750rds ish. Happened maybe a total of 10 times now, but it's the only kind of cycling fail I've had at all. Just installed a thick, narrow silicon o-ring underneath that spring as a possible fix while I source a better spring. The original seems a little on the thin and weak side of things, as far as extractor springs go. Other than that though, cycling-wise it's been excellent.

 

[streamerfish]

Over 16k rounds on my DWXc, not a single failure to feed of any kind. After about 10k, the extractor spring seems to have started to fail at an increasing rate, leading to extraction fails with the rim of the casing getting caught on the case mouth of the next live round - every 1k-1500 rounds, then every 500-750rds ish. Happened maybe a total of 10 times now, but it's the only kind of cycling fail I've had at all. Just installed a thick, narrow silicon o-ring underneath that spring as a possible fix while I source a better spring. The original seems a little on the thin and weak side of things, as far as extractor springs go. Other than that though, cycling-wise it's been excellent.

Nice.....

I look at those all the time and wonder if its even possible to screw up a product launch more than Dan Wesson did with that pistol.

At its price, it should be arguably a top 3/5 hybrid competition/plinking pistol in its class. It's mostly an afterthought instead.

Of course part of that is the straight up 2011 obsession going on right now, new "companies" bring out 2011s every year, and I have seen some absolute junk that are retailing for 3k-5k. Like guns that will literally never run without a full strip down and rebuild of basically all the internals. Insane.

 

[RockAndSage]

I look at those all the time and wonder if its even possible to screw up a product launch more than Dan Wesson did with that pistol.

At its price, it should be arguably a top 3/5 hybrid competition/plinking pistol in its class. It's mostly an afterthought instead.

Too true. It's jaw-dropping how bad that launch and marketing has been. IMO, it's hands-down the best commander-sized CCW gun out there, all factors considered. The Staccato C is just a bit thicker and taller, no problems for CCW, but not quite as optimal of a footprint. The Staccato CS is a bit shorter height-wise, with a shorter slide, but is thicker than the DWXc and feels just a bit too chonky in the grip to me personally. Any smaller and you get into shootability or capacity compromises.

Dan Wesson also $h*t the bed pretty bad with one seemingly large batch of the Compacts with their slide coatings, which is supposed to be DLC. This is mine below - that's entirely holster wear, and began looking this bad with just a few hundred draws from kydex. I picked up a Staccato C recently and have been running the snot out of it while I get this DWXc tuned up and likely re-coated. Virtually no wear from the holster at all.

 

[warrbuk]

If your life might depend on it just get the Staccato. I bought a prodigy when they first came out as I didnt want to spend a ton of $$$ on the Staccato. It was good but I shot a bunch of coworkers staccatos and they were all better. I dumped the prodigy shortly after and kept my department issued 1911.

Spent the prodigy $$ on a quality rifle.