#1911

The Agency Optic System (AOS) developed by Agency Arms was initially designed for 2011-style handguns and has slowly migrated to other platforms as well because of its growing popularity. This includes Springfield Armory’s 1911 DS Prodigy, and will now be present on 12 new 1911 AOS pistols through the Operator, Emissary, and Ronin lines as well.

Kimber Manufacturing is celebrating its birthday with the release of the 45th Anniversary .45ACP. Based on the Raptor, one of Kimber’s most recognizable production handguns, the new 1911 features the manufacturing quality, durability, and accuracy you’ve come to expect, but with a few changes to make this model aesthetically unique. Let’s take a closer look at what sets the Kimber 45th Anniversary apart.

If your last try at learning the Italian language and culture failed, there’s some hope in this Photo Of The Day, where we admire the latest creation from SK Customs. This gun is a tribute to the works of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, generally known as Raphael.

In our pursuit as shooters for the flattest, most stable, lowest recoiling, most accurate, and best handgun possible, we try anything and everything to achieve our goal. This can present itself through different metal alloy firearms, extendo magazines, weapon-mounted lights, red dots, and all manner of tweaks so we can get on a podium or simply kick our range buddy’s butt. One of my favorite pistols to shoot in the last couple years as I’ve joined the 2011 cult has been the Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy. The Prodigy (a 1911 double-stack) affords you a lot of good features like all 2011-style handguns. They are beefy (fill your grip completely), heavy (the weight mitigates recoil), and are modern enough for all of your favorite add-ons (red dot, flashlight, extendos, etc). Moreover, being an all metal frame and slide, you can craft these pistols to tighter tolerances than their polymer counterparts for a smoother operation. In sum, there is a reason why someone “spiked the punch” at the gun range with a dash of 2011, and everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid now.

Alchemy Custom Weaponry is a custom handgun maker that a few years ago was acquired by Cabot Guns. While both divisions focus on offering high-quality, very well-detailed firearms, ACW tends to be the more practically minded workshop, with models designed to show off in use, not in a case. The RestoMod product line definitely falls in this category, merging nostalgic style with modern features.

It's hard to come out with something that interests me in the 1911 market these days. The market has been saturated with pistols in almost every price range with a large variety of features. So how does Springfield Armory's Garrison hold up? Springfield has been making 9mm and .45 caliber 1911s for years now, with everything from top-of-the-line railed models like the TRP, Operator, and Emissary lines to more traditional pistols like the Mil Spec. The Garrison sits right in the middle of the pack with much appreciated modern features like the 3 dot Novak sights, skeletonized hammer and the extended beavertail. It does all this while keeping the lines and feel of a mil-spec 1911 versus something like the Emissary. Let's dive into the review.