TFB Review: Jacob Grey Firearms TWC Black

For years, I’ve categorized 2011-style firearms as competition pieces, perhaps thinking back to shooting USPSA Limited with my gone but not forgotten Infinity SV. Since those glory days, running and gunning while sneaking BBQ between stages, I’ve shot just about everything the industry has spit out, always finding my way home to a Glock for carry, home protection, and these days as a ranch companion. However, there’s no denying that the last few years have been the era of the 2011, and not just on the competition side. I’ve seen a fair share of law enforcement officers carrying these double-stack speed demons on duty, with almost everyone I know dipping a toe in the water, myself included. I mean, what’s there not to love?

A well-made 2011 combines capacity and ergonomics with a trigger that is fast and easy to put rounds on target accurately while providing a smoothly tuned and refined shooting experience. The operative words there, however, are “well-made,” which is why I jumped at the chance to review the TWC Black from Jacob Grey Firearms, a 2011 from the perspective of an aerospace engineering company.

Who is Jacob Grey?

The man himself, a third-generation machinist with a lifelong passion for firearms, founded Jacob Grey Precision Machining in 2012, a company specializing in close tolerance aerospace machined components. Using its experience as a gold star supplier for the aerospace and defense industries, Jacob Grey shifted the brand’s focus into manufacturing firearms that demonstrate the precision, reliability, and accuracy one might expect from aerospace engineers who see the word “tolerance” in a different light.

Below Deck

The TWC Black is the second evolution of the series that began with the TWC 9. One of the most notable changes is the additional 360-degree grip texture CNC machined into the Aircraft Grade 7075 Aluminum grip. That’s right, there’s no polymer on the menu here. The gun just feels solid, without a nanometer of wiggle anywhere to speak of. The frame, beaver tail, and skeletonized one-piece CRT trigger are CNC machined from the same Aircraft Grade 7075 Aluminum, and the double undercut trigger guard has been redesigned with a more squared-off profile, providing additional compatibility with existing 2011 holsters. A Picatinny accessory rail, flared magazine well, ambidextrous safety, and black stainless fasteners round out the function and aesthetic of the TWC Black lower half.

Topside

The optics-ready 416 stainless steel slide is beautifully machined with an elegant design and diamond-patterned forward and rear serrations, making it easy to work the action in any manner you prefer. Speaking of the action, and I apologize in advance for the cliche, but a hot knife through butter is such an apt analogy. Even with tolerances being what they are on the Jacob Grey TWC Black, the slide does not hesitate from battery, working its way back and forth with minimal effort and zero hesitation.

On top, you’ll find XS suppressor height sights, serrated and blacked out in the rear, with a high visibility orange ring and tritium insert in the front, providing quick pickup and tracking. Another nice touch is the inclusion of optics plates from the factory supporting RMR, RMSc, ACRO, and Delta Point footprints. C&H Precision provides OEM plates for the Jacob Grey TWC Black, so quality is consistent throughout. Getting into the internals of the slide, we find a tool-less one-piece guide rod for quick and easy field-stripping and maintenance. Saving the best for last, the TWC Black comes fitted with a slick black DLC-coated 416 stainless 4.25” bull barrel, and the good folks at Jacob Grey saw fit to send me one of their newest options, an additional threaded version of the bull barrel, because you know I’m going to run this thing suppressed.

A moment of silence

Let me take a moment to talk about that, as I tend to do. I typically carry my handguns in a holster that does not facilitate a suppressor, but I do like to shoot suppressed more often than not because I have tinnitus in both ears. While I don’t have much hope of ever hearing the wonderful sound of complete silence again, I choose to protect and preserve what’s left with the help of my good friends at SilencerShop. I’ll confess to focusing most of my suppressor purchases on quieting down long guns, so for this particular review, I am using my only handgun suppressor, a Gemtech Lunar 45 that I swap across everything. The Lunar 45, while having a larger diameter bore than what is needed for the 9mm I’m firing from the TWC Black, did a superb job taking the sting out of my leftover Remington 115gr FMJ, while the stand out smooth shooting experience of the day belonged to some very nice 147gr polymer flat nose rounds provided by   HOP Munitions.

If you’re looking for a simplified experience becoming a silencer owner, then head over to   SilencerShop.com to learn more about the Gemtech Lunar 45, and if you are looking for a dedicated 9mm option, you can also check out the one I have my eye on at the moment, the Rugged Obsidian 9.

Shooting

Thanks to Griffin Armament, I had a Griffin Micro Sight green dot available to mount and give a spin. This closed emitter boasts a rugged housing, 10 brightness settings, a 50,000-hour battery life, and an ACRO footprint. While I grew up with iron sights and consider myself more of a late-bloomer when it comes to slide-mounted optics, I was thrilled to have it available as the Jacob Grey TWC Black screams to be taken to the races. Being a fan of the Aimpoint ACRO myself, I was pleasantly surprised by the Griffin Micro Sight as it behaved very similarly, in total defiance of its $199.95 retail price tag.

It took me no more than about five shots to zero my optic and get the party started. I’m thankful I had what patience was available to me to confirm both the threaded and standard bull barrels are laser beam accurate, but that came as little surprise. Below is a shot of a 10-round group from about 10 yards. I could have done a little better, but the TWC Black has a way of disparaging you for going too slow with it. This is a fast handgun, and it wants to be treated as such. Shot after shot, there’s the dot on target, begging for another. My suggestion is to get out on a range with multiple steel targets and see for yourself just how well the sights track on this flat-shooting firearm.

I made sure to run through several hundred rounds to get a good feel for both types of ammunition through both barrels, including having my Gemtech Lunar 45 mounted. The fun was only limited when I ran out of 9mm, a sad but ever-present reality of being a firearms reviewer. At no time did I experience a single hang-up in any configuration. The Jacob Grey TWC Black ran admirably smoothly and without flaw the entire time, giving it a high-performance race car feel without any fuss whatsoever. I may have found my new favorite ammunition on the range also, running the   HOP Munitions 147gr Poly Flat Nose.

Yes, I shoot guns and write about them for a living, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I am the best or fastest shooter out there. That being said, the TWC Black did wonders for my ego, and I hope my fiance caught me on the range today from the living room window because, in the words of Ron Burgundy, “I look good, I mean really good.”

Conclusion

The Jacob Grey TWC Black ships with 2x 17-round Check-Mate magazines, so availability and compatibility aren’t a concern, with higher capacity options readily available. Base MSRP is $2,999.99, with options for a rose gold or threaded barrel reaching $3,149.99. Is this an expensive handgun? Yes, it is, but going over the features, design, fit, and finish, it occurs to me that the TWC Black is offering more than what you typically find in this price range. Spending some time on the range with it confirms this feeling for me, and I’m fortunate to be able to experience this unique take on the 2011 from Jacob Grey firsthand. In fact, for a guy who has long since decided on his tried and true Glocks, I’ll admit that the TWC Black is a personal keeper, and as soon as I’m done writing this review, I’m going holster shopping.