Which 2011 do ya like..? Why..?

[leroy]

Dear Brother n Sister gunners...

Which of the double stack 1911's do ya'll like n why... Any caliber, any flavor... 

Thanks a bunch.

leroy.

[ken_mays]

Personally I’m an Infinity fanboy.  

Sandy Strayer, the founder, was one of the co-inventors of the 2011 in 1994 along with Virgil and Fred Tripp, and Chip McCormick was mixed in as well.   

 Infinity makes every gun to order and they have several innovations they have patented that they incorporate into their guns.  They also make all their parts in-house from pins to barrels and spare no expense doing it. 

STI makes a good version too.   STI has changed hands several times since Strayer and Tripp started it, but they are still turning out good stuff.  What they make is basically a high priced production model and not something I would put at true semi custom level.

Everything other than Infinity or STI is a clone, as far as I’m concerned... but there are some good ones being built.

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by ken_mays

[KahrMan]

I only have one but really like it.  It is a STI Staccato P Duo.  For a double stack it fits my hand really well and is very accurate.

[leroy]

Thanks guys... I greatly appreciate the info...  Am i imaginining things, or did someone build a polymer frame for these guys..?

leroy

[deerslayer]

The bottom half of a 2011 is (until recently) polymer.  The "grip" is a one piece item that consists of the grip and trigger guard and a separate mainspring housing.  This part mates to a chassis (aka frame), which together form what we would think of as the frame of a 1911.  I say until recently because people have started making metal grips.  A 2011 is a completely different animal than simply being a double stack 1911.  Below is an example of a 2011 frame:

https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/190-750020111-00

Edited April 13, 2020 by deerslayer

[ken_mays]

2 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

 A 2011 is a completely different animal than simply being a double stack 1911. 

https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/190-750020111-00

Well, yes and no.  They are 100% a 1911 except for magazine, magazine release, trigger, and a couple of other parts... but you could certainly take a 1911 and put most all the parts on a 2011 frame.  

The main difference between a one-piece doublestack frame like the Para Ordnance and the 2-piece 2011 is that the grip frame bolts onto the railed metal part of the frame and the trigger is sandwiched between them.  

The first 2011s used a molded polymer grip frame but STI was the only one with the mold.  They had an agreement to sell their frames to Infinity for years, and when that expired, Infinity began cutting their grip frames out of metal.  Now there are at least half a dozen companies doing the same.

 

 

[J. Malone]

I bought a Rock Island Armory double stack 2011 in 10mm last year. It’s got the 6” barrel and it’s all steel. It’s supposed to be an entry level “competition” gun. It’s ok. It’s very heavy. The mags hold 16 or 17 rounds I believe. I took it to the range once so far. I bought it thinking it’d be a cool sidearm to wear out in the woods. Then I found the Springfield XDM in 10 mm. The 2011 is still cool though. It has its place in the fun factor. 
 

[leroy]

Thanks Ken... I had no idea that there was a " chassis " and a " grip frame "... Its a geat idea that took some thinkin.  I take it that everything " pins" together...

leroy

[leroy]

54 minutes ago, J. Malone said:

I bought a Rock Island Armory double stack 2011 in 10mm last year. It’s got the 6” barrel and it’s all steel. It’s supposed to be an entry level “competition” gun. It’s ok. It’s very heavy. The mags hold 16 or 17 rounds I believe. I took it to the range once so far. I bought it thinking it’d be a cool sidearm to wear out in the woods. Then I found the Springfield XDM in 10 mm. The 2011 is still cool though. It has its place in the fun factor. 
 

What could be cooler than a 6 inch double stack 10mm Brother..!

My " house and trouble " gun is a Glock 20... Ive got a couple of em... HEHEHE.

leroy.

[ken_mays]

8 minutes ago, leroy said:

Thanks Ken... I had no idea that there was a " chassis " and a " grip frame "... Its a geat idea that took some thinkin.  I take it that everything " pins" together...

leroy

There are 3 screws that hold the frames together:  2 where the top grip screw would be on a 1911, and one smaller one on the front part of the trigger guard.

[leroy]

56 minutes ago, ken_mays said:

There are 3 screws that hold the frames together:  2 where the top grip screw would be on a 1911, and one smaller one on the front part of the trigger guard.

I understand... Makes more sense now...

Thanks Ken..!

learnin leroy...

[J. Malone]

21 hours ago, leroy said:

What could be cooler than a 6 inch double stack 10mm Brother..!

My " house and trouble " gun is a Glock 20... Ive got a couple of em... HEHEHE.

leroy.

That RIA 6” 2011 is very cool, especially in 10mm. When I bought it I also bought a custom leather OWB holster for it, with a Streamlight light/ laser combo attached. 

I also own a Colt Delta Elite in 10mm, Springfield Armory XDM 10mm, and a Glock 20 as well. 

[kevin1070]

As was said earlier in this thread SVI/Infinity probably makes my top pick although way out of my budget. I have owned several including an older SVI and currently I own a Bul. Many custom shops make 2011s and they all are very nice! Your imagination is only limited by your pocketbook!

[Grayfox54]

I thought I'd throw this in here just as a FYI. 

As most of you know, I'm a tried and true 1911 addict. I've got a bunch of 'em. 

However, I only own one double stack. A Para-Ordnance SF-45A.  Honestly, I'm not real fond of it as a shooter. Oh, it shoots very well.  But, the double stack grip just feels wrong. But it is special to me in other ways.

Back in 2009-10 Para special made these and only offered them to active duty military serving in the sandbox. For what it is, the price was amazing. 

My son was serving in Iraq at the time and bought two. He kept one and gave the other to me. So, while it may not be my favorite 1911, I'll never sell it either. 

N0, they decided not to got for all the bells and whistles with the unit markings as these drove the price up. But the patch for 278th Armored Calvary of the Tennessee National Guard is on the left side. Sorry, no pic. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Grayfox54

[KahrMan]

7 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

I thought I'd throw this in here just as a FYI. 

As most of you know, I'm a tried and true 1911 addict. I've got a bunch of 'em. 

However, I only own one double stack. A Para-Ordnance SF-45A.  Honestly, I'm not real fond of it as a shooter. Oh, it shoots very well.  But, the double stack grip just feels wrong. But it is special to me in other ways.

Back in 2009-10 Para special made these and only offered them to active duty military serving in the sandbox. For what it is, the price was amazing. 

My son was serving in Iraq at the time and bought two. He kept one and gave the other to me. So, while it may not be my favorite 1911, I'll never sell it either. 

That is very cool. Thanks for sharing. 

[Eddie Southgate]

Can't you just get one converted to belt fed !

[ken_mays]

On 5/8/2020 at 6:53 PM, Eddie Southgate said:

Can't you just get one converted to belt fed !

Sure, but they tend to be unreliable.