I’ve been lucky enough between saving up & proving you can win more than $1K on a lottery scratch-off ticket. So now I’m torn. Do I get a Zev Hypercomp with Icarus Precision grip, Zev Pro magwell, & RCR ($500 after $100 rebate)? Their polymer modules are only $60, so the modularity of the OZ9 let’s me downsize. I can do the same with the Echelon 4.0C. I’d send it to Floyd’s to be ported, then get the Icarus Precision full-size grip & magwell, Overwatch Precision trigger shoe & a 509T or Romeo X Enclosed Pro. I could also get a completely customized & ported full build G45 from Firing Squad Firearms.
My other option is a 2011/hammer-fired. I like the new Sig 226 XCarry Legion in DA/SA. I’ll probably end up porting that as well if I get it. And then we have 2011s. The GP Arms Patriot is made right here in TN, & their reputation is TIP-TOP. I can get a ported model from them for about the same as a Bul, which costs about the same ($2K). My last 2011 option is to get an Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 4.25 ported model & send it to DSC Gunworks for them to upgrade the internals & add a couple more ports.
My conundrum isn’t so much the money. I have a decent budget & I’m gonna stick to it, but Idk which way I should go. Having a 2011/hammer-fired gun is 180° different from a poly/striker-fired gun. The battery of arms is 100% different & the maintenance/upkeep is a good bit more than a striker-fired gun. BUT, this is a chance to get something special, that I normally wouldn’t get. The striker-fired guns offer modularity, which is a HUGE bonus. And the starting point for the guns alone is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper.
I guess I’ll figure it out in time. What I DO know is that I had the chance to shoot a Zev Hypercomp with an Icarus Precision grip that 1 of the RSOs at my range carries as his EDC. And the feeling I felt when that gun fit into my hand was the EXACT same feeling I had when I 1st picked up what became my CURRENT EDC, a Shadow Systems MR920P. NO OTHER gun has felt THAT good in my hands. I still have others to try out, but the Zev is #1 on the list.
build a glock 26x.. it is simply the best pistol ever invented.. the 26 is mechanically superior since gen3 its first introduction so much so you can put a gen 5 upper on a gen3 lower or a gen3 upper on a gen5 lower and there is no difference other than the trigger.. the 26X will feel like a glock 19 gen5 when you are shooting it but comfortable enough to drive to town forgetting its holstered.
It’s far too small for what I’m looking for. And even if I WERE to go the “subcompact” route, it’d probably be a ported XMacro with an Icarus grip or a Shadow Systems CR920XP. I want either a 2011 between 4-4.25 inches long with a 17 round capacity or a preferably modular striker rig like the Zev or Echelon that I can go from a full-size grip (Icarus makes em for both) & 4 inch barrel to a more G19-sized gun if I need to.
The 2 X factors are the new Sig 226 XCarry Legion (think 229 on. 226 frame with 17 round capacity) that I’d get DA/SA & send off to Magnaport or GunCuts for porting or an M&P Metal Carry Comp with Floyd’s porting upgraded on the stock barrel.
Yeah, I have an idea with each gun I’m looking at. The top 2 2011s on my list (GP Arms Patriot & Bul EDC Pro) either have the option for (GP Arms) or come with (Bul EDC Pro) an aluminum frame. I’d make an exception for the right steel frame (Staccato or Jacob Grey).
As for the strikers, I know what the deal is with my top 2 choices in both stock & aftermarket setups. But generally speaking, I want something “G45-like, but modular.” And no barrel lengths above 4.25.
you’re speaking pretty high quality and prices… especially when throwin Jacob Grey in there too.. last i knew he was made right down the road here in cola town..
If it were me, id be going the 2011 route, for a few reasons… but mostly because of the modularity thing isnt really my ball. I’d never do anything with it.. once i got it setup the way i always want it, i’d leave it that way.. and why change it or convert it to another way? all you do then is have to fix it again when you change it back and its more work. I’ve always also wanted to be able to grab a gun and go, not have to swap parts around and have spare frames around for the same internals or whatever.
An aluminum 4.25 ported jacob grey 2011 would be the cats meow in a lot of ways …
Yeah, I have my eye on the Hex, a GP Arms Patriot w/ported barrel, a custom Cosaint build with ported barrel, Bul EDC Pro, or a Staccato C with Ignis Porting from Vulcan. I like the C because they slimmed down the grip. My issue with 2011s is A) becoming comfortable with, learning, & training with a whole new battery of arms & B) the more maintenence they require than a striker-fired guns. The only other hammer-fired gun I’m looking at is the Sig 226 XCarry Legion in DA/SA.
The modularity thing is kind of a big deal for me because I like the idea of being able to go between a full-size & compact frame/grip module as my carry situation dictates. I’ve wanted a Hypercomp with an Icarus grip since forever. When I finally got a chance to even just hold 1, it felt the same kind of “right” that the Shadow Systems MR920 felt like the 1st time I held 1. Every aspect about it just “feels” right.
When it comes to guns, I’m more indecisive than a bride-to-be would be with a dress. ESPECIALLY considering that my wife is even REMOTELY ok with me getting something like a Hex, as well as the optic & level 2 or 3 holster I’d get for it (I carry OWB 99% due to my ostomy). With a budget like that, you can see my indecision.
That, & there are TONS of options, as far as 2011s go, that cost less than a Hex. There are about 7 different 2011s I’ve looked at. Some are fine as-is, others, I’d send for work.
The question I MYSELF have to answer is twofold: 1) If I get “x”, am I gonna regret NOT getting “y” when I had the chance (1 that won’t come again as far as $ goes)? Or 2) Am I willing to put in the time effort & training into learning an entirely different kind of sidearm. I know I MUST put that time in since I’ve never carried an SAO sidearm before, & I HAVE been watching & rewatching the Staccato videos on YouTube about how to lube them, take them apart & clean them. It’s 1 reason why I think that Sig 226 XCarry Legion DA/SA might be a good “intro to hammer-fired guns.”
My striker-fired choices? Well, considering I felt the same way about the OZ9 with Icarus Precision full-size grip as I did when I was 1st introduced to my CURRENT EDC, an MR920(P), I know that it’s “the 1”. I’d been looking at Glocks, found the MR920 & it just “felt right.” Every gun owner knows that feeling. When you pick it up & you just KNOW. I knew then about the MR920 & now happily have an MR920P with 6K rounds on it without an issue. Well, THAT’S how that OZ9 felt. And I LOVE the concept of a ported island barrel on a Glock clone that also happens to be modular. I’ve also always liked the Echelon, & since I like the Icarus grips I’ve tried on my RSO’s OZ9 Hypercomp & my buddy’s XMacro, I have no reason to suspect their Echelon module will be any less awesome. I like the modularity so I can switch out gun sizes as my carry situation dictates.
I personally am not that detail oriented, but want the most reliable, practical, and most for my money. In the caliber and style I’m looking for. I don’t want to change out barrels, recoil springs, etc. I will buy a whole other gun for different calibers.
More power to you if you can afford ‘high end’ boutique guns. I don’t see how they are any better than standard issue, proven workhorse brands.
I like single stack 1911, and do not like flared mag wells. Makes the gun look like an used car salesman wearing a gold medallion and a pinky rings gun.
You’ve mentioned “hammer fired” a few times so I’m going to vouch for any CZ (I will probably buy a 2nd CZ soon). The Shadow 2, Dan Wesson DWX, and P0-9 should all be nice, modern, and reliable right out of the box (and I’m saying that as a Glock Fan Boy).
For me, the thing about Jacob Grey is that I just think the idea of a gun put together by guys who used to make aerospace components is pretty friggin cool. That being said, I’d be just as happy with a Staccato C with Ignis porting from Vulcan, a Bul EDC Pro, or GP Arms Patriot with ported barrel, all of which are under $2700 for the gun itself.
But when I got bit by the 2011 bug back when I rented that Staccato C a few months ago, I was SO amazed at how soft the recoil was that I just HAD to shoot 1 that’s ported.
I’ve briefly thought about the Shadow 2 Carry or the P7 Nocturne compact, but that new 226 XCarry Legion REALLY got my attention. I’ve been a 229 fan for YEARS, & the idea of a 229 on a beefier frame is really cool to me.
