It might sound odd to recollect, however there was a time when the 2011 platform was a little bit of an outsider. If you’re studying this, you might be doubtless what I affectionately dub a gun nerd. Somebody who has identified about 2011s since Staccato was STI. Nevertheless, “gen pop,” the common gun proprietor, is unlikely to have ever heard of a 2011 up till about 5 years in the past.
There merely weren’t a whole lot of them, and the few that existed have been exceptionally costly and usually fashionable within the high-end competitors circuits. They have been fashionable, particularly as open weapons.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
Yearly or two, I make a joke about throwing a stick at SHOT Present and hitting XYZ. This 12 months, in case you threw a stick at SHOT Present, you’ll hit a 2011 clone after which be requested to depart for throwing sticks.
What has pushed the large surge in 2011s?
The 2011 Patent Expiration
A 2011 isn’t just a double-stack 1911. Double-stack 1911s are actually a factor, however they’re totally different than 2011s. A 2011 mannequin makes use of a novel two-piece grip and body design. It’s usually a metallic body with a polymer grip. This design blends the perfect options of each weight and polymer flex to be a recoil-reducing gun.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
Staccato held the patent on this body and grip design, however the patent did expire. To be clear, Staccato nonetheless owns the 2011 trademark. The 2011 patent expired some time again, which initially opened a marketplace for 2011s that was largely stuffed by different high-end firms making high-end weapons.
Nevertheless, this patent expiration opened the preliminary door for the 2011 market to thrive.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
The Staccato Impact
In 2020, STI rebranded as Staccato, and so they made an enormous advertising push. STI was a really well-respected firm, however only a few folks in gen pop knew a lot concerning the firm or the weapons it produced. The rebrand to Staccato and advertising push was to ascertain that 2011s weren’t the finicky competitors weapons that required a whole lot of upkeep to run.
They pushed the Staccato model into the responsibility market, portraying their weapons as dependable and tactical weapons. These have been optics and light-ready weapons with all the trendy aptitude of an obligation pistol.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
They have been capable of safe some main contracts. One which stood out on the time was a contract with the U.S. Marshal’s Service Particular Operations Group. They then obtained a foot within the door with LAPD Metro. From there, one other 248 legislation enforcement companies adopted or licensed the Staccato collection of pistols.
This obtained lots of people’s consideration, and extra folks than ever have been a 2011. Who doesn’t need the single-action set off of a 1911 with the capability of a Glock?
A Saturated Market
The handgun market was and is saturated by a particular kind of pistol: the striker-fired, polymer-frame, double-stack handgun. Glock began it, and everybody adopted. This consists of SIG, FN, Taurus, Springfield, and nearly everybody producing a handgun. It was the meta for handguns, and like all metas, it obtained actual boring, actual quick.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
Folks have been tired of the striker-fired, polymer-frame pistol. They wished one thing totally different, and corporations trying to broaden their market determined to oblige them. Springfield Armory and SIG now produce their model of a 2011. Quite a few small firms jumped on the bandwagon, producing their very own variant of the 2011 platform.
Why They Shoot So Nicely
Let’s face it, 2011s, even low-cost ones, shoot properly. They have a tendency to have low recoil, are flat-shooting, and at all times have extremely good triggers. The well-made variants, just like the Staccatos, run properly too. They’re dependable sufficient to be responsibility and hid carry weapons, and a few provide a reasonably reasonably priced platform that may be tuned into one helluva gun.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
The straight set off pull of a single-action-only gun helps detract from user-induced marksmanship errors. It’s straightforward to drag quick, and the weapons are inclined to shoot quick and properly. We’ve entered an period the place increasingly shooters are utilizing shot timers and chasing sooner par and cut up instances, and 2011s are giving them these fractions of a second.
The Journal Evolution
The transfer away from conventional 2011 magazines has been a reasonably sensible transfer. There was a time if you bought a $50 to $70 journal and didn’t count on it to work together with your 2011 till a gunsmith or a talented person altered it to work. That may be a factor of the previous for many 2011 platforms. Utilizing Glock, SIG, and comparable magazines has made the weapons way more accessible.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
The 2011-ification of the Business
The 2011 has appeared to get a agency foot within the present firearms market. They’re increasingly accessible, extra reasonably priced, and nonetheless providing a ton of small benefits that shooters love. They aren’t going wherever anytime quickly, and I feel it’s altering the trade as a complete.
We’re seeing weapons just like the Waltz 9, which takes a few of the traits of the 2011 and shoves them right into a striker-fired gun. We’ve weapons just like the SDS Imports 2035, which is the 2011-ification of the Hello Energy. We’re not simply seeing an increase of 2011s, however a complete 2011-ification of the trade.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
