With my recent rekindled interest in the Bul Armory SAS II line of pistols, I set out to find another gun that I have wanted for a a long time... the UL Viper (Gen1) or the UL Comp (Gen2), which are now both discontinued and very hard to find used. These guns were hard to get even when they were in production! I actually had a UL Viper on order back in 2020, but Bul Armory was right in the middle of updating their production of the Viper to the Comp and my order got ignored for over a year, so I ended up canceling it out of frustration.
I started searching for a used Viper or Comp to add to my collection several months ago, and finally came across a used Viper for a somewhat decent price (they usually sell for more than what they cost when they were brand new). I upgraded the compact grip module to the newer Gen2 version that came on the UL Comp, which you can still buy on their website, and textured it in my RFV Tactical Concealed Carry texture with all the same refinement details as I did to the grip modules of my 2022 TAC 4.25 and my 2024 TAC 4.25. I then added my preferred Ed Brown controls, refinished all of the small parts and grip screws in Graphite Black Cerakote to black it out, replaced the crappy optic that the previous owner installed with a Holosun EPS Carry, and installed a Streamlight TLR-7 HLX light. When the TLR-7 HLX light first came out, I immediately thought it would look really good on a UL Viper/Comp which is when I started looking to acquire one.
The UL Viper is very light weight just like my original Ultralight, so the recoil impulse is a little harsh compared to a larger/heavier gun, but the compensator definitely helps to reduce muzzle rise. The lighter weight of the gun also makes it less stable during presentation with more noticeable movement of the red dot on the target, whereas a heavier gun has more stability and less red dot movement.
However, that lighter weight makes it very easy to carry around all day. While I do plan on carrying this gun fairly frequently, I don't plan on using it at action pistol matches very often because the smaller magwell opening of it's shorter grip doesn't allow for fast reloads like a full-size grip does. I am already at a bit of a disadvantage at matches by competing from concealment, so I don't want to make it even harder for myself. 😜 The 3.25" barrel also just isn't as accurate as a 4.25" or longer barrel for longer distance shots. Despite its disadvantages in a competition environment, I would much rather carry this UL Viper over a Sig Sauer P365 XMacro or other similar size guns any day of the week.
