I have acquired quite a few 2011 style guns over the last 5 years, and it's the only platform that interests me these days. I have come to really like the Springfield Prodigy 1911DS despite having more expensive and better fit guns in my collection. I currently have 4 Staccatos, 4 STIs, 4 Bul Armorys, and 4 Springfields. Out of all of these guns, I tend to carry, train, and shoot matches with a Prodigy more than any other 2011 style gun. For me, the Prodigy just checks more boxes than my other guns when it comes to aesthetics, ergonomics, and value. The performance of all my 2011s differ a little bit based on the specific modifications (i.e. barrel porting) or upgrades, so performance does not really play a factor in all of this, as that can typically be tuned into any of the guns via modifications and/or upgrading components. My "check boxes" basically come down to slide serrations, overall proportions, grip module ergonomics, optics mounting systems, and overall quality and value. I recently felt the need to justify to myself why I like my Prodigy 1911DS guns more than everything else, so I decided to document it here. While the Prodigy 1911DS is not the winner in all of the categories, for me it certainly wins more categories than my other 2011 style guns and it is a close runner-up in the other categories.
Slide Serrations: STI > SA > Bul > Staccato
Slide serrations, particularly the front serrations compared to the rear serrations, are an important aesthetic feature to me. There should be enough serrations on the front of the slide to easily manipulate the slide, as an optic mounted to the rear of the slide practically renders the rear serrations useless. For me, I think there should be the same number of serrations on the front as there is on the rear, but most 2011 style guns have less serrations up front than on the rear. I prefer that there is at least 4 serrations up front and 5 serrations on the rear. My two 2019 STI Staccato P have the most aesthetically pleasing serrations of all of my guns, and the proportions front to rear look great. My Prodigy 1911DS's have perfectly adequate serrations... basic design, an acceptable front to rear ratio, and they are very functional. My V6 ported Bul TAC 4.25 has very nice looking and very functional front serrations, but there are more serrations up front than the rear, which looks a little odd to me. My Staccatos all have only 3 serrations up front regardless of the slide length, so they don't look as good to me even though they have the same style of serrations as my two STI 2019 Ps.
Slide Lengths: SA > Bul > STI > Staccato
I personally prefer 4.25" Commander length slides. I like the proportions of this slide length, especially with a compact grip or a chopped full-size grip, and I like the recoil impulse of this length over a longer slide. The Prodigy 1911DS comes in fairly traditional lengths of 5", 4.25", and a 3.5" compact. The Bul Armory guns come in 5" and 4.25", but their compact guns have a shorter 3.25" slide, which is less desirable to me than a 3.5" slide. Some of the older STI guns were available in 6", 5" and 4.25" (marketed as 4.15"), as well as some 3.9" and 3.5" lengths. The Staccatos have a lot of different non-traditional sizes: 5.4", 5", 4.5", 4.4", 4", 3.9" and 3.5", with no current 4.25" offerings at all.
Frame Lengths: Bul > STI > SA > Staccato
My Bul Armory guns have the best options for frame lengths. They have full-length dust covers (which is my preference), and their slash cut partial length dust covers look really good too. Most of my older STI guns have full-length dust covers, but their straight cut partial length dust covers are very plain looking. My Prodigy 1911DS's all have the same "butler cut" on the end which is not quite full-length, but long enough that it looks good. My Staccatos all came with plain straight cut partial length dust covers combined with slides longer or shorter than 4.25" which makes them the least desirable to me. In an effort to make it look better, I did a slash cut on the frame of my V8 ported Staccato P 4.4", which makes it look a little better.
Frame Widths: SA/Bul > STI/Staccato
My Prodigy 1911DS's and Bul Armory's frames are all as wide as the slides, which is what I prefer. My STI's and Staccato's frames are all thinner than the slides, which is less desirable to me since most modern high-end 2011 style guns have wider frames.
The Prodigy 1911DS grip module has the best ergonomics of any factory polymer grip module in my opinion. They just feel better in my large hands, and they look better once I've done my specific texture work to them which is done in a 360 degree wrap around configuration. The Staccato and Bul Armory grip modules are similar to each other and look and feel great with my texture work, but the Staccato grip modules seem to be made out of a better material. The older STI grip modules still look good and feel great with my texture work, but as the original polymer 2011 grip module they are fairly dated as far as styling and features.
Optics Mounting Systems: Staccato > SA > Bul > STI
The Staccato "DPO" mounting system is probably the best factory system for mounting various optics on a 2011 style gun. It is a very robust design and has a lot of options for different optics. The Prodigy 1911DS "AOS" mounting system also has a lot of options for different optics, but the factory mounting plates fit a little loose on the slide and the mounting screws are very small, which can cause issues with the screws coming loose or shearing off. However, there are a lot of companies that make aftermarket mounting plates for the Prodigy that fit better and use stronger screws. Bul Armory's new "BAO" mounting system is very robust, but they only have RMR, DPP, and RMS mounting plates (a new Acro P2 plate was recently announced). This leaves out the Holosun 509T, which is my favorite optic for concealed carry, and is installed on most of my guns. Most STI guns weren't even optics-ready and their older "HOST" mounting system was a decent system when it was introduced, but was limited in options as there weren't as many different types of optics available back then.
Overall Quality and Value: SA > Bul > Staccato > STI
The Prodigy 1911DS is the least expensive out of all my guns, however it doesn't have the best performance, reliability, and fitment out of the box, and needs to be tuned to run fast and reliable. At RFV Tactical, I have an enhancement package specifically for tuning the Prodigy 1911DS. Even with the cost of having the Prodigy tuned for performance and reliability, and having to buy the optic mounting plate of your choice separately, it is still the best value of all of my other 2011 style guns, and in my opinion is the best "budget" 2011 on the market. While the Cerakoted finish of the Prodigy 1911DS is inferior to DLC, Nitride, or PVD, it is certainly easier and cheaper to refinish if it gets scratched up or damaged. The Bul Armory guns offer the next best value since they come with 4 magazines, a magwell, and include all of the optics mounting plates. They have a PVD finish and a better overall fit and finish. They also have the best out of the box performance with no tuning necessary. The Staccatos are not as good of a value with only 3 mags and no optic mounting plate included. They could also benefit from a little bit of trigger tuning, however their DLC finish and slide to frame fitment are top notch. The older STIs have the worst value because they were expensive when they were new, and they are even more expensive as used guns now that they are discontinued and highly sought after since they have more of a cult following due to the company's transition from STI to Staccato. It is certainly possible to find other brands of 2011 style guns that would check off more of my boxes listed above, but most other high-end brands start out at $4000 or more, so "value" doesn't really come into play.
