STI Tactical 4.0 2011 Handgun

I have finally acquired an older STI Tactical 4.0 2011 handgun in decent condition for what I considered to be a fair price. I already have the STI Tac-Lite 4.0, which is an aluminum frame version of this gun, but I've been wanting to get one with a steel frame for quite a long time. These don't come up for sale very often, but when they do they typically have an overly inflated price tag. They aren't quite as sought after as the 2019 STI Staccato P or the Staccato Heritage P, but they are still highly desirable. The STI Tactical 4.0 is what originally attracted me to the 2011 platform long ago, so it's nice to have another one in my collection. This one came with a DLC finish from the factory rather than the more common Graphite Black Cerakote that came on most of the Tactical series pistols, however it had quite a bit of holster wear as you can see from the photos below. Despite the holster wear, the barrel and slide to frame fitment is still excellent (more on that later).

Photos from the Gunbroker auction

Upon receiving the gun, I immediately sent the slide to DSC Gunworks to have the factory Staccato DPO optic cut done so that I could install a Holosun 509T optic, and I also had two additional front cocking serrations cut on each side of the slide as I think it looks better proportioned with the rear serrations. These mis-proportioned front-to-rear slide serrations are one of the few things that I didn't like about the older STI pistols, so I wanted to correct that on this gun while it was being cut for an optic.

Once I got the slide back from DSCG, I took the time to do a lot of small refinements that the average person probably wouldn't notice or appreciate. I thoroughly dehorned the slide, frame, and beavertail of any sharp edges. I did a relief cut on the bottom of the slide stop lever pad to make it easier to lock the slide back manually, cut in an assembly notch to reduce the potential for an "idiot scratch" during reassembly, did a flat tip on the slide stop pin so that it wouldn't protrude through the frame as much, and dehorned the entire lever. I also dehorned, chamfered, blended, and thinned down the safety levers to work better with my high grip and large hands. The hammer lacked the edge chamfering that my other STI hammers have, so I chamfered the inside and outside edges of it to give it a nicer look and feel, which was very time consuming. Once I finished all of the dehorning, chamfering, and blending, I refinished everything in my custom DLC Mimic Cerakote color. I mixed in a slightly higher ratio of catalyst to give it a little more gloss than I've done with previous guns, and it turned out exactly how I wanted it. The barrel and slide to frame fitment was so tight prior to my Cerakote work, that I had to completely remove all the Cerakote from the frame rails, slide rails, and barrel lugs in the slide to get the gun reassembled and functioning properly. Even with all of these areas completely bare metal, the gun is still very tight, with no slide to frame wiggle.

I modified the factory Gen1 grip module by doing a subtle trigger guard undercut, squared out the inside of the trigger guard, did a step-cut grip chop to accept 16-round Staccato C2 magazines, filled in the faux screw holes at the bottom of the grip for a more modern look, and added my RFV Tactical texture with a smooth border on the bottom of the main spring housing to match the magwell border. I do that smooth border on all of my personal 2011 style grip modules so that my shirt is less likely to snag on the back edge of the grip causing it to print when carrying concealed, and to make the gun feel just a little more comfortable in the hand when shooting.

I did my typical trigger tuning to just under 3 pounds utilizing all of the factory components, and replaced the factory Recoil Master dual spring recoil system with a Dawson Precision tool-less guide rod and a 13lb recoil spring, which is what I have in most of my other 2011 style 4.25" pistols. The Recoil Master system works really well, but I like the tool-less guide rod for the ease of disassembly and reassembly and for the ability to add a shock buffer.

The gun looks absolutely amazing with the extra serrations and I am extremely happy with how the dehorning, blending, Cerakote, and grip work turned out. 

Outlaw Action Pistol Match - 05/16/2026

Outlaw action pistol match (USPSA rules with IDPA scoring) at the Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club. I was shooing my new Kimber 2K11 Pro in the Carry Optics division. This was my first time running the Kimber at an outdoor match and it performed great. I did have what appeared to be a light primer strike on the first stage, but I believe it was just a bad primer that didn't ignite after inspecting the round afterwards.

Stage 1: A fairly straight forward stage that I ran conservatively, and everything went well other than that bad primer which cost me a few seconds to react and clear. I came in 2nd place with only two C-zone hits.

Stage 2: Another straight forward stage that I ran fairly decent with no mistakes. 3rd place with two C-zone hits.

Stage 3: All A-zone hits on this stage, but I forgot to replace a magazine in my primary reload spot, and had to go for my secondary reload magazine, which took some time for my brain to process and react. I ended up in 2nd place despite the reload mishap.

Stage 4: This was just stage 3 run in reverse. I was getting sloppy with my accuracy and had several make-up shots, which landed me in 4th place with 4 C-zone hits.

I definitely felt like I could've done much better, but I finished in 2nd place Overall for the day out of 23 total. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwhboPAJe10

Staccato P 4.4" 2011 Handgun

I recently acquired another used Staccato P 4.4" 2011 handgun with a Holosun 509T optic already installed for a really good price. It has a few small scratches and other signs of wear on the finish, but overall it is in good condition. I've owned one of these before as a shop gun for RFV Tactical, but sold it to fund the purchase of my Staccato Heritage P. While I'm not a fan of the aesthetics of the P 4.4", I could not pass up the great deal. I haven't done anything to the gun other than my typical trigger tuning and grip texture, so there isn't anything "custom" about it. I've shot this pistol side-by-side with my Heritage P, and it feels virtually identical in terms of recoil impulse and return to zero.

I've realized that I have been apprehensive about choosing to train with certain guns because I really like they way they look and I don't want to scratch them up or wear them out by shooting them frequently. That emotional attachment to a pistol is certainly a silly thing, but it is still a thing none the less. On a side note... while I still really like the Springfield Prodigy 1911DS, I don't have an emotional attachment to any of my personal Prodigy's in the same way that I do some of my other rare and/or expensive 2011 style guns. I just really like the Prodigy 1911DS as a base platform to tune and customize.

Since previously owning a P 4.4", my perspective of the gun has changed a little bit in that I believe it would be a great gun to train with regularly, because I have no emotional attachment to it and its performance and reliability are perfectly adequate. This should allow me to focus more on just improving my shooting skills rather than selecting a gun to train with based purely on its aesthetics or performance. 

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 05/02/2026

USPSA action pistol match at the Southwest Shooting Center in Clovis, NM with the Southwest Performance Shooters club. I was shooting my Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 3.5" Comp from concealment (AIWB) in the Open division. This was my first time shooting the Romulus 3.5" Comp at an outdoor match, and one thing I discovered is that the budget Osight optic on this gun does not get bright enough for my preference outdoors with bright sunlight. It was very difficult for me to be aware of where the dot was because it was so dim compared to my Holosun and Trijicon optics that I normally use. Because of this, my accuracy suffered, as well as my ability to acquire a sight picture quickly. 😕 I also think the Romulus Comp isn't as accurate at longer distances due to its looser barrel fitment compared to my other guns.

Stage 1: This was a bit of a memory stage with multiple ways to run it, and I spaced out and ended up doing a reload when I didn't plan on it, so that threw me off for the rest of the stage. I also realized on this first stage that the optic was not bright enough for my preference. I still came in 3rd place for this stage, but it just felt horrible.

Stage 2: This stage was a dumpster fire for me, because it had several long distance shots, and I had three C-zone hits, two D-zone hits, and one miss. I ended up in 22nd place for this stage. (oof!)

Stage 3: This was another bad one for me as there were more long distance shots (because I chose to shoot everything from the rear shooting position rather than moving up to the forward shooting position) and I also mistakenly re-engaged a target that I had already shot, which was a big waste of time. I ended up in 13th place with three C-zone hits and two D-zone hits.

Stage 4: This stage wasn't that great either because I had a miss on one target because I grazed the barrel that was partially blocking it. Otherwise it was a decent run, but the miss left me in 10th place with two C-zone hits.

Stage 5: Classifier stage that I actually shot fairly decent (for me). I came in 5th place with three C-zone hits.

I ended up in 8th place Overall out of 30 total, which is definitely not a good result for me. I will definitely not be using any Osight equipped pistols at outdoor matches going forward. The Osight optic works perfectly fine at my indoor range, so I'll limit the use of those optics to the indoor matches that I run.

Optic Update: I've since realized that switching to the 32moa circle plus the 3moa dot would've made the reticle much brighter for outdoor usage.  The 6moa dot on the smaller K model on my Girsan CMXX is much brighter than the 3moa dot of the C model on this gun. I'm not a fan of the busy looking 32moa circle, but it definitely would've helped with the brightness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHJ-gZpMAsc

Commander 2011 Shootout

Since I recently acquired several new non-ported/comped 4.25" 2011 style guns for my collection, I thought it would be fun to do a Commander 2011 Shootout to compare and rank them all, as I did last year with all of my ported 2011s. My previous shootout was not very scientific, and this one isn't either, but it is certainly fun for me to take several guns to the range and compare them side-by-side. All of these guns have steel frames and chopped grips, so it is definitely more of an apples-to-apples comparison than the ported 2011 shootout. In addition to doing doubles at 5 yards to compare the recoil impulse and return to zero of each gun, I also did a string of 10 rounds at a moderate pace at 15 yards to further compare each gun's return to zero. This is something I should've done with the ported 2011 shootout, but I don't think the results would've been any different. I also shot 10 rounds of off-the-shelf 115gr factory ammo through each gun to get another perspective of recoil impulse and muzzle rise comparison. This is also something I should've done with the ported 2011 shootout, as higher power ammo will better exploit the advantages of ports and comps.

The Kimber 2K11 Pro came out on top. This gun really surprised me, as its recoil impulse is very similar to the Prodigy with my reloaded training/match ammo, but it has a more consistent return to zero. It is slightly snappier than my Prodigy with off-the-shelf factory ammo, but the difference is barely noticeable.

The Springfield Prodigy 1911DS came in at a very close 2nd place. This gun is very soft shooting, and I think the larger grip module of the Prodigy allows me to control the gun better with my large hands. I've also done the most training with this gun, so it has become my baseline for comparing other guns. I honestly thought this gun would come in first place, but I can't deny the 2K11 Pro's more consistent return to zero.

The Staccato Heritage P came in 3rd place. While I absolutely love the fit, finish, and aesthetics of this gun, it's lighter weight results in slightly more muzzle rise than the 2K11 Pro and the Prodigy, so it takes a little more input when running it fast.

The Alpha Foxtrot AF1911-Romulus came in 4th place. This gun also surprised me as it shoots similar to the Heritage P and has an excellent return to zero. However, the Heritage P has a slightly softer recoil impulse.

The Watchtower Apache Commander came in 5th place. This gun feels almost identical to the Romulus in terms of recoil impulse and muzzle rise, but it is just not as consistent with its return to zero. This was even more apparent to me during the 15-yard string as all of the hits outside the A-zone were during the longer distance shots.

All of these guns shoot great, and when shooting them individually at my regular practice sessions I don't really notice much of a difference from gun to gun. It's only when shooting and comparing them side-by-side that I can notice subtle differences with each one. It's apparent to me that the biggest factor with the performance of a non-ported gun is the weight. I believe it would be possible to further fine tune the performance of each gun by experimenting with different recoil springs, but the benefits would be so minimal that I don't think it would be worth my time (i.e. - I am lazy).

Outlaw Action Pistol Match - 04/18/2026

Outlaw action pistol match (USPSA rules with IDPA scoring) at the Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club. I was shooing my Race City Defense RC9c from concealment (AIWB) in the Carry Optics division. Despite acquiring several new non-ported/comped 4.25" 2011 style pistols recently, I wanted to shoot the RC9c again at another outdoor match. It is by far the best performing pistol that I currently own.

Stage 1: I ran this first stage of the day pretty conservatively as the sun was just clearing the top of the berm on the right side, so it was difficult to see all of those targets clearly as well as the dot with the optic not occluded. I had only one C-zone hit and managed to win the stage.

Stage 2: I ran this second stage fairly conservatively as well and was able to get all A-zone hits and go 1-for-1 on the Texas star. I placed 1st on this stage.

Stage 3: I picked up the pace on this stage, but I got a little sloppy when I tried shooting one target while moving into position. I even threw a make-up shot at it and still only had one A-zone hit. That target was my only C-zone hit, and I placed 1st on this stage as well.

Stage 4: A mirror image of stage 3, and I ran it almost identical to stage 3 only in reverse and had all A-zone hits with no make-up shots. I again placed 1st on this stage.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I won every stage and placed 1st Overall out of 25 with only 2 points down for the entire match. I attribute a lot of this to the RC9c and its excellent return to zero.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqq8frMX8Ro

Alpha Foxtrot AF1911-Romulus 4.25" Handgun

I picked up a new non-ported/comped Alpha Foxtrot AF1911-Romulus 4.25" to add to my collection. I have been adding more non-ported/comped 2011 style guns to my collection because I prefer to train with them rather than my ported/comped guns which get dirty faster and tend to make me get a little lazy with my grip since the ports/comps are doing a lot of recoil mitigation. Prior to these recent additions, my only non-ported/comped steel frame 4.25" 2011 style guns were my Prodigy 1911DS and my Staccato Heritage P. Everything else I have is either ported, comped, or has an aluminum frame.  I recently added a Kimber 2K11 Pro and a Watchtower Apache Commander to my collection, and now this new Romulus. I wanted another budget 2011 style gun besides the Prodigy, and I really like the Romulus 3.5" Comp that I picked up several months ago. The fit, finish, and performance of the Alpha Foxtrot pistols are actually pretty good for their price, and I like that they are American made even though some of the parts are sourced from a Korean manufacturer (as are the Watchtower pistols).

As with the Romulus 3.5" Comp, I outfitted the pistol with the same Osight/Olight budget accessories and utilized all the factory parts to tune and customize it. The biggest difference with this 4.25" over the 3.5" Comp is that I did a step-cut grip chop to accept 16-round Staccato C2 magazines.

The Romulus grip module is about 2mm shorter than a typical full-size 2011 style grip module, so the grip chop is very minimal by comparison. I also did my typical RFV Tactical texture work in a 360-degree wrap around configuration, as I would do with a Prodigy 1911DS grip module. I used the left-over polymer from what I cut off the grip for the grip chop to fill in the indentions above the mag release button on both sides and textured those spots for a more traditional look.

To get the trigger weight below 3 pounds, I had to smooth out the sear face and hammer hooks with a fine stone to prevent hammer follow as those surfaces were pretty rough looking from the factory. This is an extra step that I don't normally have to do when tuning a 1911/2011 trigger but is sometimes necessary with the inconsistencies of MIM components. As I do with most of my personal 2011 style guns, I also thinned down the thumb safeties and slide stop lever and refinished them in my custom DLC Mimic Cerakote color to match the gun. The flat DLC finish on this 4.25" is a nice contrast to the polished DLC on my 3.5" Comp. The front serrations on this gun have sharper edges and are much more functional than the serrations on the 3.5" Comp as the polishing process drastically dehorns all of its sharp edges.

I am really happy with how this gun turned out, and I am again really impressed with the fit, finish, and performance of the Alpha Foxtrot pistols for their price. It's still hard for me to believe that these guns come with a DLC finish at such a low price point. They may actually be the best value in the "Budget 2011" category.