STI DVC Carry Handgun

I have really gone crazy with acquiring 2011-style guns lately. 😜 It's pretty much the only type of handgun that interests me these days. I have more 2011-style guns than any other platform, so I guess you could call me a 2011 snob. 😎 So, as a self proclaimed 2011 snob, I wanted to find another cool gun that is no longer in production and is fairly sought after.  I'm not really interested in full-size guns with 5" barrels, as I like to keep them more practical for concealed carry. I narrowed it down to either another STI Tactical 4.0 with a steel frame, an STI Costa Ludus VIP, or an STI DVC Carry. I came across several DVC Carry for sale while searching and decided that was what I wanted. The DVC Carry, which was the predecessor to the Staccato C2, was offered in several different versions throughout it's production, including a limited run with a railed steel frame. Most of the ones I found for sale were the non-railed aluminum frame versions, but I managed to find and acquire one in absolutely pristine condition with a railed steel frame AND optics ready with the factory "H.O.S.T." mounting system, which is an extremely rare find.

Photos from the Gunbroker auction

The gun came with a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro installed, but I'm not really a fan of that optic, so I swapped it out for the tried and true Trijicon RMR as both of my Staccato C2s have RMRs installed. Unfortunately, the factory RMR mounting plate wasn't included in the box, but Arise Mfg makes an RMR/SRO plate for the older HOST mounting system. I also installed a Streamlight TLR-7 HLX light with the "1913-2" rail key that positions the front of the light perfectly flush with the muzzle of the gun for a very clean look.

I already had an extra VIP grip that I textured in my RFV Tactical Concealed Carry texture and installed on my STI Tac-Lite 4.0 and then later removed, so I installed that grip module along with a longer STI trigger and stored away the original dragon scale textured VIP grip with the short trigger in case I ever decide to sell the gun. I'm using a custom shortened Staccato C2 magazine with the VIP grip for a nice flush look and excellent concealability. I also reduced the engagement point of the beavertail grip safety and tuned the trigger pull weight to just under 3 pounds, as I do with all of my 2011-style guns.

This gun is absolutely gorgeous with its DLC finish and the copper colored barrel showing through the factory window cuts in the slide. The slide to frame fit on this gun is better than any other 2011 that I own. I love that it is the same size as a Staccato C2, but it shoots like a full-size gun with it's steel frame. I will carry it occasionally, but it was acquired as more of a collection piece to be admired than as a daily carry gun. 😍

 

Yet Another Springfield Prodigy 1911DS

Now that I am offering an Enhancement Package specifically for the Springfield Prodigy 1911DS at RFV Tactical, I thought it would a good idea to buy used Prodigy 1911DS handguns and resell them on Gunbroker one at a time with my Enhancement Package already done to them to make a little bit of extra money as well as to indirectly advertise my services. So, I bought a used one to work on for around $900, which was still in really good condition.

Photos from the Gunbroker auction

I did everything to it that I include in my Enhancement Package and just went back with Graphite Black Cerakote on this first one, but was planning to do the next ones in a different color of Cerakote each time. Before I could list it back on Gunbroker to sell, I got kind of busy with orders and forgot about it for over month. During that time, I did several Prodigy Enhancement Packages to customer guns and decided that I didn't want to go through the hassle of putting time and labor into a gun just to turn around and sell it (and hopefully gain a profit) when people were already sending me their guns to get worked on. So I decided to just keep it as a shop gun.

I went ahead and did a step cut grip chop on it and installed a Holosun 509T optic and a Surefire X300 light, so that I could carry it and shoot it occasionally, as I was really starting to get annoyed with how dirty all of my ported guns got after each practice session of only 150 rounds. So, out of sheer laziness, I have been carrying and training with this "shop" gun exclusively for several weeks as I can shoot it just as fast and effectively as any of my ported 2011-style guns without having to clean it so frequently and I don't have to deal with the loud concussion of a ported gun at my indoor range where I practice at least 3 times a week.

It seems kind of silly to own all of these expensive customized 2011-style guns (Staccato, STI, and Bul) only to end up carrying and training with an inexpensive Prodigy 1911DS. To be honest, I just really like the Prodigy 1911DS. It is a extremely value packed gun with all the aesthetic and ergonomic features that I want in a 2011-style gun and it can be made to run very reliably with a little bit of tuning if you know what and how to do it.

In addition to the normal Enhancement Package, I also shaved down the thumb safety levers (personal preference), did a relief cut on the underside of the slide stop lever pad to make it easier to lock the slide back manually, and installed an STI trigger shoe/bow to gain some pre-travel adjustment and to get rid of that classic 3-hole trigger that I am not particularly fond of. This gun will also allow me to compete in the popular Limited Optics division at USPSA matches since it is not ported instead of in the Open division, which is typically ruled by full blown race guns. 

Ported 2011 Shootout

Now that I have so many ported 2011-style guns, I thought it would be fun to do a Ported 2011 Shootout to rank them all. Plus it would give me an excuse to go shoot multiple guns during a couple of range sessions since I have not shot a match in a while. I separated them into two categories: Ported Steel Frame and Ported Aluminum Frame. My comparison tests were done at an indoor range, with the targets at only 5 yards. I shot 50 rounds of my reloaded match ammo with each gun, switching back and forth between two guns every 10 rounds with a separate target for each gun. I used two firing lanes so that I could go back and forth between each gun fairly quickly. My strings of fire were to draw the gun from an AIWB holster and shoot 5 pairs of predictive doubles. I took my time to make sure my grip was good out of the holster before firing the first shot of each string of fire. I intentionally kept my split times at a moderate pace of about 0.25 of a second in an attempt to prevent unnecessary tension from trying to go too fast so that I could focus on how well the dot tracked and how quickly and consistently the dot returned to the same spot after each shot was fired. I've tuned the triggers in each gun to have a pull weight of slightly under 3 pounds with virtually the same pre-travel, over-travel, and reset characteristics.

Ported Steel Frame Guns:

The Bul Armory SAS II TAC 4.25 with DSCG V6 ports came out on top with the fastest and most consistent return to zero as evident with the hits on the target. This gun really surprised me with how well it performed compared to the other guns. I feel like it would've been very easy to shoot it faster and maintain the same consistency with the hits.

The Staccato P 4.4" with DSCG V8 ports came in 2nd place as it also had a very consistent return to zero, but it did not seem quite as fast as the V6 Bul TAC despite it having more port volume. This could possibly be due to it's longer/heavier 4.4" slide compared to the TAC's 4.25" slide with large window cuts which makes it significantly lighter.

The STI Staccato P 4.15" with DSCG V-Slot ports came in 3rd place. It was still a solid performer, but it wasn't quite as consistent as the V6 Bul TAC or the V8 Staccato P.

The Springfield Prodigy 1911DS with Magnaport V-Slot ports came in 4th place which doesn't surprise me as it has the smallest port volume. It felt very similar to the V-Slot Staccato P, but it was slightly less consistent with return to zero despite having the softest recoil impulse of all four steel frame guns. The one hit outside the A-zone on the target was most likely due to inadequate grip pressure and/or an overly aggressive trigger pull.

Ported Aluminum Frame Guns:

The Staccato C2 with Vulcan Ignis ports came out on top, which was kind of surprising to me as I previously never considered this gun to be that great of a performer. However, the consistent return to zero is very evident with the hits on the target showing to be the best out of all eight of these ported guns.

The STI Tac-Lite 4.0 with ICM Inline ports came in 2nd place as it was very similar to the Staccato C2 with return to zero as well as recoil impulse. The two low hits on the target were from my first cold shots of the day.

The Bul Amory SAS II TAC 4.25 with DSCG V8 ports came in 3rd place as the return to zero was fast, but definitely not as consistent as the C2 and Tac-Lite with their top inline ports.

The Bul Armory SAS II UL Viper (factory 1-port comp) came in 4th place as the gun was difficult to handle with it's extremely light weight and sharp recoil impulse which is evident from the hits on the target. The Streamlight TLR-7 HLX light that I normally have on the gun actually flew off during the first string of fire due to a broken mounting screw, so it was run without a light or from a holster for 40 of the 50 rounds.

Yes, its a comp rather than barrel ports, but I put it in the mix

because the gun is so light weight, and... I do what I want. 😁

After testing all of these guns back to back, I've found that while barrel ports do a good job of reducing muzzle rise, the consequence to that is there is a little bit more of a kick into my hands as the gun recoils. That extra kick combined with the louder concussion makes these guns seem a little more violent to shoot compared to my non-ported 2011-style guns. They return to zero quicker which gives the perception of a faster gun, but that doesn't necessarily translate to faster split times for me. There may be slightly faster split times on targets that are 15 yards or farther out when shooting reactively, but there is no real measurable difference on the shot timer for me on targets that are 10 yards or closer. The consistency of the return to zero may possibly result in tighter groups within the "A-zone" area of the target, but an A-zone hit is an A-zone hit regardless of how close the two shots are together. 😜 While a few of my aluminum frame guns seem to have a more consistent return to zero than the steel frame guns, they all also have much more of a sharp impact into my hands due to their lighter weight. Another down side to ported guns is that they get way more dirty than non-ported guns and have to be cleaned more frequently, which can be annoying when shooting 3 or 4 times a week. Despite the down sides, they are still very fun to shoot, and their cool factor is very high. 😏

Bul Armory SAS II UL Viper Handgun

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 canceled 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 is still available on Bul's website, and textured it in my RFV Tactical Concealed Carry texture with all the same refinement details that 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 cheap 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 and that is when I decided to start looking for one to acquire.

The UL Viper is very light weight just like my original Ultralight, so the recoil impulse is a little snappier than a larger/heavier gun due to some weird thing called "physics", but the compensator definitely helps to reduce muzzle flip. The lighter weight of the gun also makes it a little 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. This isn't a big deal for closer targets, but it is noticeable on longer distance targets.

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 with my actual daily concealed carry gear, so I don't want to make it even harder for myself. 😜 The 3.25" barrel also just isn't quite 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.

USPSA Action Pistol Match - 01/04/2025

USPSA Action Pistol Match at the Southwest Shooting Center in Clovis, NM with the Southwest Performance Shooters club. I was shooting my new V6 ported Bul Armory TAC 4.25 in the Open Division from concealment (AIWB). Surprisingly, there were several other people competing from concealment at this match, so maybe I am inspiring people to be "cool" like me. 😂 The weather was really good for January and the new gun ran great (and fast), but I did have some issues...

(new for 2025... individual stage breakdowns)

Stage 1: 4 shots per target = dumpster fire. I had a failure with one of the magazines with an aftermarket base pad and spring/follower kit. The spring had bound up on the base pad retention plate inside the mag tube and wouldn't feed rounds up into the gun after the first three shots (base pad installation error on my part), so recovering from that and the confusion that it caused me wasted an additional 10 seconds on a stage that most people completed in under 10 seconds. 😖

Stage 2: The first four up close but tight targets were slower to engage than I thought they would be, but I still managed to execute my stage plan as desired and I got A-zone hits on all the targets.

Stage 3: A fast close-up stage with some good shooting on the move. My stage plan was solid and I got A-zone hits on all the targets.  I could've easily used one of my 21 round mags and ran the stage about 2 seconds faster without a reload, but I forced myself to do a reload because I need to practice them. 😏

Stage 4: "Can You Count" classifier. All A-zone hits, but my concealment reloads just don't stand a chance against those running competition gear. I did notice in the video that my gun appeared to have a failure to feed malfunction during the reload of my second string, but it fixed itself when I slammed the mag into the gun. 😳

Stage 5: This would've been another all A-zone hit run, but I transitioned between two targets a little too aggressively and got one D-zone hit. Otherwise, it was a great run with a lot of shooting on the move.

Unfortunately, the damage was done on Stage 1 and I ended up in 9th place Overall out of 24 total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnNcCsXCh8k