The 2011 Problem: Once You Shoot One, Everything Else Feels Different

There’s a problem with 2011s.

And no, I’m not talking about the price.

I’m talking about what happens after you spend enough time shooting one.

Because eventually, you pick up another pistol—and suddenly you start noticing everything.

The trigger feels heavier.

The grip feels different.

The recoil impulse feels harsher.

The controls don't feel quite as natural.

The gun might still be great.

But now you're comparing it to something you weren't comparing it to before.

That's the 2011 problem.

Once you get used to what a really good double-stack 1911-style pistol can offer, it starts changing what you expect from every handgun you shoot afterward.

I Didn't Start Out as a 2011 Guy

For years, my handgun world wasn't centered around 2011s.

I've owned plenty of Glocks. I've shot SIGs, Caniks, Springfields and just about every other major modern platform.

And I still appreciate those guns.

Actually, that's important to establish right away:

This isn't an article about 2011s making every polymer pistol obsolete.

They don't.

There are things polymer pistols do exceptionally well.

They're lighter.

They're simpler.

They're generally easier to maintain.

They're often dramatically less expensive.

And for certain purposes, I'd still rather have one.

But the first time you spend real time shooting a good 2011, you start understanding why people become obsessed with them.

Then you start understanding why the rest of the handgun industry has been borrowing pieces of the formula.

It Starts With the Trigger

Let's get the obvious one out of the way.

A good 1911-style trigger is difficult to forget.

There is something fundamentally different about that straight-back trigger movement compared to what most of us grew up shooting on striker-fired guns.

Short movement.

Clean break.

Short reset.

Very little unnecessary drama.

That doesn't automatically mean you're going to become a better shooter simply because you bought a 2011.

But it does make certain things easier.

Especially when you're shooting quickly and trying to maintain accuracy.

Then you go back to something with a longer, heavier or less-defined trigger and suddenly you're paying attention to something you might not have cared much about before.

That's where the problem begins.

You didn't necessarily think your old trigger was bad.

You just hadn't experienced something that made you question it yet.

Then You Notice How the Gun Moves

This is probably the bigger thing for me.

It's not just the trigger.

It's the way a well-sorted 2011 behaves when you're actually running it.

The combination of the frame, grip geometry, weight distribution, barrel and slide characteristics can make the gun feel incredibly predictable.

Shoot.

Track the dot.

Gun returns.

Shoot again.

And once you start adding modern compensators and porting into that equation, things can get even more ridiculous.

That's one of the reasons I've gravitated toward guns like the Staccato platform, the Stealth Arms Platypus and the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus.

They're not identical guns.

They don't even necessarily approach the concept the same way.

But they're all operating in this world where we're asking a handgun to provide capacity, shootability, a great trigger and modern features at the same time.

Years ago, some of those characteristics would've lived almost exclusively in competition guns or expensive custom builds.

Now people expect them in pistols they actually carry.

The 2011 Changed the Definition of a “Premium Pistol”

This might actually be the biggest impact the platform has had.

A premium handgun used to be easier to define.

Better materials.

Better machining.

Better finish.

Maybe a nicer trigger.

Maybe tighter tolerances.

But today?

If a company wants $1,500, $2,000 or more for a performance-oriented pistol, people immediately start asking different questions.

What's the trigger like?

What's the capacity?

Is it optics-ready?

How does it handle recoil?

Does it have a magwell?

How good is the grip texture?

Can I get 20-round magazines?

Is there a compensated version?

What does it actually give me over the gun sitting next to it?

And whether people realize it or not, I think the modern 2011 market helped create those expectations.

The platform raised the bar.

Everybody Is Chasing Pieces of the Formula

Look around the handgun market.

Better factory triggers.

Optics-ready slides.

Aggressive grip textures.

Interchangeable grip systems.

Factory magwells.

Higher capacity.

Compensated models.

Ported barrels and slides.

Undercut trigger guards.

Extended controls.

These are features enthusiasts used to spend a lot of money adding after purchasing the gun.

Now manufacturers are building them into the gun from the factory.

Not everything came from the 2011, obviously.

But the popularity of performance-oriented double-stack 1911s absolutely helped prove something to manufacturers:

People will pay for shootability.

Not just reliability.

Not just durability.

Not just brand recognition.

People want guns that are genuinely enjoyable to run hard.

And once shooters experienced that, the rest of the market had to respond.

But There Isn't Just One Kind of 2011 Anymore

This is another reason the platform has become so interesting.

“2011” used to immediately make people think about expensive competition guns.

That's not really the landscape anymore.

You now have everything from high-end custom guns to factory production pistols to more affordable double-stack 1911-style options.

You have full-size guns.

Compact guns.

Carry guns.

Competition guns.

Compensated guns.

And then you have guns like the Stealth Arms Platypus, which takes the basic double-stack 1911 concept and throws Glock-pattern magazines into the equation.

That's part of what makes this category so much fun right now.

Companies aren't just copying the same formula.

They're experimenting with it.

The Platypus Is a Perfect Example

The Stealth Arms Platypus is one of the more interesting examples because somebody looked at one of the biggest complaints surrounding the platform—the magazine ecosystem—and essentially said:

What if we just didn't do that?

Instead of proprietary 2011-style magazines, the Platypus uses Glock-pattern magazines.

That's a huge deal.

Glock magazines are everywhere.

They're affordable.

They're proven.

There are endless capacities and configurations.

So now you're combining elements people love about the 1911-style shooting experience with one of the most common magazine ecosystems on the planet.

That's the type of innovation I want to see.

Not just:

“Here's another 2011.”

Give me a reason yours exists.

Then There's the Romulus

My Alpha Foxtrot Romulus is another example of why this category keeps getting more interesting.

Mine is the 3.5-inch Comp model.

So now we're talking about taking the 2011-style concept and shrinking it into something much more compact while still retaining the characteristics that make the platform attractive in the first place.

Good capacity.

Good trigger.

Shootability.

A compensated setup.

Modern optics compatibility.

Now the conversation isn't just about competition anymore.

We're talking about guns that can legitimately cross between carry, range use and performance shooting.

And that's exactly the direction I think the handgun market is moving.

The Staccato Effect

You can't have this conversation without Staccato.

Regardless of where you fall on the brand, Staccato deserves a lot of credit for helping move this style of pistol out of the competition-only world and into the mainstream conversation.

The Staccato P became something people associated with duty use.

Then you've got smaller guns like the C2 and CS pushing the platform further into concealed carry.

My experience with Staccato has also shown me something else:

Once you've spent enough time with these guns, you don't necessarily want the same thing from every one of them.

My C2 became heavily customized.

Porting.

Trigger.

Grip work.

A completely different personality from the factory gun.

Meanwhile, other pistols might not need nearly as much.

That goes directly back to something I've written about before:

Modify the gun because you've identified something you want to improve—not because there's an empty spot where another aftermarket part could go.

The Aftermarket Is Still Part of the Experience

One of the cool things about the 1911/2011 ecosystem is that customization has basically been part of its DNA from the beginning.

Triggers.

Controls.

Sights.

Springs.

Grip components.

Magazines.

Small parts.

Tools.

There's almost always something you can tweak.

And this is one area where Brownells makes a ton of sense for anyone getting deeper into the platform.

Brownells has supported the 1911 ecosystem forever, and they still carry a deep selection of platform-specific tools—including slide/frame rail files, sear fixtures, fitting tools and other 1911 gunsmithing equipment.

That's important because this isn't necessarily the same world as popping two pins out of a polymer pistol and dropping in a new trigger.

The deeper you get into the 1911/2011 platform, the more you start appreciating proper fitting, proper tools and understanding how the gun actually works.

And if you're grabbing tools, parts or accessories from Brownells, you can support MacBroz by using code BOP10where applicable.

So Are 2011s Actually Better?

Here's where I'm probably going to disappoint somebody.

I don't think that's the right question.

Better for what?

If I'm going backpacking and want the lightest possible gun?

Probably not.

If I'm recommending someone's first handgun and budget matters?

Probably not.

If somebody wants a pistol they can neglect, beat up and replace inexpensively?

Again, there may be better choices.

But if we're talking purely about the experience of shooting a handgun?

That's where things get difficult.

Because a really good 2011 does a combination of things exceptionally well.

Trigger.

Capacity.

Ergonomics.

Recoil management.

Speed.

Accuracy.

Customization.

And when all of those things come together, you understand why people are willing to spend the money.

Unfortunately, Then You're Ruined

That's really the 2011 problem.

You can still enjoy other guns.

I do.

I'm actually excited about some pistols that have absolutely nothing to do with the platform.

But your expectations change.

You start picking up another gun and immediately evaluating the trigger.

You start watching how the dot returns.

You start paying attention to how naturally the grip presents.

You notice the controls.

You notice the recoil impulse.

You notice things you may not have even thought about five years ago.

And sometimes you pick up a $700 pistol and think:

Damn. This is really good.

Other times you pick up a $1,500 pistol and think:

For this money...why doesn't this feel better?

That's the influence of the 2011.

It didn't make every other handgun obsolete.

It just moved the goalposts.

And now everybody else has to catch up.