Last updated August 2nd 2026
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Before you buy: a 2011 is a single-action pistol that carries cocked and locked. If you have never run a thumb safety under pressure, get training before you carry one. Store it locked, keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on target, and read our firearm safety and legal disclaimer.
How we tested: Every pick here was run through our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun. If we haven't shot it, we don't recommend it.
Best 2011 Pistols in 2026 at a Glance
| Pistol | Model Details | Key Specs | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Best OverallStaccato HD P4 The gun every other 2011 gets measured against, and the one with the deepest duty track record. |
9mm Luger Steel frame From $2,461 |
Check Price ↓ |
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Best Entry PointSpringfield Prodigy AOS The pistol that dragged 2011 prices down to something normal people can reach. |
9mm, 20+1 4.25in or 5in From $1,235 |
Check Price ↓ |
 |
Best High-End ValueKimber 2K11 Kimber’s first real 2011, and it undercuts Staccato by a meaningful margin. |
9mm or .45 ACP 5in, 20+1 From $1,649 |
Check Price ↓ |
 |
Best SleeperBul Armory SAS II Israeli-built, competition-bred, and almost nobody in the US talks about it. Their loss. |
9mm, 16 to 20rd 3.25in to 5in From $1,192 |
Check Price ↓ |
 |
Best BudgetTisas 1911 Duty DS Under seven hundred dollars for a forged steel double stack. The maths is hard to argue with. |
9mm, 17+1 4.25in or 5in From $674 |
Check Price ↓ |
Table of Contents
Introduction: The 2011 Market in 2026
Five years ago, buying a double stack 1911 meant either a Staccato or a semi-custom build with a nine month wait. That market is gone. Right now I can name seven 2011 pattern pistols you can walk out with, and the cheapest one costs less than a decent red dot.
Quick terminology, because it trips people up. A 2011 is a 1911 with a modular grip module and a double stack magazine. The trigger, the thumb safety, the grip angle and the manual of arms all come straight from John Browning. The capacity and the ergonomics come from the competition world. If you want the longer version, we broke it down in 1911 vs 2011.
What changed the market was Springfield. The Prodigy landed at roughly half of what a Staccato cost and proved the segment had buyers who were never going to spend three grand. Then Tisas went lower still. Kimber and SIG both arrived with their own takes, and Bul Armory has been quietly building good ones in Israel the whole time.
I have ranked these by who they actually suit rather than by price. A competition shooter and someone buying their first metal framed 9mm want different things from the same platform. Prices shown are the lowest live retailer price we can see at the time of writing, and the cards under each pick update themselves, so treat the numbers in the text as a guide and the card as the truth.
1. Staccato HD P4: Best Overall 2011
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Frame: Steel
- Action: Single action, double stack 1911
- Magazines: Staccato pattern, and the HD line takes Glock 17 mags
- Street Price: From $2,461 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 2.5 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 5 / 5 |
| Reliability | 5 / 5 |
| Trigger | 5 / 5 |
| Prestige | 5 / 5 |
Pros
- Duty proven with real agency adoption
- Trigger is the segment benchmark
- HD frame finally takes Glock mags
Cons
- Costs more than most rivals
- Proprietary parts on older models
- Waiting lists on popular configurations
Staccato earned the top spot the boring way, by being the gun that police departments actually issued. That matters more than any range impression I can give you, because duty adoption means somebody ran the round counts and the armourer reports before signing off.
The trigger is the thing you notice first. It breaks clean and it resets short, and after you shoot one, every striker fired pistol in your safe feels like it has a hinge in it. The steel frame soaks up 9mm recoil to the point that fast pairs stop feeling like work.
The HD line fixed my long standing complaint about the brand. Older Staccatos ran proprietary magazines that cost a fortune and had to be ordered direct. The HD frame takes Glock 17 magazines, which means cheap spares from any counter in America. That single change makes the gun far easier to live with.
Is it worth double what a Prodigy costs? Not on paper. It is worth it if you shoot enough that the trigger and the support network justify the spend, and if you would rather buy once. We put that question head to head in our Staccato vs Springfield Prodigy comparison, and the answer is less obvious than the price gap suggests. There is a wider look at the range in our best Staccato pistols guide.
Best For: shooters who want the platform benchmark and have the budget to stop shopping. Also the right call if you carry professionally and want a gun with a documented duty record behind it.
2. Springfield Prodigy AOS: Best Entry Point
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel Length: 4.25in or 5in, with 3.5in and 4.25in Compact versions
- Capacity: 20+1 full size, 15+1 Compact
- Frame: Forged steel with a polymer grip module
- Optic: AOS plate system, ships with one 17rd and one 20rd magazine
- Street Price: From $1,235 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 4.5 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 4 / 5 |
| Reliability | 4 / 5 |
| Trigger | 4.5 / 5 |
| Prestige | 3.5 / 5 |
Pros
- Half the price of a Staccato
- Genuinely good trigger for the money
- Four sizes cover carry and competition
Cons
- Polymer grip module divides opinion
- Early production had teething problems
- Magazines still cost real money
The Prodigy is the reason this article has seven entries instead of two. Springfield looked at a segment where the cheapest serious option was around two and a half thousand dollars and put a forged steel double stack on the shelf for roughly half that.
What you give up is the grip module. Springfield went polymer where Staccato uses metal, and purists hate it. In the hand the difference is smaller than the internet suggests, though the gun does sit lighter and the recoil impulse is a touch snappier as a result.
Early guns had reliability complaints, mostly around magazines and optic mounting. Springfield worked through it, and the AOS versions on shelves now are a different proposition to the first run. If you are buying used, ask questions about the production date.
The Compact in 4.25in is the sleeper of the family. It shoots almost like the full size but it will actually ride under a shirt, which is more than you can say for most guns in this article. Our full Springfield Prodigy review covers the range in detail.
Best For: the first 2011 buyer, and anyone who wants competition capability without a four figure jump in spend. If you are stepping up from a polymer striker gun, start here.
3. Kimber 2K11: Best Value at the High End
- Caliber: 9mm Luger or .45 ACP
- Barrel Length: 5in, with a 4.25in Pro
- Capacity: 20+1 in 9mm
- Frame: Aluminium grip, stainless slide with DLC coating
- Finish: High polish Coyote PVD or matte black
- Street Price: From $1,649 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 4 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 4.5 / 5 |
| Reliability | 4 / 5 |
| Trigger | 4.5 / 5 |
| Prestige | 4 / 5 |
Pros
- Undercuts Staccato by several hundred
- Finish quality is genuinely excellent
- Still offered in .45 ACP
Cons
- Kimber’s QC reputation precedes it
- Heavier than the polymer grip rivals
- Newer platform with a shorter record
Kimber took its time getting here, and the 2K11 is better for it. This is the company’s first full size 2011, built around the USPSA Limited Optics crowd, and it lands in the gap between the Prodigy and a Staccato without feeling like a compromise in either direction.
The finish is the standout. The high polish Coyote PVD with the DLC flats is the nicest looking gun in this article by some distance, and the machining underneath holds up when you look closely. Kimber has always known how to make a 1911 look expensive.
I will be straight about the elephant in the room. Kimber’s quality control reputation took a beating over the last decade, and plenty of shooters will not touch the brand because of it. The 2K11 reviews have been strong so far, but this is a newer platform without the round count history that Staccato has built up. If that bothers you, that is a reasonable position.
It is also the only gun here still offered in .45 ACP, which matters if you have a drawer full of that ammunition and no interest in changing. Our best Kimber 1911 pistols guide covers the rest of the lineup.
Best For: the buyer who wants Staccato build quality and cannot justify Staccato money. Pick this over the Prodigy if fit and finish matter to you more than saving another four hundred dollars.
4. Bul Armory SAS II: Best Sleeper Pick
- Caliber: 9mm Luger, with .38 Super in the race models
- Barrel Length: 3.25in Ultralight, 4.25in EDC and TAC, 5in TAC and TAC Pro
- Capacity: 16 to 20 rounds depending on model
- Origin: Built in Israel
- Street Price: From $1,192 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 4 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 4.5 / 5 |
| Reliability | 4.5 / 5 |
| Trigger | 4.5 / 5 |
| Prestige | 3 / 5 |
Pros
- Machining quality punches well above price
- Widest size range in the segment
- Optic mounting system is properly thought out
Cons
- Almost no US brand recognition
- Dealer network is thin
- Resale value suffers for it
Bul has been making 1911 frames since the nineties, including parts that ended up inside guns wearing other companies’ names. The SAS II is their own competition line, and it is the most underrated pistol in this article.
Pick one up and the machining tells you what you need to know. Tight slide to frame fit, clean edge breaks, no tool chatter where your hand goes. It feels like a gun that costs more than it does, which is the opposite of most imports at this price.
The size range is the real advantage. The Ultralight at 3.25in is a genuinely carryable 2011, the EDC sits at 4.25in, and the TAC Pro runs a full 5in for competition. Nobody else covers that spread as thoroughly, and you can stay on one manual of arms across all three.
The catch is not the gun, it is the badge. Bul has almost no name recognition in the States, which means fewer dealers stock it and resale takes a hit. If you buy guns to keep, that is somebody else’s problem and your gain.
Best For: the shooter who does their own homework and does not care what the badge says. Also the best route to a small framed 2011 you can actually conceal.
5. Tisas 1911 Duty DS: Best Budget 2011
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel Length: 4.25in Carry, 5in Duty, threaded on the Night Stalker
- Capacity: 17+1
- Frame: Forged 4140 carbon steel, Cerakote over QPQ
- Street Price: From $674 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 5 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 3.5 / 5 |
| Reliability | 4 / 5 |
| Trigger | 3.5 / 5 |
| Prestige | 2.5 / 5 |
Pros
- Cheapest real double stack 1911 available
- Forged steel with no MIM parts
- Takes standard 2011 pattern accessories
Cons
- Trigger needs work out the box
- Finish is functional, not pretty
- Spare magazines are expensive
Six hundred and seventy five dollars. That is what a forged steel double stack 1911 costs now, and I am still slightly amazed by it every time I check.
Tisas builds these in Turkey and the spec sheet does not read like a budget gun. Frame and slide are forged 4140 carbon steel, finished with Cerakote over QPQ, and there are no MIM or cast parts in the fire control. Plenty of pistols at twice the money cannot say that.
Where the money shows is the trigger and the small parts. It arrives heavier and grittier than anything else in this article, and it smooths out considerably after a few hundred rounds or a competent trigger job. The Cerakote is applied for function rather than looks.
The important part is that it takes standard 2011 pattern accessories, so the upgrade path is wide open. Buy the gun, spend two hundred on a trigger and some grips, and you have something that shoots close to guns costing three times as much. For a broader look at value 1911s, see our best 1911 pistols under $2,000.
Best For: anyone curious about the platform who is not ready to spend four figures. Also the obvious pick for a project gun, because you will not feel bad modifying it.
6. SIG Sauer P211 GTO: Best Newcomer
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel Length: 4.2in on the GT4, 5in on the GT5
- Capacity: Ships with 17rd and 21rd magazines depending on configuration
- Magazines: Uses P320 pattern magazines
- Frame: All steel, optic ready
- Street Price: From $2,099 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 3 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 4.5 / 5 |
| Reliability | 4.5 / 5 |
| Trigger | 4 / 5 |
| Prestige | 4.5 / 5 |
Pros
- P320 magazines are cheap and everywhere
- SIG dealer and warranty network
- Handles mixed ammunition without complaint
Cons
- Priced against Staccato without the record
- Trigger grittier than the competition
- Heavy, even by 2011 standards
SIG entering the 2011 market was inevitable once the segment got hot, and the P211 GTO is a more interesting gun than the cynical read suggests.
The clever bit is the magazines. Where Staccato spent years on proprietary mags and Bul runs its own pattern, SIG built the P211 around P320 magazines. Those are on every shelf in America for sensible money, and if you already own a P320 you have a drawer full of spares that just work.
It shoots well. Reviewers have run it hard across frangible, heavy and cheap steel case ammunition without drama, and the all steel frame makes 9mm feel like nothing. The trigger is the weak spot, a little longer and grittier than the Kimber or the Staccato, though still better than any striker gun.
My hesitation is the price. At around two thousand one hundred it sits in Staccato territory without Staccato’s decade of duty history. You are paying for the SIG badge and the magazine ecosystem, and whether that is worth it depends on how much of a P320 shooter you already are.
Best For: existing P320 owners who want a metal framed single action without starting a new magazine collection. Also anyone who values a dealer on every corner.
7. Stealth Arms Platypus: Best Glock Magazine Option
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel Length: 5in government profile, with a 4.25in Commander
- Magazines: Glock 17 or SIG P320 pattern
- Frame: One piece 7075 aluminium frame and grip
- Origin: Machined in house in the USA
- Street Price: From $1,875 (use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
| Category | Score |
| Price | 3.5 / 5 |
| Fit & Finish | 4 / 5 |
| Reliability | 4 / 5 |
| Trigger | 4 / 5 |
| Prestige | 3 / 5 |
Pros
- Runs cheap Glock 17 magazines
- One piece 7075 frame and grip
- Built and machined in America
Cons
- Long lead times on custom orders
- Very few retailers carry it
- Aluminium frame changes the recoil feel
The Platypus solves the single most annoying thing about owning a 2011, which is the price of magazines. Competition shooters need six or eight of them, and at seventy dollars each that is a real number on top of an already expensive gun.
Stealth Arms built the frame around Glock 17 magazines instead. You keep the 1911 grip angle and the single action trigger, and you feed it with the cheapest, most available handgun magazine on earth. It also takes P320 mags if you would rather go that way.
The frame and grip are machined from one piece of 7075 aluminium, which is unusual in a segment where almost everything is steel or a polymer module on a steel rail. That drops weight and changes how the gun moves in recoil. Some shooters love it. Others want the mass back.
Availability is the real problem. Very few dealers stock one, custom orders run months, and if you want to handle before buying you will probably be out of luck. That is the price of buying from a small American shop rather than a major.
Best For: the competition shooter who already owns a pile of Glock magazines and refuses to start again. Not the pick if you need the gun this month.
How to Choose a 2011
Work out the magazine question first, because it will cost you more than any other decision. A gun that runs Glock or P320 magazines saves you hundreds over the life of the thing. Proprietary magazines are not a dealbreaker, but budget for them honestly.
Then decide between a steel frame and a polymer or aluminium grip module. Steel soaks up recoil and helps you shoot flatter, at the cost of carrying more weight all day. If the gun lives in a range bag, take the steel. If it rides on your belt, think harder.
Barrel length is simpler than people make it. Five inches for competition and range work, 4.25in if you want one gun that does both, and anything shorter only if you genuinely intend to conceal it. Our best full size 9mm pistols guide is worth a look if you are still deciding whether a 2011 is the right answer at all.
One last thing. Every gun here carries cocked and locked, hammer back and safety on. That is normal for the platform and perfectly safe, but it is a different manual of arms to a striker fired pistol. If you are coming from a Glock, get some instruction before you carry one.
FAQ: 2011 Pistols
What is a 2011 pistol?
A 2011 is a 1911 fitted with a modular grip module and a double stack magazine. You keep the single action trigger, thumb safety and grip angle of the original, but capacity jumps from 8 rounds to somewhere between 15 and 20. The name comes from the STI pattern that started it.
Are 2011 pistols worth the money?
If you shoot a lot, yes. The steel frame and single action trigger let most shooters run faster and flatter than they can with a striker fired pistol. If you shoot a few boxes a year, a Glock or a SIG will serve you just as well for a third of the price.
What is the cheapest 2011 pistol?
The Tisas 1911 Duty DS starts around $674, which makes it the cheapest genuine double stack 1911 on the market. It is forged 4140 steel with no MIM parts, so the savings come from the trigger and the finish rather than the metallurgy.
Do any 2011 pistols take Glock magazines?
Yes. The Staccato HD line and the Stealth Arms Platypus both run Glock 17 magazines, and the SIG P211 GTO uses P320 mags. That matters more than it sounds, because proprietary 2011 magazines often run $60 to $80 each and competition shooters need six or more.
Is a 2011 good for concealed carry?
It can be, but you need the right one. Full size 5in models are heavy and wide for daily carry. Look at the Prodigy Compact, the Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight at 3.25in, or a 4.25in EDC model. Get training on carrying cocked and locked first.
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