Best 2011 Pistol Under $4000 – Need Your Advice!

[RangeReady]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to buy a 2011 pistol and have a budget of $4,000 (not including an optic to which I was going to go to $4600 all in). My main use will be target shooting for fun and maybe some competition down the road. It's not going to be my main home defense gun, but let's be honest—any good firearm might end up being used if needed, so reliability still matters.

Here are a few I'm considering:
Staccato XL – I've heard great things about accuracy and speed. Is it worth the price?
Staccato XC – A bit over budget, but does the built-in comp make a big difference?
MPA DS9 Hybrid – Not as popular, but looks solid. Anyone here own one?
Nighthawk TRS Comp – Over $4K new, but maybe worth hunting for a used one?
Any other models I should check out?

What do you think if you own or have shot one of these? What's the best 2011 pistol under $4K for accuracy, reliability, and all-around performance? Also, any good places to buy or sales to watch for?

Other models on my radar are:

• Bul Armory SAS II Tac
• Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight
• Atlas Gunworks Ares
• Infinity Firearms 2011 (Used Market)
• Taran Tactical Pit Viper (Used Market)
• Triarc 2011

Would love to hear your thoughts—thanks!

 

[Old Bill]

What caliber? What capacity, barrel length, Alloy or ?

 

[Mike D]

You might want to up that ante a bit, I just read about the new Sig Romeo 9. $4,000, but it should make you shoot better?

 

[Blackbeard]

Concur with what most have said so far, might want to give this video a watch as well

 

[KyCarl]

Check out Matt McLearn he builds good ones I have a commander he built for me and love it!

 

[PMCH1994]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to buy a 2011 pistol and have a budget of $4,000 (not including an optic to which I was going to go to $4600 all in). My main use will be target shooting for fun and maybe some competition down the road. It's not going to be my main home defense gun, but let's be honest—any good firearm might end up being used if needed, so reliability still matters.

Here are a few I'm considering:
Staccato XL – I've heard great things about accuracy and speed. Is it worth the price?
Staccato XC – A bit over budget, but does the built-in comp make a big difference?
MPA DS9 Hybrid – Not as popular, but looks solid. Anyone here own one?
Nighthawk TRS Comp – Over $4K new, but maybe worth hunting for a used one?
Any other models I should check out?

What do you think if you own or have shot one of these? What's the best 2011 pistol under $4K for accuracy, reliability, and all-around performance? Also, any good places to buy or sales to watch for?

Other models on my radar are:

• Bul Armory SAS II Tac
• Bul Armory SAS II Ultralight
• Atlas Gunworks Ares
• Infinity Firearms 2011 (Used Market)
• Taran Tactical Pit Viper (Used Market)
• Triarc 2011

Would love to hear your thoughts—thanks!

Bul Armory SAS II TAC 5 hands down

 

[Slim]

I like my Bul Armory SAS II. I found it used (consignment) for $2,200.00 otd.

 

[Mike Farniok]

MPA, Carne Custom, Venom Custom. I have owned the first 2. Venom is a very solid custom. Carne is a solid tack driver. MPA is the top pick out of your list. I would not use your list personally.

 

[Joeculb]

Watchtower Apache is super solid and flat shooter. I also have a Bul Tac ultralight super solid and fun shooters, both in 9mm

 

[boatdoc]

SA prodigy is a fine 2011. worth the $$ IMO

 

[PMCH1994]

Getting a Bul Armory will save you half of your money so you can get more ammo and gear.
The performance of the Buls IMHO is as good or better than Staccatos for half the price.

 

[ratwhacker]

My vote, and my wallet, say buy a Tisas Double Stack, buy a Brazos 9mm extractor, pay a gunsmith a few bucks for a trigger job and fitting a new barrel bushing, and spend all the rest of the money on reloading components or cheap ammo.
The Tisas is relatively cheap, at under $700 street price, uses the same magazines as the high-dollar guns, and with a new extractor and possibly a new barrel bushing, shoots just as well. AND, it's already cut for a red dot optic, besides. It literally does anything that a Staccato will do, with those little tweaks. Mine came with about a 5lb. trigger, which we tweaked to 3.5lbs.
The extra money left over should go to practice ammo, and a lot of it.
I grew up CHEAP, but that makes more sense to me than buying a high-dollar pistol and STILL having to tweak it to get it to run right. And yes, they might need that tweaking, I hear about it all the time.
It's your money, spend it the way you want, but above all, be smart about it.

 

[joepistol]

I don't own a Bul Armory SAS II, but I do have one of their "entry level" 1911's
A 1911 Cmdr.in 9mm.. & it's very impressive.
The features, workmanship quality, & accuracy much > the price., IMO

If I didn't own so many other 1911's, I wouldn't hesitate to buy more 1911's (or 2011's ) from Bul Armory.

 

[Trgtshtr19]

I have Volkmann and love it, might be around your budget.

 

[Tommy Two Guns]

For that money, you can buy a lotta gun. Good list you got going. I have a Staccato C2 that I love. Heard great things about Bul. ratwhacker mentioned Tisas. I've got four of their 1911's. Great guns, better value. You might check out the MAC 1911-9 double stack. Tisas makes those. So many good 2011's out there. I don't think you can make a bad decision.

 

[SoyTarasbulba]

RIA 52009 "The Rock" in 10mm

 

[Bob Lee]

I don't own a Bul Armory SAS II, but I do have one of their "entry level" 1911's
A 1911 Cmdr.in 9mm.. & it's very impressive.
The features, workmanship quality, & accuracy much > the price., IMO

If I didn't own so many other 1911's, I wouldn't hesitate to buy more 1911's (or 2011's ) from Bul Armory.

I wish I'd bought a BUL when they were cheaper and under the Desert Eagle name. I'm to the point where I'd rather monkey with what I have than to buy something else again. Kicking around the idea of having a King's 206 beavertailand a retro rear sight installed on my beater 1991 Colt. I keep that one for one of my house guns. Bought it used years ago. Good gun, works fine. It is a bit finish worn but I like the look. Love the Kings 206 grip safety too. Probably my favorite grip safety along with the Derr short grip safety. Probably get it done this summer after things slow down here.

 

[joepistol]

wasn't familiar with the King's 206 beavertail, but searched & found a pic on Ebay.. only $25.00 , & should be easy for you to install. I'd say, you haven't ordered one yet ?

 

[Bob Lee]

wasn't familiar with the King's 206 beavertail, but searched & found a pic on Ebay.. only $25.00 , & should be easy for you to install. I'd say, you haven't ordered one yet ?

Oh yeah I'm sitting in a couple of them lol.

 

[ratwhacker]

RIA 52009 "The Rock" in 10mm

The "problem" with RIAs, is, that they use the Para Ordnance magazines, which can be unreliable, and are a LOT harder to source when you want more of them. They aren't really a 2011 pattern. Since the OP was asking about 2011s, it leaves out the RIAs completely.
2011s have basically a metallic frame inserted into a polymer grip, and all use a common magazine of a now-common pattern, so more companies are making them, and they're usually available from many sources (Atlas, Checkmate, etc) versus RIAs which are available when RIA feels like sending some to the US.

I"m not a Rock hater (I have two, and they're marvelous shooters, but mine are single stacks, not the wide-bodies). RIA makes good pistols, but the wide-body guns can sometimes be hard to get parts for, especially extra magazines, and the magazines aren't really as proven as the 2011 types.