Pew-Pew-Rankings
Pew View's top five 2011s. From his YouTube video "Top 5 2011s": the five he picked, why, the features he called out, and what each one costs today. His rule was price off the table, most well-rounded gun wins. Only the no. 1 slot was ranked; the other four are "top five, order to be decided."
His runs Miller's dual-port comp, not the stock single-port shown above. Miller sells it as a $265 bolt-on for the standard Ranger 9X. No dealer photo shows it mounted, so this is Miller's shot of the part.NO. 1His favorite right now
Miller Precision Ranger 9X
"Easiest to shoot fast." Ran .10 splits the first time he picked it up, in Florida heat with sweaty hands. He calls it a one-gun answer: swap the sight block, single-port comp, or double-port comp instead of buying three 2011s. The one on his table wears the double-port comp. He says "X9" on camera; Miller sells it as the Ranger 9X.
Slimmest grip on the tableFully ambidextrousLinkless barrelDual-port comp (as shot)Small-batch shop
His one caveat: the linkless action feels different from a traditional 2011 and would be harder to air-rack. He says the recoil impulse makes up for it.
He said
Under $5,000
Retail now
$4,675 – $4,909
Rainier Arms / Blackstone · in stock · + $265 dual-port comp
Also top five
Unranked. His words: "I'll put them in the place they belong."
Nighthawk Custom TRS Comp
Flattest, best-balanced gun he owns. Has been in about 30 of his videos, never gets cleaned beyond a few drops of oil, and still runs. The one gun he says will stay on every future version of this list. The Sandhawk shoots the same; he just likes this one's look.
Integrated compGrip textureSmooth slideAbuse-proof
He said
No price given
Retail now
$5,199 MSRP
Nighthawk · out of stock · Rainier $5,930
Bul Armory TAC COMP
He says "Tac Cop" on camera; it's the TAC COMP. Ported and compensated, a good trigger out of the box, and "probably the flattest gun on the list." His line: it's not a better gun than an Atlas, but it does as much for the average shooter at half the price.
Ported + comped barrelGreat triggerFlattest shooterShips with 4 mags
He said
About $2,800
Retail now
$2,990 MSRP
Bul USA · KYGunCo $2,850
Taran Tactical Sand Viper
"One of the prettiest guns out there," in his favorite firearm color. If you like the Staccato XC, he calls this the well-polished upgrade. He says it's very expensive and doesn't pretend otherwise; the current price includes a Trijicon SRO and a 6–8 month wait.
Coyote bronze DLCSingle-port compXC, refinedOptic included
He said
"Very expensive"
Retail now
$8,200 w/ SRO
TTI direct · Rainier $7,700, out of stock
United Gunworks Alpha
"Came out of nowhere" and keeps "dropping banger after banger." Island barrel with V ports plus inline ports, extended slide stop, slide mass cut way down, so the recoil feels "crazy" flat. His only gripe was a knuckle on the grip, and he says the newer ones have already dropped it.
Ported island barrelLightened slide2–3 lb triggerBuilt to order
He said
Garbled on camera
Retail now
$5,675 MSRP
United Gunworks · 2–3 wk build · Blackstone $5,670
Honorable mentions
In the order he shot them. "They're on this table because I like them."
Girsan Witness2311 Match X
With a Kimber 2K grip swapped on. Ran it through mud, barely washed it, still shoots. "Very impressive for the money."
He said
~$1,200 built
Retail now
$1,239 MSRP
Fusion XP Comp & Ported
He calls it the "XP Pro"; the ported-and-comped one Fusion sells is the XP Comp & Ported (the plain XP Pro is $1,249). Metal frame and grip, takes Glock mags. Expect some stovepipes on cheap 2011s with bad ammo.
He said
"Fairly priced"
Retail now
$1,749
Stealth Arms Platypus Comp
The original Glock-mag 2011. Slim grips, "absolutely silly" with the comp. His take: the Staccato HD has nothing on it, at half the price.
He said
~$2,500
Retail now
$2,520
Sig Sauer P211-GTO
Completely ambi, G10 grips, not slim but easy to control. Drop-safe, which he points out most of this table is not. "Sig crushed these."
He said
~$2,500
Retail now
$2,420 MSRP
Kimber 2K11 Comp
His workhorse: ~20,000 rounds, cleaned maybe three times. "Kimber completely controls the 2011 game" on bang for the buck. The comp actually compensates.
He said
$2,500
Retail now
$2,599 MSRP
Kimber DS Warrior
Same grip and trigger feel as the 2K, more traditional 1911 slide. 5,000+ rounds, filthy, "running like a champ." His "under $1,000" doesn't quite hold today.
He said
Under $1,000
Retail now
$1,025 – $1,135
Staccato XC
"One of the best pistols ever made." Started the island-barrel comp trend everyone copied. Still holds up; "very close" to top five. He won't discuss the HD line.
He said
No price given
Retail now
From $4,299
Bul Armory UL Comp
3.25" barrel, one he carries often. "Would honestly make top five if they still made it." Bul's current US lineup no longer lists the comp version.
He said
Discontinued
Retail now
Secondary only
Bul Armory EDC Compact
Chopped grip on a 4.25" bull barrel. Another one he carries. "I forgot how comfortable that is to shoot."
He said
"Fairly priced"
Retail now
$1,950
Jacob Grey Hex Pro
Great palm swell, "amazing" trigger, very slick. He doesn't love the chunk port: "it's just one port essentially." Their ported-and-comped model is the one he'd rather show.
He said
No price given
Retail now
$4,800 MSRP
Also on the table, no card
Staccato P (ported by Vulcan, clamp-on comp; "2011s have progressed far past" it, but still a fine duty gun) · Staccato C2 (only good after a Miller grip and a comp; the threaded barrel gave him baffle strikes) · Dan Wesson DWX Compact ("a 1911 and a CZ had a baby," hits high) · Bul open gun (giant comp, "that's cheating") · Nighthawk Sandhawk (shoots the same as the TRS) · Kimber 2K non-comp (metal grip, weirdly comfortable recoil) · United Gunworks carry model (with a Miller grip) · Fusion's earlier double-stack (grip too fat) · Stealth Arms Platypus ported (Impact Machine porting).
Staccato P (ported by Vulcan, clamp-on comp; "2011s have progressed far past" it, but still a fine duty gun) · Staccato C2 (only good after a Miller grip and a comp; the threaded barrel gave him baffle strikes) · Dan Wesson DWX Compact ("a 1911 and a CZ had a baby," hits high) · Bul open gun (giant comp, "that's cheating") · Nighthawk Sandhawk (shoots the same as the TRS) · Kimber 2K non-comp (metal grip, weirdly comfortable recoil) · United Gunworks carry model (with a Miller grip) · Fusion's earlier double-stack (grip too fat) · Stealth Arms Platypus ported (Impact Machine porting).
Source: "Top 5 2011s" by Pew View on YouTube. "He said" is from the video's transcript. "Retail now" is MSRP or a dealer listing fetched Oct 25, 2026: Rainier Arms, Blackstone Shooting, Nighthawk Custom, Bul Armory USA, KYGunCo, Taran Tactical, United Gunworks, EAA, Fusion Firearms, Stealth Arms via Blackstone, Sig Sauer, Kimber, Primary Arms, Staccato, Jacob Grey. Photos are the makers' or dealers' product shots.
His closing note: trust Nighthawk, Kimber and Bul to be good; watch the new shops like United Gunworks and Miller; and expect this list to change every time he films it. Street prices move; the figures here are a one-day snapshot, not a guarantee.