Alfa Foxtrot 15rd 1911/2011 type pistol, ~size of G43X

[Elwin]

I think it’s a good idea and certainly not the last offering we’ll see if a 1911ish thing taking some other pistol’s double stack 9mm magazine. That said I’m not sure about this company or some of the features of this pistol. And I’d agree with others that hitching my $1500 boat to a boutique magazine wouldn’t give me the warm fuzzies.

I think it’s an indicator of better things to come. The popularity of Staccatos and the X9s shows there’s a market to be tapped for a 1911ish taking something besides a 2011 mag but not costing $3000+ for the pistol. If not Dan Wesson, someone is going to come up with a solid competitor to the X9 series that undercuts Wilson on price. Maybe more than one someone. They should just follow DW in using CZ75 Compact mags, unless I’m forgetting another super common, affordable, similar sized 9mm mag to use.

I think it’s always going to be a 4” or just under barrel without a bushing. That seems to be the recipe a lot of people are having success with when they make a 9mm 1911 that works. CSW’s Springers are an example, as are Wilson’s X9s and the EDC9 they’re based on, the Ed Brown EVO series, some Nighthawks, some Dan Wessons, and probably some others I’m forgetting.

[TOTS]

This code has been cracked over a decade ago. If there’s a better magazine than the Mecgar 18 rnd replacement for the M9, I haven’t seen it. I’ve always wondered why they wouldn’t make a 2011 around it.

ETA: this is the same body for many reliable mags such as sig 226,228/9 and others.

[TGS]

I like the idea of using another gun's mag so as to not create an additional one-off, expensive, proprietary mag on the market....

...but the Shield 15 mag? Is there even a strong consensus on whether those are good to go, yet? I thought they were still in the play-toy category of things...might work well, but might not, sort of deal. Am I wrong on that?

[Jim Watson]

I was playing with a 2011 and the dedicated 9mm magazines on hand; Glock, Sig, CZ.

The 9mm magazines have a more abrupt taper to center feed than 2011 and stop with that taper against the side rails of the steel 2011 frame. I assume you could bevel that out without weakening the receiver seriously.
You could 3d print a plastic butt section with the appropriate magazine well. Or just cement shims into a standard one for prototyping.

Of course if you have a factory with some spare cycles, you can gin up something from scratch.

I understand the Wilson uses Walther tubes with their floor plate and catch notch location.

[MistWolf]

Glock 19 mags, as good as they are, are FAT.

Yes. Yes, they are and there are more reliable mags out there, such as

...the Mecgar 18 rnd replacement for the M9, I haven’t seen it. I’ve always wondered why they wouldn’t make a 2011 around it.

ETA: this is the same body for many reliable mags such as sig 226,228/9 and others.

...and the PPQ/PDP. TOTS is right. The modern MecGar M9 mags are one to the most reliable double stack, single feed 9mm mags out there. That's why

...Wilson uses Walther tubes

But Wilson uses their own catch location.

The best part? This family of mags are direct descendants of the original, the High Power magazine.

The AF1911-S15 is an interesting handgun. I like metal framed handguns, but not when the grips are part of the frame.

[Jim Watson]

But Wilson uses their own catch location.

Which I said.

The best part? This family of mags are direct descendants of the original, the High Power magazine.

Fortunately distant descendants. Same double stack squeezed down into center feed, but later makes are usually of thicker, stronger steel.

Which leads me to wonder why Mecgar does not make a real 2011 magazine. They could decisively undersell the market probably with better quality.

The plastic Glock magazine is wide by 9mm standards, but it is still narrower than a 2011 which is built to take staggered .45 magazines.

[spyderco monkey]

I like the idea of using another gun's mag so as to not create an additional one-off, expensive, proprietary mag on the market....

...but the Shield 15 mag? Is there even a strong consensus on whether those are good to go, yet? I thought they were still in the play-toy category of things...might work well, but might not, sort of deal. Am I wrong on that?

One of the bigger reveals from SHOT 2022 this year, that seems to have gone largely unoticed, is PSA's Micro Dagger, which is essentially a better G43X with factory 15rd metal/polymer mags that are compatible with the G43X/48. And these will be made by PSA.

So the AFS15 should in theory be able to use Shield Mags, PSA mags, and factory G48 10rd mags.

[MistWolf]

Which I said.

You did. I misunderstood

Fortunately distant descendants. Same double stack squeezed down into center feed, but later makes are usually of thicker, stronger steel.

Which leads me to wonder why Mecgar does not make a real 2011 magazine. They could decisively undersell the market probably with better quality.

The plastic Glock magazine is wide by 9mm standards, but it is still narrower than a 2011 which is built to take staggered .45 magazines.

I read somewhere that Stacatto had another company re-work their mags for improved reliability & control. I think the company was MecGar

[P226SAOFan]

So if the current 2011 design needs slim mags towards the feed lips because of the frame geometry, would tweaking the frame to fit different mags mess with other part compatibility like triggers and stuff? There’s gotta be a reason this hasn’t been changed yet.

[Elwin]

So if the current 2011 design needs slim mags towards the feed lips because of the frame geometry, would tweaking the frame to fit different mags mess with other part compatibility like triggers and stuff? There’s gotta be a reason this hasn’t been changed yet.

If you’re asking why we don’t have 2011 frames that take non-2011 mags, yes, that would involve at least a new trigger in addition to the new frame. Maybe a new mag catch and new ignition parts to match a new trigger bow.

I think the bigger issue is designing that new frame from the ground up being a huge investment, and if you’re doing that you do what Wilson, Dan Wesson, and Alpha Foxtrot did and design a totally new thing that ditches all the undesirable traits of a 2011.