The Government Model 1911 pistol has been in continuous use for more than 100 years. Its strengths and weaknesses are well-documented. One point of possible failure is the swinging barrel link. Lore has it that, later in life, John Moses Browning sat down for an interview. The interviewer asked Browning which of his designs he would change in hindsight. His answer involved the M1911. He was proud of the pistol's success as a military handgun but also thought the barrel link design was its greatest weakness. Browning’s ensuing work would seem to bear this out. As his designs evolved, he moved away from pivoting links in favor of cammed slots to move barrels in and out of lockup.
Several companies have modified the M1911 to use non-linked locking systems. Peters-Stahl of Germany built M1911 pistols without the swinging link. The P-S locking system consisted of an angular block on the bottom of the barrel that cammed up and down off an angled ramp that was part of the recoil spring assembly. A very similar locking system can be found today on the handguns made by Phoenix Trinity.
Some also see the M1911's pivoting grip safety as a design flaw. It is often criticized for being difficult to deactivate if the shooter’s grip is not perfect. It can be compromised when wearing gloves or even by the size of the shooter's hand itself. Many gunsmiths and end users have pinned or otherwise deactivated the grip safety over the years. Companies like Novak Designs have made mainspring housings that are one piece that eliminate the grip safety. Atlas Gunworks and Wilson Combat make pistols that are M1911-based that don't have a grip safety at all.
Now, OA Defense, in Dayton, Nev., is making a pistol, called the 2311, that is M1911-inspired without these perceived drawbacks. The grip safety is gone and the frame section that would normally contain the grip safety is sealed off and solid. The swinging link has been replaced with a kidney shaped slotted lug that looks heavily influenced by the CZ-75. The 2311 does away with other notable M1911 features.
There is no separate barrel bushing to be removed during disassembly, nor is there a recoil spring plug. The helical locking lugs that mate into corresponding grooves in the slide are gone. The barrel locks up directly against the edge of the slide's ejection port. The internal extractor is also gone and has been replaced with a pivoting external extractor. Something that's actually been added is a bilateral slide release. The added lever runs off a tongue and groove arrangement, and the right side lever stays on the frame during disassembly. OA Defense has added another twist by building the gun to run off SIG M17/P320 magazines. The mag release is a direct take away from the P320 and can be switched to the right or left side of the pistol. It can also be replaced with an extended aftermarket P320 release, if so desired.
All these changes would indicate that the 2311 is not a M1911 at all but something completely different. But along with these changes, there are some design elements that are unchanged. Notably, the sear, disconnector and hammer are traditional M1911 components and can be replaced with other M1911 parts, if so desired. The ambidextrous thumb safety is also the common M1911 pattern. OA Defense engineers also conveyed that frame dimensions are such that an M1911 barrel and slide assembly can be fit to the OA frame, if needed.
Those who are experienced with the legacy M1911 pistol and its disassembly will find the 2311’s fieldstrip procedures familiar. The slide is retracted enough to line the lobe of the slide stop with the disassembly notch in the slide. Being that the slide stop is bilateral, a pen or other small tool must be inserted down into the ejection port to push the left-side slide stop out. Once the slide stop is removed, the slide can be moved forward off the frame. The recoil spring and guide rod and then barrel can be removed from the pistol. Reassembly is simplified without the pivoting link that can sometimes take some wiggling or jiggling to line up on a traditional M1911.
The 2311 is available in full-size and compact format. Both sizes use the same plastic grip frame and can be lengthened or shortened to compact and full grip length by swapping out the attachable aluminum magazine well.. The full-size gun uses a 5" barrel and accepts 17-round (or longer) P320 mags. The compact has a 4.25” barrel and a grip that is sized around the SIG 15-round mag. Mixed amongst these are ported barrel models, various color options and then what OA calls the “plus kit.”
The plus kit consists of the full-size aluminum magazine well bolted to the compact grip, thereby extending the grip to full-length. In all cases, the slides are machined for a proprietary optic plate system that is held in place with two screws. Plates are available for RMR, DPP and RMSc footprints and a full set of plates is included with the pistol. Also regardless of model or size, the frame’s section in front of the trigger guard is notched to accept a flashlight, laser or similar pistol accessory. Lastly, these pistols ship with tritium night sights.
The pistol tested here is the 2311 Compact with Plus Kit, meaning it is the 4.25" barrel configured with the full-length grip. This would most directly compare to the Colt Commander for readers who are familiar with that pistol. Otherwise, it would be analogous to the SIG P320 Carry or Glock 45. This model ships with three 17-round magazines and the full set of optic plates noted above. All this is contained in a padded zippered carry case made for OA Defense by Savior Equipment.
Testing was conducted over two range sessions with a total of 250 rounds fired. Ammunition used included CCI Blazer aluminum case as well as a mix of full metal jacket and jacketed hollow point ammo. Magazines used included the OEM magazines shipped with the handgun as well as the new P320 magazines made by Magpul. In addition, two SIG OEM 21-round mags were tried. All the mags locked in easily, dropped free either full or empty and fed fine. The OA and Magpul mags locked the slide open when empty, but the SIG 21-round magazines did not. New springs may have rectified this issue but were unavailable during testing. The pistol was reliable with all ammo tests and worked without issue sans the aforementioned failures to lock open with the extended SIG magazines.
Holster fit may be a bit of a mixed bag at this time. Being that the shape of the slide is quite a bit different than other M1911-style pistols, the OA may not fit into dedicated M1911 or 2011 holsters. OA Defense does have a limited selection of concealment, range and duty holsters on the store portion of the website. Many 2311 components and spare parts, including grip modules, are available for sale directly from OA Defense. In the future, common parts will be available through the OA webstore or through stocking dealers.
One would have to ask, is it worth spending nearly $2,000 on a pistol just to use $35 magazines? Put another way, what does the 2311 offer that can’t be had from other, similar, M1911 pistols? Double-stack 1911s are not a new idea. STI (now Staccato) and Para Ordnance have an established history of producing M1911s that take double-stack magazines. But M1911 double-stack magazines have long been based on the .45 ACP cartridge; making the magazine (and the grip itself) larger than it needs to be for the shorter 9 mm Luger. Using dedicated 9 mm magazines reduces the grip’s circumference, which is a common complaint with 2011 pistols.
Additionally, being fully bilateral, the 2311 should appeal to lefties wanting a single-action handgun without having to deal with slide and magazine release controls that are intended only for right-handed users. With this said, the pistol may not be ideal for all users. The top edges of the thumb safety and slide stop levers are rather pointy and sharp and the pistol’s front and rear cocking serrations are shallow and set too far apart to provide good traction when working the slide with wet or sweaty hands.
These complaints aside, the OA Defense 2311 is a generally well-thought-out pistol. Firearms innovation is often more evolutionary than revolutionary. That would certainly seem to be the case here. The 2311 uses a number of tried and true features from various designs and combines them into something new and different. Plus the unique look and styling set it apart from many other similar pistols.
OA Defense 2311 Compact Specifications
Manufacturer: OA Defense
Action Type: single-action, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: 9 mm Luger
Barrel: 4.25" 416 stainless steel; DLC finish
Rifling: 1:10"
Frame: 7075 aluminum hardcoat anodized
Grip Module: polymer
Slide: steel with P-series SIG sight dovetails
Finish: Ferritic nitrocarburizing
Magazine: 17-round detachable box P320 compatible
Sights: SIG P-series-pattern, three-dot Tritium; U-notch rear, post front
Overall Length: 7.75"
Height: 5.10"
Width: 1.40"
Weight: 26.8 ozs (without magazine)
MSRP: $1,899 as tested (with Plus Kit)
