Citadel M1911 .380 ACP: Full Review

The 1911 is well more than a century old, yet it continues to be popular. It is copied by numerous manufacturers, and sold in variations John Moses Browning never envisioned. We are experiencing trends of 1911s with compensators, optics mounted to the slide, high-­capacity double-­stack versions and subcompacts. The Citadel M1911 .380 is one example of the latter. Manufactured in the Philippines, Armscor developed the Baby Rock 380 in 2013, which was introduced by Rock Island Armory (RIA) in 2014. Browning also launched its 1911-380 Black Label in 2014. These 1911-­style pistols are 85-percent scale of the 1911, downsized to fit the .380 ACP. The Citadel M1911 .380 series is imported from Armscor by Legacy Sports International (LSI) and offered as a Citadel product.

Citadel has sold its M1911 .380 Series since 2021, but Cerakote options were made available in 2024. Colors include Tactical Gray, OD Green, Midnight Bronze, Flat Dark Earth (FDE), two-tone models,  and a pair of options wearing the stars and stripes. Guns & Ammo received the FDE model, which is a Cerakote color in Glock’s specific shade. (There are dozens of shades of brown and tan described as “FDE.”) To contrast with FDE, the pistol was equipped with blonde double-­diamond checkered wooden grips — a classic touch.

The Citadel .380 M1911 features a 33/4-­inch barrel and is fed by seven-­round magazines; two are provided. The magazines are made by Metalform (metalform.us). Metalform has produced affordably priced aftermarket 1911 magazines in all common 1911 calibers for decades. The stainless-steel .380 magazines have index holes in the sides and non-­tilt stainless-steel followers.

Overall, the M1911 .380 is 61/2-inches long, 4.7-inches tall and just 1.05 inches at the grips. The slide is only .8-­inch wide. With an unloaded magazine in place, it weighs 23.4 ounces. Weight perception may be greater than one would expect simply because every part on this pistol — except for the grips — is steel. Yes, the trigger, the grip safety, and mainspring housing are all made of steel.

More Than Appearances

The small pistol includes several details appearing on modern, full-­size M1911s. It boasts improved sights, forward cocking serrations and a beavertail grip safety, but the top of the slide is rounded in the traditional manner. The steel sights are combat style, just sized down to fit the reduced profile. The rear sight is the ramped no-­snag variety, sporting a notch with a serrated face. It sits in a generous dovetail machined into the slide. The front sight is a serrated ramp, which is dovetailed into place. However, the dovetail is not machined sideways across the top of the slide. Rather it is cut into the body of the slide from the front. The sight body is then secured with a set screw to the rear of the ramp. 

The sights are also Cerakote finished, matching the slide’s color. Guns & Ammo’s reviewers were torn as to whether they preferred the look of it to standard black sights on a colored slide. Depending on the lighting conditions, sights in colors other than black might be a help or a hindrance. The barrel, barrel bushing, recoil spring plug, trigger, mainspring housing, pins, screws and controls on the pistol are all black, producing a color contrast. Cerakote is the brand of ceramic coatings that are popular for its durability and color variety. Its value extends beyond a color palette, though.

The serrations on the slide are angled, flat-­bottomed and aggressive. They are at the front and rear of the slide, and most will appreciate them. Being that the Citadel M1911 .380 is a straight blowback pistol, it has a strong recoil spring and hammer spring.

The Differences

While it roughly follows the design of a full-­size M1911A1, the proportions are a little off to accommodate capacity and grip length. The grip angle is also more vertical than the original design, but it is still accurate to describe the Citadel pistol as a “1911-­style” handgun, even with the internal differences. First, the extractor is a pivoting-type that’s spring loaded. John Browning settled on an internal extractor for the Model 1911, which plagued some users with tension issues. To take advantage of the pivoting extractor of the Citadel M1911, the front was enlarged. When hook onto the rim of a cartridge case, it displays a line of red paint and works double duty as a loaded chamber indicator.

Standard, full-size M1911s use a tilting barrel and swinging link to mitigate recoil energy. The barrel in the Citadel M1911 .380 has no link and does not tilt. It doesn’t move at all, actually. The barrel lug, under the chamber, fits snugly into a recess designed within the frame. The slide-stop lever keeps it in place. The front of the barrel is positioned inside the bushing, properly orienting it.

The steel trigger on G&A’s sample was crisp. There was almost no takeup or overtravel perceived, but it was disappointingly heavy on the gauge. The factory spec was quoted to us as “5 pounds, 2 ounces.” The measured trigger pull weight was 8 pounds, which made shooting to its accuracy potential a challenge. Unfortunately, adding lube did not improve or lighten the heavy trigger. It was likely due, in part, to the heavy mainspring that powers the hammer and strut assembly. In a straight-­blowback, hammer-­fired design, the only components that absorb recoil energy are the recoil spring assembly and the hammer spring assembly. The heavier these springs are, the more they slow the slide and soften the ride. It may have been a necessary design consideration when considering the variety of bullet weights available for .380 ACP. When it arrived, the pistol was dry on the inside, and cycling the slide against the strong recoil spring was a rough endeavor. Once some lube was applied to the barrel and inside the slide, it cycled smoothly.

This pistol has a rounded, skeletonized “Commander-­style” hammer. Below it is a beavertail grip safety reduced in size for this smaller pistol. The proportions at the rear of the frame are a little changed from standard design, too, in order to accommodate the thumb safety. The thumb-safety lever is the same size as one on a full-­size M1911. It could be a smart decision. While it isn’t extended or widened, it is large enough that any shooter should be able to swipe it off with the right-hand’s thumb as part of the draw stroke.

The magazine release button is small and checkered. It does not protrude as far as the grips, so it shouldn’t be pressed accidentally. 

The slide-­stop lever has a nice, sizeable ledge. Despite John Browning’s intent that it only be used as a slide stop, it works well as a slide release. 

Both the front and rear of the steel frame are curved forward at the bottom. The standard M1911 has a sharp corner at the rear, but due to the abbreviated length of this frame, that corner would dig into the heel of your hand. The rounded butt was a smart decision. Also notable, there is a slight bevel to the magazine well.

The frame of the Citadel has been reduced in every dimension to fit the short .380 ACP cartridge, and the trigger is also of the short variety. The reach to the trigger is the shortest we’ve seen in a while. If you have small hands, that’s good news. If you wear XL gloves, the gun might feel too small. Many of us had to pause shooting and reposition our hands to ensure the grip safety was deactivated.

At the Range

The pistol was very controllable. The all-­steel construction made it perceptively heavy for its size. With its weight combined with the low-­bore recoil, muzzle rise wasn’t bad. Felt recoil had a snappy impulse, likely due to the straight-blowback recoil system.

The chamber mouth was beveled and polished, and the feed ramp in the frame smoothed and polished, as well. That, and the anti-­tilt followers in the magazines, positioned the bullet noses very near the bore line through to the chamber. Our sample pistol devoured every load it was fed, including defensive hollowpoints. Hornady’s 90-grain Critical Defense load produced the tightest groups.

Citadel’s M1911 .380 ACP delivered. It’s interesting and unusual, fun, colorful and reliable. Still, it might struggle to find a niche with consumers. It’s small enough to conceal, but a quality holster is needed to support the weight. The weight helps tame recoil, but most people choose small guns for easy concealment. Shootability is a bonus. If the trigger pull on our sample is indicative of what consumers can expect, it is heavier than what most 1911 shooters would want, especially at $599 price point. 

Citadel M1911 .380

• Type: Blowback operated, hammer fired, semiautomatic
• Cartridge: .380 ACP
• Capacity: 7+1 rds.
• Barrel: 3.75 in., stainless steel
• Overall Length: 6.38 in.
• Height: 4.7 in.
• Width: 1.05 in.
• Weight: 1 lb., 7.4 oz.
• Sights: Serrated ramp (front/rear), notch (rear)
• Finish: Midnight Bronze Cerakote, (tested)
• Trigger: 8 lbs. (tested)
• Safety: Manual thumb safety, grip safety
• MSRP: $599
• Manufacturer: Armscor, Philippines
• Importer: Citadel, 800-553-4229, legacysports.com

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