Devil Dog Arms produces both standard and tactical versions of their DDA 1911s with 3.5-, 4.25- and 5-inch barrels. No matter if a Standard or Tactical version is purchased, shooters will get the same three-hole aluminum trigger with a 3.5- to 4-pound pull.
October 17, 2019
By Yamil Sued
First on my list was to research the product line to figure out which pistol I wanted to explore. Once I saw their lineup, I didn’t know which one to pick. The line includes single-stack 1911 pistols with 3.5-, 4.25- and 5-inch barrels. The 4.25- and 5-inch pistols are offered with the standard 1911 frame or the tactical frame featuring a square triggerguard and a rail. The 3.5-inch models are only offered with the standard 1911 frame. All models are offered in both 9mm and .45 ACP.
A variety of finishes are available on the pistols: black oxide, Cerakote flat dark earth (FDE), boron nitride and a two-tone version with a bare stainless steel frame and black Cerakote slide. All DDA 1911s are built on a 4140 investment-cast frame and a 4140 barstock slide.
The frames feature 22 lines per inch (LPI) frontstrap checkering and NBD grips by DDA. The slides feature oversized front and rear cocking serrations and a custom flat top. The barrels are manufactured from 416 stainless steel and are button-rifled. A match-fit barrel bushing is custom-fitted to both the barrel and the slide. All models feature a 3-hole aluminum trigger with a 3.5- to 4-pound trigger pull and Kensight DFS fixed white-dot sights.
I selected the 4.5-inch model in FDE with the classic frame in .45 ACP. The fit and finish is excellent. All the controls are on the left side and are traditionally sized. The trigger pull is crisp; my sample broke right under 4 pounds. All that was left to do was to hit the range for testing.
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Range testing went well. After a couple hundred rounds of Federal Syntech 230-grain .45 ACP, I found the pistol to both accurate and reliable. At a distance of 10 yards, I was able to do 2-inch groups offhand and didn’t experience a single malfunction throughout the session.
As I said before, I love everything about 1911s, but I especially like factory 1911s with all the features I expect right out of the box. If this gun performed this well, I wonder how good their tactical version is. Now the only thing to do is get more ammo and plan to head to the range again.
Devil Dog Arms DS1911 Standard Specs Type: Hammer-fired, semiautomaticCartridge: .45 ACP, 9mmCapacity: 8 roundsBarrel: 4.25 in.Overall Length: 8 in.Weight: 2 lbs., 3 oz.Grips: NBD gripsSights: Kensight DFS fixed white dot sightsTrigger: Aluminum 3 hole: 3.5-4 lbs.Finish: Cerakote FDE, black oxide, boron nitrideMSRP: $1,049 (.45), $1,099 (9mm)Manufacturer: Devil Dog Arms, devildogarms.com
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