American Tactical’s Polymer-Framed 1911 Pistol, the FXH-45 — SHOT Show 2016

in 1911, Pistols, SHOT Show 2016

Updated: January 18, 2016 BY Max Slowik

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The full-size FXH-45 is half 1911, half space gun.

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It has a hybrid polymer frame for reduced weight without compromised handling.

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Buy ATI firearms at GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=ati

American Tactical Imports, or ATI, has a great reputation for bringing affordable firearms to the U.S. A few years ago they started working on polymer AR-15 receivers here in the States, with one pretty noteworthy feature that sets an ATI receiver apart—they’re hybrid receivers, with a polymer body and metal sub-frame to support the buffer tube extension—metal reinforcements where other receivers have failed.

Now the maker of Omni-Hybrid Polymer AR-15 receivers has leveled their expertise using the very same technology to take on an American institution: the iconic 1911.

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The pistol has integral fingergrooves and an ambidextrous thumb safety.

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As well as a Picatinny accessory rail.

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The result is the FXH-45, with a 5-inch 416 stainless steel match-grade barrel and a futuristically-styled black nitride stainless steel slide and lightweight hybrid polymer frame. The frame has some modern upgrades like stippling on the trigger guard, a dust cover accessory rail and ergonomic finger grooves.

The slide has three fashionable ports on either side with low-profile front and rear sights. The front sight sports a fiber-optic rod for fas acquisition. the FXH-45 slide is cut for Glock sights, which are some of the most popular and easy-to-find on the market. One very welcome feature is that the slide is machined to accommodate Trijicon RMR and Burris Fastfire mini red dot sights with adapter plates.

Like the frame, the grips are black polymer, and along with a lot of other parts on the FXH-45, can be swapped with standard 1911 components. The gun comes in a plastic hard case with an instruction manual and one 8-round ASC magazine.

It weighs around 10 ounces less than an all-steel 1911.

Specifications

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Height: 5.4 inches
• Length: 8.7 inches
• Weight: 27.5 ounces unloaded without magazine
• Magazine Capacity: 8 rounds
• MSRP $659.95

First Impressions

The first question that comes to mind is “Is this really a 1911?”

Field strip the gun and you’ll find the guts of it are for the most part what your granddad had in his pistol—with the exception of the polymer frame and its metal inserts. Unfortunately, due to differences in critical frame dimensions, the FXH-45 will not fit in a standard molded 1911 holster. This will change when holster manufacturers get their hands on their own FXH-45 pistols—there are no blanks available at this time.

Given the countless 1911 variants that have materialized since John Browning invented the pistol more than a hundred years ago, a better question should be, “What kind of 1911 is this?”

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The front fiber optic sight.

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The plain rear—both are Glock-pattern sights.

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In my hand it feels like a 1911 should, though not as heavy as you would expect, weighing just 30.3 ounces unloaded including the magazine. At the range a 1911 traditionalist said it felt a little top heavy, however to me it still felt balanced.

I was immediately impressed with the sleek, modern design of the slide. It looks like the armorer from “RoboCop” had a hand in the design—the gun definitely looks more at home in 2016, not 1916. The fingergrooves fit my hand naturally along with the upswept beavertail grip safety. The rear slide serrations offer a solid grip and the ports on the slide add character to the overall sci-fi look.

Shooting

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Ball, steel-cased, hollow points—it ate all the ammo.

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No doubt the large ejection port helped.

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ATI, like a lot of companies, states in the manual not to use reloaded, factory reloaded or steel case ammo. So of course we did exactly that, and the FXH-45 spit out round after round without a hiccup. No feeding issues, magazine problems or failures. There is nothing I appreciate more than a firearm that can perform with any ammo. When the zombie apocalypse happens—or in the event of an ammunition shortage—I want the comfort of knowing that I will be able to protect myself with a firearm that will shoot whatever kind of ammo is readily available.

One of the few problems that I encountered was the slide stop worked intermittently, possibly due to the magazine. I’m not a fan of the quality of the ASC magazine it comes with, so for our testing we also used a Wilson Combat magazine and found it to be more reliable.

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The trigger pull is a little heavy but in-line with entry-level 1911s.

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Though it made a fine suppressor host.

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The trigger pull measured an average of 5 pounds 14 ounces. The break was crisp though the reset was bit a…squishy. The trigger is adjustable so it’s possible to improve the reset. Recoil was on par with pretty much every other 1911 I’ve ever fired, which is a testament to the polymer frame design.

Closing Thoughts

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Once you get past the frame, it’s all 1911.

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The included magazine was temperamental.

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To answer the question I previously asked I would say, “This is the kind of 1911 your kids can appreciate without rolling their eyes as you go on about the good old days.” Twisted a little bit from the classic, yes, but a new and welcome variant just the same.

As a sci-fi buff and tech junkie I welcome innovation and commend manufacturers that are thinking outside the box. ATI has shown that they are not afraid to try something different with their FXH-45 and are working hard to changed opinions about guns.

Built here in the U.S., this handgun may not immediately appeal to the 1911 aficionado, however the affordably-priced FXH-45 is a definite contender for buyers looking for a lightweight 1911. American Tactical has plans to produce Commander-sized versions, as well as subcompact, and not just .45 models but also in 9mm.

At this price the ATI FXH-45 is not only competitive with more upscale lightweight 1911s, it packs a set of features that many more expensive 1911s can’t even hope to match.

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