LFA Apollo 11 V2: 2,000-Round Update
I recently crossed the 2,000-round mark with my Apollo 11, so I figured it was time for a longer-term update. I’ve used this pistol almost exclusively for matches over the last six months, along with quite a bit of range time, so at this point I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what it does well and where LFA could improve it.
For some context, I paid less than $800 out the door for this pistol. It came with one magazine and a soft case. At this price point, I’m completely okay with a basic soft case, although I do think including two or three magazines would make the package considerably better.
Fit, finish, and machining
The pictures probably explain this better than I can.
There are definitely visible machine marks in several areas of the pistol. What I find interesting is that they seem to show up primarily around transitions, changes in height, radiuses, and other areas where the cutter is moving from one surface or geometry to another. On long, straight surfaces without transitions, the machining generally looks pretty smooth.
Does any of this affect function? No.
Would it be nice to see these areas cleaned up before the pistols leave the factory and get shipped to dealers? Absolutely.
At under $800, I don’t expect Staccato-level finishing, and I would rather have money spent on proper function than cosmetic polishing. Still, another finishing pass in some of these areas would make the pistol look considerably more refined.
Reliability
Mechanically, this gun has been excellent.
In roughly 2,000 rounds, I’ve had two failures to feed, and both occurred while shooting extremely cheap Herter’s ammunition.
My normal ammunition is Federal 115gr and S&B 124gr, and I have experienced zero malfunctions with either.
I’ve used Mec-Gar, Springfield Prodigy, and Staccato magazines. Interestingly, my Mec-Gar magazines have been the most reliable overall. The Staccato and Prodigy magazines feed perfectly well, but they don’t always lock the slide back after the last round. I consider that a magazine issue rather than a pistol issue, and I’m going to try 18% springs in those magazines.
As far as feeding, extracting, ejecting, and actually going bang when I pull the trigger, the Apollo has been extremely dependable.
Accuracy
Accuracy has also been very good.
I’m not a Grand Master or even an A-class shooter. I’m a pretty solid B shooter, so take that for what it’s worth. Standing and shooting slow fire at 25 yards, I can consistently keep my shots inside something roughly the size of a postcard with this pistol.
For what I’m doing with it, the gun is more accurate than I need it to be.
Trigger
LFA advertises the trigger at approximately 3.5–4 pounds, and that matches what I’ve experienced.
The trigger is good. It’s reasonably crisp, isn’t mushy, and has been completely serviceable for competition. Again, this isn’t a hand-fit custom 2011 trigger, but for a pistol at this price point I have no complaints about it.
My biggest complaint: the sights
This is where I’ve had my most frustrating problems.
The Apollo uses an RMSc/K-pattern optic cut, which by itself isn’t a problem. I’m running a Holosun 507K, and the optic has repeatedly worked itself loose.
The first time it happened was during a match. Admittedly, I hadn’t used Loctite, so I considered that one my fault. I went home, replaced the screws, applied Loctite, torqued everything properly, and figured the problem was solved.
About 500 rounds later, it loosened again.
I checked screw length, torque, and everything else I could think of. I eventually tried red Loctite. It still came loose after more shooting.
I’ve now moved to Rocksett, so we’ll see what happens.
The rear iron sight gave me a similar headache. At approximately 800 rounds, I noticed that it had started drifting. I recentered it and used a little Loctite. At the next range session, it drifted again.
At that point I removed the irons completely. Now I’m basically keeping my fingers crossed that the dot stays attached through an entire match.
That’s easily my biggest criticism of the pistol because, unlike cosmetic machining marks, a sight moving during a match actually matters.
Apollo 11 vs. other 2011s
I came into 2011s after spending quite a bit of time with traditional 1911s and shooting SASS. This is my third 2011. I also own a Springfield Prodigy and a Staccato P.
My general assessment is pretty simple:
I like the Apollo 11 better than the Prodigy. It is obviously not a Staccato P.
But I also didn’t pay Staccato P money for it.
For less than $800 OTD, I’ve gotten a pistol that is accurate, has a good trigger, and has essentially run for 2,000 rounds with two ammunition-related failures.
That’s pretty hard for me to complain about.
One interesting grip compatibility note (last 3 photos)
I’ve seen quite a few people install Springfield Prodigy grip modules on Apollo 11s, so I experimented with that myself.
The Prodigy grip can be made to work, but it isn’t quite as straightforward as it initially appears. It requires the appropriate Prodigy mainspring housing and a compatible grip safety rather than simply swapping the grip itself.
The Staccato grip module, on the other hand, is surprisingly close to drop-in. Mine required very little fitting.
The comparison photos are especially interesting. Dimensionally, the Staccato grip appears much closer to the factory Apollo aluminum grip than the Prodigy grip does. Looking at them side by side from the front and rear makes the difference pretty obvious.
So if someone is buying an Apollo specifically with the intention of eventually changing the grip, I wouldn’t automatically assume the Prodigy module is the easiest route just because it’s a common swap. A Staccato grip is worth considering.
Overall
After 2,000 rounds, I’m still impressed with the Apollo 11.
There are absolutely places where LFA could improve it. I’d like cleaner machining around some of the transitions. I’d like two or three magazines in the box instead of one. Most importantly, I’d like to see the optic and rear-sight mounting issues addressed.
But the core pistol has been extremely solid.
Less than $800 OTD, approximately 2,000 rounds, two failures with bargain-basement ammunition, and zero malfunctions with my normal Federal 115gr and S&B 124gr.
It’s accurate, the trigger is good, and I’ve trusted it enough to use it as my primary match pistol for the last six months.