Ed Brown FX2 Commander Bobtail

The Ed Brown FX2 is what happens when a company known for building some of the finest traditional 1911s decides to build one for the red dot era. Ed Brown teamed up with Trijicon right as the RMRcc hit the market, and the FX2 became the first 1911 designed around it from the ground up. The optic's narrow body sits nearly flush with the slide, so you don't get that bulky, bolted-on look some 1911 optic mounts have. Co-witnessed iron sights ride in front of it, an Ed Brown rear sight paired with an AmeriGlo orange front, so you're never without a backup sighting plane if the dot goes dark.

This particular FX2 is the SS configuration, built on a Commander Bobtail frame with a 4.25-inch barrel and chambered in 9mm. The stainless finish has that brushed, industrial look Ed Brown calls Industrial Stainless, and it wears the company's Snakeskin texturing on the frontstrap and mainspring housing for a sure grip without the bite of checkering. Look closer, and you'll spot the FX slide cuts and the American flag rear serrations, a nod to the original FX line this pistol descends from.

Ed Brown builds these by hand in Perry, Missouri, fitting each part rather than dropping it in from a bin, and every FX2 is backed by the company's Lifetime Warranty. Black G10 grip panels and matching black accents on the trigger and barrel bushing break up the stainless nicely without looking flashy. A flush barrel with a recessed crown rounds out the package.

This is a carry gun first. It's compact enough for daily use but built with the fit and reliability collectors expect from Ed Brown's custom shop, and it comes ready to run an optic instead of needing one milled in later. For anyone who wants a 1911 that treats a red dot as standard equipment rather than an afterthought, the FX2 is hard to beat.