Test: Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC, the affordable option in 9mm and .45 ACP

Although Armscor 's roots go back to 1905, it was not until 1952 that the company began manufacturing guns throughout the Philippines under the name Squires Bingham Manufacturing, Inc. The south-east Asian state in the western Pacific consists of over 7,600 islands. The name Armscor first came into being in 1980 following a change of ownership and subsequent change of name and is the abbreviation for Arms Corporation of the Philippines. In 1985, the company bought Rock Island Armory from the USA and entered into the production of 1911 pistols, which is still a mainstay of the company today. This is complemented by a wide range of rimfire revolvers, bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles as well as lever-action, pump-action and side-by-side shotguns. However, this is now to continue with the Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC (High Capacity) pistols in 9mm Luger and .45 ACP.

The 2011 Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC pistols in detail

In contrast to many 2011 pistols on the market, which have a two-piece frame with a steel insert and lower polymer grip based on the ideas of Virgil Tripp, the Armscor models are based on a one-piece all-steel frame. They are therefore reminiscent of the early grips/complete pistols from the Canadian manufacturer Para-Ordnance from the late 1980s. Para-Ordnance is regarded as the pioneer of high-capacity 1911s with double-stack magazine. This gives the Armscor pistols 13 cartridges in .45 ACP and 17 cartridges in 9mm Luger in the magazine. There is also a version for the powerful 10mm Auto in which the barrel length has been extended to 5.5" (140 mm). Our test guns in 9mm Luger and .45 ACP, on the other hand, come with the classic barrel length of 5" (127 mm) and therefore also fit easily into the IPSC box of the Standard Division with the dimensions of 225x150x 45 mm (LxHxW). Anyone wishing to purchase the pistol for this highly dynamic discipline will be delighted that four sheet steel magazines are already included in the scope of delivery.

At 36 mm, the grips are correspondingly wide. If you do not have at least a size 11 glove, it is better to opt for the single-stack models, even if the large magazine capacity seems tempting but is rarely needed. According to the manufacturer, frame and slide are made of 4140 steel (42CrMo4), a material frequently used in gunmaking. In view of the low price, there is no need for a high-quality coating. A simple phosphate coating protects the surface from rust: not noble, but functional. Even if the contact surface of the thumb safety could certainly be a little larger, the fundamentally important control can at least be found on both sides. Both models have a fully adjustable rear sight in the wedge-shaped Novak style with white dots. Corresponding to this, a fiber optic front sight does its job. The grip is finished off with a steel, all-round magwell. We measured the trigger pull weight at a usable 1,900 grams, and the characteristics with barely noticeable creep were perfectly acceptable. Somewhat unconventional for the 2011 pistol model is that the barrel is guided by a bushing in the muzzle area, as in John M. Browning's 1911 classic. Workmanship and fit were surprisingly good for this price range, so that the test guns delivered a coherent overall picture.

With the 9mm and .45 ACP Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC pistols at the range

First, the Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC in 9mm Luger went into the blue jaws of the Ransom Rest machine. We selected a dozen loads from 100 to 158 grains bullet weight for the shooting performance test. Our handload with the extra-heavy 158-grain CamPro bullet with 43 mm showed the best grouping. Overall, with the  9mm  Hi-Cap 2011 with three loads, we achieved groupings with which the standard target ten ring can be consistently hit at 25 metres. There were no malfunctions, only the heavy-metal-free primers of the GECO Hexagon needed a second trike to ignite with two cartridges. We tested the .45 ACP variant for shooting performance with eight loads from 195 to 230 grains. The S&B 230-grain JHP with 35 mm emerged as the winner. In the end, half of all loads landed below the 50 mm mark. Despite the unfavourable SWC shape or short cartridge lengths, as with the S&B 230-grain JHP, there were no malfunctions. However, we were unable to get the promised 13 cartridges into the magazine. We had to stop at 12 cartridges and from the eleventh cartridge onwards, loading turned out to be a feat of strength. On the other hand, the 9mm magazine could hold 18 instead of 17 cartridges, but the magazine spring was then completely compressed and the magazine could only be engaged with the slide open. The cases were ejected far in .45 ACP, which indicates a certain over-functioning. This means that soft loads can certainly be used in the factory configuration of the gun. We grabbed the 9mm Luger and the shooting glasses once again to see what could be achieved freehand on the 25-metre range. Despite an annoying "eight" on the last shot, the counter stopped at 190 out of 200 points, which we didn't think was too bad for the first assessment. During the dynamic drills, the high dead weight of the pistol showed its best side. Especially with the soft S&B 140-grain JHP, fast "bill drills" became a real pleasure.

Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC technical specifications and price

Conclusion: Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC pistols

The Philippine Armscor Tac Ultra FS HC models in 9mm Luger and .45 ACP have an astonishing amount to offer at a price that in the US is just $899. It should be noted that the voluminous grip is only suitable for shooters with large hands. The workmanship and shooting performance are consistently good. Given the favourable price, you could invest in a subsequent trigger tuning by a competent gunsmith/tuning specialist, which would certainly take the pistol a step further.

Further information can be found on the  Armscor/ Rock Island Armory website.