PMCI - March 2021

making it “a completely blank canvas for you to place your own
custom markings on it”.
That said, the VFC is undoubtedly a replica of the Custom TLE
II and just looks great; VFC have done a top job in replicating the
matt-black oxide finish (Kimber use their own finishing known as
KimPro on many of their specialist pistols) of the real thing, and
all the components like the trigger, hammer, and outer barrel are
finished silver. The pistol features both the checkered front strap,
along with those all-important front and rear slide serrations, and
clearly white-spot-marked front and rear sights that are easy to use.
In use this 1911 is all about smooth cycling, and all the positive
ergonomics you would come to associate with the 1911 platform.
Technically speaking, internally the pistol features a revolutionary
hop up design that allows you use the guide rod for adjustments,
the GuideHop, and this can easily be done on the go if necessary,
allowing for you to access the hop without removing the complete
slide; all you need to do is hold the slide to the rear and turn the
guide rod itself to increase or decrease the hop with series of “clicks”
that you can both feel and hear, then release the slide forward to
keep shooting! The pistol also comes with a 20BB magazine and
is extremely gas efficient, but that’s something I’ve come to expect
from VFC these days! Literally my only gripe with the entire pistol
is the magazine floorplate, which is “bumper style” rather that flat
plain… yup, that’s it!
VFC quote power output on green gas as iro 0.83 Joule/300fps
for the 1911, and they’ve got this pretty right; I tested using NP
2.0 gas and .20g RZRs and through the chrono ended up with a
variance between 299 and 302fps which is pretty tight! Admittedly
this was on quite a cold morning, so I’m thinking that the pistol
could be a little livelier, and even more consistent, in hot weather,
but still happily within a safe and usable power margin. Accuracy
on the 10m Short range was excellent, punching the 240x210mm
steels consistently with no “flyers”, and even delivering hits to the
60x50mm “headspace” on the steels at 5m.
I’ve one more comment to make on the 1911 Tactical Custom
before closing, and that’s about the Surefire 610R weaponlight, and
the “two 1911” thing I mentioned earlier. At the time of issue each
officer was actually issued with not one, but two Kimber Custom
II .45 ACP pistols, one pre-fitted with a 610R; this was due to the
fact that the original pistol was un-railed, and therefore needed
modification to fit a light. Originally designed for the 1911 pistol
by John Matthews, President of SureFire, and Bob Webber, former
LAPD SWAT armourer, the SureFire Classic 610R Tactical Pistol Light
was used by LAPD SWAT for some twenty years, but is now sadly a
discontinued model. Luckily for collectors, if you want to replicate
the full “SWAT-package”, VFC have also released a super replica of
this light, the V1911 TACTICAL ILLUMINATOR. This slides right on to a
1911 frame, locking on with a longer slide stop, allowing you to fit
a taclite without the need for an accessory rail, although as per the
original you will need to pre-mount it if you want this option, and
you’ll need a light compatible holster.
With this particular base covered off I believe that VFC have
another 6mm winner on their hands with the “1911 Tactical
Custom”; it’s a quality gas-driven pistol that cycles hard and fast,
and is able to put BBs on target time and again, and in a supercost-effective
way! It absolutely oozes quality, and with the “SWAT
heritage” behind it, it’s a pistol that will be a must have for many
collectors and shooters alike. Irrelevant of whether you buy this
pistol for training purposes, or just want a really, high-quality 1911
replica for your collection, you’ll be pleased that you bought one of
these, and I believe it’s a model you’ll cherish for some considerable
time to come!
My sincere thanks got to my good friend Ray at
www.vegaforce.com for sending me this lovely pistol,
and to Danny at uk.redwolfairsoft.com for facilitating
delivery; check out either link for more information on
the 1911 Tactical Custom, along with many other great
models from VFC.
TRAINING: VFC 1911 TACTICAL CUSTOM
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