PSA 1911 “Admiral”

The PSA 1911 “Admiral” is one of the newest guns released from Palmetto State Armory. I jumped on this as soon as they released it because I had to try it, one of the most affordable 1911s on the market today.

I went for the 10mm Admiral, also available in 45ACP. The current offerings are slim, but I can almost guarantee more options are coming to this lineup.

PSA 1911 Great Value

Action: Single Action
Caliber: 10mm/.45ACP
Capacity: 8 Rounds

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History of the Admiral 1911

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) is big on utilizing virtual integration when it comes to its products. This means they partner with businesses or own them outright but treat those companies/suppliers as if they are inside the company.

PSA does a fantastic job of this and often, if they partner with a business, they eventually buy them out and integrate them into their company entirely. This is an extremely smart strategy and works well for them.

I say that because PSA has partnered with Rock Island/Armscor to make their own branded line of 1911’s.

Both Rock Island and the Admirial 1911 share many similar features and functionality.

PSA 1911 Features

1911 features have remained pretty consistent for some time. This gun has a nice, simple feature set, and while it doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table in terms of use, it does in price.

Grip and Ergonomics

Grips and grip angles have a massive impact on the overall ergonomics of pistols and the Admiral takes the classic grip angle of a 1911.

The grip panels can be changed easily by removing two screws, but I like the look and texture of the 10mm version of the Admiral’s so I won’t be changing mine.

Establishing a master grip on this fluid and the gun feels fantastic in the hand.

It does clock in a bit on the heavy side but it’s manageable and a 10mm gun so you want a decent weight for recoil mitigation.

PSA 1911 Great Value

Action: Single Action
Caliber: 10mm/.45ACP
Capacity: 8 Rounds

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Magazine Well

The magazine well is built for this guns single stack magazine but one nice thing is the sides and back have a funneled angle that guides the magazine into place.

While there isn’t much to talk about when it comes to the magazine well because there’s not a lot going on here, it works well and the magazines appear to be of solid all-metal construction.

Magazine Release

The magazine release is very small and is a small circle with texture that is located right where the trigger guard meets the frame.

The magazine release works well but it’s not exceptional it’s on par with other 1911 magazine releases.

Sights

Sights are one of the features I like on this gun and they are very well done.

The front sight is a fiber optic sight and the rear are two white dots. The rear sight is adjustable and while they aren’t night sights, they are some solid sights from the factory.

I’m not a huge fan of fiber optic sights but since it’s the front sight it’s not bad and in full daylight it’s a fantastic look.

Trigger

I’m a fighter not a lover when it comes to a 1911 trigger and I think that’s largely because I grew up shooting polymer gun triggers, such as the Glocks.

But I’ll do my best to put that aside to give my honest feedback so you can make a better purchasing decision.

The trigger is adjustable but from factory the trigger has just a little bit of take up and the break is a strong crisp one.

The reset is back to the wall and is extremely fluid for a 1911 style trigger.

Range Bag

If you are looking for the perfect range bag for your guns look no further than our Pistol Range Bag or the Concord.

If you are going to carry one gun, then take a look at our Prime case which is perfect for the simple carry.

No matter what you choose in our lineup of range bags, you won’t be disappointed.

PSA 1911 Great Value

Action: Single Action
Caliber: 10mm/.45ACP
Capacity: 8 Rounds

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Ammo Options

I stocked up on 10mm ammo when I purchased the Admiral and when with PSA ammo, AAC 10mm.

I bought 1,000 rounds and so far it’s good stuff! No malfunctions or problems of any kind but I’m sure the Admiral will throw anything you’ve got down range.

Aesthetics

One of the primary reasons I went with this version of the Admiral is the overall look of the gun.

The regular GI 1911’s don’t really do it for me regarding aesthetics. I really like the grips on this gun and because I knew this was going to be a fun range gun for me, I bought the best-looking one!

I’ve been wanting a 10mm pistol anyway, so it worked out that this version of the gun is only available in 10mm.

The trigger milling adds no functional purpose other than a ridiculously small weight reduction, but it does add a nice look to the gun overall.

The eagle laser etching on the slide is a nice touch and doesn’t take away from the seriousness and nostalgia of the 1911 platform.

Shooting

If you like shooting 1911’s, you’ll love the Admiral! Shooting 10mm is fun and while it has more muzzle rise and recoil, it’s still a blast to send such a strong round down range.

I like the challenge of putting multiple 10mm rounds on target in rapid succession. There is a bit more recoil with 10mm than 9mm, which is what I’m used to carrying, but not so much that it takes the fun out of shooting the gun.

PSA 1911 “Admiral” Overview

If this doesn’t meet your needs, we have compiled a whole list of the best 1911s to choose from but don’t be surprised if this makes the list simply because of its amazing value.

PSA 1911 Great Value

Action: Single Action
Caliber: 10mm/.45ACP
Capacity: 8 Rounds

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PSA 1911 FAQ’s

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the 1911 made by Palmetto.