If you’re reading this, you are probably already familiar with, and interested in, The Apollo 11, by Live Free Armory. Also, you probably already know that it costs $979.00, comes with one 17 round magazine, a nice carrying case, and is made in America. But, you might not know if this affordable 2011 is a quality firearm that is worth the price. My answer is, “Yes.”
You will not be surprised to find out that the pistol is an absolute pleasure to shoot. Compared to something like a Glock or M&P, the recoil is minimal, and the trigger is great. It really allows the shooter to maximize his or her shooting ability.
Those looking for the most reliable handgun probably are not rushing to buy double-stack 9mm 1911s. Of course, these types of pistols can be reliable. But it’s not too surprising to experience a few hiccups. How reliable is the Apollo 11?
I shot 1,000 rounds through the Apollo 11 full size. The first thing I noticed was that the slide was amazingly easy to pull to the rear. Not surprisingly, it didn’t go forward with much force. With round nose 9mm ammunition, I only had 3 malfunctions (2 failure to feed and 1 stovepipe. That’s not too bad, especially considering how light the recoil spring was. However, when I tried hollow points, the gun was basically unusable. Every round, when trying to feed, it would just hit the feed ramp and stop. It didn’t matter if I used the slide release or slingshot method.
So, I called Live Free Armory, and they were great. The customer service technician stated that I had an early version of the barrel, the feed ramp of which has since been improved. He also said that I had an early, lighter recoil spring, which has since been replaced with a 10-pound recoil spring. So, Live Free Armory sent me a shipping label so my pistol could be updated. About two weeks later, the pistol was back in my possession. I’ve fired 200 more rounds, and the slide is still smooth and easy to cycle. But, it chambers a round with much more authority, thanks to the stronger recoil spring. Also, my preferred hollow points, Federal HST 124 grain, now work properly. Some random, older hollow points don’t work well, but things were significantly improved.
To sum up my opinion of reliability, I have very high confidence that this will feed my training ammunition without any problems. Regarding hollow points, I have medium confidence that hollow points will feed. I need more evidence before I trust this pistol for life-death issues.
This gun is everything that I expected it to be. It’s affordable, accurate, smooth-shooting, and shows practically no wear after 1,200 rounds. If those attributes are attractive to you, the Apollo 11, by Live Free Armory, is a great gun.
