Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported – Proven 9mm 2011

Description

The Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported combines the two things that make a pistol shoot flat: a government length slide and gas ports through the top of the barrel. It is the most competition oriented configuration in the Romulus range, on a SUS416 stainless frame and slide in matte DLC with an MOS cut and ambidextrous controls. Part number AA39X1EIH-XDBK19, UPC 810100535865.

Why length and porting work together

The Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported starts with a five inch slide, which does two useful things. It stretches the distance between the sights, which shrinks the angular error from any given sight misalignment, and it puts more mass forward of the trigger guard, which resists muzzle rise before the ports even get involved. That is the foundation.

The ports on the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported then vent propellant gas upward just behind the muzzle, pushing the front of the gun down against recoil. Stacked on top of the extra length and weight, a Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported barely moves between shots. If your metric is how quickly the dot returns to where it was, this configuration is the best answer Alpha Foxtrot offers without going to a compensator.

Unlike the compensated model in the same range, this one keeps full capacity magazines rather than dropping to ten rounds. For a long slide 2011 competition pistol that matters, since stage design frequently rewards not reloading.

The costs, and who should ignore them

Porting is loud, and the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported is no exception. Gas, noise and flash exit upward through the top of the slide, which means the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported is appreciably louder to the shooter and to anyone standing beside them than an unported gun, and it throws a bright flash in low light. On a range under a square roof this is a non issue. In a dark house it is a serious one.

Ports also rule out a suppressor, since you are venting the gas a can would otherwise capture, and they cannot be undone. An AF1911 Romulus 5 inch ported barrel is a permanent configuration. If you want the option to add or remove a compensator later, the threaded models are the ones to look at.

And the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported is a large pistol. Five inches of slide, a double stack grip and an accessory rail add up to something that is a pleasure on a belt rig at a match and a genuine project to conceal. Buy it for what it is.

Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported specifications

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel: 5 in bull profile, ramped, ported
• Slide: SUS416 stainless with matching port window
• Frame: SUS416 stainless steel
• Finish: matte DLC black
• Optic cut: MOS adapter plate system, RMR and RMSc compatible
• Trigger: single action, approximately 3.5 to 4 lb
• Safety: ambidextrous thumb safety
• Grip: textured polymer grip module
• Frame rail: accessory rail on dust cover
• Magazines: listed as one 20 round and one 17 round, confirm before ordering
• Part number: AA39X1EIH-XDBK19
• UPC: 810100535865

A note on identifying the Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported and its siblings. The Romulus range runs across 9mm and 10mm, three barrel lengths, matte and polished finishes, and four different muzzle treatments, and the part number is the only reliable way to tell them apart; the numeric suffix does not indicate magazine capacity. Quote Alpha Foxtrot AA39X1EIH-XDBK19 when you order and call us if the magazine count matters. Alpha Foxtrot publishes their lineup at Alpha Foxtrot. The 4.25 inch ported version is the same treatment on a shorter slide, and the rest of our handguns are here.

Why it is worth considering

• The longest sight radius in the Romulus range, stacked with ports that flatten the muzzle further.
• Full capacity magazines rather than the ten round limit on the compensated model.
• DLC over stainless is among the harder wearing finishes on a production handgun.
• Optic ready and fully ambidextrous from the box.

Who it suits

The Alpha Foxtrot Romulus 5 Inch Ported is a match gun, and an honest one. It suits a USPSA or steel shooter who wants the dot flat and does not care about noise, flash or concealment. As a ported 9mm race gun it gives up very little to pistols costing two or three times as much. If the gun will ever be carried or kept for home defense, buy an unported model instead and accept a little more muzzle rise.