Arsenal AF2011: A Double Barreled 1911 Monster Pistol

The Arsenal AF2011 began as a manufacturing proof of concept, to showcase the technical ability of the company making it (their prior experience was largely in exquisite miniature firearms). It was introduced to the public at SHOT Show a few years ago, and garnered more purchases than had been anticipated.

The gun itself is basically two 1911 frames and slides mated together into a single gun. It has two barrels, two magazines, and two hammers attached to make a single unit. The triggers are also connected together, and pulling either one will cause both barrels to fire simultaneously.

While this sort of firearm is fun to consider (and fantastic for use by movie villains), it is rather difficult to imagine a practical use for it. Most oversized handguns are made for hunting and target competition, but the two-shots-per-trigger-pull nature of the 2011 make it rather unsuited to these uses. It is impossible to shoot a truly small group, as the bullets will always be about an inch apart and they cannot be regulated by the shooter to group together. Not that this stops people from wanting this sort of over-the-top handgun, of course.


  1. First video that field strips the thing. Great.
    Seen many shooting videos but thanks for the Miculek link I missed that one.

    Now instead of devoting so much effort of technical prowess to end up with a cool but useless handgun, imagine what they could come up with if they set their mind on producing a modern practical pistol – please not a “yet-an-other-Glock” combat tupperware clone.

    I understand they have the Srike One tupperware piece with an unusual breech hesitation lock but there is no indication regarding the actual trigger reach – I’m a 5ft 4in guy with corresponding hand size.

    • Hickock 45 field stripped his, then reassembled it and went back to shooting it. He takes apart every gun he does a video of.

  2. Good gracious me, somebody got an accidental cash cow (for coolness factor). I’m pretty sure the ATF doesn’t think much of this double pistol since it’s too expensive for store robbery (plus it would be difficult to conceal on one’s person). However, I have to ask a strange question: Which is more weird/difficult to master, the 2011 or the Krieghoff Semprio hunting rifle?

  3. Expect it to be featured in action movies, probably dual-wielded by the heavy.

    I believe the intent may have been to circumvent ATF rules and create a weapon capable of firing a “two-shot burst” without actual burst-fire capability. Heaven forbid anyone would be forced to learn the correct method of firing a two-shot hammer when a “technological fix” could be created.



    • I think, and as Ian explained, the designers probably had no other intent than making a technology demonstrator, but then many people expressed interest in buying the gun despite the exorbitant price. It’s a toy for adults who have too much money.

  4. I suspect the “break in period” is for the shooter, not the pistol itself. It probably takes a fair bit of practice to get used to it and to hold it the right way to be able to shoot it properly. Once you’ve put a few hundred rounds through it though, you’ll probably get over whatever habits you’ve picked up from shooting a conventional pistol and have learned what the quirks of this one are.

    By the way, I think I recall reading that the original version of this pistol was used as either a prop or promotional device for a movie where the villain used it.

  5. This has got to be the illustration for the saying, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it,”

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