*Some of the external links found on this website are affiliate links. Those links use cookies to generate revenue and fund continuation of this website. By clicking an external link you are consenting to a temporary cookie, by purchasing from that link you are supporting this website. To opt out of cookies do not click external links.
Dickinson Arms, the importer of the recently-reviewed Ranger Arms RA9, also imports a selection of 1911s from Balistik Defence. Having not heard of this manufacturer before I wanted to give one a try.
What Is It? The Balistik Defence Adam 9b is an imported 9mm 1911. Available in a variety of finishes, our example has a blend of old world and new styling and a shallow bluing that begs for a little holster wear and patina. It should be noted that the model reviewed here does not have front slide serrations, but all other examples found online appear to have them and are called the "Adam 9bs" or "Adam 9s". The Adam 9b is a relatively new offering, but available from Dickinson Arms if your dealer wants to order one for you.
Who's It For? Anyone who wants to enjoy a 9mm 1911 that features some nice styling upgrades without breaking the bank. These pistols are priced very competitively and offer a build quality that seems a bit above others in the affordably-priced group of 1911s.
Who is Balistik Defence? From what I can find, Balistik Defence was formed in 2018 as a name change of the 2015 Udacchi Defence Industry Incorporated. It is a design and production company based in Turkey. They manufacture pistols, bolt-action rifles, and shotguns. In nine years and over 400 handgun reviews this is my first encounter with one of their products.
Take a look at the Balistik Defence Adam 9b in the tabletop video below.
Specifications from Balistik Defence's website
Pricing as of date article was written for version with front serrations.
Check links for current pricing
It's long been known that 1911's can be magazine picky, and there is some lore about whether or not a 9mm 1911 truly wants to run. I've shot plenty of reliable 9mm 1911s, it tends to be more a matter of picking the right magazines for each gun. With a handfull of various (and unfortunately unmarked) 9mm 1911 magazines I hit the range with the Bailistik Defence Adam 9b for the standard GBGuns protocol:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up, no practice.
Multi-Mag: As stated above, this has proven to be very important for 1911s. Unfortunately it seems few 1911 magazine makers want to brand their magazines so I am unable to identify all of them, merely demonstrate that some work while others do not. Those that work will be used in the WFD portion.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.
What's For Dinner™: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun we used the following ammunition:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
50gr +p Liberty Ammunution Civil Defense $28.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
70gr Federal Frangible $31.99 / 50 direct from Federal
115gr Winchester Silver Tip $16.56 / 20 at Firearms Depot
115gr Speer Gold Dot $26.59 / 20 at Sportsman's Guide
115gr Hornady American Gunner $18.35 / 25 at Global Ordnance
115gr Blazer Aluminum-cased FMJ $11.99 / 50 at True Shot
124gr Federal Premium Tactical HST $39.99 / 50 at Target Sports USA
124gr Federated Ordnance FMJ thanks to Ammo Squared
124gr PMC SFX JHP $22.99 / 20 at Bud's Gun Shop
147gr PPU Defense Line JHP $23.74 / 50 at Sportsman's Guide
165gr AMMO, Inc /stelTH $24.99 / 50 at Palmetto State Armory
Range Ammo was Browning 115gr FMJ $115 / 500 at Ammunition Depot
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of our shooting experience and time for us to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
The entire process for the Balistik Defence Adam 9b can be seen in the Shooting Impressions video below.
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
On the range the over-extending safety caused no issue, and the weight of an all-steel gun meant my concerns about lack of front strap texture were unwarranted as the gun easily stayed put even in sweaty hands.
There were a couple instances of the extractor slipping off the rim of the brass during extraction, but they both happened with the same ammunition and not with any others so it may be that the Browning brass is simply too soft for this gun. Aside from that and the predicted magazine sensitivity the Adam 9b was a joy to shoot.
I like this gun a lot. The lack of front strap checkering is disappointing, though.
That price is really attention grabbing. It seems there are a lot worse options for more money
Excellent review of an unknown manufacturer's 1911. I am impressed by the appearance but was less impressed by the performance. At the price available from Bud's Gun Shop it is probably a good deal but I doubt if I will pursue acquiring one. You recently presented another 1911 to us that really impressed me and I do have plans to track one of those down