BUL Armory Ultralight PRO
- Graham Baates
- May 1
- 6 min read
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BUL Armory has continued to impress me with incredibly well-built, thoughtful designs that hit the US market with a price that makes one appreciate the work that goes into them, but isn't gouging. Adding to the Ultralight line is the new PRO model.
The BUL Armory Ultralight greatly impressed me. When I first shot the older model I was apprehensive about such a small and lightweight pistol. Yes, that's what we all want to carry, but most who have shot small and lightweight guns also understand that they tend to be a handful. The BUL Armory Ultralight was not. The Ultralight PRO model adds V-6 barrel porting, and of course smartly replaces the fiber-optic front sight with black steel as the porting would certainly roast a fiber optic sight.
What Is It? The BUL Armory Ultralight PRO is a 3.25" ported-barrel doublestack 1911 with weight savings everywhere. Additionally, unlike other double-stack 1911s BUL Armory's magazines accept one more round than the standard "2011" pattern magazines. That means this little pistol holds 16+1 rounds.
Who's It For? In my eyes the BUL Armory Ultralight PRO is intended for concealed carry by a trained shooter. I say this because the size is ideal for carry, but as we've seen even among "influencers", not everyone knows how to run a 1911 well. It's something that can be learned, so don't be intimidated by it, just understand that it requires a little more brain than a basic pistol.
Additionally, the inclusion of ports means being extra wise about ammunition selection as well as your surroundings before pressing the trigger. I've covered this in a video and it would be negligent of me to not bring it up with every ported gun. Why port? Because the expanding gasses vented upward press down on the pistol and help reduce muzzle flip. On shorter barrels that tend to have more flip the effect is multiplied as the ports at shorter length have more pressure to vent too. This makes the Ultralight Pro and excellent example of porting with a purpose.
Take a Look at the BUL Armory Ultralight PRO in the tabletop video below to get an idea of fit, finish, and what all you get in the box. BUL Armory is one of those companies that wants you to enjoy your pistol and really includes quite a nice kit. Rumble Link
Specifications:
USA MSRP: $1,950 Direct from BUL Armory USA
Platform: SAS2
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 3.25” V6 Ported bull barrel
Frame: Aluminium
Grip: Compact
Optic system: BAO Micro (Holosun K / RMSc)
Sights: Adjustable rear / Black serrated front
Capacity: 16+1
Trigger weight: 3.0-3.5lbs
Finish: Black (PVD) & Black anodize
Weight (unloaded): 670g / 23.6oz
*Markings shown on pistol may vary in accordance to U.S rules and reguations
What’s in the box:
Magazines: 3
BAO Micro adapter plate
Short mainspring house pin (for use w/o magwell)
Long mainspring house pin and Aluminum magazine well
Guide rod takedown tool
Bore brush kit
Owners manual
Range bag
*Optic is shown in the picture but is not included with the gun
Potential biases are known. I like the regular Ultralight enough to use as my summer carry, especially when paired with Libery Ammunition's Civil Defense load I get equal or better firepower, but in a smaller and lighter package for the warmer months. Regardless of my potential bias, a review isn't a review without an even-handed process and that's where the GBGuns Range Protocol steps in:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up or practice. For the BUL Armory Ultralight PRO I mounted an O Sight S and so needed to zero it first.
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 the following ammunition was used:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
90gr Underwood Xtreme Defender $27.85 / 20 at Widener's
95gr Magtech JSP $21.85 / 50 at Widener's
100gr Blazer Reduced Recoil $17.89 / 50 at Palmetto State Armory
115gr Sig 365 JHP $19.99 / 20 direct from Sig
115gr Hornady American Gunner $22.85 / 25 from Widener's
124gr Federal Premium HST $39.95 / 50 from Widener's
124gr PMC SFX JHP $24.85 / 50 from Widener's
135gr Hornady Critical Duty $29.85 / 25 from Widener's
147gr Winchester Defense JHP $25.85 / 50 at Widener's
165gr AMMO, Inc. /stelTH/ $21.25 / 50 at Target Sports
Standard range ammunition was PMC Bronze 124gr FMJ $249.99 / 1000 at True Shot
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 the shooting experience and time for to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
See the process yourself from my very first shot as I try the BUL Armory Ultralight PRO in the Shooting Impressions video below. Rumble Link
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
You may have noticed a few things different in this video. Since the gun came without a rear sight mounted and zeroed, and so many have requested I use more dots I mounted the O Sight S. The other change is due to forecasted weather I finally have some Rite in Rain targets. The sun came out and I didn't need them, but I think they are perfect for my review process.
On the Range The Ultralight Pro felt a lot like I knew from the standard Ultralight, but was even faster back on target. I'm sure the O Sight S also played a role as I didn't have to align sights, but it was sight picture, shot, sight picture quicker than you could read that. This was evident in the cadence of the Sights & Trigger Control portion of the video, and the relative ease with wich I hit A-Zone steel from distance at a decent cadence.
I felt initial smacks of air against the brim of my hat from the ports, but didn't later. Either I got used to it or my hat just adjusted. Either way it was a good reminder of just how much force is venting out of the ports. This is both a testament to how much work they do and the importance of being aware of the drawbacks of ports.
Overall it's still the same Ultralight I love, just turned up a notch for rapid follow-ups. I plan on running some comparison tests in the near future to see if we can put both numbers and feels to the differences.
HI! thanks for another very useful and professional review. The link for the Rumble video takes me to the review of the FN Reflex XL, you may want to update that 😉