Your Unique Arms Alpha
- Graham Baates
- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
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This is a special one, and a review you're unlikely to see many other places. Your Unique Arms is an opportunity to hold one of only 75 guns like it in the world. Each quarter only 75 guns will be sold, and their unique configuration not repeated. When you purchase one you choose your serial number (1-75) and that serial number becomes yours for the next itteration of guns from Your Unique Arms, so when the next batch is released you have the option of picking up that series with the same serial number. "Alpha" is the first line of guns, and we get a chance to look at a very special 76th gun so that I can give you a closer look without disrupting the exclusive series of guns.
What Is It? The Your Unique Arms Alpha is a custom-built Cosaint Arms COS-21. If you're not familiar with Cosaint Arms, it was founded by Greg Mooney, the former CEO of STI. STI is largely responsible for double-stack 1911 fame in the United States, and had the reputation used by the re-branded Stacatto who brought "2011"s into mainstream. Greg's passion and dedication to building the best is part of what drove him to start Cosaint Arms after leaving STI during its transition into the more mass-produced Stacatto brand.
Who's It For? Your Unique Arms is a blend of attraction points. The build itself leans towards the competition/range-king role, but balance and overall weight might make for a good carry gun. Exclusivity, limited production, and the chance to lock in a serial number of your choice, along with the package appeals to collectors. I liken the Your Unique Arms Alpha to one of those high-end super car makers: If you ever see one at a show or on the road you know what it is, but you also know there's only a limited number of them in the world.
Why Not Just Get a COS-21? This is a question I asked myself. If exclusivity doesn't matter, and one wanted to clone the Alpha build, could it be done? I went to the Cosaint Arms website and built out a COS-21 as closely as I could to the Alpha build. The total came out to $4,575; $600 more than the Your Unique Arms Alpha's listed price, and $800 more than the current winter promotion which also includes an optic accessory (Get the Alpha with an optic accessory and $200 off HERE). How is that possible? When you order a COS-21 to spec it has to be built. The Your Unique Arms Alphas have been produced in series so there are integrated savings.
Take a Look at the Your Unique Arms Alpha and what all comes in the kit in the tabletop video below. Rumble Link
Specifications
Caliber: 9mm
Slide: Flat Top Tactical, Cabon Steel
Frame: 7075 Aluminum, Anodized hard coat
Width: 1.5"
Height: 5.5"
Weight: 30oz
MSRP: $3,950
Controls & Features
•  Serrations: Custom Squared Serrations exclusive to Your Unique Armsâ„¢Â
•  Trigger: Custom Flat Face, Adjustable, 3.5 lb. pull
•  Grip: Cheely 7075 Aluminum with standard texturing
•  Magwell-Cheely Tactical Steel
•  Thumb Safety: Ambidextrous
•  Guide Rod: Full length
•  Rail: Tactical rail with beveled edge for accessories
Optics & SightsÂ
•  Front Sight: Dawson Precision®  Fiber Optic
•  Rear Sight: Optic Ready with C+H Precision Plate + Matching Cover Plate
•  Co-Witness: Front sight and cover plate rear sight are designed to co-witness
Magazine & Capacity
•  Magazines Included: 3 MBX Extreme Ultimate Competition
•  Capacity: 20+1 rounds
•  Magazine Base Colors: Each matches one of the Riptile® Camo colors
Finish & CustomizationÂ
•  Coating: Specialty Riptile®  Camo Cerakote (polymer-ceramic hard finish)
•  Durability: Abrasion, corrosion, and chemical resistant
•  Porting: Unique V12 design (staggered 3 + 3 on each side, 45° angled ports,
rounded rectangular windows)
•  Case: Customized John Wick Style briefcase
Limited Edition Details
•  Serial Numbers: UA0001-UA0075
•  Artist Proof: UA00AP1
•  Total Production: 75 pistols + 1 artist proof = 76 total
•  Certificate: Signed & numbered Certificate of Authenticity
•  Price: $3,950
Optional Accessories
•  Trijicon SRO, RMR or RMR HD Red Dot Optic
•  Streamlight TLR-8A Tactical Light & Laser
•  Trijicon SRO or RMR Mounting Adapter Plates
•  Additional adapter plates available for most optics
Special winter pricing for GBGuns readers
including an optic accessory
As tempting as it is to put a collectible piece of functional art like this on a display shelf, it's a firearm, and this is GBGuns, so the Alpha had to be shot, and to be fair it had to be shot using the same GBGuns Range Protocol used in all reviews including:
Cold Shots: Truly my first shots through the gun.
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.
Multi-Mag:Â While "2011" pattern of gun has been around for a long time, it's only recently that more-affordable magazines have become available. A sampling of Checkmate, DuraMag, and MecGar magazines are to be tested for fitment and function in the Your Unique Arms Alpha.
What's For Dinnerâ„¢: 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.
45gr Sim-X DEFENSECORE $18.99 / 20 at Target Sports USA (see review HERE)
50gr Liberty Ammunition Ultra Light $37.39 / 20 at Optics Planet (see review HERE)
95gr Magtech JSP $21.98 / 50 at Global Ordnance
100gr Sellier & Bellot XRG $13.34 / 25 at Target Sports USAÂ (see review HERE)
115gr TMJ EcoBullet $19.99 / 50 direct from EcoBullet
115gr Sig 365 V-Crown $19.99 / 20 direct from Sig
115gr Wincherster SilverTip $18.29 / 20 at GrabaGun
124gr Federal Premium HST $39.95 / 50 from Widener's
147gr Winchester Defense Out of production?
165gr AMMO, Inc. /stelTH/ $21.25 / 50 at Target Sports
Standard range ammunition was Norma 124gr $12.82 / 50 at SportsmansGuide
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12-ish 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 from start to finish in the Shooting Impressions video below. Rumble Link
I admit to being one of those with a chip on his shoulder whenever something costs more than I can afford. As you've seen in other reviews I tend to be a champion of the "just as good" crowd and have in fact demonstrated many times that some of the more affordable options can perform. Whatever inkling I had towards that bias was destroyed almost immediately with the Your Unique Arms Alpha. It appears that in some cases you really do get more when you pay more. The Alpha was such an enjoyable shooting experience. The recoil impulse was so smooth I was tempted at times to get lazy in my shooting because it felt like the gun would do it for me, and at the same time I knew the gun would do exactly what I told it to without the trigger, action, or ergonomics getting in the way of my intent because they were all as they should be.
This was also another demonstration of how ported pistols are their best with higher-pressure ammunition. Normally soft loads felt relatively more jarring, and the hotter the load the smoother the recoil impulse as the inline ports did their job of progressively pressing down on the nose of the gun.
The Alpha is a very well-built gun. You can feel it in dry handling, and really feel it on the range. I have little doubt the Your Unique Arrms line will serve as a pinnacle and pride point for the lucky 75 owners of the Alpha.
