What a time to be alive! 3D printing has long been around. However, it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve seen 3D printing being used to build firearms and suppressors. Thanks to Guntubers like Print, Shoot, Repeat, we’ve seen the capabilities of what 3D-printed uppers and lowers, magazines, and parts can do. In fact, 3D printing can create small details and designs that machining is just not able to do. One such company using 3D printing to build firearms is Cosaint Arms with its DFTTFX9.
The Cosaint Arms DFTTFX9
Cosaint Arms is a fairly new company in the industry. It was founded in 2018 by Greg Mooney and is located in East Flat Rock, North Carolina. Mooney originally comes from the firearms and knife industries. Correspondingly, he was previously in leadership and management roles at companies such as Benchmade, Buck Knives, Benelli USA, and STI.
He named his company Cosaint because, in Gaelic, this means “protect, defend.”
The company believes in firearms for self-defense and personal protection. And at the end of the day, even their competition model pistols can be used for just that purpose.
Competition and Home Defense Pistol
The people I admire the most in the competitive shooting world are the people who shoot their carry or defensive pistol in competition. They do this to understand how their gun performs under stress. Not to mention training on only one platform and proving you don’t need multiple guns for multiple purposes.
I’m guilty of wanting the most race-ready handgun in competition and having something completely different for home or self-defense. While this isn’t a bad thing, it just means I need to train with my carry/defensive gun just as much as with my competition gun. However, having one gun to serve all these purposes is a great idea. Enter the DFTTFX pistol.
If you’re a 1911 fan, then you’re already familiar with the features and functions of the Cosaint Arms platform. The DFTTFX is a double-stack flat-top tactical government/full-size handgun. While maybe slightly too heavy for daily carry, it is built for the speed of competition. However, it also has the capacity and tactical readiness of a home defense gun.
Cosaint Arms is kind of like “Build a Bear,” where you design and choose from options based on your needs. But with a gun. A few such options that make this gun a home defense firearm are adding a tactical frame (rail) and a threaded barrel. With these two additions, you can mount a light or laser and attach a suppressor.
3D Printed Grip
What’s so interesting to me about this 3D-printed grip is it ends at the front of the trigger guard and sits inside the metal frame of the gun. You still have your traditional metal double stack 1911 parts. This includes the trigger, magazine release, backstrap safety, ambidextrous safety, and all of that. However, the wrap-around grip, mainspring housing, trigger guard, and even the mag well are all 3D printed.
I’ve personally never seen a design such as this one before.
The full grip is texturized with custom stippling, including the front of the trigger guard. The texture is non-aggressive but adds the right amount of texture to grip the gun well. Additionally, the mag well is flared for easy reloads with two indentations on each side to grab the base pad of the magazine if needed.
Pros and Cons of the DFTTFX9
Unfortunately, almost every gun in the world has pros and cons to it. Not everyone will have the same pros and cons because people are different and have different needs for the guns they buy.
It’s like buying an offroad vehicle. Some people simply need a vehicle to get them through mud, snow, rain, and sunshine. However, others are out to test the limits of their vehicles in some of the most remote places.
When it comes to the pros and cons of the Cosaint Arms DFTTFX pistol, it all depends on your level of expertise and what you need the gun to do.
Aftermarket Compatibility
When I talk about aftermarket compatibility, there are really two things I’m looking for. I am curious about internal parts compatibility and aftermarket support with holsters, sights, magazines, and such.
The number one thing to note about the DFTTFX is the 3D-printed grip and the way the gun is built. As a result, compatibility with different grip modules, mag wells, and other frame components will not be possible.
This isn’t a deal breaker because most people are buying a gun for the way it is and not to make upgrades or modifications later. However, some people want the choice of being able to modify their guns later. So, it’s worth mentioning that this gun is not built to be compatible with other parts.
What I love about the double-stack 1911 platform is that many of these handguns run reliably with various “2011” magazines. Likewise, they can share holsters and magazine pouches and have a ton of aftermarket support.
I only have one 2011-style holster that I bought when I got into shooting 3-Gun competitions. Every 2011 or double stack 1911 I’ve ever shot has fit this holster with no problem.
The Cosaint Arms DFTTFX comes with two MBX Magazines, which is what I have used for almost all the 2011s I’ve ever owned. I love it when I can use the magazines I have at home without having to tune them. Not to mention not having to buy all-new proprietary magazines.
Weight and Felt Recoil
The weight of a handgun and the felt recoil it has are directly related. The heavier the gun, the less felt recoil and the faster your sights will return to their original aiming point. Because the grip is 3D printed up to the trigger guard, the weight of the gun feels very top-heavy when it’s empty and as you shoot through a full magazine.
The overall weight of the gun without a magazine is 38.4 ounces, so it isn’t light by any means. However, it is lighter than most popular factory steel-framed guns from major firearm manufacturers.
It would be neat to have a heavier grip option in the future to balance the gun out more.
Adding an Optic to the DFTTFX9
Cosaint Arms teamed up with C&H Precision Weapons Plates to manufacture optic plates compatible with various footprints of red dot optics. These plates are the thinnest mounting plates on the market, and all mounting plates come with a fixed rear sight.
The iron sights that come with the optic cut from Cosaint Arms feature a high rear sight and a high front red fiber optic sight. These sights are suppressor-friendly and will co-witness with most major red dot optics. Once again, this goes to show that the DFTTFX is fully equipped to be both a home-defense and competition-ready handgun.
Cosaint Arms Custom Options
It’s great to see a double-stack 1911 builder cater more toward the individual than the mass market. What I mean by that is you order directly off the website, and you have a variety of options to choose from when building your gun. The DFTTFX, for example, can come in 9mm, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, and 10mm.
You can build your gun to have a threaded or non-threaded barrel, depending on your purpose with the gun. In addition, while building the gun, you can order the slide with the optic cut of your choice. As a result, you can skip the mounting plate and directly mount your optic.
Cosaint Arms also offers cerakote options such as Sniper Grey, Flat Dark Earth, Olive Drab, Multicam-Grey/Black, Distressed, and more.
Cosaint Arms for the Win
For someone who does not want to spend an arm and a leg for a solid double stack full-size handgun, the entry price is right for this handgun. The DFTTFX is similarly priced to a Staccato and even custom-built for a higher price point. And it doesn’t take months to years to get your gun built.
It’s interesting to see the 3D printing world in the firearms space, and I’ll be curious to see more of Cosaint Arms’ offerings in the future.
For more information, please visit CosaintArms.com or call 828-330-8214.
Cosaint Arms DFTTFX9 Specifications
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Barrel | 5-inch Bull barrel |
| Overall Length | 8.5 inches |
| Width | 1.375 inches |
| Height | 5.5 inches |
| Weight | 38.4 ounces (without magazine) |
| Trigger | 3.5 pounds |
| Ambidextrous Safet | Yes |
| Optional Upgrades | Threaded Barrel, Tactical Frame (rail), Optic Ready, Cerakote color, Magazine choice, Caliber choice |
| MSRP | Starting at $2,400.00 |
Performance
| Ammunition | Velocity (The average of five rounds chronographed using a LabRadar Chrono) | Accuracy (Best five-shot groups at 15 yards in inches) |
| Federal Gold Medal Action Pistol 147 grain FMJ | 910 FPS | 1.75 inches |
| Super Vel 124 grain FMJ | 1037 FPS | 2.75 inches |
| Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX | 1113 FPS | 2 inches |
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