Jacob Grey Firearms Hex: A Stellar 2011 Pistol

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Concealable double-stack 1911s are arguably the hottest handguns out there these days. It seems everyone is making their own flavor of pistol in the 2011 style, with prices and quality ranging widely. One player in that market is Jacob Grey, a company built on the foundation of its founder’s machining prowess. The Jacob Grey Hex is a premium-priced handgun that is concealable yet highly capable.

Jacob Grey, the company’s namesake, has been running CNC machining equipment since he was a nine-year-old kid and has spent most of his life in the trade of making things out of metal. In 2012 he founded Jacob Grey Precision Machining, a company serving the highly technical aerospace and defense industries. He’d long been a firearms enthusiast, and eventually Grey turned his machining expertise toward firearms. A second company was born.

Jacob Grey Firearms produces both AR rifles as well as 2011-style double-stack handguns. The Hex is one of three handguns in the company’s catalog. The name stems from the hexagon shape, which is a repeating theme in the gun’s construction.

The Hex begins with a frame assembly CNC machined from 7075 aluminum billets. No injection-molded components are used. There are two primary frame sections: the serialized part that houses most of the fire-control parts and contains the frame rails; and a separate grip module.

Frame and Pattern

The frame module components are hard-coat anodized in three available colors: battle brown, duty green or midnight black. My test sample came in battle brown. It’s worth noting that this is a Jacob Grey proprietary frame design and is not compatible with other 2011-style frames or grips.

The most recognizable feature of the frame assembly is the hexagon pattern machined into the grip. This machining creates a honeycomb configuration of large hexagons, with smaller hexagons contained within each. Not only does this look good, it also provides an excellent grip without being overly abrasive. The hex pattern covers most of the grip’s surface but not all of it. The frontstrap is serrated vertically, and the mainspring housing and grip safety bump are checkered 30 lines per inch.

The grip module is machine textured, and it’s also carefully contoured. The grip is cut high behind the trigger guard, and a smooth thumb notch is machined into the grip to allow easy access to the magazine release. The bottom of the grip flares outward, creating a funnel shape for the magazine well. The trigger guard is squared at the front with a slight sweep underneath.

The serialized section of the frame contains four integral frame rail sections. The full-length dust cover runs flush with the front edge of the slide and has its own saddle cut, which mirrors that of the slide, forming sort of an ellipse. An accessory rail with three cross slots creates a mounting surface for a light or other accessory.

Controls

The controls on the Hex will be familiar to 1911/2011 users. The flat-face Controlled Radius Trigger is unique in that the entire unit, both the pad and the bow, is machined from a single piece of aluminum. Three hexagonal holes are machined into the trigger pad.

The Hex features an ambidextrous thumb safety with levers that are extended for length but slim enough for a carry gun. The beavertail grip safety is pinned in place, so it is effectively inert. In other words, if you’ve ever taken a high grip on a 1911/2011 and failed to engage the grip safety, the Hex has you covered.

The magazine release is easy to reach and vertically serrated. Jacob Grey uses a machined Delta-style hammer, and the slide stop is machined in-house from a steel billet. Nearly all these parts are compatible with accessory parts designed for 1911/2011 handguns, so you can replace them if you want.

The Hex uses some metal-injection-molded parts, including the ejector, sear and disconnector. What’s interesting about this particular ejector, though, is its shape.

Smart Construction

If a 1911 ejector is going to fail, it will most likely be at the corner where the forward nose section extends from the main body. This right angle forms a failure point that can crack and eventually break. The Hex eliminates the right angle, using a radian instead. Previously, I only recall encountering that ejector style on custom 1911s.

The slide is machined from 416 stainless steel and is built around a Commander-length 4.25-inch ported barrel. Deep cuts machined into the slide create uniquely patterned front and rear cocking surfaces.

The slide top is machined to create a series of five flats, and three longitudinal lines are machined on the 12 o’clock flat. Two elongated ports are cut into the corners of the slide at roughly 10 and 2 o’clock to correspond with the barrel ports. Regardless of frame color, slides on the Hex are DLC coated satin black.

The Hex uses a 1911-style internal extractor. On most traditional 1911s, the cartridge sits on the breech face, held in place by the extractor but unsupported on the opposite side of the rim. This can sometimes cause the extractor to move a fired case prematurely. On the Hex, a ledge machined into the breech face supports the case on the non-extractor side. This helps hold the case in position until the ejector begins to nudge the case out of the slide.

Barrel and Firing Pin

The Hex has a no-bushing stainless steel bull barrel that tapers inward at the top end to allow the pistol to unlock and cycle properly. The barrel’s two ports each measure 0.100 inch wide and 0.370 inch long, directing propellant gases upward to counteract muzzle rise.

The barrel maintains the traditional three locking surfaces provided by the two top lugs and the front edge of the chamber section. The barrel hood is cut with a notch that serves as a visual loaded-chamber indicator. The barrel is ramped, which eliminates the need for the traditional feeding surface on the frame of a 1911. Barrels are available in black DLC or TiN coated rose gold.

For the Hex, Jacob Grey chose the simplicity of the Series 70 fire-control system. The lack of a firing pin safety allows for a better trigger pull, and fewer parts usually equals improved reliability. To make the Hex as drop-safe as possible without a firing pin safety mechanism, the gun uses a lightweight firing pin and appropriate weight firing pin spring.

Let’s be honest. The reason someone would choose a 2011-style handgun over a striker-fired gun is its superior shootability, mostly thanks to the trigger. The trigger pull on my test gun did not disappoint, breaking consistently right at three pounds. There was no creep, and the reset was short and tactile. The trigger gets an A in my book.

Optics

Most folks will likely choose to mount an optic on the Hex, but it comes equipped with iron sights. The front sight is a suppressor-height steel blade by XS Sights, set into a horizontal dovetail. The front sight on my test gun was equipped with a dot, but somehow it took on an amber hue that obscured any illuminative properties. I can only assume the stain was from the gases emanating from the barrel ports.

The tall rear sight is mounted on the optic cover plate and on the various optic adapters. The black blade is serrated, and the notch is square.

I’ve always been faster and more comfortable with irons but, as I approach 50, my eyesight is pushing me begrudgingly toward optics on handguns. The Hex comes with a full host of mounting solutions for popular optics. It includes fasteners and adapter plates for optics that fit the Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, Shield RMSc and Aimpoint Acro footprints at no extra charge.

I had a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro on hand, so I selected the correct plate and mounting hardware from the reference card included with the Hex. With the optic mounted, the sights co-witnessed with the iron sights, which were visible at the extreme bottom of the optic’s window.

Recoil and Handling

The Hex uses a recoil system with a full-length guide rod with a 12-pound spring. The DLC-coated steel guide rod allows the recoil spring assembly to be removed without the use of tools. To do so, pull the recoil spring plug backward, compressing the coil spring. With the system compressed, press inward on a button on the recoil spring guide. This activates a tab that locks the system and allows it to be removed from the slide.

It’s important to note that the spring/plug remain under tension when captured, and improperly hand­ling the assembly in this condition can result in parts flying away at high speed. When in doubt, relieve the spring tension in a controlled manner—and it’s never a bad idea to wear safety glasses when working with tensioned springs.

The Hex is equipped with two 10- or 17-round detachable box magazines. These milled stainless steel bodied magazines are produced by Check-Mate, a high-quality OEM and aftermarket manufacturer. The follower and base pad are both made of polymer, and the magazines can be easily disassembled for cleaning and maintenance. These magazines are compatible with other 2011s on the market, and Check-Mate’s website sells capacities from 17 to 26 rounds in various lengths that can be used with the Hex.

Overall, the fit and finish on the Hex was very good. Although slide-to-frame fit is not the end-all for handgun construction, it is nonetheless a good bellwether. The slide and frame on my Hex fit well, with very little discernible play between the two components. I’ve seen tightly fit guns where reliability suffered, but that wasn’t the case here. Thanks to the different materials and finishes used on the parts, the slide cycled smoothly, with no propensity to gall.

Accurate and Reliable

It’s easy to think that the 2011 market is overhyped, until you shoot a good one. The Hex was accurate, reliable, ergonomic and easy to control. The ports certainly make the gun louder from the shooter’s perspective, but there’s no doubt they cut down on muzzle rise.

The comfortable grip, great trigger and quality optic made hitting with the Hex almost effortless. Mechanical accuracy from the bench was good, with most five-shot groups measuring less than two inches at 25 yards.

I’m certain firearms manufacturers have a tough time making their products stand out from the crowd, especially in the current 2011 market. Clever marketing will get you only so far. It takes a great product as well.

Jacob Grey’s Hex is a well-built handgun with some unique features, quality machining and aesthetics that certainly set it apart. The Hex is not inexpensive, but a heck of a lot of work goes into making this gun. Add in the quality magazines and full array of optic mounting solutions that are included, and the price starts to seem less obnoxious. Personally, I don’t mind paying for the kind of quality this gun provides.

Jacob Grey Firearms Hex Specs

• Type: 2011
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 17+1
• Barrel: 4.25 in. ported, 416R stainless bull; black nitride finish (as tested)
• Weight: 30 oz.
• OAL/Height/Width: 7.75/6.0/1.4 in.
• Construction: steel slide, aluminum frame
• Grips: machined aluminum grip module
• Trigger: 3 lb. pull (measured)
• Sights: XS Sights fiber-optic front, black steel rear; optic ready w/adapters for RMR, DeltaPoint Pro, RMSc, Acro footprints
• Safeties: ambidextrous manual thumb, pinned grip
• Price: $3,499
• Manufacturer: Jacob Grey Firearms, JacobGreyFirearms.com

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