OA Defense has worked hard over the last few years to bring the 2311 to market and the models that have spawned from that original design. I shot the prototype at SHOT Show years ago and have seen the full evolution of the 2311 pistol. Last year, I reviewed the Compact Pro model, which, until now, has been my favorite gun from OA Defense. My new favorite is the most recent pistol they brought to SHOT Show 2025, the OA Defense Pro Elite pistol.

The OA Defense 2311 Pro Elite

While all gun enthusiasts can appreciate this new pistol, the market that should be watching it is the competitive shooting world. The OA Defense 2311 has been used in various shooting competitions since its launch into the firearms world. It has proven itself a worthy competitor.

This company does what many others fail to do: listen to end-user feedback and make improvements to their guns. The new Pro Elite pistol directly results from input from high-level professional competitive shooters and military special forces operators.

I know the guys testing and competing with the OA Defense guns. I can tell you they’re some of the best shooters in the country in their respective shooting sports.

OA Defense offers three full-size handguns: the 2311, 2311 Pro, and 2311 Pro Elite. The 2311 is the base model, but still has many great features. These include a 5-inch barrel, 17-round capacity, a flat trigger, optic readiness with included mounting plates, and fully ambidextrous controls.

The Pro model upgrades include a cut and contoured slide, a ported barrel, an enhanced lighter-weight trigger, and an extended magazine release paddle. A few upgrades to the Pro Elite take this gun to the next level.

Aluminum Pro Elite Grip

A significant upgrade for the Pro Elite model is the new aluminum Pro Elite grip. The entire grip module is CNC machined from 7075 aluminum and has an aggressive texture design.

The weight difference between the Pro and Pro Elite models (unloaded) is five ounces. This might sound like a small amount, but that is noticeable in the world of competitive shooting. The heavier the gun, the less felt recoil. So, we competitive shooters will take added weight where we can get it!

Trigger and Hammer Upgrades

The Pro model pistol included the enhanced trigger from OA Defense. It took the 4.0- to 4.5-pound duty trigger from the previous 2311 pistol and leveled up to an enhanced 3.5- to 4.0-pound trigger. The Pro Elite gun features the enhanced trigger but with upgraded fire control components.

The skeletonized hammer has refined the Pro Elite pistol even further. A great trigger is one of a competitive shooter’s first upgrades to a firearm. Finding a race-ready gun with an excellent factory trigger is rare. However, the Pro Elite is built for competition and outfitted with a crisp, flat trigger.

Rugged Magwell

The previous 2311 model pistols have a large magwell with side cuts for quickly unloading or removing a magazine. However, the upgraded grip module on the Pro Elite pistol includes a new magwell design.

The side cuts are still part of the design, but the overall footprint of the magwell has decreased. The flaring is just right to assist with reloading the pistol without being so oversized.

Upgraded Thumb Ledge

One of the staple features of the 2311 is the ambidextrous controls, which include an ambidextrous thumb ledge. I’m a big fan of thumb rests or, at minimum, having a texturized spot on the frame for your thumb to index on.

A thumb rest can improve your grip by reminding you to rotate your thumb forward until it rests on the ledge. This sets up your strong hand thumb to rest comfortably on top of your support hand thumb.

The Pro Elite has a better-defined thumb ledge, and additional interchangeable thumb ledge options will be available soon.

Shooting the Pro Elite

I love ported barrels and compensators on pistols. A pistol designed to direct gases to fight muzzle rise is way more fun to shoot than its non-ported/compensated counterparts. The OA Defense Pro Elite pistol shoots flat, where the red dot optic tracks easily as it recovers and re-aligns back on target in the same place.

The aggressive texture keeps your grip in place. Likewise, the thumb ledge makes it even easier to maintain a proper grip on the gun.

I was curious to see how the original 2311 shot compared to the Pro Elite model. So, I shot both guns back-to-back. I used the same ammunition and fired at the same target to see how high the sights would lift off the target.

The 2311 shoots as expected of a polymer-framed pistol, but is still manageable in terms of recoil. I could shoot the Pro Elite pistol a lot faster because my sights returned to the target that much quicker with the reduction in felt recoil. It felt like a race gun after shooting the original 2311.

To see how the gun would perform, I tested various competition loads I would use in major matches. I zeroed the gun at 25 yards with training ammunition to start and noticed a spread pattern after a few confirmation rounds. Then, I removed the optic and retorqued down the optic plate before mounting the dot back on the gun.

I was still surprised by the spread, especially after the accuracy I got out of the Compact Pro pistol. I’m unsure if the optic lost zero throughout testing, but that could have affected the shot groups. All the ammunition passed the chronograph test for shooting sports requiring a minimum power factor.

The OA Defense Pro Elite Is a Solid Value for What You Get

The Pro Elite is a great pistol at a price point that is on par with similar competitive double-stack 1911-style pistols on the market. Another benefit of the 2311 is the compatibility with Sig P320 magazines. So, if you have a stash of those at home and mag carriers, you’re already set up to compete.

The value of what you get for the price can’t be overstated. This pistol ships with five magazines, all the optic plates to mount different red dots, and comes in a branded Savior Equipment bag to store everything. Keep your eyes peeled on the shooting sports world, as you will most likely see the Pro Elite in action.

OA Defense Pro Elite Specs

Performance

(5 Rounds Shot at 25 yards and Chronographed using the Garmin Xero C1 Pro)