If you’re a fan of 1911s, you’ve undoubtedly already heard about Tisas’ pistols being imported from Turkey by SDS Imports. If you haven’t, now is the time to do some research and save some money. And if you have been looking for an affordable double-stack 1911, the Tisas Night Stalker FS 9 DS is worth the look.
The Tisas Night Stalker FS 9 DS
I first came across the company’s guns at the SHOT Show four years ago. I remember telling a colleague that if the guns they imported were as nice as the samples on display, SDS Imports would be hugely successful with the line. And they were.
I’ve probably reviewed seven or eight guns in the time since I first saw them. I continue to be impressed with their overall quality in terms of materials and fitting. Each has been extremely accurate, and I have yet to have a misfeed or stoppage with the thousands of rounds I have fired through them!
Over time, SDS Imports has developed and refined its product lineup, giving consumers exactly what they ask for. Now Tisas is manufacturing a double-stack 1911 chambered in 9mm that is much like the 2011 STI/Staccato guns.
Loaded with features that include an extended and threaded barrel, ambidextrous safeties, a detachable magazine well funnel, and an optics plate, Tisas’ newest gun would be the perfect candidate for someone on a tight budget who wants to compete in USPSA’s new Limited Optics division.
The Night Stalker FS 9 DS pistol retails for just $960.
Cutting No Corners
When I see prices dramatically lower than what I think they should be, I become suspicious. So, I start looking for places where corners are cut. In the case of 1911s, I look for cast parts or pieces made with the metal injection-molded process.
Happily, in the case of Tisas’ pistols, this is not the case. All parts are machined from bar stock, including the frame and slide, and I have been told by two very well-known gunsmiths that the Tisas steel parts are every bit as hard or harder than anything produced domestically.
Tisas also manufactures its pistols to true 1911 dimensions, meaning aftermarket upgrade parts will work with their guns. It turns out, though, that the lowball pricing of the Tisas guns has nothing to do with their quality. It is, in fact, SDS Imports’ marketing strategy.
The company is simply buying market share. Prices will gradually rise. So, if you’re a cheapskate like me, now is the time to buy and save.
Night Stalker Details
The Tisas Night Stalker FS 9 DS boasts a 17+1 capacity and uses stainless steel magazines. STI/Staccato 9mm mags can be used with this gun, but SDS Imports ships it with two Check-Mate magazines.
Like the 2011 guns, this pistol features a two-part, hybrid frame. The slide rides on the machined carbon steel frame, which is attached to a polymer grip frame. The steel frame features a 1913 Picatinny rail for attaching lights and lasers, while the grip’s frame has molded 25 LPI checkering on the frontstrap and texturing on the sides.
For competition use, Tisas outfits the gun with ambidextrous, extended thumb safeties that engage on and off crisply. The gun also uses an extended magazine release, which is especially important because the grip is thicker than a standard 1911. With an extended magazine release, it is easier for the user to engage it for speed reloads without shifting the grip.
A detachable polymer magazine well funnel is held in place on the gun with the mainspring housing pin and is rock-solid and wobble-free. The funnel nearly doubles the size of the magwell and makes it almost impossible to miss a speed reload, especially with the tapered magazine.
The slide, frame, and grip of the Night Stalker are coated with a Platinum Grey Cerakote. Other parts like the beavertail, slide stop, magazine release, and barrel are Cerakoted black for a pleasing contrast. Frame-to-slide fit is exactly what I have come to expect from Tisas. In fact, all parts were fit to perfection.
Bang Switch and Sights
The trigger tracks back and forth smoothly without any vertical or horizontal play. Additionally, the barrel and bushing were also fit with the same attention to detail. The Night Stalker uses a fully supported barrel with an integral feed ramp. It is 5.5 inches long and extends past the slide’s end. Tisas threads the barrel 1/2 x 28 for possible suppressor use.
Tisas supplies the gun with some excellent iron sights. Both the front and rear sights are suppressor height, so they can be co-witnessed through an optic’s window. The front sight is manufactured by HiViz and features a tritium lamp with a fluorescent orange ring around it. So, it is very easy to pick up on presentation in virtually any light. Tisas cuts the rear sight dovetail to Glock dimensions and uses a stout, one-piece sight that is drift adjustable for windage correction.
An optics plate is incorporated into the Night Stalker’s slide. The gun comes with a cover plate in the event you don’t want to add an optic. For those that do, Tisas machines the slide to accommodate an RMSc or Holosun 507K red-dot optics footprint.
I used a Riton X3 Tactix MPRD (Micro Pistol Red Dot) for my evaluation. It took just a minute to install on the Night Stalker and mounted directly to the gun without the need for an adapter plate.
The X3 features a 3.5-MOA dot with ten different brightness levels. It is powered by a common CR2032 battery, and Riton claims one of these cheap and readily available batteries can provide up to 50,000 hours of life. The red dot weighs just six-tenths of an ounce, uses premium Japanese glass, and also boasts a lifetime warranty.
Test Results
I did all of my accuracy testing with the Riton red dot in place. To sight the gun in, I placed my target at 15 yards. My second group was well-centered and measured just 0.61 inches. But my third group, fired with Doubletap’s 124-grain FMJ Match ammunition, was a one-hole group that measured 0.43 inches center to center. It was then I realized this particular Tisas pistol was really something special.
From there, I moved my target stand back to 25 yards and fired all of my groups from a seated rest. I used a DOA Tactical portable shooting bench and rested the Night Stalker’s dust cover on a Millett BenchMaster for support.
I fired at least three groups with each ammunition, and the very best groups are listed in the accuracy chart (below). It was a windless day and it was easy to center the red dot in the black Shoot-N-C 2-inch diameter while adding the 3.6 pounds of pressure necessary to drop the hammer.
Feeding the Night Stalker
Only two of the ammunitions tried were range ammo. The Doubletap load and the Federal 150-grain TSJ Action Pistol rounds proved accurate and fed and functioned fine through the gun. But even the hotter defense loads were extremely accurate and cycled flawlessly.
USPSA’s provisional Limited Optics division requires rounds to have at least a 125-power factor. Power factor is factored by multiplying the bullet weight (in grains) by the velocity (in feet per second) and dividing by 1000.
Every load fired easily meets this standard. Bullet weights ranged from 115 grains to 150 grains, and all cycled without fail through the Night Stalker. The average for the five loads I tested was under 1 inch. If you’re interested in using the Night Stalker for competition, this is exactly the kind of accuracy you need.
I also fired some of my handloads through the gun in field exercises. Using a Hornady 124-grain XTP bullet and enough WW231 powder to achieve a velocity of 1,050 feet per second this load accrues a power factor of 130 and also cycled without a stutter. It is an extremely light load, and I was able to fire some very fast double-taps at my steel targets.
The Night Stalker’s trigger is a little heavier than I would prefer for competition use. It breaks at 3.6 pounds with a little take-up and just a hint of overtravel. But, if you’re a competitor, chances are you’re going to have someone work on the trigger anyway.
Ready To Rumble?
Overall, I am extremely impressed with the Tisas Night Stalker FS 9 DS. It offers shooters the reliability and accuracy needed for competition use and at a price that leaves them with some extra cash to buy practice ammunition. It possesses all of the match-ready features needed and is ready to run right out of the box.
At the suggested retail price, it makes a world of sense to buy a Night Stalker as a backup gun to your STI/Staccato match gun.
For more information, please visit TisasUSA.com.
Tisas Night Stalker FS 9 DS Specs
| Caliber | 9mm |
| Barrel | 5.5 inches |
| Overall Length | 9.20 inches |
| Weight | 35 ounces (empty) |
| Grips | Textured polymer |
| Sights | HiViz tritium front, adjustable rear |
| Action | Semi-auto |
| Finish | Cerakote |
| Capacity | 17+1 |
| MSRP | $960 |
Performance
| LOAD | VELOCITY | ACCURACY |
| Black Hills 115 JHP | 1,215 | 1.09 |
| DoubleTap 124 FMJ Match | 1,127 | 0.69 |
| Federal Premium 135 Hydra-Shok Deep | 1,085 | 0.96 |
| Federal 150 TSJ Syntech Action Pistol | 1,040 | 1.02 |
| Hornady Critical Defense 115 FTX | 1,152 | 0.94 |
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second (fps) by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best three-shot groups at 25 yards.
