APF / Arsenal Strike One 9mm Pistol 5″ Barrel Silver 17rd

Description

There are a lot of polymer-framed 9mm pistols on the market, and most of them work on the same basic Browning tilting-barrel principle that's been around since the 1930s. The Arsenal Strike One goes a completely different direction. Its patented AF-Speedlock system uses a Y-shaped locking block that holds the barrel in line during recoil rather than letting it tilt, so the barrel travels straight back and stops while the slide continues rearward to eject and feed. The result is one of the lowest bore axes of any production pistol out there, measured at just 12mm from the barrel centerline to the top of the grip. That translates directly into less muzzle flip and faster, more natural follow-up shots.

What Makes the Strike One Shoot So Flat

Because the barrel never tilts, there's almost no rotational force being applied to the gun during firing. You feel the recoil push back in a straight line rather than the typical upward flip you get with most pistols. Reviewers who've put rounds through the Strike One consistently note that it shoots flatter than guns that cost significantly more. At 20 yards from a rest, groups under 1.5 inches have been documented, and the pistol has shown reliable function across a wide range of 9mm loads including +P. The action was originally designed to handle Russian military 9mm ammunition running at pressures close to .357 SIG, so standard commercial ammo is well within its comfort zone.

The Strike One's Build, Fit, and Controls

This silver-finish model features a Cerakote polymer frame paired with a stainless steel slide, giving it a distinctive two-tone look that stands out on the range. Overall dimensions come in at 8.3 inches long, 5.63 inches tall, and 1.3 inches wide, with an empty weight of around 1.83 pounds. The grip texturing is aggressive enough to stay put under recoil without tearing up your hands, and the integrated Picatinny rail under the barrel gives you room to mount a light or laser. The magazine well is beveled for smooth reloads, and the ambidextrous magazine release makes it easy to run regardless of which hand you shoot with. Fixed 3-dot sights handle aiming duties on this configuration, and the trigger runs a single-arc safe-action setup with an internal firing pin safety and disconnector. No external thumb safety to worry about.

The Strike One was originally developed in Italy under Arsenal Firearms and imported to the U.S. by American Precision Firearms. It carries a military-grade pedigree, has seen use by Russian law enforcement, and was a serious contender in Russian military trials. Finding one new is getting harder, so if you've been eyeballing this platform, this is the kind of gun you grab when you have the chance.