The traditional 1911 pistol is a single stack handgun with a magazine capacity, in .45 caliber, of seven or eight rounds. Since the 1980s, interest in modernized and high-capacity weapons based on the 1911 platform has steadily increased. One of the first companies to offer a 1911 with a double stack magazine was the Canadian manufacturer Para-Ordnance.
The 2011 pistol continues that trend and represents a significant upgrade compared with the traditional 1911 pistol pattern. This new design features improvements in every category, from sights and ergonomics to controls.