Good, accurate shooting is all about stability. Well, that along with a good sight picture, breathing, and trigger control. But having a stable platform lets you concentrate on all of those other things. With a handgun, you typically have either one or two points of contact, depending on your technique. A rifle adds two more points, where your cheek touches the stock and where your shoulder touches the butt of the gun. However, for a pistol, that requires a brace, like the USA 1SHOT from Accurate Pistol Systems.
The Accurate Pistol Systems USA 1SHOT
Pistol braces have become popular in recent years, giving you those extra points of contact primarily found with AK, AR, and the larger subgun styled pistols. If you just wanted support for a conventional handgun there weren’t many options. Especially if you had something other than a duty-sized Glock. Accurate Pistol Systems has been one of the only companies working on a solution to help in that area, with their USA 1SHOT design.
So when is a brace not a brace?
If you take a look at the 1SHOT your first thought is going to be, “okay it’s a pistol brace, big deal.” Except that it’s not. The key difference is where it connects to the pistol, or rather where it does not. The front of the 1SHOT has a cupped pocket, so the pistol’s grip rests in the cup and is grasped by the firing hand. There is no permanent attachment to the gun, your grip keeps the pistol and the 1SHOT connected.
This lack of permanent connection is what differentiates the 1SHOT from other braces. Being that it’s never attached to the gun, it acts as a shooting aid. Just like placing your pistol on a rest or sandbag. Since this is a rest that you can take with you as you move, some refer to it as a “Dynamic Pistol rest.” Once you grasp the 1SHOT and your pistol, you can then raise it to get either a solid cheek weld or tuck it into your shoulder to get rifle-like stability.
The model that I got is the base 1SHOT, which is designed for Glock 17 or 19 pistols. I picked that model since my duty gun is a 9mm Glock 45 that uses a full-sized 17 grip frame. Accurate Pistol Systems has evolved the 1SHOT design over the years. As a result, it is lighter, more streamlined, and ready for a variety of pistol models.
The dedicated Glock model is an obvious choice with so many in military, law enforcement, and civilian hands. For 2022, the coming 1SHOT GS will have a more universal pocket that will work with a wide variety of handguns.
Construction of the Accurate Pistol Systems USA 1SHOT
The 1SHOT is made in the United States from carbon fiber, polymer, and aluminum. The pistol pocket is the carbon fiber portion, which is attached to a standard 1.25-inch pistol buffer tube. The 1SHOT comes with a Trinity Force Breach 1.0 brace attached. It weighs in at a very reasonable 12 ounces and is 5.5 x 1.5 x 11.8 inches in Height, Width, and Length respectively. That is with the brace in its most collapsed position.
Earlier versions of the 1SHOT did use actual carbine buttstocks. However, out of an abundance of caution Accurate Pistol Systems now ships them with a brace instead. The buffer tube appears to be permanently attached to the grip portion. So, you can’t easily switch it out for a carbine buffer tube or an SBA3 brace. If you prefer another style brace over the Breach 1.0, other models should fit. I tested a Shockwave brace that I had on hand and it slid on and locked down fine.
The 1SHOT for the Glock 17/Glock 19 is compatible with Gen3-5, full and compact size, double-stack Glock handguns including the Glock 17, Glock 19, Glock 20, Glock 21, Glock 22, Glock 23, Glock 34, Glock 35, Glock 40, Glock 41, Glock 45, Glock 47. I verified that mine worked with my Gen 5 Glock 45, Gen 3 17 with a 34 length slide, full-sized Polymer 80 pistols, and Glock 19 sized Polymer 80 pistols.
The upcoming 1SHOT GS works with a wide array of pistols, according to Accurate Pistol Systems. They include models from Glock, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Ruger, 1911’s, CZ, CANIK, STACCATO, Tanfoglio, and many others all fit the same GS series 1SHOT.
Shooting Impressions
I hit the range with a buddy of mine to give the 1SHOT a try and brought a trio of 9mm pistols to use. I had my duty Glock 45 with a Holosun sight, a Gen 3 17 with a 34 length Steel City Arsenal slide with an RMR, and a Polymer 80 17 build with factory Glock slide and iron sights. We did a bit of familiarization shooting first since this was my buddy’s first experience with pistol optics. I wanted to make sure he was comfortable with them before we started testing.
Once we settled in we would shoot each pistol offhand, and then shoot it again using the 1SHOT. We both noticed a considerable improvement in accuracy and controllability when we used the 1SHOT. You need two hands to set the pistol and 1SHOT up. I would grasp the pistol in my firing hand and bring the 1SHOT up to it with my off hand, placing the pistol’s grip in the pocket. From there, I could grasp both the 1SHOT and pistol in my firing hand and move it about as one unit.
For shooting, you had two basic options. First, you keep the brace in the most compact position and bring it to eye level as a cheek rest. Second, adjust it for a longer length of pull, then shoulder it and get both the shoulder and cheek weld.
With both styles of shooting, I would support my firing hand with my off-hand. Much like I do in a traditional two-handed shooting stance. You could also use the 1SHOT and pistol with one hand if you’re offhand was injured or otherwise occupied.
You’ll Put Your Eye Out
One concern that people have with either a brace set up or the old shoulder-stocked pistols, is that the slide is now operating quite close to your face. That is true, but the design of the 1SHOT alleviates that issue.
Above the grip portion of the rest is a channel with a raised pocket at its rear. The slide rides in this area and stops about an inch forward of that pocket. Even with the big 10mm’s slide. Just keep your nose behind that point and you’ll be fine.
Speaking of eyes, you do need to adjust your head position, depending on whether you’re using optics or iron sights. I found the 1SHOT works best with iron sights. I could get a good cheek weld and acquire a good sight picture with irons.
When I went to one of the pistols using the RMR or Holosun, I needed to lift my head a bit. Rather than the cheek, I was just getting contact on the side of my chin. I still shot fine that way, but it wasn’t quite as stable as it was with iron sights.
Issues to be Aware of
Although the 1SHOT works well in a firing role, there are a couple of issues you need to be aware of. I have average-sized hands and when grasping the pistol with the 1SHOT, I can’t reach the magazine release or slide lock lever. That means I either need to drop the brace to do a reload, or use my off-hand to hit the mag release, insert the mag and rack the slide. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s something you need to be aware of and train for.
Dropping the brace could obviously be a problem. I have two possible solutions for that though. First, is to attach it to a single point sling so I can let it go and still have it hang, ready at hand. The second is similar but use a shorter strap and attach it to the MOLLE webbing on my plate carrier. That way, when I grab my armor, I have the 1SHOT attached. You could also add an extra strap, holding it in place, so it isn’t swinging around when not in use.
The other issue was the brace inching forward under recoil. We had it initially set to a comfortable length of pull, but found it drifting after a bit. I thought I had it cranked down tight enough, but apparently not.
The Shockwave brace with a screw that directly contacts the tube, rather than clamping around the tube—like the Breach 1—might be a good solution. I may even add a divot in the tube to accept the screw once I figure out the right position.
What is it Good For?
Okay, so the 1SHOT works pretty well, as long as you know its quirks. But what is it good for? Right off the bat, it’s a great range accessory. Just like a bench rest, it gives you better stability when firing and should improve accuracy. It’s fun to shoot with too.
It would also be a great hunting aid for handgun hunters. My Lone Wolf 10mm has a 6-inch barrel and would make a great wild hog gun. The enhanced stability of the 1SHOT would give me more confidence for longer shots.
The other use I see is for civilian defensive use. I like the idea of having a long gun in my car, but don’t want to leave one in there. My Jeep doesn’t have a lockable compartment. I could leave a 1SHOT in there though, that will work with my carry gun and gain carbine-like performance. If the jeep does get broken into, all that someone is going to get is a hunk of plastic and aluminum. I’m not out that much and some thug doesn’t have a new AR.
The 1SHOT was originally designed for police use, to give officers a more stable platform for their duty pistols. This would help with increased hits and fewer rounds expended to end a threat. That’s actually what drew me to the 1SHOT in the first place.
In my current duties, I’m working in an environment where long guns aren’t authorized. Yet we could potentially have shots down long hallways, across parking lots, or ball fields. Especially with civilians present, I want to make sure my shots count, if I must shoot. The 1SHOT gives me a way to enhance my duty pistol’s capabilities while staying within the department’s regulations.
Wrap Up
The 1SHOT for Glocks runs for $174.95 and the upcoming multiplatform GS model will be $199.95. It isn’t inexpensive, but you have to look at what you’re getting.
The 1SHOT is an American-made product, built from quality materials that will work with a variety of handguns. It’s a shooting aid that will help your handgun accuracy, whether for defensive use, hunting, or just plinking at the range. When you look at it that way, I think it’s pretty reasonable.
I’ll be adding my 1SHOT to my duty bag at work. I will probably be grabbing a GS model when they come out for use at home, as well.
For more information, please visit www.USA1SHOT.com.
