Cabot Gun’s First 2011 Pistol: Insurrection — SHOT Show 2024

in SHOT Show 2024

Updated: August 30, 2024 BY Levi Sim

The right side of the Cabot Insurrection 2011. The gun is positioned diagonally pointing to the top right. It is all stainless and lit with a red light on the right and a blue light on the left. — Insurrection is Cabot’s first 2011.

As you’d expect, Cabot Gun’s Insurrection, their first 2011-style 9mm pushes the boundaries defining a 2011 pistol and sets a high standard for other manufacturers.

The right side of the Cabot Insurrection 2011. The gun is positioned diagonally pointing to the top right. It is finished in black DLC. — The Insurrection is offered in matte stainless or black DLC like this.

Race Features

2011-style pistols are double-stack 9mms evolved from the classic 1911. Their double-stack magazines mean they hold more 9mm than possible in a single stack gun. Hallowed for their excellent 1911-style triggers, they also offer safety and performance features competitors cherish.

The Insurrection includes wide, well-placed safety levers on both sides of the gun for ambidextrous use. While other 2011s have wide gas pedal-like slide catches, the Insurrection’s catch is moderately sized but set in a recessed pocket on the frame.

The pocket’s edge is just right for pressing with a thumb to help control the muzzle in gas pedal fashion. A user can use the recess on the gun’s opposite side as an indexing ledge for their trigger finger to keep it clear of the trigger guard.

Still Holster-Compatible

Whereas safety levers and gas pedals on competition guns stand significantly proud of the frame, the Insurrection’s slimmer designs still fits in holsters. It’s compatible with holsters made for 5″ Stacatto guns.

Close up view of the left side of the trigger area including the trigger, the takedown lever, and the magazine release. — The slide catch sits in a recession on the frame which can be used as a thumb rest on either side.

Other favored 2011 features include a flared magazine well and 17-round flush-fitting magazines. Insurrection includes two Cabot 17-round mags.

Cabot has tuned these mags for greater reliability, but the gun is also compatible with Staccato mags. Cabot also offers 20-round extended mags.

Close up view of the Cabot Guns Insurrection magazine well. It is slightly flared. The gun is tilted away and pointed to the left. — The mag well is flared for speedy changes.

Although the Insurrection comes standard with windows on the slide’s front, the ported barrel is optional. The ports are effective at helping tame muzzle rise, but they are not allowed in many competition classes. The barrel is hand-fit and match-grade, made of 416R stainless steel.

Incidentally, you’ll notice some residue on the barrel. This is the first Insurrection production unit, and it has fired over 5,000 rounds.

Close up view of the slide open revealing the barrel of the Cabot Guns Insurrection. The slide has windows cut in it, and the barrel has two sets of two-hole ports at 10 and 2. — The slide has windows, but the barrel ports are optional depending on competition rules. This gun has already fired at least 5,000 rounds.

DLC or 416?

Many other guns we saw at SHOT this year feature DLC — diamond-like coating — on triggers or other parts. But Insurrection comes either completely finished in black DLC or in a bead-blasted matt stainless finish.

The black DLC is a dark, but slightly warm, gray that typifies the color “gunmetal.” Both are machined from America-sourced 416 stainless steel, and it’s the machining that sets these guns apart.

Close up of the grip safety and textured grips. The gun is facing to the left. — This entire gun is precision machined and features a two-piece lower.

Precision Machined

Cabot Guns is known for its high quality and craftsmanship. Even though many of their guns are showpieces of craftsmanship and artistry, this gun’s standout feature is the opposite of craftsmanship. It is precision machined, not handcrafted.

The details were all handled before the steel was touched. That means that every unit is the same, and every process is repeatable. And when you handle this Cabot Gun’s Insurrection, you can feel how tightly everything locks up and how rigid the entire thing is.

In fact, at the booth, they took a slide from another 9mm model and swapped it with this one and it still felt just as tight. That’s repeatable precision and it is designed in.

Close up view of the details at the front of the slide and dustcover. The gun is pointed to the right. — These feather lines in the serrations demonstrate the precision with which the Insurrection is crafted. Likewise, its design thoughtfulness is demonstrated by the line of the dust cover.

Each visible detail is a reflection of the precision on the inside. The serrations include feather lines on each ridge with parabolic depths commensurate with their lengths. The undercut end cut on the dust cover is an exact continuation of the Surefire X300 UB flashlight’s fame.

Shirking the traditional 1911 tube-shaped slide, Insurrection has three faceted faces on the slide, topped with three serrations.

Close up view of the front of the slide including the front sight. The Insurrection's slide is machined with three flat sides and three longitudinal serrations running its length. the gun is pointed away and to the left. — The slide is machined with three flat sides — tri-top — and three serrations for glare reduction.

Notice the lack of engraved words on this entire gun. Only the logo and crest are visible on the frame and grip.

No Markings, But No Doubt

After a minute, you realize that this gun lacks any of the engraving typical of firearms. Remarkably, the slide is free of serial numbers, addresses, or model numbers. All the necessary information is inscribed under the barrel in the Picatiiny rail slots. The only lettering is the Cabot logo on one side of the rear slide and the crest on the grips.

Looking into the ejection port reveals the only other visible lettering: “Insurrection” and “9mm” are inscribed on the barrel.

Close up view of the right side of the trigger area. the gun is pointed right. — The right side mirrors the left, including the recessed area which is great for indexing your fingers.

Grip Module Frame

The highly-textured grip is incompatible with other 2011 pistols because the grip is machined as part of the frame. Not only does this make the gun incredibly rigid, but it also allows it to be 2/10″ narrower than standard 2011 grips. That’s significant since 2011s are typically a bit portly.

Close up view of the right side of the grip showing the machined stippling and Cabot Guns crest. the gun is pointing to the right. — The entire grip is machined as one part of the gun.

Internal Extractor & Sights

Cabot’s Insurrection includes their proprietary extractor that launched with the Rebellion in 2020, the Advantage Internal Extractor. This has been designed specifically for 9mm and is exclusive to Cabot’s pistols.

Close up of the back of the gun showing the rear sights and the hammer. There is a red dot optic mounted to the slide. The gun is pointing away and to the left. — Insurrection features Cabot’s Advantage Internal Extractor, designed specifically for 9mm.

Cabot’s u-notch rear sides are standard, as is the full-size Trijicon RMR optics cut. The reverse-dovetailed front sight is fiber optic, unless you want a blacked-out blade or brass dot wot go with your red dot optic.

The right side of the Cabot Insurrection 2011. The gun is positioned diagonally pointing to the top right with the right side up. It is finished in bead blasted matte stainless. — The DLC and bead-blasted matte stainless models are made from 416 stainless steel.

Cabot Gun’s Insurrection double-stack 9mm handgun is available now, but the waiting list is already almost 12 months long. Which goes to show that a starting price of $5,995 isn’t too steep after all.