BUL Armory Releases the AXE Series at IWA 2022

BUL Armory released their AXE series, at IWA 2022. The Israeli-made, polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol is a direct competitor to the widely adopted Glock 17 and 19. BUL will produce the Clever, Hatchet, and Tomahawk. The differences can be seen in slide design and size.

The Clever, Hatchet, and Tomahawk are going to be offered in compact sizes (with a 4.02-inch barrel), while the Clever and Tomahawk will have a full-sized model with a 4.49-inch barrel. The AXE series is already being shipped internationally and is expected to be ready for purchase in the United States in late March, early April of 2022. The MSRP is currently unknown but is reported to be competitive with other Glock-style pistols.

The 9x19mm handguns will diverge from their staple Colt 1911 style handguns. However, BUL Armory will be implementing some of their tried-and-true 1911 style features into the AXE series. The design at first glance looks almost identical to other high-end Glock clones, however, upon further inspection, the grip module blends the polymer construction of the Glock line of handguns with a 1911 inspired design complete with 1911 inspired beavertail. The AXE series comes with aggressive serrations and texturing on the slides and grips of the handgun to aid in its manipulation. The gun’s flat-faced trigger comes in at a pull weight of around 3.5 lbs providing a competition-level trigger in the AXE’s stock configuration.

Fig.1.2. A BUL Armory Tomahawk FS in black and silver. The Tomahawk’s weight reduction cut on the slide, and its gold fluted barrel are out of the box features on this top of the line model (Source: BUL Armory)

BUL Armory has maintained the AXE’s interchangeability with the majority of Glock OEM and aftermarket parts making the handgun a much more appealing purchase for military, police, and civilians who already own Glocks. In addition to aftermarket compatibility, the compact versions of the Clever, Hatchet, and Tomahawk will be able to accept Glock 19 magazines, while the full-sized versions use Glock 17 magazines.

The uncertainty of the AXE series is whether its 1911-like grip benefits and competition-ready features will be enough to steal customers away from Glock and other manufacturers. Given that the pistol is competition ready in its stock configuration, the AXE series may be able to maintain itself as a do-it-all competition gun for those who want to enter competitive shooting as soon as possible.

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