F-1 Firearms BSF-19 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol Review

The F-1 Firearms BSF-19 9mm pistol brings a lot to the table. Reviewer Kevin Reese breaks it all down.

“I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It’s so f’ing heroic.” – George Carlin

Gun enthusiasts like me—the type he hated most—were the scourge of the Earth so it seems fitting to use his quote as the backdrop for F-1 Firearms’ BSF-19 handgun, built in Texas by perfectionist gun aficionados, within the walls of a Texas firearm manufacturer taking heroic tuft-of-grass leaps! Case in point, as mentioned, being the BSF-19, a handgun I just recently acquired as my new go-to concealed carry pistol. So, what is the BSF-19, you ask?

With its foundation on the Glock 19 Gen 3 workhorse, known for its ridiculously reliable performance, the BSF-19 was designed to deliver the same level of dependability and OH SO MUCH MORE.

Fit and Form, F-1 Firearms Style

Opening the included F-1 Firearms case to reveal my own BSF-19 was quite a moment. BSF-19 pistols arrive in a lockable, Pelican-style handgun case. The handgun, a single magazine and an F-1 Firearms patch sit firmly in foam cut-outs while a second magazine rests inside the BSF-19’s grip.

More than just another “Glock,” F-1 Firearms represents lifestyle, and they chase and achieve BSF-19 success in uncompromising ways. BSF-19 pistols are available in a number of head-turning anodized finishes, much like the insanely cool AR finishes for which F-1 Firearms has garnered fame and reputation. I ordered my BSF-19 in F-1 Firearms’ matte-anodized Titanium Shadow Camo finish to match the finish of the “ultimate pig rig” rifle I built using F-1’s ultra-popular BDRx chassis. The “twinsies” look of my rifle and BSF-19 is quite cool and definitely represents my affinity for out-of-the-ordinary shock value, much like my sense of humor and pretty much the rest of my zests for both life and adventure.

Construction & Feel

The BSF-19’s construction is robust. The feeling in your hand from the compact, billet 7065-T6 aluminum frame is significant and slightly weighted. The frame and slide stylings are aggressive, with scores of serrations, cuts, and grooves—many of which actually are purposeful, i.e. balance, comfort, and ergonomics. Grooves on the front and back-strap area of the grip result in more positive hold without compromising comfort during long shoots. Standard slide machining also accommodates both open sights and RMR-footprint optics.   

Unlike my rifle’s carbon-jacketed black barrel (oddly enough, manufactured by BSF), I ordered the BSF-19 in F-1 Firearm’s latest-greatest hat trick—kaleidoscope! The BSF-19’s 4-inch barrel appears blue or purple… is that yellow and orange in there, too? All of the colors are present, depending on lighting—the name fits.

The BSF-19 also comes standard with a Grant Defense GT1-R drop-in trigger. The Grant GT1-R boasts an ultra-crisp break (average measured weight of 3 lbs. 6.8 oz. through 15 pulls), zero over travel, ultra-short reset, trigger safety, and horizontal serrations to enhance finger-pad placement, as well as overall trigger control. The GT1-R also includes an OEM trigger bar assembly to ensure drop-safe trigger reliability.

The Final F: Function

To complement the BSF-19 for carrying and shooting, I chose Hornady’s American Gunner 115gr XTP ammunition and Bravo Concealment holsters, an OWB for routine range time and IWB for personal-defense training and active concealed carry. On the latter, I appreciate Bravo Concealment IWB’s grip angle, designed to reduce or eliminate printing, and the holster’s passive resistance. Even with the BSF-19’s roomy trigger guard, it covers the trigger safely and holds the pistol tightly without hindering draw.

Through my first half-box of ammo, I suffered a few misfeeds; however, after a quick cleaning, and very light application of lubrication, the pistol began feeding and cycling more reliably. Within 75 rounds, cycling morphed into reliability I can trust. With hundreds of rounds down now, I have yet to experience another misfeed. Call it break-in, call it an ammo or magazine issue, it resolved itself.

My best grouping from 10 yards resulted in an impressive 1.4-in. 6-shot from the small-framed BSF-19 and leaves room for others to improve upon it. Even so, for me, the BSF-19 ranks among the top of my compact handgun shooting experiences and I feel great about employing it as my everyday concealed-carry.

Final Shots

The BSF-19 not only looks good, it shoots great. For the handgun world, it’s a homerun, but it comes at a not-for-the-faint-of-heart average price of $2,000, a little more or less depending on features. Of course, in a get-what-you-pay for world, the BSF’s price tag is definitely palatable for shooters with a discriminating taste for the type of limited-edition, top-shelf pew-pews F-1 Firearms consistently delivers, and there are only 200 BSF-19s to get your grubby paws on.

Of course, in a world where the ability to please everybody seems to be a futile effort, F-1 Firearms seems to be hell bent on getting there. Keep your eyes peeled. 1911 and 2011 pistols just might be in F-1’s sights. Learn more at f-1firearms.com.

Specifications: F1 FIREARMS BSF-19

• Caliber: 9×19 mm (Luger)
• Capacity: 15+1
• Barrel: 4.02 in.
• Length: 7.36 in.
• Height: 4.75 in.
• Width: 1.125 in.
• Slide width: 1 in.
• Weight w/o mag: 24.9 oz.
• Weight with mag: 27.4 oz.

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