The New 9mm AXE Tomahawk by BUL Armory
The BUL Armory AXE line of Glock cloned pistols hit the market in April of 2022, and the lineup in this series is certainly interesting. There are a ton of Glock clones, knock-offs, and wannabes out there. Normally I say if you want a Glock, then buy a Glock. As a member of law enforcement, I carry a Glock daily. The only complaint I really have about them is that they’re so dang ugly. Glocks are reliable and because of their popularity, they are also extremely easy to find parts, accessories, and magazines for. So why buy a Glock clone that is nearly double the price of a Glock? Let’s look at BUL’s new line of AXE guns and you can decide for yourself.
AXE Series by BUL Armory
I have talked about BUL Armory before. Made in Israel, they produce mostly 1911, CZ, and AR clones. Their line of weapons is on the higher end and the price goes along with it. When I heard they were producing a line of Glock clones I was interested to see how they could dress up the reliable but simple Glock.
What they have done is create a line under the name AXE with several models that dictates how much “custom” work the gun has. They have marketed them as the Tomahawk, Cleaver, and Hatchet. The “C” designation is for compact or the equivalent to the Glock 19 and the “FS” is for full-size Glock 17. The Tomahawk has the most customizations, so that’s the one we are going to review and take to the range.
Quick Specs from BUL for the Tomahawk C
- Barrel length: 102mm/4.02 inch
- Slide: Tomahawk serrations with a weight reduction cut
- Steel 3-Dot sights (Glock dovetail)
- Optic ready: Trijicon RMR footprint
- Fluted barrel
- Magazine capacity: 15 rounds X3
- Weight without magazine: 560g
- 3.5 – 4.0 LB trigger pull
- Available colors: Black (PVD) / Silver (Natural finish)
- Integrated flared magwell with side cuts
- High grip beavertail
- Trigger Guard with a high Double Undercut
- Reversible magazine release
- Extended Slide Lock Lever (stainless steel)
- Ambidextrous integrated thumb rest
- Flat face trigger shoe
- 1913 Picatinny rail
- Aluminum guide rod
- Dimpled stainless steel pin kit
How does the AXE compare to the Glock 19?
My first question when getting ahold of the AXE was how much of it is interchangeable. From a quick field strip, I could see right away that not all of it is. The AXE looks more like a gen 3 Glock on the inside. It has a standard single recoil spring (not the double recoil spring like the newer Glocks). The slide rails on the lower frame are slightly different so the slide from the AXE would not fit on my Glock 19 frame. This however was a gen 5 Glock and as I no longer have a gen 3, I was not able to see if the AXE slide would fit on an older Glock frame.
The AXE barrel is identical to the Glock, and I was able to swap them without issue. The sights, magazine release, slide lock, and the slide backplate all appeared to be interchangeable with Glock parts. The big question, and most important to me was the magazines. I like Glock magazines more than I do Glock pistols so being not being compatible would be a big issue for me. There was no need to worry however as Glock mags will work great in the AXE line of pistols.
The most notable difference in the AXE frame is the checkering on the grip. The finger guard has a slightly different shape to it, and they placed an aggressive serrated finger stop on each side for the shooter’s support hand.
On the Range
The AXE Tomahawk did well on the range, but I was a little disappointed that it didn’t have just a little bit lighter trigger. The trigger pull was great but comparable to my Glock. For the extra money, I was hoping to have just a little bit lighter weight and smoother pull. It did have a little more kick to it than the Glock due to the lighter weight of the AXE, but this was expected.
The checkering and serrations on the gun were comfortable for me. A few other people that shot it said the grip checkering was too aggressive for them, but I like having something that gives
me a good grip on the gun.
I fired all three of the 15-round magazines that came with the AXE and then used some of my 15 and 17-round Glock magazines. I never had any issues with cycling and the magazine release was very easy to find. AXE flared out the mag well which made mag changes easy. The AXE magazines have a wide base to they can be pulled from the gun, but they fall freely so I’m not sure there was a need for that. I preferred using my Glock mags in the AXE as opposed to the ones that came with it.
There are a few small things I would have liked to see changed but overall, I think this is a great gun. BUL Armory has a good reputation for making quality guns and this one is a looker. The cut-out on the slide reveals the fluted barrel, which is the Tomahawk’s best feature, and I even like the red trigger safety they placed in the trigger. BUL Armory offers the Tomahawk with a gold barrel for those who want a little more bling. Because it’s lighter, it makes it comfortable to carry and the overall look to me is appealing compared to a Glock. If you see one in your local gun shop, check it out and see what you think!