Hogue Avenger: Precision Accuracy Via Delayed Blowback

[Bob Riebe]

The Avenger is a flapper-delayed blowback, fixed barrel conversion upper assembly for the Model 1911 pistol. It was designed by Austrian Peter Spielberger, and manufactured by Hogue in the US and PowerSpeed in Austria. It is a product that came close to vaporware status, announced at SHOT Show in 2003 but not actually available until around 2011 – and by then at nearly double the initial advertised price.

The Avenger is a very well-made system capable of fantastic accuracy – but it was a commercial flop. It was too expensive, and didn’t offer sufficient practical benefit over a simply well-tuned 1911. It went out of production almost as soon as it was made available, and is quite scarce today.