ATLAS ATHENA 8000 ROUND REVIEW

[@samuelgaete629]

Did a 3000 round test with my Athena without cleaning. Lubed it about every 500 rounds. In only some key places. Not 1 problem with it. Only cleaned it after 3000 rounds as I wasn’t going to be shooting for 2 months cause of hunting season so I cleaned it before putting it into the safe for that time. I have a little over 7000 rounds through mine in 9 months. Have only ever had 1 problem with failure to extract properly when I first got it and ever since it’s been fine. Beautiful gun would highly recommend it but definitely give it a little love on the lube when you first get it.

[@jaceprovo]

My Athena is probably my favorite gun to shoot. To give a sense of the company it keeps in this design space I have an atlas Erebus, couple of nighthawks, a customed out STI DVC 3 with a Cheely aggressive grip and atlas trigger 2 pound trigger job, a staccato P limited with a Dawson Ice comp and a 2 pound trigger and Wilson SFX 9. In terms of practicality and versatility, the best gun I have is the staccato P limited. It comes with a Dawson Ice compensator which screws off and allows you to mount a suppressor. This is my home defense gun with an Omega 9K on the end. I have aggressively stippled the grip, have the recoil spring at 7 pounds, put in an atlas short trigger and had a trigger job lowering it to 2 1/4 pounds. It’s extremely versatile, and with all the work done it’s pretty close to an atlas. It can shoot compensated, uncompensated and suppressed. If I had only could have one gun that can do everything, it’s the staccato P limited. But if I only was allowed to have one gun for the joy of shooting it would be the Athena. It’s a beast.

[@vincevera7340]

This probably the most valuable high end 2011 review that I’ve come a cross. You are literally comparing the exact 2011 models that I’m trying to research before I start purchasing shortly. Any additional suggestions, observations, or advice in regard to what’s worth purchasing, what’s not, what features or mods, etc.. would be greatly appreciated

[@gair1944]

Jaceprovo, Loved your comments about the Atlas Athena and the company it keeps. I was flirting with the Stacatto P Limited but chose the XC. That said, I didn't know that Dawson comp could come off and you could run the "P" without a comp or with a can. That's pretty cool indeed. Still, I'm gonna enjoy the Athena I just got as well as my XC ..which is amazing. BUT ...the Athena is legal in USPSA LO and the XC is not.

[@jaceprovo]

@@vincevera7340 sorry brother, I didn’t see that comment until now. You probably purchased whatever you’re thinking about a while ago. But since you asked, they’re all good guns. I will say this. You can take us to staccato and make it into something special. An atlas is special right out of the box. This is of course, the law of diminishing returns. Those of us who live in their space have all gone through this. To your question, what I like about Atlas is the ergonomics. A grip that is actually grippy, but doesn’t cut you up. I’m not a big fan of the polymer grips of staccato and the nighthawk grips are a little too slick for my tastes, especially if you’ve been shooting in your hands are sweaty. I really like the 45° angle, thumb safety that allows you to have a thumb rest. And the trigger. Oh my God, the trigger. You haven’t lived till you’ve shot one of the sub 2 pound Atlas triggers. I’ve had many trigger jobs done on my other guns and I can do trigger jobs by myself. You can get them close, but you can’t get them to where Atlas gets them. At least no gunsmith or I have been able to after spending hours trying. Per Adam, the owner of Atlas, the reason for this has to do with the extremely tight precision in which they finish their ignition kits, especially the seer and the disconnector. If they are not perfect, trying to go sub 2 pounds results in either a dead trigger or a machine gun. In my opinion, for what it’s worth, grip and trigger control make a lot of difference. This is where Atlas shines. Practically, does the difference between a polymer grip and a 2 pound trigger really diminish from a metal grip and a one and a half pound trigger? No. Can you feel a difference if you shoot a lot? Absolutely. There are a lot of people that say nighthawk is really dropped off on their quality control. Mine are good. Nighthawk, to me, is like a Bentley: high-quality comfortable luxurious but not exciting. Atlas is like a McLaren. It’s a race car. People rave about Atlas for a reason. But unlike a McLaren, Atlas guns aren’t going to break on you. Or require ridiculous tuneups. No disparagement to staccato. They make an amazing gun. But it’s a Lexus. You can do a lot of things to make it something special : metal grips, trigger job, pine, the grip, safety, etc. But it’s a really souped up Lexus. In the end, buy one you like and be happy with it. They can all out shoot us.

[@jerryevans6424]

I have had my Athena for 2 years and would never sell or trade it, it is my favorite of all my guns with the Ares coming 2nd.

[@BrettsGarage]

I put 400 rounds today through my Athena. Absolutely love it! $6k is a bit hard to swallow but whenever someone shoots it, they understand the price tag.

[@designated_hitter_EGA]

that's what she said

[@k1ngdomdefense404]

BIG FACTS! The Athena is my favorite gun in my collection. I can't wait to go shoot it today.

[@awokeone7997]

What does your collection consist of to get a better idea of the company that the Athena is in?

[@k1ngdomdefense]

As far as 2011s DWX, Cosaint Arms COS 21 10mm Commander. I let go of my Staccato XC & P to upgrade to the Athena. Atlas Erebus is on my radar.

[@awokeone7997]

@k1ngdomdefense damn, let go of the XC & P for a Athena, that's saying a lot.

[@k1ngdomdefense]

@@awokeone7997💯🎯

[@gair1944]

@@awokeone7997 I just got an Athena and compared it to my XC. Both are mind blowing blasters to me. But the Athena return to zero was truly remarkable. So is the XC return to zero but for some reason I overcompensate with the XC and I'm pushing the follow up shots low. I need to train myself out of that with the XC. But the Athena just puts the next round where the first round went. (If I don't screw it up)

[@1NC4stroker]

Brent, great video...and you're hilarious! I'm glad I bought a holster for my Athena from you!!!

[@dvc_joe]

Awesome video! Atlas Artemis vs BulArmory Radical 5.4 would be an awesome head to head video!

[@hammerarmament]

Great suggestion! Expensive...but still a good idea

[@dvc_joe]

@@hammerarmament somebody that knows somebody might have them for a video!

[@abluecardigan]

nah, the guy is a great marketer. i’ll buy your holster when i get an athena (soon…ish) and the editing got you a sub, right around the part with the cheese

[@MF_UNDERTOW]

I enjoy your sense of humor. Glad my feed lead me to your channel. Look forward to smartass comments from me in the future.

[@jasonmagnuson4734]

Well done, I've been looking at those myself. Was kind of fun to see footage of you shooting a stage I designed in there.

[@hammerarmament]

Did you design the long range stage?

[@jasonmagnuson4734]

Yes

[@PaulyP_13]

How have i not found this channel before

[@TeensierPython]

I found it today myself. Binge-ing hard right now.

[@johncastorina8310]

Great video! Your sense of humor is awesome, too.

[@joebishop7909]

Perfect timing, I am getting close to ordering an Athena, when I decide between a medium and short trigger. I plan on carrying in one of your AIWB holsters. I currently carry a Staccato P.

[@hammerarmament]

Atlas has a post on their instagram page about choosing the right trigger size based on your finger length that’s worth checking out.

[@joebishop7909]

I have looked at it, but I am right in the middle of medium and short trigger. From what I have read, the Atlas short flat is close to the Staccato stock trigger.@@hammerarmament

[@hammerarmament]

I’ll see if I can get some measurements between ours and put it in a short for you.

[@hammerarmament]

I took some measurements and the short flat is pretty much the exact same distance from the front of the trigger (in the center) to the trigger guard. Take up is also the same. The big difference is that it is flat, so even though it's the "same size" it creates more room in the trigger guard.

[@joebishop7909]

So you measured a short flat Atlas trigger and a curved Staccato P trigger ?@@hammerarmament

[@jdubuc0831]

this video is hilarious, while also super helpful! I have a Nyx an Ares and am now going to be buying the atlas at my local dealer. I did buy a holster from you...approaching the middle of the time estimate, so hoping to get it soon. Will order more after receipt of the first

[@eg7381]

Do you carry both? If so which do you prefer? The Ares or Nyx?

[@jdubuc0831]

@@eg7381 to be clear, these are not EDC guns. I do carry either occasionally. The NYX is a nicer looking gun. It has a magwell, its definitely more substantial, and I personally like the way it shoots better. But its sigificantly heavier. The Ares, is meant for carry. Its light i forget its there. Its a really nice shooting gun, mine has the ported barrel which is a really nice feature. I hope this helps

[@eg7381]

Thank you.

[@mrgregpappas]

Appreciate the candid review .subbed.

[@ct2368]

Love the video and the gun.

[@quincymcneeley8950]

Awesome video I was on the fence because I’m just about to order one but question how did you get one as a blemish? The price is one thing it’s the 8 month plus waiting time……

[@hammerarmament]

I got lucky, to be honest. I have seen that there are some shops that stock them now, if you don’t need to customize it.

[@b.c.731]

If I ever win the lottery or get 6k to throw at it I'm getting it. Very awesome pistol. Great video.

[@ArmadilloArmament]

Excellent video.

[@christianbattung2548]

I’m thinking about getting an Athena. I have been doing USPSA LO with my Staccato P. Is it worth upgrading to the Athena?

[@hammerarmament]

We will do a comparison video on this soon. The Athena has a superior trigger and grip. But it’s hard to say that it’s “double the price” level of superior. Having both already though, I would never choose to shoot the P over the Athena.

[@christianbattung2548]

Thank you! Been doing 2 yrs USPSA now with the P. I dont think I can outshoot the gun. I will wait for your comparison review!

[@hammerarmament]

@@christianbattung2548 if you really want to make some drastic changes to your match performance, getting diligent about dryfire is the key. Ben stoeger posts entire classes on his KZbin channel and those can be incredibly helpful as well.

[@christianbattung2548]

Thank you! Yes! I do 45 mins a day of dry fire and I do watch tons of Ben Stoeger’s videos.

[@dmack346]

Great video. Just hit the like and Sub button. Thanks for sharing. Now I'm going over to your shop see if there's a holster for me. 😆

[@gair1944]

Enjoyed your review and comments. Not sure I get the 'cheese' thing but we can still be friends. laughs. I do however want to reach out about a holster for an Athena and also an XC. I imagine you might be equipped to help with that?

[@hammerarmament]

@@gair1944 yes sir. We have a few different styles of holsters for both of those, depending on what you plan on using it for. Shoot an email over or checkout our website (www.hammerarmament.com)

[@weheba1]

Love your videos. Have a question for you, do you have any feedback about the Hayes custom Cobra HC 1911? Any input will be appreciated. Thanks.

[@hammerarmament]

I don’t have enough experience to give a legitimate review on them. But the limited experience I do have is positive. The quality of the fit and finish seems on point and it was a nice shooting gun. I’ve been in contact with the guys at Hayes for a while and I like the direction they are headed. Solid shooters and solid dudes. If you select your options correctly, I doubt you’d be unhappy with one.

[@weheba1]

@@hammerarmament Thank you sir

[@justinmoore4088]

Awesomeness will dooski

[@chicharrone007]

Agreed!

[@pauls3333]

I have an erebus and artemis can I use same holster for both what your lead time

[@hammerarmament]

Yes, if you get an Erebus holster pretty much any shorter atlas gun will work. Lead time is right around 3-4 weeks currently.

[@awokeone7997]

To all the owners of XC and Athena's, which one if you can only have one and why? How is the shooting comparison? Thanks in advanced

[@hammerarmament]

If I could only choose one it would be the XC, simply because it does a better job of pulling double duty as a concealed carry gun. Ask me again tomorrow and I’ll have a different answer though😉

[@a.d.c7941]

Great video as always. Is there a huge benefit with getting the Artemis over the Athena?

[@hammerarmament]

Maybe if you plan to primarily use iron sights. Aside from that I doubt you could consider the change huge.

[@a.d.c7941]

Thank you! Yes , I am an iron sight shooter. Because I am, I should go with the Artemis?

[@hammerarmament]

@@a.d.c7941 the sight block on the Artemis can make it easier to track the front sight during recoil, and the added mass that doesn’t reciprocate should produce less perceived recoil. Probably hard to go wrong with either gun honestly.

[@a.d.c7941]

Thank you so much for this info Sir. I am trying to decide if I want to trade my staccato xc towards it

[@MuffinTopTactical]

Great video Brent!!

[@hammerarmament]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@JamesReedy]

That’s the short trigger FWIW. I know cause I ordered medium and it was a bit reachy for me. They said the short is realistically more in line with medium sized hands/fingers. It doesn’t look as nice but it fits will and that’s what matters. Love the gun but the optics screw situation is a mess, wrong size, wrong shoulder angle, the heads are too big, the ones that hold the plate to the slide protrude a few thousandths which is just wrong. I bitched I dunno 4+ months ago and they said they’re gonna make some custom screws. Considering buying another Atlas but won’t do so until they resolve my issues to my satisfaction. That said I love the gun and really appreciate that they sell it as a single shot so those of us in Kahlifornia are able to get them.

[@a.d.c7941]

Hey man, do u think the apollo is worth trading the athena towards?

[@hammerarmament]

I haven’t shot the Apollo yet but once you get into this price range of 2011’s, the law of diminishing returns kicks in hard. I don’t think that the difference is going to be significant. You can almost hunk of it like Horsepower. Adding 40 HP to a 100 HP engine is a big improvement. Adding 40 HP to a 600 HP motor has a less significant effect.

[@a.d.c7941]

Thank u so much for this explanation. And the horsepower example made it make so much sense to me because I’m a car guy, so that turned on the light in my head. Thank u very much for this Sir.

[@kaelenb9149]

Aye, this guy keeps giving me the finger.

[@Ctdusn]

This is the first video of yours I’ve ever watched, and the second you whipped out that fucking block of cheese, I paused the video and immediately liked and subscribed. I was only a little disappointed when I resumed and saw you didn’t actually grate cheese on the grip.

[@hammerarmament]

I actually did it just was such an awful mess that it was cut. It took a while to get the cheese smears out of the grip.

[@Ctdusn]

@@hammerarmament Well in that case, I appreciate your commitment And sacrifice for the joke, even though it didn’t make the final cut. I’ll keep my eyes peeled in case you end up putting it out as a short form video or a blooper somewhere.

[@kaelenb9149]

Going down the list 😂

[@wendellhatcher7011]

Yes it is the drean gun i will never have without going poor...dammit i am willing to go poor!

[@dirtmagurt5752]

Oh no the GRILLCHEEZIANS are coming, break out that XC

[@TeensierPython]

I’m sure that grip is great. But the way it looks makes me hate it.