Now, I’ve got a pretty unexpected wild card for you today. I’ve seen so many cool pistols lately that I haven’t really been expecting something to come out and just absolutely wow me—particularly not a small, compact pistol designed for concealed carry. But the setup that really impressed me and the one we’ll be reviewing today is the all-new Bull Ultralight.

Like I’ve said in the past, the EDC really won my heart from the beginning with its balance of speed and precision. It just absolutely resonated with me. Then, the 2024 version came out and improved on everything just a little bit more. And to be honest, hearing about the Ultralight, I wasn’t initially all that excited to shoot what I thought would be a shorter and snappier, harder-to-control version of the pistol I liked. But that’s not at all what we have here today. This might even be better than the EDC, and I know that sounds a little crazy. I’ll show you what I mean.

My Biases

Now, onto the boring part—my biases. I’ve had a chance to review a ton of Bull pistols, so I have a lot of time with them, and I’ve seen where these pistols do well and where they may do poorly. I have to say, I really love both the quality and the performance of everything I’ve seen. I also think the folks over at Bull are just wonderful people, so liking the people that work there and liking their products makes me a little biased.

Also, Bull did send us this Ultralight for a full review for all of you. Regardless of that, though, I’ll still tell you: don’t take anything that I say—or any other YouTuber says—as gospel. Everyone has biases, me included. Make sure to do your own research, as I always tell you, so you can be the most educated consumer possible.

I highly recommend Humble Marksman if you’re looking for a more competition shooter’s perspective on this setup, and Nightwood Guns has some great content to show you how insane you can run this thing. There are plenty of other options out there for you to see and compare to my thoughts.

The History of the Bull Ultralight

This is interesting—the Ultralight is actually the oldest production model at Bull, and it may be why we’re seeing such a level of insane refinement packed in here. The design of the Ultralight actually drove the production specifications for all other models like the EDC and TAC. The reason for that is because in Israel, citizens are allowed to have only one pistol, and even that is quite a challenge to obtain.

The Ultralight saw its beginnings as the M5 Ultra in the early 90s. The idea was to design a pistol that could be used in both defense and competition—so citizens could train for competition, and all their weapon manipulation and reloads would directly translate into defensive use.

The M5 Ultra didn’t change much for about 15 years, but when the Gen 2 Ultra came out, it introduced a full-size and a compact grip option, making it even more popular. In 2019, the Ultralight was released globally. The “light” was added due to the new fluted barrel and lighter frame. Initially, it was a custom order pistol, where you could select different feature options, but during COVID, Bull got flooded with custom orders. They realized that wasn’t sustainable, so in 2021, they just kept the price the same and added all the most popular features: optic cuts, compact grip, modular trigger, and more.

This approach led to the EDC and TAC lineups, and the 2024 version of the Ultralight has all these upgrades.

The New Ultralight Version

Now that you guys are all smart on where this guy came from, let’s dive into the details of the new Ultralight version.

Starting at the slide, we see something very familiar from the other Bull offerings but in a more compact package. We see similar cuts at the front of the slide, allowing for both the non-ported and the Pro version with the V6 porting. I tried the Pro model at GunOn, and it’ll be exciting to compare it against this version.

Moving down, we see updated slide serrations from the TAC and EDC lines, giving you a much deeper bite on the slide. This is especially important for the Ultralight, which is smaller and needs more spring force. The added serration makes weapon manipulation smoother, even in stressful situations or when wearing gloves.

For the optics side, the Ultralight features a fiber optic front sight, and the Pro version is blacked out to prevent melting from the ports. It also comes standard with an adjustable rear sight and the new Boo Mini Optic System, which I think competition shooters will love.

I’ll mention the 407k and RMSC plates included with the pistol. I mounted the EPS Carry with the red multi-reticle system, which worked perfectly.

Now, there’s one thing you have to be cautious about: small optics like the SRO may not work properly on a small pistol like this. Make sure to use the correct screws—Bull’s website lists the screw sizes for different optics.

Rail and Light Options

The pistol features the same Pic rail on the front that I used to attach a Streamlight TLR7. While I prefer the TLR7 Sub for overall fit and use, it can be harder to find holsters for unless you go with something like a Tenicore holster with a multi-light option. The TLR7, however, offers significantly more holster options and works just fine.

Controls and Trigger

• Controls:
  • Textured slide release
  • Ambidextrous safety switch
  • Updated blacked-out grip safety
• Trigger:
  • Modular trigger with a 2.5-lb pull weight
  • Amazingly short reset
  • Exceptional performance across the Bull lineup

Grip and Magwell

• Grip:
  • Updated from the old oval cross-hatch style to a more aggressive texture seen in the EDC and TAC lines.
  • Shortened for better concealment, catering to U.S. market demands.
  • New grip can be purchased as an upgrade for last year’s model.
• Magwell:
  • Ships separately and requires manual installation.
  • Great for competitions but can make concealment challenging.
  • Personally, I preferred the pistol without the Magwell due to better ergonomics for my hand size.

Magazine Compatibility

• All Bull magazines from the lineup fit the Ultralight.
  • Includes the standard mag it ships with and higher-capacity options like the 18+1 from the EDC or the 20+1 from the TAC.
• Comes with three magazines and a blacked-out Bull carrying bag that includes tools, manuals, stickers, and a patch.

Holsters

There are plenty of holster options due to the Ultralight’s time on the market:

• Priority One (left-hand draw available)
• Tier One, QVO, Alien Gear, and others
• Can also use Staccato CS holsters (2024 version) with multi-light compatibility.

Range Performance

Draw-to-Fire Test

• Highlights:
  • Lightweight design makes it easy to drive to target.
  • Textured grip ensures secure handling.
• Recoil Control:
  • Surprisingly low recoil for such a compact pistol.
  • Dot barely moves off target, enabling rapid follow-up shots.

Return to Zero Test

• Consistently returns to zero with minimal effort.
• Balanced components make for a smooth shooting experience, rivaling even the EDC model.

Manual of Arms: Reloads

• Compact grip made reloads slightly trickier compared to larger Bull models.
• Installing the Magwell improved reload speed but compromised concealment.

Speed Shooting

• Fast Trigger:
  • Capable of very high-speed shooting.
• Control:
  • Requires more skill for rapid, accurate fire due to the pistols compact size.

Final Thoughts

The Bull Ultralight is a compact powerhouse that delivers performance typically expected from much larger firearms. It balances speed, precision, and concealability, making it an excellent option for defensive carry.

After extensive testing, the Ultralight has dethroned the EDC as my favorite pistol in the Bull lineup. However, Im curious to see how the Pro Ported version performs in terms of control and return to zero. Stay tuned for a side-by-side comparison!