Summary
Reliability
Very reliable pistols overall.
Accuracy
The pistols shoot very accurately, thanks to the great triggers and match grade barrels.
Ergonomics
The pistols are very comfortable in your hand, and the weight is very balanced.
Looks
All of the versions of the pistol are nice looking, but there are some that are very sleek.
Customization
1911s offer you a wide variety of things that you could do to upgrade them.
Bang for your Buck
They are extremely high quality, but they are on the expensive side.
We Like
- Overall quality. The internals of these pistols are excellent. The barrels are awesome, and the triggers are very crisp and smooth. While not all of them have it, the tritium sights are great as well.
- Accuracy. These quality features lead directly into quality shooting. This is a great pistol for competition shooting.
- Looks. The pistols are extremely nice looking, assuming you like the 1911 styling.
We Don't Like
- Heavy. While this isn’t a concern with anything other than the concealed carry pistols, it is worth mentioning that these pistols are definitely on the heavy side.
- Cost. They are very expensive, but they are of the highest quality.
All of the different versions of the Springfield 1911 are great quality pistols. In our opinion, Springfield has taken the 1911 to the next level. The pistols are awesome looking, but they also function extremely well. They are very accurate, and are capable of filling many different firearms uses.
1911s are one of the most iconic pistols out there. My dad first introduced me to 1911s when I was really young, and I’ve been a fan of them ever since. However, a year or so ago, when I saw a Springfield 1911 at the gun store, I didn’t realize how much different the pistols could be.
Springfield takes the 1911 to the next level, and they accomplish some things with this pistol frame that no one else can. I actually own two different Springfield 1911s. If you’d like to know why I like them so much, continue reading on.
What is the Springfield Armory 1911 for?
Springfield 1911s are suitable for all different types of shooting. They have multiple smaller frame 1911s that are excellent for concealed carry, but they also have some much larger pistols for other uses.
The larger pistols would be great for range shooting, home defense, and even competitive shooting. The options are really endless for you with this pistol system. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get more than one, for multiple different pistol uses.
Breakdown
Obviously, you’re familiar with the 1911, but you’ve never seen a 1911 quite like this. There are quite a few different models available, so we’ll attempt to touch a little eon each of them.
Springfield has a mil-spec model, which is pretty straightforward. It’s all stainless steel, and looks just like a classic 1911.
However, things get a little different with the Range Officer model. The Range Officer model is meant for competition shooting, and is an extremely high quality pistol. Its got an excellent trigger, and a great match grade barrel. It’s available in 9mm and .45 ACP.
If you’re looking for more of a defense gun, Springfield makes the Range Officer Operator model. This one offers all of the same shooting features as the Range Officer, but adds in a picatinny rail for accessories and makes it a little more durable for defense purposes.
There are quite a few different models for concealed carry. First up, there’s the EMP model and its variants. This one is available in 9mm and .40 Smith & Wesson. This one is much shorter, and has a much shorter action. The pros are that it’s extremely nice looking, very reliable, and offers excellent accuracy and shooting features. The standard tritium night sights are absolutely excellent.
There’s one version of the EMP in particular that is very unique: the EMP Concealed Carry Contour model. This one has a slightly longer barrel, but is way more comfortable for concealed carry. The shape of the pistol makes it much easier to draw, and the fact that it is rounded makes it very comfortable in your hand.
If you’re looking for a .45 ACP, there’s a compact version of the Range Officer model available. It offers all of the same features that we mentioned with the Range Officer, just in a shrunken down frame.
One final version of Springfield’s 1911 is the TRP. This is one of my absolute favorites, especially for home defense. For starters, this pistol is extremely comfortable to hold. It’s very durable, sleek looking, and has an excellent trigger. It’s very accurate, and it’s available in 10mm, which is a great caliber, in my opinion.
All in all, the Springfield 1911s are available with some excellent features. They have very smooth actions, the triggers are great, and the pistols are very accurate for the most part.
The only cons of these pistols are that they are expensive and heavy, which is a complaint against essentially all 1911s. They are made almost entirely out of stainless steel, so they are naturally very heavy.
Springfield Armory 1911 Review: Safety and Reliability
1911s are notoriously reliable. They’ve got a standard thumb safety, which is ambidextrous, and they’ve also got a grip safety. This means that there’s almost no chance of an accidental discharge. The thumb safety is really easy to get to, and the grip safety isn’t in the way.
Another guarantee with 1911s is that they are extremely reliable. As long as you treat the pistol properly and maintain it as necessary, the pistol will last.
Comfort and Shootability
Another great feature of 1911s is how comfortable they are. While they don’t have molded polymer, ergonomic grips like some of the newer pistols, their styling is consistent, and the grip angle is excellent.
The grips of the pistols offer a decent amount of texture, and they are really nice looking in my opinion. They really add a unique flair to the pistol, but they are also functional.
Shooting the pistols is a dream. There isn’t much felt recoil, due to how heavy the pistols are. The triggers are very crisp and consistent, and the pistols are very accurate to shoot. The competition models are even more accurate.
The different versions that have the tritium or fiber optic sights are even better to shoot. Even the concealed carry versions are enjoyable to shoot, which is a pleasant surprise.
Accessories and Upgrades
There are quite a few different holster options, but due to the fact that there are multiple different versions of the pistol, we won’t make many specific recommendations. However, there are plenty of options out there.
The stock sights are pretty good, but you could always upgrade them if you want. A red dot style sight could be a good choice, or you could go for some other tritium sights like the Big Dot.
If you’re using this for competition shooting or for any defense purpose, you may want to trade out the grips for rubber grips. They don’t look as nice, but they do offer an improved grip. We like these from Hogue.
Check out another Springfield Armory 1911 review from Jordan Winkler:
Conclusion
All of the different versions of the Springfield 1911 are great quality pistols. In our opinion, Springfield has taken the 1911 to the next level. The pistols are awesome looking, but they also function extremely well. They are very accurate, and are capable of filling many different firearms uses.
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