Before the pistol even arrived it gets a half point because of Springfields customer service. I got this gun for free. I had another Springfield with a jamming problem that they could not fix and did not make anymore so they sent me a catalog an said to pick any replacement, except from the TRP line.The pistol arrived in a sturdy blue lockable hard case, 2, 7 round mags, barrel lock,cleaning brush and manual. when I opened the case it was like looking at a piece of art, the gun was beautiful. The top of the slide,sights, safety,take down pin and grips were black the rest was a mirror image stainless. I am a fan of safetys and this came with a perfectly placed palm safety that fit right in the web of your hand naturally. A ambi thumb safety that was very easy to use with either hand,and a lockable child safety in the mainspring housing with 2 keys. The grips felt like they were glued to your hands, in a good way. The texture was coarse enough for a great hold but not to much were after 100 rounds it would be uncomfortable. Along with the front and back checkering this pistol wasnt going to move unless you wanted it to. The beveled mag well made for fast reloads but not with the 7 round mags Springfield supplied they were to short, you had to push them up with your finger to get them to lock in place.I corrected this with Wilson combat 8 round mags which sat flush with the bottom of the mag well. Springfield should have noticed this and supplied 8 round mags. The ambi mag release was easy enough to push but not to easy were you would hit it by accident, the mags dropped free and clean.The trigger guard was big enough to fit a finger in a tight glove but not a winter glove. Trigger pull was steady with no creep, somewhere around 6 lbs, and the reset was nice and short for follow up shots. The slide was stiff due to a heavy guide rod spring assembly but was helped by the deep front and back slide serrations. Top of the slide had a Springfield "tough" black coating that turned out to be not so tough and was easily scratched. They should have left it stainless or put a real coating on it. ,Inside you have a match grade barrel and a fully supported polished feed feed ramp that had the pistol run flawlessly. Whether I used ball ammo or hollow points no malfunctions occurred. Accurracy was great. 1 inch at 7 yards with all ammo. Recoil was stiff but expected from a .45, all though the weight of the gun did help. This gun is definitely not one that you want to carry all day it has some weight it. It was fitted with night sights, front blade and fully adjustable rear but the tritium inserts were very small. This made them hard to see unless it was pitch black out. Take down was basic for a 1911 except that you needed a allen wrench to take out the guide spring. I felt it was a major set back until I contacted Springfield and they told me I could get a normal one for $35.This is a target pistol, not a combat gun so if you dont replace it I guess its acceptable.Even though my gun was free, with all the upgrades, accuracy, fit and finish, paired with Springfields lifetime warrantee, for a pistol around $1000 it is well worth it.This pistol would have gotten a 5 out of 5 but because of the not so tough black finish and the 7 round mags Springfield will have to be happy with a 4.5
By
Michael Kase from
Florida, iexsploreit@aol.com