Hello, all. I've owned a few 1911s in the past, but they've all been the basic GI style. Three I owned weren't very reliable (Para USA GI Expert, a High Standard-branded Armscor, and a Rock Island GI), and two more (both Springfields) were quite dependable but I stupidly let them go in favor of other stuff that was catching my fancy at the time.
Well, lately I've been regretting letting go of those fine, fine Springfields and had the urge to get another one and hang on to it. This time I wanted one with tritium night sights though, to make it a little more useful as an HD or carry option. My options were to get a basic Milspec and pay to have Trijicons added or get the upgraded "Loaded" model that comes with them standard. Looking at prices, it would have cost about the same either way, so to save time and complexity I ordered the Springfield Loaded Parkerized model on 8/10.
I received the pistol on 8/13 and having handled it and shot it a bit since then I've decided I'm quite impressed with it. It feels great in the hand, has a nice businesslike finish and has an excellent trigger. Not a perfect trigger, there's barely perceptible creep before the light, crisp break, but still very easy to shoot accurately. I put 50 rounds of WWB through the gun on the 14th and was able to shoot ragged one-hole groups at 20ft and keep all the shots in an IDPA -0 circle at 50 ft. Recoil isn't harsh, not surprising with a gun that's 40oz empty. Operation is 100% reliable so far, as expected with this manufacturer. I have never seen a Springfield malfunction when using the factory 7-round mags.
The pistol came in a very nice hard case with internal foam padding. Inside was the gun (luckily), two mags, a basic polymer paddle holster, a double mag carrier, a cleaning brush, lock, and assorted paperwork.
I see the included holster knocked a lot in reviews, and it's not ideal, but for free equipment it's not bad either. It has adjustable tension and holds the gun very securely, it's fairly comfortable to carry all day, and conceals pretty well. I like the mag carrier a lot too.
In addition to the upgraded sights, my Loaded came with some other "enhancements" over the vanilla flavor Milspec. I use quotations because some things I could take or leave, or don't really prefer.
Upgrades I like: The Trijicon night sights (obviously), the extended beavertail which allows a higher grip on the weapon, and the little bump on the grip safety which makes deactivation a little more sure. I also like the flat mainspring housing with nice, rough checkering.
Neutral: The shiny three hole trigger (needless bling) and the forward slide serrations. I do find myself using them to press check though, so they are functional. The pistol also is fitted with an ambidextrous safety, which I don't really need but doesn't seem to cause any issues so far.
Not so good: The full-length, two-piece guide rod. Why? I don't know what the advantage of this is, but I do know that it adds needless weight and that I have to unscrew the rod with an allen wrench to field strip the gun. I'm "downgrading" to a GI short guide rod and spring plug as soon as the parts come in the mail.
Overall though, I'm very happy with my purchase and feel that the gun was worth the extra money over the basic Springfield. I've got some Lee .45 dies on the way and am itching to crank out some rounds and really break this pistol in! Thanks for reading.
Well, lately I've been regretting letting go of those fine, fine Springfields and had the urge to get another one and hang on to it. This time I wanted one with tritium night sights though, to make it a little more useful as an HD or carry option. My options were to get a basic Milspec and pay to have Trijicons added or get the upgraded "Loaded" model that comes with them standard. Looking at prices, it would have cost about the same either way, so to save time and complexity I ordered the Springfield Loaded Parkerized model on 8/10.
I received the pistol on 8/13 and having handled it and shot it a bit since then I've decided I'm quite impressed with it. It feels great in the hand, has a nice businesslike finish and has an excellent trigger. Not a perfect trigger, there's barely perceptible creep before the light, crisp break, but still very easy to shoot accurately. I put 50 rounds of WWB through the gun on the 14th and was able to shoot ragged one-hole groups at 20ft and keep all the shots in an IDPA -0 circle at 50 ft. Recoil isn't harsh, not surprising with a gun that's 40oz empty. Operation is 100% reliable so far, as expected with this manufacturer. I have never seen a Springfield malfunction when using the factory 7-round mags.
The pistol came in a very nice hard case with internal foam padding. Inside was the gun (luckily), two mags, a basic polymer paddle holster, a double mag carrier, a cleaning brush, lock, and assorted paperwork.
I see the included holster knocked a lot in reviews, and it's not ideal, but for free equipment it's not bad either. It has adjustable tension and holds the gun very securely, it's fairly comfortable to carry all day, and conceals pretty well. I like the mag carrier a lot too.
In addition to the upgraded sights, my Loaded came with some other "enhancements" over the vanilla flavor Milspec. I use quotations because some things I could take or leave, or don't really prefer.
Upgrades I like: The Trijicon night sights (obviously), the extended beavertail which allows a higher grip on the weapon, and the little bump on the grip safety which makes deactivation a little more sure. I also like the flat mainspring housing with nice, rough checkering.
Neutral: The shiny three hole trigger (needless bling) and the forward slide serrations. I do find myself using them to press check though, so they are functional. The pistol also is fitted with an ambidextrous safety, which I don't really need but doesn't seem to cause any issues so far.
Not so good: The full-length, two-piece guide rod. Why? I don't know what the advantage of this is, but I do know that it adds needless weight and that I have to unscrew the rod with an allen wrench to field strip the gun. I'm "downgrading" to a GI short guide rod and spring plug as soon as the parts come in the mail.
Overall though, I'm very happy with my purchase and feel that the gun was worth the extra money over the basic Springfield. I've got some Lee .45 dies on the way and am itching to crank out some rounds and really break this pistol in! Thanks for reading.
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