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Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy

M1911 said:
Cheap 2011s tend to be crap. I'll be surprised if it is reliable. My past experience with a Springfield 1911 was less than optimal.
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Oh I agree...if you think about it though, this was a smart move by Springfield. 2011's are hot. Not many people want to pay 2011 prices. This gives many a chance to step into a 2011.
 
Are the 2011 mags still so finicky and delicate, or have they solved that? Ones that I had years ago all had to be "tuned" to run right
 
Davidk said:
My Para worked great. The early ones sucked. The medium aged ones worked great. The later ones sucked.
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Mine was early. It tended to get failures on the last round -- nose dives into the ramp, etc. The slide was relatively soft and the slide stop notch deformed. The hammer and sear were very soft and wouldn't maintain a trigger job.
 
Davidk said:
Are the 2011 mags still so finicky and delicate, or have they solved that? Ones that I had years ago all had to be "tuned" to run right
Click to expand...
My understanding is that 2011 mags still require tuning the feedlips. I think Wilson Combat has their own pattern, so perhaps they've solved it. Of course, that comes at a Wilson Combat price.
 
M1911 said:
Mine was early. It tended to get failures on the last round -- nose dives into the ramp, etc. The slide was relatively soft and the slide stop notch deformed. The hammer and sear were very soft and wouldn't maintain a trigger job.
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My P14 is an early one too. I've never had a problem with it, but it has only maybe 500 or so rounds through it. Do you have an idea of how many rounds you have through your Para?
 
Didn't Springfield make a double stack sometimes back in the '90's?
@Rob Boudrie
Where they a player competing against STI /SV ( Para) at some with either a one piece or modular grip /frame 2 piece ( like current current Sticcado)
 
SJan said:
Didn't Springfield make a double stack sometimes back in the '90's?
@Rob Boudrie
Where they a player competing against STI /SV ( Para) at some with either a one piece or modular grip /frame 2 piece ( like current current Sticcado)
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It was the Bul Springfield from the Israelis, and a single piece frame, of a different design than the SVI / STI / Staccato. I think it was introduced very near the time of the 1993 AW ban and never gained much traction in the US market, so they never became "a player". I don't think I ever saw one at a match.

 
Sure a $1200-1500 gun is cheap relative to a $4000-6000 gun, but it's still not cheap. And 2011's and the mags have come a long way from even a handful of years ago. I'll wager this will be a pretty solid pistol that works as well as any modern handgun.
 
M1911 said:
Cheap 2011s tend to be crap. I'll be surprised if it is reliable. My past experience with a Springfield 1911 was less than optimal.
Click to expand...

M1911 said:
Only if it is reliable. ParaOrdnance made cheap, double-stack 1911s. I've got one in my safe. It is easily the worst 1911 I've had.
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LOL ... no wonder you have a bad experience with a cheap 1911.

What issues do you have with the Springfield?
 
Bonesinium said:
Sure a $1200-1500 gun is cheap relative to a $4000-6000 gun, but it's still not cheap. And 2011's and the mags have come a long way from even a handful of years ago. I'll wager this will be a pretty solid pistol that works as well as any modern handgun.
Click to expand...
People on NES like to b*tch and think any 1911 under $1,500 is sh*tty and anything under $1,000 is pure sh*t that can't shoot. When challenged they either can't provide a good reason or they tell us about their experience with the cheapest 1911 you can find that is known to have issues.

There are cheap 1911 that are sh*t. But there isn't a magic number that above it they are awesome and below it they are sh*t.

I will give my $850 Magnum Research 1911 to anyone that wants to put 1K rounds through it and let us know how sh*tty it is. I bet it won't have any issues. The first 500 rounds I put through it where all reloads, no issues, followed by 300 factory also no issues. I stopped counting after that.
 
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Broccoli Iglesias said:
LOL ... no wonder you have a bad experience with a cheap 1911.

What issues do you have with the Springfield?
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I had a Springfield 1911. This model had a two-piece barrel. The barrel itself was screwed into the chamber. It wasn’t an accurate gun, even with a tight barrel bushing. My 4” Kimber Compact was noticeably more accurate than my 5” Springfield. I had the barrel and bushing replaced and then it would shoot. The thumb safety was poorly fit. When you took it off safe and then rested your thumb on it, it was springy. That is, when off safe there was still more movement down. The one I had had Novak sights, which I despise, but I admit that’s a personal taste thing. The front strap profile on the Springfield is fuller and more square, compared to a Kimber or Wilson that is more rounded. As a result, the Springfield felt more blocky in my hand. The front strap profile is again a taste thing and not indicative of a bad gun, just one that I don’t like.

A friend of mine ordered a Springfield and had the Springfield Custom Shop do a bunch of work on it. It was really pretty, with a lovely melt job on all the corners. The problem was that barrel fit was crap. If you pushed down on the barrel hood with the slide closed there was noticeable movement up and down. Shooting his gun side by side with my 4” Kimber, the Kimber was noticeably more accurate. That Springfield never should have left the factory like that, let alone their Custom Shop.

I’m not saying Kimber is a great company. I’ve had good luck with mine, but they’ve built some stinkers. My problem with Springfield is that they are batting 0 for 2 out of the Springfield guns I’ve owned or shot.

I’ve owned 3 Kimbers, one Springfield, one ParaOrdnance, one Wilson, and a Colt Delta Elite. The PO was the worst, followed by the Springfield. I’d say the Kimber and Colt were at a similar level and the Wilson is the best. YMMV. I shot IDPA with my 1911s for a number of years, so I’ve put a LOT of rounds through them.

Given the general reputation of 2011s for being troublesome, I’m skeptical of Springfield doing a good job. I’ve watched some of gunsmith Hilton Yam’s reviews of recent Springfield guns and they haven’t impressed me.
 
M1911 said:
I had a Springfield 1911. This model had a two-piece barrel. The barrel itself was screwed into the chamber. It wasn’t an accurate gun, even with a tight barrel bushing. My 4” Kimber Compact was noticeably more accurate than my 5” Springfield. I had the barrel and bushing replaced and then it would shoot. The thumb safety was poorly fit. When you took it off safe and then rested your thumb on it, it was springy. That is, when off safe there was still more movement down. The one I had had Novak sights, which I despise, but I admit that’s a personal taste thing. The front strap profile on the Springfield is fuller and more square, compared to a Kimber or Wilson that is more rounded. As a result, the Springfield felt more blocky in my hand. The front strap profile is again a taste thing and not indicative of a bad gun, just one that I don’t like.

A friend of mine ordered a Springfield and had the Springfield Custom Shop do a bunch of work on it. It was really pretty, with a lovely melt job on all the corners. The problem was that barrel fit was crap. If you pushed down on the barrel hood with the slide closed there was noticeable movement up and down. Shooting his gun side by side with my 4” Kimber, the Kimber was noticeably more accurate. That Springfield never should have left the factory like that, let alone their Custom Shop.

I’m not saying Kimber is a great company. I’ve had good luck with mine, but they’ve built some stinkers. My problem with Springfield is that they are batting 0 for 2 out of the Springfield guns I’ve owned or shot.

I’ve owned 3 Kimbers, one Springfield, one ParaOrdnance, one Wilson, and a Colt Delta Elite. The PO was the worst, followed by the Springfield. I’d say the Kimber and Colt were at a similar level and the Wilson is the best. YMMV. I shot IDPA with my 1911s for a number of years, so I’ve put a LOT of rounds through them.

Given the general reputation of 2011s for being troublesome, I’m skeptical of Springfield doing a good job. I’ve watched some of gunsmith Hilton Yam’s reviews of recent Springfield guns and they haven’t impressed me.
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2 piece barrel, that is interesting.
 

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