Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Springfield Armory Mil Spec Stainless: Picked One Up

Been thinking about getting one for years, but whenever I saw one in the shop I didn't like the trigger, and figured another $75 or $100 for a trigger job into the price total. I saw it in the case and asked to check it out. It has a trigger on it like a Les Baer, nicely crisp, not a hint of creep. Break weight a hair under four pounds. Highly polished flats, all else nicely bead-blasted, providing a good grip feel. Slide glides snugly and smoothly on the rails. Not a speck of slop in the lock up. Comes with lowered and flared ejection port. Comes with checked cocobolo double-diamond grips, with SA emblem. Very nicely made gun.

A range session showed the sights were dead on, and the gun is accurate. In the 100 rounds of FMJ fired, not a single hiccup (still have to try some carry ammo in it). Price was $699.00. I'm happy.



PS Over the years I've come to discover that I prefer the old standard Government Model setup on a 1911, i.e., no bells and whistles, i.e., standard A1 style grip safety (no beavertail), standard thumb safety, etc.. Only thing I wouldn't mind would be a set of Novak sights, with a night sight only on the front, but I can live with these.

So I have my S&W LW Commander with all the bells and whistles; I like it.

And I have my 1991 .38 Super that I've made as close as I can get to an old school A1 Super; I like it.

Aesthetically I prefer the old school gun. Functionally, I see the advantages of the newer style, but I don't think the difference is all that big. I actually shoot the Super better than the Commander. But that may be accounted for in full size all steel vs. Commander aluminum, and Super vs. 45.

Regardless, old school 1911's are just as deadly today as they were 100 years ago.

Good gun as is.

Springfield's are one of the best (all things considered including $$) for a build if you go that way.

Forged and heat treated frame and slides.

My only beef with Springfield (and several others) is aesthetic. Ever notice how the front strap of the slide doesn't wrap back to the leading edge of the grip? Anytime I build up a Springfield (and most others except S&W and Colt), the first thing I do is get out a 12" double cut file and hog that thing down and shape the front strap to where it's supposed to be. Literally my only complaint with Springfield; and that's a pretty nit-picky complaint.

I know you do a good job, but you do charge a little more for that don't you?

Depends...short answer is; I don't work for free.

If I'm building a full custom pistol and it has my name on it, it's included. I will quote the full pistol as a package; I don't parse it out by line item because there are oodles of little things like that I want done before I put my name on a gun.

If I'm doing item by item custom work, and the gun doesn't have my name on the side, then I will offer that as a line item cost. It's $50.00.

I really like my Springfield Mil Spec (Parkerized). I have the Clark .460 Rowland barrel in it now, and it handles the extra power very well.

My favorite handguns are bone stock. My favorite rifles aren't.

Go figure...


Travis

I should say the only mod I have had done to my Delta was N/S. So I guess it isn't bone stock.



Travis

...I thought I was the only one who ever noticed that the front strap radius of a SA is different than any other 1911 I've ever picked up. I can pick up 10 1911s blindfolded and if there is one Springer in there it just stands out in my hand...

They are really nicely built guns however...and the first to bring out ramped barrels when they started chambering their guns in .38 Super along with proper headspacing on the case mouth...

Bob

You mean the front strap of the grip frame, right? Yeah, that's something I've never particularly liked about Springfields. They actually fixed that with their GI Model. At least in the beginning they did. Don't know if they went back to doing it their standard way since then with the GI.

Very nice. Congrats.

You couldn't give me a bone stock 1911 no matter who built it.

If somebody does give you one, PM me and I'll send you my gun dealer's address so you can send it to me. Remember, I asked first.

I'll flip you for it. Heads or tails?

Sorry, I got in line first.

CDNN is selling the Remington R1 for $475 and the Para Expert for $400.

Wow, that's a smokin deal. I've shot 2 or 3 Para Experts and I thought they were nice guns. Still have yet to shoot the Remington.

I thought so. If I were home the Para would be on its way. My middle son is visiting us here in Oz and has wanted a 1911 for years. He just ran the CDNN deal on his iPhone so one will be heading to Tyler Texas tomorrow.

I looked at a blue Springfield Mil Spec the other day at my LGS and I liked it. But the rebates on a Remington or a Para are too big to ignore!