Springfield Armory has been making a number of value oriented 1911s for quite a while now. These G.I. and Loaded models have been good sellers and target two of the more common segments of the mass produced 1911 market - those wanting a plain, World War II style pistol, and those wanting some more user friendly upgrades.
Springfield also has a higher end lineup. You may not find these in the firearms department of your typical big box store, but many a local gun shop carries them. The Trophy Match and TRP pistols offer more refinement and hand fitting than the G.I. and Loaded models. For the ultimate Springfield offerings, get in touch with the Springfield Armory Custom Shop (SACS) and they’ll build you something to suit your personal tastes.
In the past, if you wanted some of the higher end features but in a pistol more in the "Loaded" price range, you might have looked somewhere other than Springfield Armory (SA). Springfield says that has changed with their new Range Officer model. The Range Officer concept, according to Springfield’s advertisements, is to allow someone interested in competition to buy an affordable, entry-level pistol that is competitive right out of the box. The Range Officer is very similar to their Loaded models, but with the promise of "Trophy Match/TRP quality levels.” This means that some of the same slide, frame, and barrel fitting that go into their higher end pistols is supposed to be in the Range Officer model.
For quite some time I have wanted a 1911 more along the traditional G.I. lines (low key finish, no front cocking serrations, etc.). However, I knew I probably wouldn’t shoot it all that often, and was unlikely to consider it for concealed carry, if I didn’t change some things. I would probably have wanted to add a beavertail style grip safety, a commander type hammer, and maybe an extended thumb safety.
Well, that didn’t make much sense to me from a cost or effort perspective, so I put off getting a 1911 of that sort – until I saw the new Range Officer. It was a good blend of old and new, accuracy and reliability, and so on. The price seemed about right - $740 in my case, so I bought one to commemorate my wedding anniversary this year. (seems like a good excuse for a new pistol, right?)
Out of the box, it comes with two blued seven round magazines, a holster, a dual magazine carrier, two keys for the internal locking system, and a couple tools as you can see above. However, the grip screws are Torx and it didn’t come with a Torx driver. Not a big deal but it would have been nice. There is no bushing wrench, either, but the fit on my pistol was just on the right side of not needing one. On we go to the pistol itself.
The full size frame and slide are forged from carbon steel and have a parkerized finish. No full length guide rod here - a standard guide rod and plug are used. The slide features a lowered and flared ejection port for more reliable cycling. Fully adjustable, low profile, BoMar-style target sights are atop the slide and are a good setup for competition and range use.
If you want to conceal carry this pistol, you may want a fixed sight design* that is less likely to snag, scratch, or lose adjustment, and you may want to consider a set of tritium night sights. You may also want to upgrade your belt to one designed for carry, if you don't already have one, because like all full size steel 1911s this is a heavy pistol to wear all day. Unloaded, the Range Officer weighs in at 40 ounces, or two and a half pounds.
The frame features a checkered main spring housing, plain front strap, checkered cocobolo grips, a lightweight speed trigger, extended thumb safety, high rise beavertail grip safety, and skeletonized hammer.
Enough with the specs, does it live up to the billing of TRP/Trophy levels without some of the “extras” that drive up the price? The answer is, it depends on what you consider “extras.” The rear of the extractor on mine is proud of the slide by at least 1/8”, which is very apparent to the eye. While this does not affect function, it detracts from the sense of quality in my mind. My STIs, Colts, and Kimber aren’t like that.
The other aspect that detracts from the feeling of quality is the fairly prominent tooling marks on the inside of the slide and frame. These are also quite noticeable to the eye, more so than competitive models from the Colt or STI. They haven’t affected reliability in my pistol, but they do give a slightly gritty feel to the action of the slide while hand cycling the pistol. There are no tooling marks on the outside of the pistol, so you won’t notice this until you disassemble the pistol. The thumb safety also had a slight grittiness to it, although that is slowly going away with use (along with the slightly gritty slide action).
On the plus side, the rest of the pistol had little to nitpick. The Parkerizing was nice and even, the barrel to bushing fit was nice and tight, but not quite to the point where you would absolutely have to use a bushing wrench for takedown. The feed ramp had a nice polish, and I had no trouble chambering any of the FMJ ammunition I have used to date.
How does it handle? The Range Officer handles quite well, with one exception that may or may not bother or affect you. The edges of the rear sight blade are fairly sharp. This makes it a little more difficult to comfortably do the overhand slingshot chambering method I am used to using. I am considering swapping out the rear sight, or possibly easing the edges to take the sharpness off.
How does the Range Officer shoot? Since Springfield has brought the Range Officer to market as an entry-level competition pistol, it ought to shoot pretty well, right? Well, I am happy to report that mine does. The only open lane at the range was the 15 yard line. I didn’t shoot from a rest for group size, but I shot well enough offhand for another shooter to come up and ask what I was shooting and compliment me on my accuracy.
I found it a little easier to shoot more precisely at that distance than with some of my other pistols, possibly because of the target style sights. The heft of a full size steel 1911 also makes quick follow up shots easier due to less muzzle flip and lower felt recoil.
Is it reliable? I don’t have a complete answer yet, as I have only shot 150 rounds in the 24 hours I have had the pistol. I shot 100 rounds of PMC Bronze, followed by 50 rounds of Blazer, and they were all 230 grain FMJ. All 150 rounds loaded, fired and ejected their casings without a hitch. The lack of ejection problems does go to show that the untrimmed rear end of the extractor had no affect on reliability.
I used the two factory mags, which aren’t the highest quality but they do work, and two eight round Wilson mags. The Wilsons are much easier to load, and much smoother, despite the extra round of capacity. I alternated between all four of the magazines and they all worked flawlessly.
Would I recommend the Range Officer? My early indications are a good but qualified yes. As long as you can get it for about $740 give or take, and you can live without a couple little finishing details, it’s a pretty good choice. It’s also one of the seemingly few new model 1911s coming out today without the trendy front cocking serrations.
If you intend to compete with it, it’s probably a good starter pistol. I have no reason to suspect it wouldn’t be accurate enough or reliable enough. The forged slide and frame should make a good base for upgrades if you decide you need or want them later on. On the other hand, options are out there, too.
If you intend to carry it, or use it for home defense, you should consider changing at least the rear sight so you don’t tear up your side, your holster, or your clothing on the target sight. It could also be difficult to see the black against black sight picture with the target style sights if you find yourself in a low light situation. Another option would be keeping the sights and adding a Crimson Trace lasergrip.
If you’re planning on using the holster and/or magazine carrier, be sure to loosen the tension screws before inserting your pistol or the magazines, and then make your tension adjustment from there. If you don’t, it is possible to either mar your pistol’s finish, or stretch and/or break the injection molded plastic gear. You should only need to make this adjustment one time unless it loosens up.
If you want to use this as a range pistol, you should be good to go right out of the box. Who knows, you may even shoot so well with it that you, too, wind up with a new acquaintance at the range.
*Rear sight has an LPA cut. One replacement available is the Harrison Extreme Service Rear Sight (HD-002 standard / HD-002-T2 night sight), which is CNC machined with 50 lpi serrations in the rear to prevent glare, and a squared off front face to allow one-handed operation of your 1911 by using it against the edge of a table or other item. About $70 / $125 from http://shop.harrisoncustom.com
Springfield Armory 1911A1 "Range Officer"
Model: PI9128LP
Caliber: .45ACP
Frame: Forged carbon steel
Government sized
Slide: Forged carbon steel
Lowered and flared ejection port
Barrel: 5" Stainless steel match grade
Trigger: Lightweight speed trigger
5-6 lb factory weight
Cross drilled, 3 holes
Mainspring Housing: Checkered
External Safety: Extended thumb safety, single side
Grip Safety: High rise beavertail
Sights: Fully adjustable, low profile, target sights (rear has LPA cut)
Guide rod: Standard GI length with plug
Hammer: "Delta" skeletonized lightweight hammer
Grips: Cocobolo with Springfield's "Crossed Cannons" logo, torx screws
Capacity: 7 + 1 (8 + 1 with 3rd party magazines)
Magazine: (2) 7 round magazines included, blued finish
Other: Made to Springfield's Trophy Match/TRP quality levels
Slide, frame, and barrel have extra fitting performed at the factory
Designed as an affordable, entry-level competition pistol
Fewer "extras" to keep the price down
Injection molded holster and magazine carrier included in plastic/foam case
Smooth front strap
Beveled magazine well
"Loaded" coupon for discounted Springfield accessories & merchandise
Finish: Parkerized
Length: 8.5"
Height: 5.5"
Weight: 40 ounces, unloaded
Point of manufacture: Brazil and United States
Warranty: Limited lifetime
Website: http://www.springfieldarmory.com
MSRP: about $940
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