Ordered the HD-002 for Range Officer

Well, I decided to try out the Harrison Extreme Service fixed rear sight on my Springfield Armory Range Officer and placed an order for it today. I had an email confirming USPS priority shipping with a tracking number just 2 hours after ordering - great service!

A review will follow once I have received, installed and tested it. For now, see the manufacturer's description below.



The rugged HD-002 Extreme Service fixed rear sight is available plain black. It fits 1911 slides machined to mount the LPA adjustable rear sight as used by Springfield Armory and other 1911 manufacturers. The HD-002 is CNC machined and incorporates the most desirable features in a 1911 rear sight. The rear blade is serrated 50 lpi to reduce glare and reflection. All edges and corners are machine radiused for handling, carrying and operational comfort. The front face of the sight is squared to allow one-handed operation. The notch dimensions are .135" x .125" to allow adequate light into the sight picture, assuring a rapid sight acquisition and alignment. The HD-002 has become a favorite for use in custom installations, due to it's good looks and balanced proportions. The HD-002 will often regulate with the OEM front sight, or with new installations in the range from .170" to .200", depending on the pistol.

Fits all Springfield Armory models with adjustable sights, (except TRP Operator - see HD-001) including the new Range Officer. Also fits some models of Para-Ordnance, Charles Daly, STI Spartan and other pistols machined for the LPA adjustable rear sight.

Followup to Range Officer Review

I noticed something when I cleaned it yesterday - the numbers scribed into the slide may have been part of the cause of the grittiness I felt when hand cycling before I had shot it. That spot had felt rough (as you'd expect, somewhat) to the touch before shooting, and now it is no longer rough and you can see shinier spots where the high edges were worn down. You can of course still feel the depressions, they just feel smoother now.



Here are some more pictures of the pistol after shooting 150 rounds of FMJ (nothing unexpected)...

Springfield Armory Range Officer - a review

There's a new Range Officer in Town



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

Springfield Armory Range Officer

I picked up my new Range Officer, Springfield Armory's latest 1911, yesterday. A full review will follow, but initial impressions are that they could've trimmed the extractor better, and it has been reliable and accurate in the one range session and 150 rounds I have through it.

Kimber on the truck

Well, I finally got a chance to get the Kimber over to a UPS service center for shipment so it's on its way back to see if they can get it working. 4-6 week wait, minimum. We'll see what happens.

Kimber Super Carry Pro

How Super is the Super Carry Pro?

The Kimber Super Carry Pro is one of Kimber's newest pistols. Since I like carrying a 1911, its combination of features was hard to pass up once I saw and handled it in person at one of my local gunshops. Despite the hit or miss reputation of Kimber in online reviews, I decided I would take a chance on my first Kimber and bought one of the first Super Carry Pros available locally several months back.

Intended for concealed carry, one of its most notable features is the rounded heel and mainspring housing. This makes the grip less likely to "print," or show through, your concealing garment than the same size pistol with a more traditional grip. Other features on the Super Carry Pro that can be beneficial on a carry pistol are the flush fit 8 round magazine (one included), serrated frontstrap and MSH, ambidextrous extended thumb safeties, 3-dot tritium night sights with a cocking shoulder for one-handed use, "carry melt" treatment to smooth sharp edges, aggressively checkered grips, loaded chamber indicator port in the top of the slide, and lightweight aluminum frame.

The lightweight government frame of the SCP is made from 7075-T7 aluminum and has a satin silver "KimPro II" finish. It is nicely machined and as mentioned, lightweight compared to a steel frame. The magwell is beveled for easier magazine insertion and the trigger guard has a high cut to help you take a higher grip. The grip safety is a high rise beavertail style, and while the fit is good, it could be a bit better for a pistol in this price range. The MSH fit was better.

Since this pistol does not use a ramped barrel, the feed ramp is also aluminum. This is worth mentioning because after the 850 rounds I have fired through this pistol, there are visible wear marks on the ramp. My steel framed 1911s do not show anywhere close to the same degree of wear with similar or higher round counts. A ramped barrel would also have prevented the problem.

The slide is stainless steel with a matte black "KimPro II" finish that Kimber says is self-lubricating. The benefit of that seems unclear because you still need to lubricate the moving parts. It has a flat top cut and "Super Carry" pattern serrations both across the top and on the rear sides. The ejection port is lowered and flared, and ejection was not an issue. This pistol does not use the "Kimber Firing Pin Safety" so commonly used in the Kimber lineup. Since you still have the grip and thumb safeties, this is not an issue.

The "match grade" trigger is a solid aluminum piece. Trigger pull weight felt a bit high though, even without the extra safety, and I'm not sure I'd call it "match grade". It's not a deal breaker, but it is heavier and less smooth than the factory STI triggers, for example. The Colt Combat Elite factory trigger also has a better feel to me. Trigger feel is subjective and may vary from pistol to pistol, so your experience may differ. For the record, Kimber states it comes from the factory set at 4-5 lbs. I do not have a trigger gauge so I couldn't verify that on my pistol.

The barrel is a bushingless, single piece, 4" long, "match grade" part with a polished breech face. Kimber states it also has a "match chamber" for what that's worth. I don't know what criteria they use to designate it as match quality, but my example does exhibit very good accuracy in informal off hand practice at the range. It is up there with the more accurate pistols I have shot. I don't shoot from a pistol rest, don't shoot pistols for measured group size, and don't practice beyond 15 yards with a pistol much, so I can't speak to those areas. What can I say, I favor rifles for those tasks and I don't write reviews for a living.

The finish has held up very well in range use, and despite the 850 rounds through it, the area around the ejection port has also held up well. I have not been able to test the finish in carry usage or for holster wear due to reliability issues that do not give me the confidence to carry this pistol.

That brings me to reliability. Before I even bought this pistol, I knew Kimber said their pistols needed a 500 round "break-in period." That was the main reason I had never bought a Kimber before the Super Carry Pro. I am one of those that feels you should function test a pistol with at least a couple hundred rounds of FMJ and at least 50 rounds of your carry ammo with zero problems before you carry it, but you shouldn't [I]need[/I] a "break-in period" for reliable function on a pistol designed for carry use. Since "Carry" is in the name, that's how I feel about the Super Carry Pro.

I took a 250 round box of FMJ 230gr PMC to the range and proceeded to run it through my SCP. I wound up with an average of about 1 malfunction per magazine, typically a failure to feed the next round all the way into the chamber. That means that with 8 round mags, I had about 25-30 failures, or only about 88-90% reliability.

Okay, I figured, I am a little concerned but I am only halfway through the "break-in period." I ran another 250 rounds of FMJ from various brands and had the same pattern of failures, but it improved to about 90-95% reliability. At this point I had run 500 rounds, and I was starting not to like this pistol.

For my third range trip, I switched to JHP ammo from Winchester, Hornady and Speer. I also switched from my usual oil lubricant to a grease to see if that would help. I ran about 150 rounds of 230gr JHP through, and it seemed to run about 97% with four failures. I switched back to FMJ and ran another 100 through, with four failures.

The total round count was up to 750, with about 94% reliability (somewhere close to 50 failures all together). I was starting to HATE this pistol now. The only other time I've had such an unreliable pistol is when I took a chance on the Diamondback DB380 when it first came out.

Back home, I stripped the pistol down and gave it a good cleaning, and switched back to an oil lubricant. I also replaced the factory spring with a Wolff spring for 4" Kimbers and headed back to the range. I took another 250 round box of 230gr FMJ, and proceeded to run the first hundred through the Kimber. I had two failures, with one in the first 50 rounds and one in the second. Okay, that's it, the best I could get in a single range trip was 98% reliability. Not wanting to let a range trip go to waste, I stayed around a fired the rest of the ammo through my STI Shadow and Colt Combat Elite with nary a problem.

If a freshly cleaned and lubricated pistol with a new spring can't manage to make it through 100 rounds problem free, I am not wasting any more ammo on it. Nothing appears to be wrong with the extractor, ejector, etc. No burrs on either the slide or frame. Not a magazine problem*. That leaves me having to try giving Kimber a call and see if they can fix it. Even if they do, I won't ever have confidence in this pistol and will probably sell or trade it. I have two Colts and four STIs, and none of the six needed a "break-in period" or had reliability problems. It's not the "tightness" of the Kimber assembly either, as my STIs are all at least as tight if not tighter than the Kimber.

Would I recommend this pistol? It's probably obvious by now, but I have to say no based on my sample. The Super Carry Pro turned out to be Super Frustrating. For the price, it should exhibit a little better fitting, have a more durable feed ramp or a ramped barrel, and should not have the reliability issues that mine has. However, if those issues were solved or are not an issue on your example, I would say it would make a very good carry pistol. It conceals well, shoots very well, and could be a great carry pistol if Kimber put enough QC/QA into it.

*All shooting was done using the factory KimPro Tac-mag, Wilson magazines, and some Colt factory magazines. The only time I could discern a specific magazine didn't work well with the SCP was with the Colt magazines. They work in my other pistols but showed the most failures to feed in the SCP. The failures showed up randomly enough with both the KimPro and Wilson magazines that I do not attribute any failures specifically to those magazines. I mentioned the fit of the grip safety earlier, and it may have contributed to the tendency of this pistol to leave a wide "v" shaped blood blister in the web between my thumb and forefinger when shooting a lot of rounds. I don't have any other pistols that do that.



Note: After I wrote this review, I called Kimber and this pistol is being sent back to Kimber to see if they can fix it.






Kimber Super Carry Pro

Caliber: .45ACP

Frame: 7075-T7 aluminum
government length
"Super Carry" pattern serrations on frontstrap and mainspring housing
high cut trigger guard
beveled magwell
rounded heel

Slide: stainless steel
flat top style
"Super Carry" pattern top and rear cocking serrations
oversized ejection port
enlarged firing pin stop to lock extractor in place

Barrel: 4" bushingless, single piece, non-ramped
LH 1:16 twist
loaded chamber indicator port in the top
polished breech face

Mainspring Housing: rounded with "Super Carry" pattern serrations

External Safety: ambidextrous extended thumb safety

Grip Safety: high rise beavertail

Sights: Tritium three dot night sights with cocking shoulder

Guide rod: full length

Hammer: commander style

Grips: micarta/laminated wood fully checkered with border

Capacity: 8 + 1

Magazine: KimPro stainless steel Tac-Mag
Teflon coated stainless steel follower
quick change floor plate (only the flat stainless steel floor plate included)
one included with purchase

Other: "match grade" chamber, barrel, and trigger (solid aluminum style)
lowered and flared ejection port
recessed slide stop pin with beveled surround in the frame
"carry melt" treatment
22lb recoil spring, manual recommends changing every 800 rounds
checkered, slightly extended magazine release
does not have the "Kimber firing pin safety"
manual states there is a 400-500 round "break-in period"

Finish: KimPro II "self lubricating"
matte black slide
satin silver frame

Length: 7.7"

Height: 5.25"

Weight: 28 ounces

Website: http://kimberamerica.com

MSRP: $1,530 (as of Feb. 2011)

STI 1911 .22LR Conversion Kit

[B]STI .22LR 1911 Conversion Kit, Target Model[/B]
(manufactured for STI by Advantage Arms)

Feeling the pinch of high factory ammunition costs for .45ACP, but still want to get more practice or plinking time in with your 1911? One option is to buy a .22LR conversion kit. A variety of manufacturers, such as Advantage Arms, Ciener, and Kimber, sell these kits for 1911s. You can also get them for a variety of Glocks, Sig Sauers, etc. that are not 1911 designs.

I am a fan of STI 1911s and my local dealer, having sold four of them to me, knows this. When I asked about a 1911 conversion kit while picking up my second Ranger II about a year ago, he made me a good deal for the last STI branded kit he had in stock.

The STI kit has the STI logo, company name and location on the left side of the slide. It also has the "Robert Marvel, Custom Pistols" logo and a caliber notation on the right side of the slide. STI has discontinued sales of their rebranded kits, but you can still buy the equivalent from Advantage Arms.



The installation process is simple and is basically the same as removing and reassembling your current slide and frame. The only exception is that the guide rod is threaded, and turning it tightens the pin to the barrel.

1. Remove the slide from your 1911
2. Slide the conversion slide onto your government sized 1911 frame
3. Install the conversion kit slide stop
4. Retract the slide about 1/2" and tighten the guide rod using the supplied wrench and release the slide (the guide rod pushes against the slide stop to lock it against the barrel)
5. Function check the assembled pistol

The STI kit I bought is the target model, which has a two piece slide. The lower portion of the slide does the cycling. The upper portion of the slide doesn't move with the cycling, and it has the sights on top. The barrel is also fixed. Since neither the barrel nor the sights move while the action cycles, potential accuracy should be improved.

A quirk of this is that it's a little harder to do the slingshot method to chamber a round by using your whole hand over the top of the slide. Since the top doesn't move, you have to grab the rear cocking serrations with your finger and thumb and draw it back that way. This isn't a big deal for my purposes.

If you want to practice using it as a defensive pistol and have it operate more like your 1911, you could opt for a non-target model from AA. The non-target model slide is one piece, but also carries with it less potential accuracy.

Unlike a 1911, the conversion kit uses an external extractor. I have not had any issues with it. The left side of the slide has a steel insert to prevent the slide stop from damaging the aluminum slide when the slide locks back on an empty magazine. The top of the slide has lengthwise grooves running down it between the sights, which are set into dovetails. The rear sight has horizontal grooves to help reduce reflections.




As you may expect of a slide that isn't able to be factory fit to a matching frame, the back of the slide doesn't follow the exact contour of the back of the Ranger II frame I typically use with the kit. This is entirely aesthetic, though, and has no affect on functionality. The fit of slide to frame rails is good, and that's what affects function. No problems here.




Another slight oddity is that the slide stop lever seems to extend out fairly far compared to a standard 1911. This is because AA uses a two piece assembly, which has a pin that fits through a hole in the lever. When in place, it acts as a single unit, but once removed from the pistol it separates into two pieces again. You can see how far it extends in the picture above.

How does it perform? Very well. Using high velocity ammunition, as recommended by the manual, allows the slide to cycle and lock back on an empty magazine reliably. Standard velocity will fire, but it may not always have enough energy to fully cycle with the lower powered ammo.

I haven't performed any formal accuracy testing, but about 1" groups at 7-15 yards are the norm in my offhand firing. I haven't tested their 50 yard accuracy claims because my pistol range doesn't extend that far.

A couple more odds and ends per the manual - AA recommends that you chamber a round using the "slingshot" method of pulling the slide fully rearward and releasing it. Dry firing "can be done, but is not recommended."




[B]Specs:[/B]
Custom fitted foam/plastic carrying case
CNC machined 7075-T6 aluminum slide with steel breech insert
Heat treated 4140 steel .22LR barrel, recoil spring and slide stop
Fixed barrel and sights unaffected by slide movement
Last round lock open
Fits any milspec government sized 1911 frame
Adjustable target style sights
Anodized finish on aluminum parts (per Mil-A-8625 standard)
Black oxide finish on steel parts
Polymer 10 round* magazine (one included)
Cleaning kit with rod, brush, patches, and oil included
Guide rod tension wrench included
Manufacturer recommended ammunition - 40 grain,high velocity, non-hollow point
Remington Golden Bullets for plinking
CCI MiniMags or Federal Automatch for accuracy
Standard velocity may be used when using an optional reduced power recoil spring
Claimed accuracy - average group size at 50 yards is 1.6" with bulk ammo, 1.0" with match ammo such as Eley 10x when used with the reduced recoil spring.

MSRP: STI version discontinued, Advantage Arms target models are $350 for direct purchase, magazines are $25/each

*Note: as per the FAQ on the Advantage Arms website, higher capacity magazines are not available due to the manufacturer's location in California. CA apparently bans even the manufacture of "high capacity" magazines within the state.