Over the years I have used well over a dozen Springfield
Armory .45 caliber pistols with excellent results.
However, there are variations among the pistols and it is
well to understand these variations before choosing a pistol. As
an example, in my hometown the average 1911A1 Springfield
retails for about $450 while the special order Professional
Model can easily reach $2000 or more. The middle of the road
Loaded Model is probably the best buy. The Loaded Model
is simply a good solid 1911 with ‘loaded’ features not found
on the bare bones 1911A1 type pistols. The GI guns are well made, reliable, and usually feed a wide
range of hollow point ammunition. The Loaded Model pistols
feature special upgrades such as Novak sights, extended slide
lock safeties, and custom beavertails. The Loaded Model often
features front slide serrations. I recently found both long and
short trigger variations and arched and flat mainspring housings
straps in stock.
If you wish to work up a full custom 1911, the
GI model is a good base pistol. The frame and slide are of good
quality, and the internal parts seem well made. On the other
hand a Loaded Model with just the right mix of features may save
considerable funds in
building up a full custom 1911.
With that in mind, I
undertook a project to compare the performance of standard GI
type pistols and the Loaded Model as well as a personal high
grade custom 1911 that began with a Springfield Loaded Model as
the base. While
each of these pistols are good examples of the 1911, well worth
their price, the end goal of the shooter will reflect the true
value for the money. If you wish to be all you can be, then it is not an
inexpensive project.
The Springfield Professional was once called the
Bureau Model. The Bureau Model is simply the civilian equivalent
of the single stack magazine pistol issued to the elite Federal
Bureau of Investigation Hostage Rescue Unit. The Bureau
respectfully requested Springfield not capitalize upon their
good name, and the pistol became the Professional.
Just the same, the Bureau Model moniker stuck and those
ordering the ‘FBI’ pistol know just what they want. Among
the upgrades the FBI’s pistols include are Nowlin match
grade barrels and a Smith and Alexander magazine funnel
as well as the Wilson Combat beavertail and choice
internal parts. These are high grade custom items adding
considerably to the final cost of the pistol and worth every
penny.
After some experimentation with mainspring
housings and pistols, I have determined that the flat housing
works best with the long trigger. Also, a larger beavertail
works best with the flat housing. When adding a magazine funnel
it is sometimes best to retain a more conservative beavertail.
The short trigger works best with an arched housing. I find the
short trigger works well for my average size hands but I can use
a large trigger, given a flat housing and relatively thin grips.
Keep in mind that the 1911 is unique in allowing such variation
for different hand sizes and finger lengths.
I managed to have obtain three Loaded Models for
long term comparison. One
of these pistols is a more of less stock Loaded Model. This
pistol features Novak low mount sights, a long aluminum
‘match’ trigger, a flat mainspring housing, and a
skeletonized trigger. The
second pistol featured an arched mainspring housing and short
trigger. The first
pistol features Kim Ahrends custom grips. These grips are
the Tactical model. They are half serrated, giving an excellent
purchase, but have
a half smooth component for ease of movement and gripping when
firing a long string. There are no better handgun grips for all
around use.
In the case of the second pistol, I went with the grips specified by the FBI. These are Herrett
Shooting Star grips. These are very nice checkered grips that
give a good purchase when working with cold, wet or sweaty
hands. The pistol received the FBI specified Smith and Alexander
magazine well. This ‘funnel’ aids measurably in seating the
magazine quickly without visual contact with the pistol. The
funnel is generous and sure in feeding the single stack magazine
into the magazine well. Originally,
this addition was simply to conform to FBI specifications but
now the Smith and Alexander Magazine Guide is a preferred option
for every custom 1911 pistol.
The third pistol is a stainless Loaded Model.
This is among the better fitted and finished handguns I have
used. I simply believe that stainless versions are often subject
to a little better fitting and finishing as they leave the
factory. The Springfield pistols have a well deserved reputation
for feed reliability. As long as the magazine tunnel is square
in the frame and the ramp clean and free of burrs, a 1911 should
feed well. All of the Springfield .45s featured in this report
fed, chambered, fired and ejected a wide variety of wide mouth
hollow point ammunition. The
trigger actions on each were pretty decent, with the unmodified
handguns breaking four and one half and five pounds,
respectively. I had Jack Hawkins (864-576-2236) bring my
personal custom .45 to a smooth, clean 3 pounds. The Stainless
Loaded Model also featured Herrett custom grips.
The custom pistols’ main improvement lay in
the Nowlin match grade barrel. This is a great addition to any
1911 and the one great improvement in the Bureau Model pistols.
(I mean, Professional Models - well, as long as we are on the
same page and know that we mean the pistol the FBI uses!)
I have used Nowlin barrels in both .45 ACP and .38 Super
with excellent results. In this example, we were not looking for theoretical
improvement but a set standard imposed by the FBI. The FBI
demanded that it’s pistols be capable of producing a 1.25 inch
twenty yard group with quality ammunition. That is a tall order
for any handgun. Some of the answer lay in hand fitting and some
in choosing a first class barrel, but the 1.25 inch mark for a
five shot group a high-water mark indeed for any 1911 pistol. I
have carefully build numerous 1911 pistols with high grade parts
and while a number will group right at the one inch mark at 25
yards very few will do any better and the majority will not meet
this standard.
I used the Nowlin match grade barrel and also
the slide tightening blocks from Alpha Precision that
have given this user and so many others excellent results. With
the combination of slide to frame tightening and a first class
high grade barrel, we were able to achieve the Federal Bureau of
Investigation’s accuracy standards. We didn’t quite have the
FBI pistol, that would of required applying a modern Teflon
based finish but for all practical purposes we had a superb
tactical .45.
In the shoot off,
I elected to use proven ammunition and a new competitor
in the marketplace. Cor Bon is well known for high
velocity ammunition with more smash than comparable makes.
However, Cor Bon also manufactures top end hunting ammunition
and now, target type ammunition. Cor Bon now offers a high grade
competition/target loading known as
the Performance Match.
Loaded to 800 fps with a consistent, accurate bullet, the
Performance Match load gives a good clean powder burn and little
to no muzzle flash. I used this load as the accuracy leader and
was not disappointed. The
second load is the new DPX 185 grain JHP from the same maker.
Using a special purpose Barnes all copper bullet at over
1100 fps, this load is guaranteed to penetrate to a greater
depth than other 185 grain offerings while the petals of the
Barnes bullet open up in stellar fashion. This is an intriguing
load. I know the accuracy potential of the Barnes bullet and was
not disappointed in the Cor Bon offering.
The third choice was a handload. I would be
remiss indeed if I did not include at least one handload in the
test program. I used enough Unique powder to propel a 200
grain Gold Dot hollowpoint to just over 900 fps. Not a full
power load but just the kind of tack driving load we find
comfortable to fire in long strings at the range. The final
ammunition used was a surprise. Some time ago,
I found a
case of early issue 230 grain Gold Dot ammunition in the
basement of the PD, literally soaked from rain, damp and mildew.
My orders were to use it up in training and testing new
handguns. I had a single ragged box left, and this one was
soaked again by leaving it in a corner for over two years! The
box was so soggy it nearly fell apart. It is bad business to
trust such mistreated ammunition but each and every round of the
original case had fired off as designed.
Generic ammunition and a whole bunch of foreign produced
ammunition do not have that type of primer and case mouth seal!
I used the 230 grain Gold Dot in the final accuracy test, and
each and every round fed, chambered, fired and ejected normally.
In the end, we
proved three accurate and reliable handguns.
The custom pistol has well over 5,000 rounds in it and
the standard blue finish Loaded Model perhaps half that. I have
borrowed the Stainless Loaded Model on several occasions for a
half dozen years or so and suspect it now has over 5,000 rounds.
That is a piddling amount for a good .45 auto.
The
modified Loaded Model performed beyond expectation. The accuracy
was more than adequate for any reasonable task. Yet, the pistol
is fast on target and controllable in rapid fire,
just as a good 1911 should be. Nothing was given up that
detracts from the pistol’s ability as a fighting handgun. The
other two are good solid 1911s, well above average. The
performance of the stainless 1911 is especially impressive.
Overall, the Loaded Model is a fine pistol just as issued but
with the addition of the Nowlin barrel and a little judicious
gunsmithing, it can
become a precision instrument.
Cor Bon 230-grain Performance Match
results |
Loaded Model #1 |
3.5 inches |
Loaded Model #3 |
1.8 inches |
Stainless Model |
2.5 inches |
|
Cor Bon 185-grain DPX results |
Loaded Model #1 |
2.6 inches |
Loaded Model #3 |
2.0 inches |
Stainless Model |
3.0 inches |
|
Speer 230-grain Gold Dot results |
Loaded Model #1 |
2.8 inches |
Loaded Model #3 |
2.45 inches |
Stainless Model |
2.9 inches |
|
Handload - 200-grain Gold Dot / Unique
results |
Loaded Model #1 |
3.25 inches |
Loaded Model #3 |
2.15 inches |
Stainless Model |
2.75 inches |
|
Accuracy Average |
Loaded Model #1 |
3.03 inches |
Loaded Model #3 |
2.2 inches |
Stainless Model |
2.78 inches |
|
During
the test period I used Wilson Combat magazines exclusively.
These magazines have survived harsh use and downright abuse by
the author for more years than I care to remember. Wilson Combat
magazines present the bullet at a different angle than GI
magazines, feeding the bullet practically into the chamber. They
are arguably the front line magazine in current use and always
perform well.
I am pleased to have these magazines on my side!
Nowlin
Manufacturing
20622
Sout 4092 Road
Claremore
Oklahoma 74019
www.nowlinguns.com
Wilson
Combat
2234
CR RD 719
Berryville
Arkansas 72616
www.wilsoncombat.com
Smith
and Alexander
PO
299
Garland
Texas 75121
R.
K. Campbell
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