Review: Springfield Range Officer 1911 9mm

Took my new Springfield Armory 1911 Range Officer 9mm out to shoot at Firing Line on Saturday. As this was its first outing, I was eager to see how it shot.

The Range Officer series is a stroke of genius from Springfield. Take the features competitive shooters want, remove the "bling" and other features they don't and offer great performance at a modest price. Recognizing that most shooters will want to customize it to their preferences (which is one of the things I love about the 1911), this is a great way to get a tack-driver into the hands of the masses.

9mm 1911
Whoever made the first 1911 chambered in 9mm was a freakin' genius. You get the heft, accuracy, and reliability of the 1911 in a lower-cost, softer-shooting round. My only concern was would the lighter load cycle the heavier 1911? Turned out to be no problem - not a single misfeed.

Sights
With aging eyes, I'm finding a good, easy-to-acquire sight picture can make or break a handgun for me. The Range Officer succeeds admirably in this area. The target sights are large, visible, and seem to be dead-on accurate. Adjustment looks pretty simple, but at this point I don't think I'll need to do any tweaks. I do think I will pain the back of the front blade fluorescent orange - like my Kimber - to make it easier to pick up in low light situations.

Operation
The beauty of the 1911 is its intuitive operation. For me, everything is where it should be and works as you would expect. The Range Officer is a perfect interpretation. My only complaint is the slide stop. While it reliably locks open after shooting the last round, when doing it manually, it doesn't always catch without an assist. No matter - I love the Wilson Combat Extended Slide Release and was already planning to swap the stock part out for this much better aftermarket solution.

One Weird Observation
I did notice one odd quirk - nothing bad or detrimental to shooting - just weird. I could definitely feel the slide moving when shooting. I'm not sure if it was the reduced recoil, or perhaps the 9mm cycles more slowly, but I could definitely feel the slide travel throughout the cycle. Again, it didn't affect shootability or accuracy, it was just a funny sensation.

Tear-Down
I learn more about a gun from the first tear-down than any other point in time. The Range Officer proved equally solid on tear-down. Key components like the bushing-barrel or the slide-frame interfaces were tight and smooth. While some parts were a bit more rough, they were in less critical locations where it didn't really matter. As expected, the factory rust preventative gunk was pretty serious. It took a little blast of my go-to cleaner, Remington's RemAction, to get it all off.

Tweaks?
Regular readers know I usually can't leave well enough alone. Surprisingly, this one has relatively few planned or considered tweaks. The include:

• Wilson Combat Extended Slide Release - to simplify and ease slide release and provide a more positive lock-back
• Rubber Magazine Base Pads - I've been planning to do this for both this gun and the Kimber for a while; these should make mags easier to seat
• Full-Length Guide Rod - read online forums and the GI Spec versus Full Length debate is like politics in the Middle east; I like it on the Kimber and will probably consider it here, but I want to shoot this one some more

Summary

The Springfield Range Officer 1911 9mm offers a tremendous value - match-level quality in critical systems, without cost-escalating bells-and-whistles. If you're seeking a target pistol with good competitive potential, this one's worth a closer look.

-Sean-

1911 - Phase II

While I've been very happy with my Kimber Custom Stainless II 1911 .45, the tweaker in me just can't resist. The 1911 platform affords so much opportunity for customization, that I knew this would happen before too long.

What initially fueled this was shooting my friend's Kimber TLE model. The checkering on the front strap really makes a huge difference. I'm more easily able to get a solid, consistent grip and as a result accuracy increases greatly.

These days it seems like finding a good gunsmith is a real challenge. Fortunately, I have a friend who shoots competitively and loves 1911's. He recommended I talk to Marianne Carniak - "The Accurizer". On Saturday, I paid Marianne a visit at her shop to have a look at my gun. This lady knows her 1911's! Super cool, incredibly knowledgeable, and really able to talk me through what I liked and didn't like about the gun. I knew at the outset that she'd be doing more than the checkering, I just didn't know what. With Marianne's guidance we were able to identify some modifications to make this MY gun. To say that I'm eager to have it back in my hands is a vast understatement.

Upon pulling the gun from its case, Marianne immediately identified a weakness -- the plastic mainspring housing. I'd never even noticed that this part was plastic! Though it's a non-critical functioning part, she said, "it just should be metal...". Music to my ears, I found the right resource.

I've not had a lot of luck with gunsmiths in the past, but I think that's because I was going to general, mass-market places. In the hands of specialist, I was really able to uncover areas for both significant and minor improvements that will customize this gun to me.

I'll write more after I get it back in a month or so!

Final Touches

I love my CZ-452 Trainer .22LR rifle. It shoots precisely. It has beautiful lines. And, it didn't cost much.

But...

The trigger guard is an absolute piece of crap. The stamped steel guard is rough and just looks really cheesy on an otherwise super cool gun. I'd found a milled replacement on a rimfire forum, but it appeared the company had gone out of business.

Recently while on that same forum, I saw a mention of a DIP trigger guard. Could it be? Could I finally be able to finish this sweet little gun with a trigger guard that's as nice as the rest of it? Yup, looks like it! I have one on order! Sadly it's backordered, but heh, I waited this long!

Upon closer inspection, I found two other interesting products. I've never been crazy about the stock plastic magazine well. But, it's an internal part and seems unlikely to see much stress so it was never a priority. Well lookee here - it's an aluminum magazine well! Wa-HOO! On further inspection, there's also an extended magazine release. Awesomeness! Didn't even know I wanted one until I saw it.

Can't wait for the trigger guard to arrive! And maybe some nice cold shooting weather along with it!

-Sean-

Chuckle

A friend of mine today described shooting sporting clays as, "Really, really cool golf...". That description made me laugh. No plaid pants allowed! Hoping to get out tomorrow if all aligns.

PULL!

-Sean-