Springfield Armory Prodigy 2011/1911 double stack

General Firearms Handguns - 1911
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I grabbed a 5" barrel Prodigy from a local dealer last night. Search, here, didn’t come up with too much on the gun, so I though I’d give my impressions.

First thing I noticed was that the grip texture is more like skateboard tape than the more aggressive Staccato frame… or even the borderline painful Atlas frame. This isn’t a knock on the gun since this would be a preference type of thing.

Next thing is the trigger. I’d call it “Good”, not great. Feels like about 3.5 lbs. Reasonably crisp with very little creep, if any. The reset has some creep, but it’s brand new and may smooth out with some live fire. I will not modify this trigger at all.

The frame is steel, and the grip lacks the massive mag well flare that you get with the Staccato. This is great for carry, but if you’re a match gay, you might miss the bell bottom.

Rear sight is outstanding and massive with great light absorbing texture. The front sight is the fiber optic deal which looks a little fragile to me. The width is great. The sight picture is excellent, and I’ll ride the fiber optic as long as I can.

Frame, slide, and barrel fit and lock up are all really good. No wiggle or play in any of it. And racking the slide feels just like the Staccato.

Pistol comes with a 17 and 20 mag, and an optics plate thing if you’re one of those gays. I have zero plans to put a dot on the gun, but never say never.

Crappy cell fone pics below, and some live fire feedback this weekend.

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The more “carry friendly” mag well:

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Killer rear sight:

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Fragile front sight:

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Look forward to your report. I’d love a reliable single action 9mm.

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It’s curious. I’m not a big fan of Springfield Armory, but the last two pistols I bought were both Springers. The SA-35, which I hated at first has really grown on me. It’s just an ancient design. But getting off the snappy 115 gr ammo, made that gun a blast to shoot.

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Since the gun doesn’t come with a paper manual… just a QR code… NO THANKS, I had to youtube the field strip last night.

This gun has one of the annoying screw together recoil spring guide rods that are an ass ache to take apart. And you need a 5/32 allen wrench. That’s kind of a bummer. The Staccato is still annoying to take apart, but doesn’t require a tool at least.

Not sure it there’s any concern on the guide rod unscrewing during live fire.

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Eww lol. I’m not against technology, but I’d prefer if every little thing didn’t require a qr code or app. Can you sub in any kind of standard guide rod?

7

It might be possible to use the Staccato “aligator clip” guide rod. But I’m not throwing any cash or mods at this gun.

I got a Safariland carry holster coming, and maybe I’ll buy one Atlas Gunworks 17 round mag if there’s any reliability issues.

Pappabear says there’s dude who runs an unmodified Prodigy at the matches, and it never skips a beat. That’s what sold me on the purchase.

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Annoying range session with this gun yesterday. Both the rear sight and the plate it’s dovetailed in came loose.

I was able to tighten the rear sight, but 2 screws on the base kept coming loose. The gun seems to hit about 3" high at 10 yards too.

Classic Springfield Armory mediocrity. I’m thinking a $1200 pistol shouldn’t start falling apart the first trip out. And it ought to shoot POA/POI.

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Plates coming loose is an oft-levied complaint. Some are resorting to red loktite on the screws. I would guess some thin brass or aluminum shims placed against the sort of hook shaped rear ledge would be worth trying before using red.

As for a new guide rod, Dawson and Atlas both offer a tool-less option. Both are fairly pricey.

Speaking of Atlas, the Atlas mags are probably the best thing going in the current market. $60 or so is steep but they are good mags.

10

Yep. Pappabear gave me a 17rd Atlas. I think the gun runs good, but couldn’t really get enough rounds through it to call it good.

I did blue loctite the rear sight, and I’ll give it another got next weekend. Since there’s no RDS on it, I’m hoping the Blue on cleaned up threads will be adequate because there’s an outside chance I may want a RDS mounted later on.

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Got a nice Safariland 5198 holster. Still struggling to keep the rear sight base tight, but the gun is running well.

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Well this piece of shit rear sight base has come loose for the 3rd time. PB read that a guy on another forum got some McMaster Carr fasteners that fixed his issue.

I somehow am sucked back into the 1911 vortex of hell, and my kid bought a Shadow Systems gun and is actually SHOOTING!

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Dang! Sucked straight into the rabbit hole of chasing single-action issues!

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I’ve had a couple unexplained malfs too. Why did I go back to the 1911/2011 sewer?

PB knows some local 2011 whisperer who’s going to go through the gun, polish the feedramp, etc.

15

Some info from the smith:

Preliminary Inspection Findings (pics attached):

  • Wear marks were observed on the trigger guard and grip safety, likely due to holster use.
  • The slide is hanging up on the disconnector.
  • The rear iron sights are loose and require attention.
  • The ambi safety feels loose when pressing down, especially when the slide is forward.
  • The grip safety is releasing the trigger bow at approximately 85%.
  • The current trigger pull is measured at 3 lbs 14 oz (average of 5 pulls).
  • The mag catch is functioning smoothly, and the slide release is fitted properly.
  • Based on the wear, I estimate less than 500 rounds have been fired through this pistol.
  • No lubrication or oil was found on the frame, slide, or other critical areas.
  • The barrel bottom lug shows a small chip or dent.
  • The fiber optic front sight is loose inside the housing.
  • The barrel feed ramp shows uneven wear from bullet feeding, though the chamber is clean but unpolished.
  • Overall, the barrel appears in good shape with normal break-in wear, aside from the dented lug.
  • Some marring is visible on the internal slide near the slide release indent.
  • A loose grip screw was found on the right side of the pistol.
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Recommended Gunsmith Work:

  • Bevel the disconnector ramp slightly and polish it to ensure smooth function.
  • De-burr and polish wear areas inside the frame.
  • Re-profile and stone the sear for a cleaner and crisper engagement with a secondary bevel.
  • Adjust the hammer hooks and stone them for optimal engagement.
  • Polish the barrel feed ramp and chamber to ensure smooth feeding.
  • Address any burrs and micro-bevel the firing pin hole.
  • Re-tune the sear spring to your preferred trigger pull weight.
  • Stone and polish the disconnector for smooth operation.
  • Re-profile and stone the extractor.
  • Clean, degrease, and reinstall the rear sight, torquing the sight mount correctly and using Loctite 242 (blue) to secure it properly.
  • Adjust and fit the fiber optic front sight so it is snug in the housing.
  • Lap the frame and slide for improved action.
  • Repair and smooth the lower barrel lug where it is chipped.
  • Perform a complete disassembly, clean, and lube.
  • Secure the grip screws and trigger guard screws with proper Loctite 222 (purple).
  • Tune the ambi safety spring for improved fitment.
  • File and tune the grip safety to engage at 50% (currently at 85%).
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Owner Recommendations:

For improved reliability and longevity, I recommend the following part replacements:

  • Replace the titanium firing pin with a stainless steel firing pin.
  • Install a Wolff extra power firing pin spring for enhanced drop safety.
  • Swap out the stock mainspring with a 17# mainspring.
  • Adjust the recoil spring based on your preferred ammunition power factor (9# for 130, 10# for 140-150, 11# for +P or NATO).
  • Consider upgrading to a higher-quality extractor for more consistent extraction.
  • Add a Wilson Combat shock buffer to the recoil guide rod.
  • Replace the guide rod with a toolless option for easier maintenance.
  • Upgrade the sear spring with a higher-quality option from Atlas or EGW.
18

Reflecting back on this monumentally idiotic purchase… I’ve realized that I’m old enough to have forgotten the lesson I learned in my 20s.

The 1911 is a money pit piece of shit that is best avoided unless you enjoy the endless pursuit of reliability.

This particular hunk of Springfield Armory shit has finally pissed me completely off. The gunsmith tweaked a few things on it and cleaned up some shit that he said looked like they built the gun on a Friday.

After about 8 range trips, with some sort of problems EVERY single time, I’m through with this bucket of shit. This weekend was a new problem… locking the slide back with one more round in the mag… plus a couple of random fukktard failures to feed, etc. DONE!

19

First thing , I am a 1911 junkie.

I looked at the Prodigy when it was released, and decided quickly to pass. I have never been that impressed by anything SA makes. Though I haven’t handled their custom shop stuff.

I found the sweet spot for 1911s to be Dan Wesson’s. Currently have 4 and all have worked flawlessly and are box stock. My Colts have had to be rebuilt to match.

I have been looking at various 2011 type pistols and keep coming back to DW, they make the DWX for that segment.
DWX
Handled the compact version at the NRA show DWX Compact - Dan Wesson Firearms
The trigger and slide of 1911 and the CZ-75 magazine. Tool steel internals (no MIM) done right. If you can find one to inspect, it might just be the answer for a high capacity with a sweet 1911 trigger. I was told that the fire control parts(except the actual trigger with it’s bow) were interchangeable with other 1911s.

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Springfield has introduced two compact versions for 2025. Both are aluminum frame and 15 rd format. One is 4.25" top end and the other is a 3.5" variant. Both guns are AOS plate ready.