In order to stand out in an increasingly crowded market, a 1911 handgun really has to offer something special these days. Springfield Armory’s refreshed 1911 TRP lineup does just that, with six new models from one of the most established names in the American firearms industry that bring rugged, thoughtful construction to match.
Announced last year, the updated 1911 TRP (Tactical Response Pistol) lineup includes five-inch and 4¼-inch models, all chambered in .45 ACP with 8+1 capacity (7+1 for Carry Contour models). The six new models include two Classic models, two Rail models and two Carry Contour models. Offered in five-inch and 4¼-inch versions, both Classic pistols feature all-steel construction and two-piece magazine wells. As for the Rail models, they are both five-inch, all-steel guns with two-piece magazine wells and a Picatinny rail on the dustcover. Rail models are available in Black or Coyote Brown finishes. The two Carry Contour models each sport a 4¼-inch barrel, plus a lightweight aluminum frame and the same Black or Coyote Brown finish options as the Rail variants. In addition, the Carry Contour models do not include the two-piece magazine wells, instead featuring a bobtail cut on the grip for easier concealment. All of the TRPs are Cerakoted as well.
When I received the 1911 TRP for review, I was curious as I opened the rather large case. Inside were four of the new models—the TRP Rail, TRP Classic in both sizes and a Coyote Brown TRP Contour Carry. For my evaluation, I focused on the 1911 TRP five-inch handgun with rail (No. PC9125LR, $1,999).
FORM AND FUNCTION
Springfield Armory has been building top-tier 1911 pistols for years, but it’s outdone itself with its latest. The company describes the art of building a 1911 TRP as demanding “a hands-on approach.” Each TRP pistol starts with a forged frame and slide, which are hand-selected for slide-to-frame fit and numbered to pair them with their matching components during the build process. A quality 1911 handgun with a forged steel frame and slide is no joke. In the words of the one and only Rob Leatham, “There’s no better way to make a 1911 slide and frame than with a forging.”
All 1911 TRP pistols have a match-grade barrel (1:16-inch twist) manufactured from hammer-forged stainless steel with a traditional 1911 front bushing. The TRP Classic models keep the stainless finish on the barrel, while the other models have black nitrided barrels.
The slide has front and rear cocking serrations, along with finely cut sighting plane serrations on top. The top serrations give the 1911 TRP a modern look.
Regarding slide-to-frame and slide-to-barrel fit and finish, both are nearly flawless. The slide basically glides over the slide rails, and the barrel locks up tightly with no play. Springfield Armory means business when describing the 1911 TRP as being built “with a keen focus on premium quality and reliability.”
All TRP pistols incorporate Springfield Armory’s Gen2 Speed Trigger with a skeletonized shoe and front serrations. With a clean break and minimal creep, my initial thought was this trigger is a slight improvement over past TRP models. The average trigger pull for the five-inch model measured four pounds, 10 ounces.
The 1911 TRP’s skeletonized hammer is another welcome feature, not only lowering the weight but also improving lock time.
The high beavertail style grip safety is cast and includes a memory notch. The 1911 TRP’s ambidextrous thumb safety, also cast, has extended and serrated paddles. Additionally, the magazine release is on the left side only and can’t be switched, typical for a 1911 handgun.
Springfield Armory describes the 1911 TRP’s grips as “aggressive.” The company turned to VZ Grips for its Hydra series G-10 grips with deep relief channels and substantial texturing. Cut directly into the frame and mainspring housing, the 20-lpi checkering is imprinted on your hands when shooting the 1911 TRP without gloves. In my opinion, the G-10 grips and checkered surfaces are standout features on the 1911 TRP, but you might want to wear your gloves to save your hands from the aggressive grip bite.
All six new 1911 TRP handguns are supplied with a tritium three-dot sight system for low-light capability. Both are dovetail-mounted, with front sight using a single tritium vial, while the serrated rear sight has two vials. The setup provides a solid sight picture. Not only that, the sights have a “shelf” for racking the gun with one hand if needed.
My favorite feature of the 1911 TRP is the two-piece extended magazine well, which is flared to help cut down those “slight errors” that sometimes occur while reloading a magazine. Three steel Mec-Gar eight-round magazines with extended polymer base pads are included with all but the Contour Carry models, which come with flush-fitting seven-round magazines.
AT THE RANGE
For most of my shooting evaluation, I was shooting the 1911 TRP five-inch model with rail. I grabbed boxes of Federal Syntech 220-grain TSJ, Hornady Critical Duty 220-grain FlexLock and Winchester Train & Defend 230-grain JHP ammunition. While all three loads printed their share of tight groups during testing, Hornady scored the best average group size with 1.82 inches.
After warm-up drills, I placed some standard USPSA/IPSC cardboard targets at 15 yards. Using the supplied Mec-Gar magazines, I was impressed at how easily I could keep eight-round groups in the A- and C-zones of the USPSA target. The 1911 TRP five-inch model tames recoil and muzzle rise to a manageable level. The grips and checkered surfaces really bite into your hands, helping keep everything under control. Next, I tackled a Bianchi-style steel plate rack at 20 yards. When I cleaned the plate rack on my first try with the 1911 TRP five-inch, my first thought was this gun would be a compelling choice at the NRA World Shooting Championship for a pistol stage.
In putting it through its paces, the 1911 TRP is fun to shoot, with excellent accuracy and a surprisingly soft shooter for a handgun chambered in .45 ACP. I attribute this to the all-steel construction, textured grips and checkered frame and mainspring housing. Not to mention the timeless design of the 1911 platform. Even the TRP Contour Carry model, which weighs nearly a pound less than the full-size variants, has enough heft to mitigate recoil well.
There were zero malfunctions after shooting about 500 rounds through the 1911 TRP five-inch model.
SHOOTING RESULTS
BOTTOM LINE
Springfield Armory has been building top-tier 1911 pistols for years, but it’s outdone itself with its latest TRP models. The Contour Carry model is a solid choice for carry use with its lightweight aluminum slide, shorter barrel and bobtail cut in the grip for enhanced concealment. As for the TRP Classic and Rail variants, these are flagship 1911s with all the bells and whistles that make for a great tactical gun. My preference is the full-size model with the rail. One thing that I want to see in the future—an AOS version for mounting a red-dot optic.
There’s nothing quite like a 1911 handgun. Things have come a long way from the days when John Moses Browning designed the 1911, and Springfield Armory’s new 1911 TRP handguns punch above their weight when it comes to price. The tightly built 1911 TRP is a worthy choice for competition, carry use or just a fun gun.
Price is $1,899 for the Classic TRP and $1,999 for the Contour Carry and Rail models. Learn more at springfield-armory.com.
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