BORELLI CONSULTING: Tactical Equipment Reviews

Springfield Armory 1911 .45ACP: 7,500 Round Report
By Frank Borelli

On May 28, 2004 I wrote my first review of the Springfield Armory 1911 .45ACP pistol. On April 17, 2006 I wrote a report for the 5,000 rounds that had been through the weapon - and how it was holding up. In the past 14 months, another 2,500 rounds (give or take a few dozen rounds) have been through it and it's still performing great. I've made some minor changes and, within this review, will note them as well as various carry options that I frequently exercise.

A good gun, a good knife and a good light: necessary tools for self-defense.

The S-A 1911 that I have now seems like it is light years away from the one I first qualified with as a Military Policeman. The S-A Model PX9609L has a five-inch barrel, seven round magazines and in general looks like a government model .45. The internal workings are mostly the same, but there is a world of difference. The pistol is 8.5" long overall and weighs just over three pounds: that is a significant difference from contemporary polymer framed weapons. However, understand that the weight is one of the factors that makes this pistol so easy to shoot. It's heavier weight helps to minimize felt recoil.

The first 5,000 rounds I put through this pistol were a true conglomeration of junk. I shot everything from cheap reloads I bought at gun shows to surplus ammo I received from people who couldn't figure out any other way to dispose of it. The last 2,500 rounds I've put through it - roughly 200 to 300 rounds each time I'd get to the range - has been mostly Winchester factory ball: 230g Full Metal Jacket. This is what I've found to be most forgiving if I fail to keep the gun lubed or don't clean it between range visits.

The "lube" I use is Mili-Tec. I know that many parts of the military still use Break-Free and while I don't have a problem with Break-Free I've had great results with my guns using Mili-Tec. I don't have to use as much to get the gun to run smooth and it seems to hold less carbon and unburnt powder than the Break-Free does.

The other ammo I've shot these past 2,500 rounds is either Federal Hydra-Shok or Speer Gold Dot. I purchased about a half case of each (500 rounds a piece) and have been through all but one box of each. I experienced one failure to feed with a Hydra-Shok round and I attributed it to a dirty weapon. The feed ramp was BLACK and the last round in the magazine caught - edge of jacket at the bottom of the feed ramp. Other than that, I've had no issues with either of the jacketed hollow point designs.

Accuracy has stayed nice and tight. I still maintain that the gun is more accurate than I'm capable of. From the 15 yard line, unsupported, it's still fairly easy to put out sub-two-inch groups. That may not sound impressive but when you consider the fact that each round is putting an almost-half-inch hole in the target, keeping seven rounds inside two inches seems decent. Rapid fire from the seven yard line it's no problem at all to keep the rounds easily inside the eight-ring of a B27, and most of the time inside the nine ring. For combat accuracy I find this to be sufficient.

I've been carrying the gun in a Wellsmade holster, custom made for me by George Wells some years ago. It and the offside pouch he made me from African Ostrich leather are still doing great. When the 1911 isn't in that pancake holster it's usually riding either in my tac holster or cross-draw when I'm driving long distances. Both are made by BlackHawk, part of their CQC SERPA line. I have a Level III Duty Holster which incorporates the SERPA technology, but on the thigh platform the Level II seems just fine. After all, the most common tac holster I've seen is a Level II holster with a pivoting hood and retention screw.

The only modifications I've made to the weapn are:
1) I put a pair of XS Sights 24/7 Standard Dot sights on it. It takes a little bit of time to get used to the shallow V rear sight, but once you get used to the different sight picture they are pretty quick to pick up.
2) I put Mil-Tac grips on it. I've received a number of comments about the appearance of these grips and then, when other people hold the weapon, I get more comments about the feel - all positive.
3) I put a piece of Tac-Grip adhesive finger tape on the front strap. Since the front strap was smooth - no lines; no checkering - this added piece of friction assisting material makes me feel more secure in my grip. Some folks like it - others don't. I like it enough to have Tac-Grips, in some way, on all my guns.

So, another 2,500 rounds and I'm still delighted with this weapon. On a recent discussion forum I saw a thread about which .45 was the best - and there were tons of comments about what NOT to buy. It's okay to buy a Springfield Armory 1911. They are well made and will serve you for years.

BE SAFE!!!

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Don't forget to check out our Recreational Equipment Review about two Buck Knives: The Buckmaster and the Hunter 110 Lite.

This week's Training Article, a discussion about "what makes a man".

For a listing of all reviews in chronological order, GO HERE.

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