Tag Archives: Springfield Armory

Weapons

Springfield Armory MC Operator

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If I were in the market for another full sized, railed 1911, I’d be looking for a Springfield Armory MC Operator. Let me tell you why…

Back when I was still in the Gun Industry, a Springer Rep came with a number of guns to try out first hand. I shot the lot of them, but the one I kept coming back to was the MC Operator. It just felt awesome in the hand, was exceptionally accurate for me, and it was flawlessly reliable.

A couple years after that, I was visiting the MARSOC armory at Camp Lejeune. We were fitting holsters for their new Colt Rail Guns, that won the contract to replace the MC Operators. The Marine Operators there spoke highly of the Springers and talked about how they never had problems with them… and the new Colts were giving them fits and nightmares. This made a lasting impression on me… and here I am years later again, and the MC Operator remains just as accurate and reliable for those that I know that have them and shoot them.

There are a lot of great railed 1911’s out there on the market. But few provide the bang for the buck value that the Springfield MC Operator gives you.

Weapons

Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols.

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At my core, I’m a 1911 Guy.  Though I have a great fondness for SIG, CZ, and Beretta DA/SA type pistols, and a love of Revolvers… my heart belongs to the 1911.    I get asked about them from time to time, though not as often as I used to.  Because everyone’s talking about polymer framed, striker fired pistols these days.  People are generally forgetting about the amazingly wonderful 1911.  When asked, I’m most often asked about what my top choices are in a 1911.  And usually, I’m asked about this after the person buys their 1911 pistol and then gets their Feels bruised because their pistol isn’t on my list.
Now, as far as lists go, I’m not going to a top 5 Brands.  Because that’s not just boring, but obvious.  So I’m going to pick the Top 5 Pistols.  The individual model version… This is a much more challenging list.  Made far more difficult by limiting it to only 5 pistols when this list could easily – very easily – go to a Top 20.  So if you’re baby isn’t in the top 5, it’s probably really close… so your knee-jerk reaction of “What about this?” is going to be answered with, “There Can Be Only Five.”
Also, this list is just for Production pistols… Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom, Carolina Arms Group, Ed Brown, Les Baer and the like, I classify as “Custom” 1911’s.
Anyways, without any more preamble, here’s my Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols: Continue reading Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols. →

Weapons

Why you need to buy a Ruger LC9S Pro

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We’ve seen some interesting developments in defensive pistols this year.  And by Development, I mean product enhancements, changes, tweaks… that may or may not be Earth Shaking, but are nice none the less.    Here’s my favorite one for 2015.  The Ruger’s LC9S Pro.
Ruger-LC9s-Pro
Ruger finally made the LC9 right.  This is finally what the gun should have been right out of the gate.  In fact, it’s so good, that not only does it top this list… but it’s so good that if you already have an other version of the LC9 – just sell it and go buy this one.

It’s not what Ruger put into it, it’s what they deleted.  Ruger deleted the manual safety.   Thank You.  The unnecessary and redundant safety on this gun is like a pretty girl with a festering boil between her eyes.   The poor dear… It’ll be alright…

The other thing Ruger deleted was the magazine disconnect safety.   A Magazine Disconnect Safety is to guns what Double Clutching is to Cars.   It’s outdated and unnecessary, and pisses you off when you come across it.  Whoever thought it was a good idea to put that in there in the first place, needs to explain that to Jerry Miculek.

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Here’s the great things about the LC9S Pro:

1.  It’s affordable.  MSRP is 450 with Retail around about 400 bucks.  One place I know had them for 389.  That’s crazy.
2.  It’s light.  The thing weighs nothing.
3.  It has a good trigger pull.  Some have said it’s a bit long, but come on.  This is an EDC CCW pistol, not a Match Blaster.  The trigger is excellent for the purpose of this pistol – and I’m a Trigger Snob and I’m saying this.
4. It has good sights.  And by good I mean they are usable and you have a bunch of Aftermarket options that you can swap them out for.
5. It’s skinny.  Going hand in hand with the light weight, this gun being so skinny means it can disappear on you when packing… it just evaporates.  Gone.  Stealthed Out.   And since Concealed means Concealed, this is a good thing.
6.  Ruger has a 9 round magazine for it.  So if you have to go Fangs Out and Loud you can reload with a higher capacity magazine. I’d suggest buying 3 of those and one extra spare at the normal flush fit size.  So you can rotate your magazines to keep the springs in order.  I do that with all my guns, and I’d do that with these too.  Carry with the short mag in for EDC Concealment… and my Reloads will be with the Niners.  Done.

I’m going to say this now – and it’s going to be shocking.  I like the Ruger LC9S Pro better than the S&W Shield.  There.  I said it.  It’s out there.  I like it better than the Glock 43 as well.  That grip is too small for me to hold onto well, the LC9’s grip fits much better.  And its much easier to conceal than the Shield’s grip.

Here’s my top 3 compact single stack 9mm’s:
1. Ruger LC9S Pro
2.  Springer XDS 4.0
3.  Walther PPS

Weapons

XD MOD.2 SERVICE

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20151005_142305The XD MOD.2 Service.  A new XD I could actually own.

This is the best rework of the XD series Springfield has.  I like this better than the XDM.  The new MOD.2 is shaped right.  It fills the hand without being too large and is just grippy enough to be be grippy without being abrasive.  The regular XD’s and XDM’s feel slick in my hands… .and for that reason I just don’t take to them.   20151005_142251Had this been the design back before I got my Glock 23 – I think I could have been very likely to have selected one of these.  Now look at the Slide and Frame contours… You know what?  The XD isn’t ugly anymore.  It’s grown into quite the handsome figure.  I like the slide serrations.  They did a great job.
There’s just one problem.
20151005_142243“GRIP ZONE”?  Seriously?  Where’s the “SLIDE ZONE” markings?  Captain Obvious needs to stay out of the Design Room at Springfield and maybe take a holiday to eastern Syria.  GRIP ZONE… Who approved that?  Who did that?  Who is responsible for GRIP ZONE?  If you know who that guy is… Mark his face with a Sharpie “SLAP ZONE”.  Please.
Other than that… Home Run, Springfield.  Home Run!  I’ll be waiting for and 3.8 Compact Mod.2 in the XDM series…  But this is tempting. as it is.  Very well done, Springfield… Bravo!

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Weapons

My Springfield Armory 1911 GI No More

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10993492_10205039089750331_2520949170993450144_nThis is my Springfield Armory GI 1911.  I’ve had this gun for some years now, kept it and enjoyed it as stock, refusing to modify it or change it in any way.  Well, two things happened to while I was in Jacksonville, NC.  The GI style wood grips cracked on me, and before I really “Discovered” Fireclean, it suffered form a corrosion attack on the slide.   So I had to scrub the corrosion off it, and change the grips.
Well, once I had gone and done all that keeping it “stock” just isn’t the same anymore.

10993439_10205039089710330_5305848336307885131_nThe gun shoots remarkable well for an old warhorse.  I love the fact that even with the old nubbin sights, it’s still an accurate shooter.  I fired 100 rounds of standard Winchester White Box 230 grains, and 50 rounds of Hornady JHP’s without a single failure.  The gun got hot.  So hot that it was really difficult to rack the slide… but it kept shooting as long as the mag had ammo in it.  It showed no signs of slowing down either.  That was probably due to the Slipstream lubrication, and a good old GI style 1911 working together in harmony.

Here’s the one problem I had though.  Hammer Bite.  Not bad enough to be painful, but it was irritating and distracting.  So to solve that problem, I went ahead and ordered some parts from Brownells.  A new Commander style Hammer, sear to match that, and a Commander style drop in beavertail safety.  Wilson Combat parts of course.   They should be here in 4 to 5 days.  Can’t wait.   Once those parts are in, my GI will no longer be a GI.  This saddens me a bit.

Weapons

The 1911 and I

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PW9108LI find it interesting that having worked for a holster company for 10 months, I don’t have a decent EDC holster for my 1911.  Sure I have a leg rig.  And an Army Field rig… but I’m not one that I can carry concealed with.  That’s most strange to me.  Because I’ve been working on my 1911 a bit here and there all day long.   Just holding it, gives me some comfort and satisfaction in the beauty of the thing.
Mine is not a fancy 1911.  It’s not shiny and it’s not gleaming with black tactical pretense.  It is, just what it is.  And that’s why I love it so much.  It’s very honest about what it is.  Springfield Armory may have discontinued it… the “GI” model, but I think it was a mistake… because for some reason, I think it was the best 1911 Springfield Armory has ever made.
The finish is worn.  In places, down the bare metal.  The wood grips are scratched and scared.  It’s heavy, being made of solid steel.  The sights are the old style, rudimentary and hard to see.  The hammer spur is long, and with GI grip safety – it can bite you.  It’s not the most pleasant gun to look at or fire for any amount of time.  But it has something else….
Reliability.  I’ve not had a failure with this pistol… Not a single jam or misfire… and the accuracy has been above par.  I trust this gun.  It’s one of the few guns I keep loaded at all times.  (Which reminds me… it’s time to rotate the magazines)  It has never let me down when I put it to the test and it has done everything I’ve ever asked of it.

It reminds me of myself.  I’m not old, but I feel a lot older than I should for a man of my age.  It’s not the years, it’s the miles, they say.  My finish is worn and so are my parts.  I’m not pleasing to look at, and I’m a bit too heavy, and I can bite when not handled properly.  But I am reliable, and I hit hard, and I hit true.

Getting back into the job market… looking for employment.  I’m suddenly no longer optimistic.  I’m not as young as I used to be, and my family is larger and their necessities are more expensive… Feeding them is a challenge.  If an Employer is like a Gun Buyer… Why would they pick an old ugly GI 1911 when for less money they could buy one of these younger M&P’s or Glocks?

Such thoughts have depressed me greatly.  Regardless of that, I’ll be packing my 1911 from now until…  Well… I need to find a good EDC holster for this thing.  I think perhaps, I shall make one.

This 1911 is special to me.  It is an almost identical clone to one issued to me when I was in uniform and found myself in a kinetic altercation. The result was both my adversary and myself laying on the ground fifty yards apart.  I credit my armor for saving my life from his hit on me.  I credit the 1911 with denying him a second shot.    This is something that no Glock or M&P has done for me.  And well, this 1911 didn’t either, but it is a mirror image of the one that did.  That one was a Colt and had to be returned to the armory.  This clone was made by Springfield Armory.  I consider it to be close enough for a memento.   The fact that it’s served so well ever since I acquired it is only a happy bonus.

Uncategorized

Dear Springfield Armory.

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Dear Springfield Armory,

As you know, the State of Illinois hates you and wants you do fail and die.  Here in Utah, we love you, man.  We want to see you win and thrive.  We can help you.  Your M1A Rifles, XDM and 1911 Handguns are some of the most popular around… and we buy a lot of them here in Utah.  Specifically in Vernal Utah.

Come to Utah.  Where you will be welcomed and appreciated.  Come to Vernal Utah, where you will be treated like heroes!

 

Sincerely,
UTAH

 

 

PS, Illinois sucks.

Weapons

Enough Politics, Let’s talk Guns!

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As mentioned before, I had a little range time this morning.  All the Gun Counter Guys met at the range at the Crack of Dawn.   Sunrise just coming up, it was a beautiful day at the Buckskin Hills Range.  We did a little shooting with the Springfield Armory Rep.

Shot an XDM, the XDS, the MC Operator, and the EMP 9mm… I had little interest in the other pistols.  The XDM’s are what they are, just fine pistols and I like them for what they are but they are just not for me.  The M I tried is a variant with a fiber optic front sight and an open topped slide.  It shot very well, as I expected, just like all the other M’s. And regular XD’s I’ve owned.  No failures.  The accuracy was very good.

The XDS, Springfield’s new subcompact, single stack .45, is an interesting pistol.  It also shot very well, was accurate and while snappy, was controllable.  It is a great little defensive tool.  I wanted to like it, but I just didn’t.  Here’s why – and why I’m not hot on all of the XDM’s… it’s the Texture.  They feel slippery in my hand.  I could probably buy an M, the 3.8 Compact, as that remains my favorite of the group… but I would have to rework the grip.  So I guess my hangup is one that is rather easily fixed.  If you have an M, you certainly have a fine sidearm.  If you are looking for a pistol, absolutely take a look at the XDM’s.  The S, isn’t for everyone.  It’s for guys that want that subcompact .45… but don’t trust a Sub-Compact 1911.  It’s one of the very few sub-compact .45’s that I would have any confidence in.  I’d have to work the grip of course, but as good as it shoots, it’s certainly a good for it’s intended purpose of CCW.

Here’s one that surprised me though… the EMP 9mm.  I shot one before, in .40 and I was “Meh” about it.  But the 9mm version is somehow different.  It blew me away.  It shot exceptionally well.  Very accurate.  It did give me one tiny hang up… a failure to go into battery.  A quick smack on the back of the slide did the job and the gun fired and cycled just fine and it never gave me a hang up after that.  What this gun needed was to be cleaned and oiled.  It was bone dry and filthy from the Basin Sports Factory Range Day last week.  Some Slipstream Styx would make it run like a sewing machine.  The recoil was… not even there.  Impressive little gun, and a great CCW option.

My favorite Springfield handgun though… the one I kept coming back to… The 1911 MC Operator.  As you guys know, I’ve said that the top Production 1911’s are SIG’s, Springfields, and Dan Wessons.  I would put STI in there as well, but those are more Semi-Custom like Wilson, Nighthawk, and Les Baer.  And I admit I need to get to know STI better, I’ve only fired a grand total of 3 STI pistols, and each one was a custom gun from them, Larry Correia’s Cheater Heater, and two full blown race guns.  Wait.  Where was I?  Ah… the MC Operator.  I hate to say this… but I liked it better than my TRP.  Yeah, I said that.  The TRP is Springfield’s Flagship Badass 1911.  But I just like the MC Operator more.  It feels better in the hand since it doesn’t have the aggressive “Wood Chipper” checkering for one thing.  It’s also just a more humble, Get it Done and Let’s Go Home vibe to it.  Reliability was great… not a single hiccup of any sort.  Accuracy was the best out of all the handguns… Let me clarify that.   My ability to be accurate with this pistol far surpassed the other handguns I fired today.  The EMP was accurate, but I had to concentrate more with it.  With the MC Operator, accuracy was effortless from the very first round I fired.  And it felt GOOD in the hand.  Not just holding it, but it felt good firing it.  Not all handguns feel good during the firing cycle… This one does.  It’s the Winner of the Day for the Pistols.

Rifles.  Well, you guys know Springfield has only one line of Rifles and those are the M1A’s.  Springfield just has a few variants of that platform.  I love the classic standard wood stocked M1A for it’s look and feel.  What a great gun.  Shooting that thing gives me a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart.  Everything about the M1A… it’s awesome.  It’s a part of Americana, like a Ford Mustang, Classic Rock, and a Coke. Metal and Wood.  It’s beautiful.  You can’t Not love it.  If you don’t love it, just go away…. I don’t even want to know you… You would have to be like one of those guys that don’t like Dogs or Bacon or Firefly.

The one that made me grin like a 14 year old who just found a Playboy…. The SOCOM 16.  See, I shot the SOCOM II before and yeah, it’s cool.  But it’s like Cool that’s Trying Too Hard.  It’s the one with all the Rails and the extra six pounds of heft and discomfort.  The SOCOM 16 is more unassuming.  Oh, don’t get me wrong… it’s a Thug.  It’s the Snubnosed, lightweight, easy to handle M1A.  Where as the standard M1A’s are full length Battle Rifles, the Sweet 16 is chopped down stealthy street fighter.  I like them before compared to the II’s when looking at them in the store.  But I had expected them to kick a lot more being so much lighter.  They don’t.  It’s surprisingly soft shooting.  Something about it is… addicting.  I really like it.  This is the .308 for a Door Kicker.  It’s very cool how short it is, while still being perfectly legal.  It feels like a Sawed Off, and it kicks less than the full sized.  If I got one of these Sweet 16’s, I’d have Gundoc (Joe at Crusader Weaponry) work his M14 Magic on it… because he’s a wizard with the M14/M1A’s.   I’d have him slick it up, trigger job, and Cerakote all the exterior metal a nice Dark Grey… that would contrast nicely with the black stocks.  That’s it.  That’s all I’d do.  I’d just keep it simple.  Slick, Sexy, Simple.    Man… I want that now.

I have some Video I’ll post up this weekend.