Comments on: Gun Review: Springfield Loaded 1911-A1

By: chris

chris — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:32:20 +0000

i have owned a sa mill speck sence 03 out of the box to this day. shot so meny rounds cant even count. i had 2 jams both were my fault one was a dirty gun & lack of lub, the other was poor grip. i love this gun! im geting ready to buy a loaded. hope it shoots as good as my mill speck has. im not sure how i feel about a full lenth gide rod does anybody know what the real diffance is? the mill speck has a short rod i think it looks better.

By: Jim B.

Jim B. — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:25:13 +0000

Do your homework before you get your 1911. First of all, make sure that you understand that a 1911 is not as easy to take down and clean as a Glock, an XDM, an H&K, a Sig, etc. It’s not difficult, but it is more time consuming and for me a bit of a pain in the backside. That said, I love my SA 1911 Loaded for what it is. My second piece of advice is that before you plunk down any cash on a 1911, particularly a discount one, go to a good gun shop and compare a bunch of 1911s side-by-side. I looked at about six different models before arriving at the SA Loaded, which was the most expensive one my dealer had. I found the slide on the many of the lesser ones felt a bit rough as I racked it whereas it was smooth as glass on the SA Loaded. Another thing to consider is what you want your 1911 to ultimately look like. If you buy a stripped down one and then later decide to add things like beavertail, skeletonized trigger and/or hammer, better sights, etc, you may find that the total cost for your “cheaper” model with the upgrades ends up being more than it would have cost you to get a Loaded model in the first place. I’ve made a number of mistakes with gun purchases since I got into guns, but the SA 1911 Loaded was most certainly not one of them.

By: Jim B.

Jim B. — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:16:53 +0000

One correction to your correction (gee, sounds like a Monty Python routine). J Mullin’s assertion that not many police or military units use the 1911 is correct today. You are absolutely correct that the 1911 was the go-to weapon for a very long time, but most of the military and police have moved on. Yes, there are still groups who use it. Spec ops guys like the .45. H&K’s MK23 and USP Compact Tactical are two other guns in use by Spec Ops groups. While the 1911 is a fantastic design and many if not most guns today have taken things from John Browning’s design, there are some limitations, not the least of which is the relatively small magazine size on the classic single stack 1911 that precludes it from heavy use as a duty weapon for police. It is a great off duty or civilian CCW, but for those uses the limited magazine is not a problem as most of us don’t expect to find ourselves in an extended shootout with a large number of bad guys.

By: craig

craig — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:23:36 +0000

I liked this write up. I`ve owned many hand guns s&w, ruger, hk, glock. Never owned a 1911 but want to. The SA loaded is on my list to get. Also the ruger sr1911. I CC a glock with a LCP w/laser back up. Both are light and very easy to carry. The 1911`s in the 5″ would be a kick to shoot but heavy to pack but their customer service, from what I`ve read is stellar along w/rugers. Will have to add one or both to my collection.

By: Mr. Carpenter

Mr. Carpenter — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:00:18 +0000

Woops sorry guys not the Hornaday plastic tip ammo, I was thinking of a different gun I just bought that chambers those. The JHp winchesters will not feed, but the XTP will.

By: Mr. Carpenter

Mr. Carpenter — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:58:57 +0000

I have the 9109LP parkerized Loaded 5in. with nightsights and cocobolo grips as you have reviewed here. I purchased this 2 years ago and have about 1500 rounds through it. Yes it has night sights. These are very difficult to make out during the day, and in 35 years have never shot a pistol in the dark. A white dot is more than efficient and much cheaper. The gun is well made and very nice to look at. It cycles ball ammo very well, yet will not chamber a hollow point/ personal defense round that has any form of flat nose. Ive tried a number of ammo. The hornaday leverevolution red tips will chamber. I paid 900.00 for the gun and plan on keeping it forever. I have cheaper 1911′s that shoot much better though. Yes I can have it polished to feed better. For $900.00 Shouldnt I have to?

By: Steve Gregory

Steve Gregory — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:26:10 +0000

Hi,
Can you please point me to any SA documents that describe the warranty being extended to the first TWO owners? It sounds good, but I like to see things in writing.
Thanks,
Steve

By: AWUSMC

AWUSMC — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:41:49 +0000

“Not many police agencies or military use the 1911.” The US military used the 1911 as the primary side arm for over 70 years. This is a feat unmatched. Today it is still used by the special forces of the services (the Marine special operators actually use Springfield 1911s, I know because I have worked with them). As a Marine Corps combat veteran, I would much prefer a 1911 over the Beretta M9. Your commentary displays both your lack of knowledge and experience.

By: AWUSMC

AWUSMC — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:32:51 +0000

@ J MULLIN & CURT BIBB: Nothing wrong with Glocks, I have owned and put many rounds through them. I don’t think the author was trying to demean Glocks, they are reliable and durable pistols; but 1911s are smoother and more refined. My Springfield 1911-A1 Loaded is the smoothest pistol I have ever owned. I have owned CZ 75s (The best 9mm I have ever shot), H&K USPs, Smith and Wessons, Bersas, Rugers, Berettas, and Glocks. Glocks are great utilitarian pistols and most certainly reliable; but a tuned 1911 cannot be beat. Round capacity alone does make a pistol. The only failures I have experienced with my Loaded Springfield 1911 have been magazine related (Colt factory mags no less), other than that it has great and I would trust my life to it, just as I do to the Beretta I was issued by the Marine Corps.

By: Curt Bibb

Curt Bibb — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:56:27 +0000

Damn straights about the Glock’s!! And not to mention easy to break down/clean/reassemble/modify….and how many rounds do most Glock’s magazines hold…talking standard size Glock’s here. Sure I like my Springfield Loaded 1911A1….but I shoot my Glock’s more often…mostly my Glock’s.