On New Year’s Day we posted the news of Springfield’s new 911 .380 to a lot of “so what” comments. Frankly, I was right there with you. I’ve shot the other pocket gun .380 “1911” pistols that have been around for many years, and it looked like this Springer brought nothing new to the table. But I was wrong . . .
IF this 911 .380 runs reliably — and TTAG will find out by putting 1,000 rounds of mixed ammo through one — it’s better than its peers. It has a better trigger, better sights, a bigger trigger guard, and a better, more usable and properly-positioned safety. It also shoots as softly, flatly, and accurately as can be.
Look, my job here is truthful gun reviews. Other folks man the political desk. We’ll all give you the ammunition you need to make an informed decision, but we won’t make that decision for you.
This is a new gun and, as per my edict, I’m going to cover it and we’re going to review it. Honestly and fairly. And, so far, whether it’s an uncomfortable truth for some of y’all or not, the truth is that the Springfield Armory 911 .380 appears to be a fantastic little firearm.
Tritium night sights with white dots in the rear and a bright green outline around the front lamp.
Nice checkering on the front- and back-strap of the 7075 aluminum frame. Note the enlarged trigger guard.
The 911 .380 ships with a flush-fitting 6-round magazine as well as a 7-rounder with pinky extension.
The 911 (pronounced “nine-one-one”) weighs in at 12.6 ounces, is 3.9 inches tall, and is 5.5 inches long. MSRP is $599 in either nitrided black or brushed stainless slides.
Over to the TRP 10mm Operator, it’s available with either 5-inch or 6-inch barrel. I shot the 6-inch version and enjoyed it but wasn’t enthralled by it. The “SA Gen 2 Speed Trigger” was very nice for a production gun, and I liked the target sights; especially as they’re Tritium night sights but the rear is still fully adjustable.
Other than that, it’s mostly the 10mm Auto chambering and the accessory rail that made it stand out for me. At an MSRP of $1,790 for the 5″ and $1,842 for the 6″, it has some real competition on the market.
The TRP 10mm does rock a bull barrel, helping to put weight out over the muzzle.
And the frame texturing (Octo-Grip™) was both grippy and comfortable, while the G10 grip panels were fairly aggressive.
While the TRP 10mm is undoubtedly a cool gun, the lilliputian 911 .380 stole the Springfield show for me. But not until I fired it, at which point my interest level jumped from a 1 to a 10.
[sigh] Here we go…
“Cries about wanting more guns and less politics” –> “Cries when a firearm is shown from a company they don’t like”
Repeat Ad Nauseam
No Shit right? I mean what gun company CAN you buy from anymore and still be a second amendment bonafide? Springfield, Rock River, Colt, S&W, Ruger, Remington, SIG, H&K, and a few I’m missing I’m sure. Can’t even look at anything made by any of them! If you own one you might as well throw it in the garbage! Harrumph!
You’re missing Kahr, and by extension Magnum Research and Auto Ordnance. I still buy parts from Numrich on occasion, but only when I’ve exhausted other options, and I’m not happy about it.
As a native of the northern Idaho region, I’m compelled to say don’t forget Troy.
Screw Springfield Armory and their copy pistol of the Sig Sauer P238. I wouldn’t buy one of those guns from that particular manufacturer if my life depended on it, and I’m sure as hell not going to buy a gun that is a mere copy of a product that’s been available on the market for years now. Springfield just copying someone else. Trying to stay afloat. And let’s not forget what Springfield Armory and Rock River did by selling the gun owner and the family mom and pop gun shop down the road. And let’s not forget that Denny Reese also receive the NRA golden jacket AKA The Golden jacket is awarded to people that sell the Second Amendment off down the road for personal profit apparently. Screw Springfield Armory screw Rock River Arms and screw the NRA!
“…I’m sure as hell not going to buy a gun that is a mere copy of a product that’s been available on the market for years now.”
so, sa aside (the manufacturer part i get) this suggests that originals are more desirable to you than replicas/ copies. i’ll take a bruin over a delta elite (i know, there is a closer model example) and, i think, possibly some other examples. i would grab a daewoo over the sig equivalent, etc.
i don’t sneeze at .380. with 9×18 and full house 9 pocket marvels available with nearly identical dimensions it seems those fractions of inch must be critical in some applications. this guns enlarged trigger guard could be a huge selling point for some.
Colt Mustang production began in 1983 so let’s not go and credit SIG for inventing the pocket .380 “1911.” I don’t even know if the Mustang was the first, I just know it’s older than SIG. I understand the whole “it’s just a copy of” argument, but it’s painful when the “of” gun is itself a “copy” of another. Happens all the time with Glock, of course, as people give them credit for inventing polymer frame, striker-fired, polygonal rifling, etc etc etc none of which they did. Same for SIG and removable, serialized pistol chassis.
At any rate, my initial impression is that this 911 .380 is a meaningfully better version of this old (much older than the P238) mousetrap. We’ll review it and find out for sure, and you can weigh its performance and price and such against your opinion of Springfield Armory and cast your own vote, eh?
Thanks for the report Jeremy .
If the only real improvement on this design is a direct trigger with a bow rather then the pivoting as all the others seem to be. That might in itself make it worth getting over one of the other clones. The heck with gun politics. Like all politics in general its a personal thing. Don’t like what happened in Illinois don’t buy a perfectly good gun. That’s someone else’s choice. I buy what I feel will work and save my butt when and if called upon.
I had a Llama .380 1911 clone back in the 70s. Don’t know how far back the downsized 1911 types go beyond that.
The Llama was slightly bigger than these newer pistols. I knew folks that had the bigger 9mm and .45 caliber models. They were not top rated pistols. But they worked well for a budget gun.
flajay, you can clearly see the trigger pivot pin in the very first photo.
we should all utilize what works best for each of us. not patronizing these companies which were poised to help cripple local gun sales in an entire state works extremely well for me. if an sa product beats everything else out there for you i can only shrug.
but you shouldn’t be concerned, because it wasn’t happening in the penis shaped [map filth: “hey europe, eat my florida!” (kliban)] state filled with blue hair and sand.
too bad opinions are free to use, not worth even commenting one way or the other. all the “screw them” talk is repetitive at best, too bad.
Just when you thought boycotting was only for bleeding heart liberals…
I agree with James Earl Hoffa completely
Here’s an exact copy of the Sig 238 the Kimber micro 380 or the Colt Mustang
The Sig and the Kimber come in a vast array of cosmetic styles of the same pistol
These three guns have been out for several years and all the teething problems and kinks (of which there plenty) have been worked out.
While the noxious Illinois law is gone for now, Springfield has not paid a proper penance
Let them make a big push for the hearing protection act or national reciprocity, or fight for bumpstocks and then we can consider buying Springfield products
Until then buy the Bel Air model of the Kimber, the titanium rainbow 238 or the black Mustang
Does is come with flame retardant clothing? Heat resistant shielding around the shooter? To keep from the flames directed at it and the shooter?
I just came here for the fire. Hehehehe.
In my case my Rainbow Edition Sig P238 a very early piece of the initial run. In my opinion. It was an exact copy of my Colt Mustang 380 I had some 20+ years earlier. Neither one has/had worked very well by the way. After 4 trips back to Sigs CS its been in my junk safe for the last 4 years unfired.
Now just about every major company has one. Basically all the 380s are the same gun. Same with the 9mm versions. There isn’t much one can do to change the concept. The 380 is nothing to roar about in general but I also wouldn’t sneeze at it. Id pay the extra $$ and get me one of the 9mm versions. Actually I did. My Sig P938 has been my EDC for the past 4 years.
dingdingding.
Dilly dilly!
Political comments notwithstanding, I already have a P238. It’s solid enough and am quite happy with it. The 911 does look like a solid platform, though. I see new buyers going for them, but most everyone who wants a 1911 mouse gun in .380 already has one.
Most 10mm pistols are out of my price vs. need/want-to-have range.
But 10mm is so much fun.
Save up for one or better yet rent one if you can. Get some full power loads. None of the wimpy range loads out there.
You might just become addicted to one of these new 10s. I know I did.
Heh. I know I would! Not long ago, I went on one of those “THAT’S IT!! 10MM! THAT’s what I’ve been waiting for!” It lasted a week, then I had to drop some cash on car repairs and realized that if I had to bag a velociraptor or sasquatch I still have my S&W 686+.
Autistic Screeching from the pro-Springfield side
Autistic Screeching from the anti-Springfield side
Me not give a damn because everything that Springfield makes is done better and cheaper by other gun makers.
Uh, no, either cheaper or better but not both. Springfield 1911s are better than Kimber, Colt, Remington and SiG. Tge XD series is better than Glock, S&W, Ruger and plastic SiGs. If you don’t like their politics don’t buy them but as Jeremy says be objective about the guns themselves.
Hahaha! Better in what way? Please enlighten me. What the hell do they do better? The Xd’s are Croation Glock knockoffs with grip safeties and “Grip Zone” written on the grip. And you also think they build better 1911’s than a company like Colt, who’s been building them from the beginning?
Yes.
Alright. Enough Springfield Armory for me from this site, and the photo a couple articles down of the bird with a gat to her head was in bad taste. And if I say it’s bad taste with all of my bad decisions in life, well then… all the best to you TTAG.
“buy this magazine or we’ll shoot this dog.”
The Colt Mustang pocketlite was ahead of its time.
12.5 oz and good functioning with ammo of the day.
The problem was we didnt have all the CCW states that we have today.
The one I liked the most but was never able to find was the Pony, a DAO mustang.
A friend had one that worked well but Colt quit making them before I got one.
I recall Ayoob did an article on replacing the springs to prolong service use.
That said, i dont want a SA pistol in a pocket holster.
These guns are fun to shoot but I will stick to my LCP for EDC.
I look forward to seeing the wring-out of the 911.
Maybe do a comparo with the Mustang, Sig, and Kimber.
Will not buy without GRIPZONE! 0/10
The micro1911 .380s mentioned above were all preceded by the Star DK (Starfire) and are simply copies thereof. It didn’t meet the import restrictions imposed by the Gun Control Act of 1968 so it has been unavailable for the last 50 years. Anyone lucky enough to find one of these gems should grab it!
No grip safety not a 911! I covet the Browning!
I own multiple Springfields xd 9 cd 45 xds and xdm 5.25 with thousands of rounds through all but the XDS. I also compete with the xdm 5.25 45 with the prp trigger. The only thing that I’ve done on the others is put Trijicon night sights on them. Well engineered and dependable guns. Not concerned about what a few zero experience execs pulled. Same could happen anywhere. I own other brands and love them too. Not sure why folks are mimicking PETA protests on forums with gun owners over old news. I enjoy reading how guns perform and can skip the white collar board room fubars.
I’m intrigued about the SA 911. Looks great.
Have a Sig P238 (Sport 12 model), this Springfield thing holds no appeal for a number of reasons but mainly, FUCK YOU SPRINGFIELD!
NOT in commie kalifornia. These are so dangerous, that the overlords that rule this shit hole wont let us! Ain’t Freedom and Liberty great?
P238 is an all metal gun that comes with night sights, 6 or 7 round mags, a safety in the proper place, a GREAT trigger . . . .and Sig Sauer aren’t traitors to America.
NEXT
I don’t know what Springfield did to piss people off here, but I’m not interested in the politics. I’m interested in having a handy and effective EDC gun, and the fact that in this case it is US-made makes it “politically correct” enough for me.
I’ve had mine for a couple of weeks and have put 220 rounds through it thus far. I had seen in a video right after I got it that Springfield ships them a little dirty so I cleaned mine up out of the box. In the first 100 rounds I had three FTFs and one light primer strike. Cleaned it up good, and in the next 120 rounds I had one light primer strike only. None of these problems occurred until at least around 40 or so rounds into firing, so I’m sure that clean out of the holster, it will go through what is in the magazine and a spare without fail should the need arise. Perhaps with more shooting/breaking in, these issues will disappear entirely (it already was a lot better on the second trip than on the first).
[Called customer service after the first 100 rounds and they recommended 200 rounds for break-in, and cleaning at least every 100 rounds.]
Overall I am happy with it; a solid, accurate little shooter that is very comfortable to carry. On the downside it is a “high-maintenance” firearm. Unlike the .38 snubby it replaced as my EDC, it is not a gun you can put off cleaning for every third or fourth of fifth trip to the range. It has to be cleaned every time. It is built to very tight tolerances (hence the excellent accuracy for such a small gun), but this means that residue that can interfere with function can become a problem rather quickly. It is not a “battlefield” service arm. Kept clean, however, I am sure I can count on it if I need it. Sights are great; also very much like the overall feel and ergonomics.