VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION: I’ve never been a 1911 guy, but this gun might be changing my mind. I’m talking about Springfield Armory’s new 9mm double-stack 1911, the Prodigy.
As I mentioned, I’ve never really been a 1911 guy. Nothing against 1911s. It’s just, personally, I never really liked them. My dad always had 1911s. I inherited two of them after he passed away, which I held onto for a while just for sentimental reasons.
To me, they are just too heavy to use as concealed carry pistols and didn’t have the capacity compared to the guns I was carrying. Again, strictly a personal opinion, but I’m sure some of you will tell me otherwise in the comments.
So when Springfield said they had a new double stack 1911 chambered in 9mm they were sending out to me, I was interested but figured it would just be another 1911 that I would review and move on. But when I opened the box, I was like, huh, that’s a really nice looking pistol.
This gun was announced today, September 1, 2022, and I didn’t have a chance to shoot it before making this video, so this will be more of a first look rather than a full review.
Alright, I’ll start by stating that this is exactly how this gun came from the factory. I’ve done no modifications to it whatsoever. The HEX dragonfly red dot comes standard with this model. That’s mainly for the people at Youtube who review my videos.
The Prodigy comes in two different barrel lengths, a 4.25” inch barrel, which is what they sent me, and we will be taking a look at today, and a 5” inch barrel. Both barrel lengths also come with a version that has the slide cut for an optic and includes the HEX dragonfly red dot and a version that isn’t cut for an optic.
So obviously, the biggest feature of this new pistol is that it is Springfield’s first double stack 1911 in 9mm. It comes with a standard 17-round magazine and a 20-round extended magazine. They also make a 26-round magazine for it as well.
The first thing I noticed when picking it up is the grip texture which I really really like. This is a polymer grip module. In a video Springfield put out, it mentions the grip texture, which they call their Adaptive Grip Texture, and that it is the same as the Hellcat and Hellcat Pro. But to me, they are slightly different. The Prodigy has the microdot grip texture, which is similar to the hellcat, but it seems a little less aggressive or smoother. You should be able to see the difference between the two here. Handling it a bit, I kind of like the grip texture on the Prodigy a bit more. That same texture wraps around the front of the grip, but on the back of the grip, under the grip safety, there’s a serrated checkered grip texture. It feels super nice in my hand and feels like a very secure grip. I don’t see this thing sliding around my hand when I’m shooting it on the range in 100-degree Louisiana heat, sweating my ass off.
It is a 1911, so obviously, it has the grip safety, which I don’t mind at all. You’ve got the mag released that sticks out pretty far, but it is easy to depress when dropping the mag. It also has some serrations on it to give it some texture. The front of the trigger guard has the same microdot grip texture as the grip. The trigger itself is a single-action skeletonized trigger with serrations on the front of it. The break is super crisp and short. I don’t have my trigger pull gauge, so I can’t test that, but as you can see, it has very minimal takeup and, again, a super clean and short break. This trigger just feels really nice. I can’t wait to get it on the range and put some rounds through it.
You’ve got an extended ambidextrous thumb safety that is very easy to flip on and off, whether you are right-handed or wrong-handed. There are also some serrations on the top to give it a little texture.
The slide stop is also very easy to actuate, although I have to shift the gun slightly to reach it. I’ll see how this works out on the range when I’m shooting it, but I don’t see that being a problem at all. It also has some serrations on the top for some added grip, but it is very easy to press and doesn’t require much force at all.
The slide and frame are forged steel and have a black CERAKOTE finish for durability. You’ve got a standard Picatinny rail for lights and lasers. I thew on a surefire x300 ultra which extends passed the barrel on the 4.25-inch but sits flush on the 5-inch barrel. If this was going to be my home defense gun, I’d definitely mount the x300 to it and call it a day.
The slide has some deep serrations on the front and the rear of the slide. Deeper than say the hellcat that I’ve got sitting here. So no matter where you grab it, you can get a really good purchase on it.
And speaking of the slide, it is just butter smooth which is probably the second best thing I like about this gun. It is very easy to rack. I just can’t get over how smooth this thing feels.
As I mentioned, the model I received is cut for an optic that features their AOS mounting system. This is a collaboration with Agency Arms and Springfield. The optic plates have the blacked-out rear sight integrated into them. The plate that came with mine obviously allows you to mount the Springfield HEX Dragonfly red dot but also allows you to mount the Holosun 407 and 507K-X2 as well as the Shield Sights RMSc and RMS2. They also offer 5 additional plates, which allow you to mount other popular red dots to it. I’m probably showing a graphic here that shows the different plates and sights they allow you to mount.
The front sight is a green fiber optic sight, and the rear sight is a blacked-out u-notch sight. And they sit low enough so that it doesn’t take up much of the space in the window of the red dot, but you still are able to co-witness them through the red dot.
The HEX dragonfly red dot seems nice so far. The red dot is solid and doesn’t seem to flicker at all. The window is crystal clear with a slight blueish tint.
The barrel is a match-grade bull barrel made from stainless steel, so I expect the accuracy to be exceptional, but as I said, I haven’t shot it just yet.
And that said, I really can’t wait to get the Prodigy to the range. I think this is the first time I’ve been this excited over a 1911. I almost wish they had sent the model with the 5-inch barrel. If this shoots as well as I’m expecting, I could see this being my new home defense gun. And I’d rather have the extra length if that is the case.
So that’s going to wrap up this first look of the Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy. I’ll be trying to get to the range with it within the next few weeks, so if you have any questions about it, leave them in the comments below, and I’ll try to address them in the full review I’ll be doing on it.
And as always, if you like this video, please leave a like below. Subscribe if you want to see more videos like this, and hit the bell to be notified when I publish new videos. And I’ll see you in the next one.
Luke McCoy is the founder of USA Carry. In 2007, he launched USA Carry to provide concealed carry information and a community for those with concealed carry permits and firearm enthusiasts.