springfield 1911 model difference specific questions

[trinydex]

i have some specific questions.

i have read somewhere that the milspec series of 1911s has a two piece barrel.

on springfield's site they only mention that the barrel is stainless.

the only differences in description for barrel type on the site are bull match stainless for the trp operator, match stainless for the trophy match and trp no rail, and stainless for the milspec and loaded.

so my question is, the match stainless barrel is one piece right? does that construction type really matter? i suspect a one piece barrel denotes higher quality.

is the trophy match the same as the trp but the trp has battle friendly fixed sights?

[subin]

The barrel should be in one piece. Maybe it is the 2 pieces guide rod you are referring to?

[ohsmily]

The barrel should be in one piece. Maybe it is the 2 pieces guide rod you are referring to?

The barrel is in one piece, but....
Springfield does use a process by which they manufacture the barrel from 2 parts. However, concerns about a problem with this method are not warranted. They manufacture hundreds of thousands of 1911s using this process. It is cheaper for them to do it this way and their mil-spec and loaded models have barrels that were made from two parts (the chamber/barrel block is mated to the barrel). Of course this is a permanent process. It is not as though you can take the barrel apart (duh).

The loaded model has a higher quality barrel than the mil-spec (but it is still made using the two piece process). Once you get above the loaded, I believe the barrels are made from a single piece of steel (TRP and up).

[subin]

Thanks for pointing that out, ohsmily
I have also found a picture at the link below showing where the two pieces are joined together. I wonder if this was done by friction welding.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Critical%20Look%20at%20Springfield%20Mil%20Spec.htm

[Overkill]

The TRP and Trophy match are generally little more than Loaded models with checkered front straps and magwells. IMHO, they are generally not worth the extra premium over the loaded models.

For the price of the TRPs and Trophy Matches I've seen locally, there are much better options that can be had.

A Les Baer PII can be found a couple hundred dollars more than a TRP, but there is no question that the Baer is a better pistol by more than the price difference.

On the two piece barrel- this process has been done for a LONG time. The results are a useable barrel that generally cannot have the same level of precision as a match barrel. Springfield uses Storm Lake barrels in their higher-end production pistols. Just about every 1911 manufacturer uses "Match" barrels these days. In my mind, it really means little. If you want a true match barrel, you are going to have to get an aftermarket barrel like a Kart, Barsto, Nowlin, etc. or purchase a pistol that is built with one (Baer, Brown, Wilson, etc).

With that said, there are few people that can truly take advantage of a real match barrel. Also, there are few factory pistols that won't show a significant improvement in the accuracy department through the inexpensive addition of a properly fit barrel bushing. I think a Springfield Loaded with an aftermarket bushing (like a custom one from EGW) will likely be a very accurate pistol.

[trinydex]

i've felt a few loaded models and the fit of small things like the mag release and the safety are overly tight.

the trp operators and springfield profesionals i've felt are out of the box workable. stuff like this is important to me because i'm left handed. i'd expect the normal trp to be hand fit to the same standards as the trp operator. isn't that what the extra money is for?


i wonder if the springfield trp operator and non pro adhere to the same golden sabre loadability standards that the pro has to adhere to.

[Overkill]

I would agree that the mag releases and safeties on the loaded can be a little rough. However, if you fashion yourself somewhat handy, this is easy to remedy with a minor amount of polishing.

The TRP does have a bit more hand-work than a Loaded, resulting in a pistol that is smoother than the loaded. However, I still think that for the price, you can find a nicer pistol.

My issue with the TRP mainly boils down to the fact that the parts used in it are the same MIM components used in the Loaded. If you plan on doing any custom work to the pistol, you'll likely remove these components anyway. The TRP will be smoother, and if you purchase the gun with the intent to leave it as-is, the TRP is a nice pistol.

Considering the overall value of the pistol, however, the TRP is not worth the extra price over a loaded IMHO. What's the street price of a TRP in CA, about $1400, right? For just over $1500 you could get a Les Baer PII, that comes with a hand-fit slide/frame, Kart barrel, hand-fit bar-stock components with a 3" at 50yd guarantee. The TRP has no such guarantee.

The Pro model is in another league than the TRP. It is truly a custom-level pistol with quality components throughout, but the price tag reflects this.

[trinydex]

the baer premiere 2 has basically all the "custom" features found on most high ends right?

front and rear slide serrations
flared magwell
ambi safety
front and rear and slide stock checkering

how much would a p2 be with night sights? that would be the super-tac i guess.

i with the baer site were more... elucidating.

[Overkill]

The basic Baer pistol is the same from model to model, with minor variations between (sights, triggers, safeties, etc).

The PII has the adjustable Bomar style sights, ambi safety and lightweight trigger
The Custom Carry is basically a PII with Novak-styled night sights
The TRS is like a Custom Carry but with a solid trigger, slim grips, TRS logo and a couple more magazines.

You can often find Baers slightly used for a couple hundred less than new. That's what I did- I bought a slightly used PII and a slightly used Stinger (not on the CA list) for $1200 and $1500 respectively - much less than new.