Description
A nine millimetre 1911 is a specialist tool that a lot of shooters would enjoy more than they expect. The cartridge is cheap, the recoil in a forty one ounce steel pistol is almost nonexistent, and the platform trigger is still the standard everything else is measured against. The Springfield 1911 Target 9mm pairs those advantages with forged stainless construction, a fitted match barrel and fully adjustable target sights, in a configuration approved for sale in California.
Why Nine Millimetre In A Full Size 1911
Recoil is the honest answer. Forty one ounces of forged steel absorbing a nine millimetre round produces a recoil impulse so mild that the sights barely leave the target. That makes it a superb pistol for learning to shoot precisely, for high volume practice, and for anyone with a wrist or shoulder that no longer tolerates a full power cartridge. It also makes the trigger, rather than recoil management, the limiting factor on your groups, which is exactly what a target pistol should do.
Cost follows close behind. Nine millimetre range ammunition costs roughly half what .45 ACP does, which means twice the practice for the same money. On a pistol built for deliberate slow fire and load development, that difference compounds quickly across a season.
The trade off is magazine capacity and feeding. A single stack nine millimetre 1911 holds nine rounds, and the platform has always been more particular about magazines than modern designs. Buy quality spares from a known manufacturer rather than the cheapest option, and the pistol will run; buy bargain magazines and you will chase feeding problems that are not the gun fault.
Target Features And Build Quality
The sights are the defining feature. Fully adjustable target sights let a shooter dial an exact zero for a specific load rather than compensating with hold, which matters enormously when working up handloads or shooting bullseye at fixed distances. Fixed sights are more durable and better suited to carry, but on a range pistol adjustability is worth far more than ruggedness.
The five inch match grade barrel is forged stainless with a 1:16 twist, custom fitted to its bushing at the factory. That fitting is where 1911 accuracy comes from. A loose barrel to bushing relationship lets the muzzle return to a slightly different position each shot, and no amount of good sights will fix it. Springfield also fits a two piece National Match full length guide rod, which adds consistency to the recoil cycle.
Everything else is the Loaded feature set. Frame and slide are both forged stainless rather than cast, the ejection port is lowered and flared for clean extraction, an extended beavertail protects the web of the hand from hammer bite, and an ambidextrous thumb safety serves left handed shooters. Crossed Cannons cocobolo grips finish it, and they are genuinely handsome rather than merely adequate.
Springfield 1911 Target 9mm Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Model number: PI9134LCA
- UPC: 706397913175
- Barrel: 5 inch forged stainless steel, match grade, 1:16 twist
- Frame: forged stainless steel
- Slide: forged stainless steel
- Finish: natural stainless
- Sights: fully adjustable target
- Grips: Crossed Cannons cocobolo
- Safety: ambidextrous extended thumb safety plus grip safety
- Guide rod: two piece National Match full length
- Ejection port: lowered and flared
- Weight: 41 ounces
- Capacity: 9 rounds, two magazines included
- Approved for sale in California
Two practical notes. A full length guide rod makes field stripping slightly more involved than the original design and usually wants a small hex wrench, so read the manual before the first cleaning. And at forty one ounces with a five inch slide this is not a carry pistol for most people; it can be carried with a proper belt and holster, but it was built for the range.
Why Buyers Choose The Springfield 1911 Target 9mm
The first reason is that it makes you a better shooter. Almost nothing exposes flaws in trigger control like a heavy, low recoiling target pistol with adjustable sights, because there is no recoil to hide behind. Shooters who spend a season with one usually find their performance with every other handgun improves as a result.
The second reason is the build. Forged stainless frame and slide, a hand fitted match barrel and a National Match guide rod are custom shop features on many brands. Springfield puts them in a production pistol at a price that undercuts the equivalent work done aftermarket, and backs it with a factory warranty.
The third reason is durability and value retention. Stainless resists the corrosion that plagues carbon steel pistols handled with sweaty hands, and the 1911 platform has a deep aftermarket and a strong resale market. This is a pistol that can be shot hard for decades and still find a buyer, which is not true of every handgun at this price.
Who Should Buy The Springfield 1911 Target 9mm
This suits the bullseye or precision pistol shooter, the handloader developing nine millimetre loads, and anyone who wants a soft shooting steel framed pistol for high volume practice. It is also a sound choice for a shooter with reduced hand or wrist strength. It is not a concealed carry pistol, and anyone wanting high capacity or a light polymer frame should look at a modern striker fired design instead.
Learn more about this target grade 1911 from the manufacturer, or see more firearms available at MAG5 Firearms.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.