The 1911 platform has obviously had some time to improve upon itself. I’ll let you do the math. However, Springfield Armory continues to expand upon the platform. It has now added advanced modern features, along with an increased double-stack capacity, in this beauty of a 1911. Long gone are the days of 1911s only coming with a single-digit capacity and wooden grips. The Springfield Armory Prodigy is not the 1911 your grandfather would remember.
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First Impressions Matter
Picking the Prodigy up for the first time, I began to question why it had been so long since I’ve owned a 1911. With a forged steel frame and pre-mounted Hex Dragonfly red dot, there is a weight and heft to it that feels like a military tank. The Adaptive Grip Texture on the double-stack grip feels amazing in hand and has a nice upgraded feel to it.
The Prodigy comes with 20 and 17-round magazines and a soft, zippered, Springfield pistol case. Also included was a slide cover plate in case you want to run your setup without an optic. Either way, it’s one of the best looking 1911s I’ve seen in quite some time.
Springfield Prodigy Features
The attention to detail is evident. From top to bottom, the Prodigy leaves almost nothing to be desired. This may not be an ideal candidate for concealed carry due to its size, but you can bet it’s going to make a great precision range gun or tactical sidearm for when you’re training.
From an aesthetic perspective, I love the all-black finish. It’s accomplished by a black Cerakote finish on all the metal parts, that complement the black grip module. The deep front and rear slide serrations, Picatinny rail on the dust cover, and the skeletonized hammer create a tactical aesthetic, that sets it apart from many 1911s out there.
“Under the hood” you’ll find a 5-inch match-grade bull barrel with an 11-degree crown. The longer barrel and slide help to reduce the felt recoil, which makes it simple to keep your follow-up shots in line. Of course, the clean, crisp trigger helps too. Using a Wheeler digital trigger gauge, the trigger broke around 5 pounds 6 ounces, and I found it to be extremely consistent while shooting.
If you need to give it a good cleaning, fieldstripping is simple. There is no barrel bushing like you’d find on a Government Model 1911. Instead, the Prodigy dissembles just similar to other 2011s on the market.
There are several smaller features that shouldn’t go unnoticed. The tall optics-height sights on the Prodigy are made to pair extremely well with the Hex Dragonfly. The sights are just tall enough to clear the base of the optic, allowing you to use either the irons or red dot. The front sight contains a green fiber-optic rod, while the rear sight is a black serrated U-notch. I’m a sucker for green when it comes to sights. I find green to be easier to pick-up in brighter conditions, which is what I’m usually shooting in.
The extended ambidextrous thumb safety is easy to manipulate, allowing those of us not used to thumb safeties on our pistols to adjust quickly.
If there was one thing I’d like to see on the Prodigy, it would be a large flared magwell. It’s not hard to reload with the magwell how it is, but I think having an extra flare to it would be nice.
Overall, there are no missing features that would leave me with a sense of buyer’s remorse.
Specifications
Caliber: 9mm LugerCapacity: 17+1, 20+1 roundsLength: 8.5 inchesSights: Green fiber-optic front, U-notch rear, Hex DragonflySafety: Ambidextrous thumb safetyHeight: 5.5 inchesBarrel: 5″ bull barrel, match-gradeWeight: 33 ounces
Range Report: Reliability and Accuracy
The Springfield Armory Prodigy is smooth as movie theater butter. I may not have shot 100s of 1911s, but this one is the smoothest shooter out of any that I have. Since this review is being written while the gun is still waiting to be released to the public, there has been a mere 160 rounds through it. However, those 160 rounds went down range without a hitch. The fact that the Prodigy is chambered in 9mm meant I had plenty of ammo to choose from. I made sure to put a variety of ammo through it that included: 135-grain Federal Hydra-Shok, some remanufactured 147-grain FMJ, and 115-grain Blazer Brass FMJ.
With the Hex Dragonfly red dot coming pre-mounted and pre-zeroed, accuracy was on point out of the box. My first magazine (plus a few extra rounds) through the gun, resulted in sub-2-inch groupings out to 7 yards, and roughly 3-inch groupings out to 15 yards. For me, that is shooting I’m happy with — especially with a gun that is new to me. By the end of a few more magazines, I was able to keep those groupings just as tight and focus more on speeding up my follow-up shots. I can’t wait to get this out to a longer range and see how far I can maintain similar accuracy.
Final Thoughts
If I were to design my ideal 1911, it would be pretty darn close to the Springfield Armory Prodigy. High-capacity, Picatinny rail, optics-ready slide, and a blacked-out tactical aesthetic. With the accuracy and reliability I’ve experienced with the Prodigy so far, I’m confident this will be one of those guns that accompany me on almost every range trip. If 1911s are your thing, you need to do yourself a favor and check out the Prodigy.
The 1911 design is timeless. Today, the 1911 platform chambered in 9mm is gaining popularity — especially when you consider the capacity advantage of the “2011.” Are you a fan of 1911s chambered in 9mm? How does the Springfield Armory Prodigy compare to your favorite 1911 or 9mm pistol? Share your answers in the comment section.
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The prodigy with the Hex Dragonfly red dot sights givers the shooter the option of using the red dot with the security of the iron sights as a backup. -
Even though the Prodigy comes with a 20-round and 17-round magazine, there is also an optional 26-round you can splurge on. -
The Prodigy 1911 follows the design of a “2011” simplifying the field stripping process for many users. It also has a recessed bull barrel for accuracy. -
The Prodigy is one good looking gun! The all black aesthetic is one of my favorites. -
The controls are appropriately sized for this 5-inch 1911. They are large enough, but without getting in the way. -
My first shots through the Prodigy were better than most new guns that I pick up. -
The green fiber optic front sight helps to pick up your target quickly, especially in medium to high light. -
Each time I measured the trigger pull, the electronic gauge registered right round 5 pounds 6 ounces. -
With an extra-long Picatinny rail, you can fit even the largest of weapon-mounted pistol lights. -
In the box, you’ll find a soft zippered case, a 17-round magazine and 20-round magazine. -
The Hex Dragonfly features a 3.5 MOA and is precision machined from 6061 T6 aluminum. -
The Prodigy easily went through the Blazer Brass and Federal ammo with no malfunctions.
