A Pocket-Sized 1911? Springfield Armory 911

By Dan Abraham

Let’s face it, concealed carriers love sub-compact pistols. A small and lightweight pistol that simply drops in the pocket is the easiest way to carry a gun. But, finding the right handgun can be challenging. Carriers need a pistol that combines reliability and confidence. The assurance that a well-crafted pistol will perform exactly as it’s intended cannot be understated.

In my opinion, the Springfield Armory 911 is the answer for those concealed carriers who are looking for reliable functioning, crisp accuracy and a beautiful piece, all in one. The Springfield Armory 911 is a sub-compact 9mm powerhouse.

It shares several characteristics of a full-size 1911. Primarily, the 911 has a single-action trigger with an ambidextrous thumb safety. It carries like a 1911 “cocked and locked” function. Sweeping the thumb safety downward, the 911 is ready for live fire.

What You Get

The 911 ships with two single-stack 9mm magazines. One has an extended baseplate and carries seven rounds, and the other has a flat base and carries six rounds. Best yet, loaded with eight rounds, the Springfield 911 weighs just 19.75 ounces.

The 911 has high-end features within a working man’s budget. The MSRP of this tested model is $580. That is an incredibly low price considering the pistol sports tritium night sights. It also has an aluminum frame with their “Octo-Grip” front strap checkering and handsome gray/black G10 grips. It uses a 3” barrel and a beautiful brushed stainless steel slide.

The slide serrations are cut at an angle for strong grip manipulation when charging the pistol. The 911 recoil system uses a full-length guide rod along with a flat wire recoil spring.

Consistent with several Springfield Armory handguns, the 911 has a loaded chamber indicator (LCI) bar. The LCI bar is positioned on top of the slide and is slightly raised when a round is chambered. This allows the shooter a visual and/or feel “alert” with a chambered round.

As mentioned, the Springfield 911 has an ambidextrous thumb safety. Once the thumb safety is engaged with the hammer’s rest position, the trigger and slide are completely locked. When the slide is charged with the hammer back, the thumb safety locks the trigger until it is depressed. 1911 fans truly enjoy this type of trigger/thumb safety action.

Like a traditional 1911, the 911 is a single-action-only handgun. 1911 enthusiasts prefer a short and crisp trigger pull. It helps a shooter stay on target with follow-up shots. The Springfield 911 mimics the same single-action trigger that made 1911’s famous. I measured the 911 trigger between 6.5 and 7 pounds. It is a bit heavier than the standard 1911. However, for pocket carriers, it’s perfect.

Range Time

The accuracy is most noticeable at the range. Firing the 911, along with low-recoil 9mm ammo, it was extremely accurate. The short single-action trigger felt amazing when transitioning between targets. I was able to make strong target impacts with the 911 more consistently than with my other sub-compact 9mm handguns. Straight out of the case, I was thoroughly impressed.

The Springfield Armory 911 Stainless ships in a box with a pocket holster and a soft pistol pouch. The pocket holster is very well built. I appreciate the fact that Springfield Armory added the holster. It is one less accessory the carrier needs to purchase. The soft case is nice for transferring the pistol in the range bag. A handgun this beautiful deserves no reckless scratches.

Conclusion

Overall, the Springfield 911 is an amazing handgun. It’s feature-packed and fires incredibly well. Shooters will be pleased with its smooth function and accuracy. I believe the Springfield Armory 911 is just what the concealed carry world is looking for.

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!

Join the Discussion

Go to forum thread

Featured in this video

9^mm

911