Range Time with Springfield Armory Emissary 4.25″ 9mm

By Richard Johnson
Posted in #Guns
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Range Time with Springfield Armory Emissary 4.25″ 9mm

June 15th, 2022

6 minute read

I’ve handled a lot of 1911 pistols over the years. Many of them have been factory guns, while a significant number have been from smaller, custom shops. When done right, a 1911-style handgun is a thing of pure joy. When done wrong, the pistols are nothing more than an ineffective boat anchor.

Springfield Emissary 9mm Commander Length 1911
The author got to spend time with Springfield Armory’s latest beauty: the Emissary chambered in 9mm with a 4.25″ barrel.

What’s great about the Emissary line is that these pistols shoot and feel like custom guns costing twice as much as Springfield’s suggested retail price. From the feel of the aggressive texture to the flawless bluing on the slide, the Emissary 1911s can go toe-to-toe with any 1911 on the market today.

Hands on with the Springfield Emissary 1911 in 9mm with 4.25 inch barrel
The author found the new Springfield Armory Emissary 4.25″ 9mm balanced very well in his hands.

As I sit here writing this article, I have three of the four Emissary offerings available locked in my office safe. The fourth Emissary, a 4.25” pistol chambered in 9mm, is sitting next to me on the desk. It’s the newest addition to the line and I daresay it’s my favorite so far. Let me tell you a little about it.

The Perfect CCW 1911?

I don’t have any display guns. Nor do I own any barbecue guns that are dragged out just for show when company comes around. While I do have some guns for historical or nostalgic reasons, most of my firearms are intended for more serious pursuits such as defending my life or putting food on the table.

Springfield Emissary 1911 pistol next to loaded magazine and flashlight for CCW/EDC usage
An ideal solution for concealed carry? The Emissary offers 9 rounds of 9mm, combat sights and incredible accuracy.

That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a high-end custom firearm. Quite the contrary; I have a great deal of respect for the artisans who produce them, and I admire the quality of their creations. It’s just that guns with a more practical purpose attract my attention — and my dollars.

Springfield Armory 1911 Emissary 4.25" pistol chambered in 9mm
It’s more than a pretty face. The Springfield Emissary 4.25″ 9mm features VZ Grips, a solid trigger and skeletonized hammer.

That is one of the reasons why I like the new 1911 Emissary 4.25” 9mm pistol. It is a practical handgun, but one that Springfield Armory decided to also make remarkable. The result is a 9mm 1911 that might just be perfect for concealed carry.

Features of This Emissary

While many of the features of this pistol carry over from the rest of the Emissary line, I’d like to highlight a few things that are important to me.

Springfield Armory 1911 Emissary 4.25" pistol chambered in 9mm
The old-world bluing on the Emissary’s carbon steel slide is a perfect contrast to the stainless steel forged frame.

First, this is a more compact pistol than the larger 5” Emissary guns. It has a 4.25” barrel with a commander-length recoil system. While the extra 0.75” of the longer gun does have advantages, I feel the shorter pistol simply balances better in my hands. Additionally, the length reduction aids in concealment when carrying outside the waistband.

Second, the fit on this gun feels so incredibly precise. It is on par with the best custom 1911 pistols I have shot. When I field-stripped the gun for the first cleaning, I halfway expected to see the slide was running on ball bearings. Likewise, the cosmetics of the Emissary 4.25” 9mm are beautiful. The bluing on the slide is rich with an almost jet-black color similar to polished obsidian.

The sights are true combat sights. Called U-Dot sights, they are some of the best found on any production pistol in the world today in my opinion. The front sight combines a tritium vial with a large photoluminescent ring for a bright, contrasting aiming point that jumps easily into the eye’s vision. Springfield uses the Tactical Rack U-Dot rear sight with a wide U-shaped notch that quickly aligns with the front sight.

Getting a solid grip on this pistol is easy. Springfield Armory combines the highly-effective Thinline G10 panels from VZ Grips with checkering on the front strap and mainspring housing called “grenade” checkering. It’s comfortable, yet highly “grippable.”

Springfield Armory 1911 Emissary 4.25" pistol chambered in 9mm
Large lightening cuts on the flat-top slide offer an excellent gripping surface under stress and with gloved hands.

Additional features of this gun include a forged stainless steel, heavy-profile bull barrel, a square triggerguard and a forged carbon steel slide and forged stainless steel frame. The flat-top “Tri-Top” slide is serrated to reduce glare while the slide sides have large lightening grooves that work well for a gripping surface. Springfield Armory includes a pair of 9-round magazines that are fitted with base pads.

Specifications

Caliber9mm
Barrel4.25” forged stainless steel, bull
SlideForged carbon steel, blued
FrameForged stainless steel
SightsTritium/luminescent front, tactical rack U-notch rear
Recoil SystemCommander length
GripsVZ Thin-Line G10
Magazines(2) 9-round magazines included
Weight40.0 oz
Length7.75″
Height5.25″
MSRP$1,349

Range Time

As with the other pistols in this line, the 1911 Emissary 4.25” 9mm proved a capable shooter on the range. Reliability was 100% with five different loads — two FMJ target loads and a trio of self-defense hollowpoints.

Man testing the Springfield Emissary 9mm Commander 4.25" pistol on the range
The U-Dot sights were greatly appreciated by the author, who found them to be ideal for defensive shooting.

Recoil was even milder than I anticipated. While the gun is not a featherweight, neither is it a chunky beast. Nevertheless, the recoil from even high-pressure loads was very tame. Combined with the grip texture, the weight made controlling the pistol during shooting a breeze.

Testing the Springfield 1911 Emissary 9mm Commander 4.25 with different ammo
On the range, the author tested the Springfield Armory 1911 Emissary 4.25″ 9mm pistol with three popular defensive loads.

Accuracy was impressive. As with most guns, the machine is capable of more accuracy than I am. To reduce my natural ticks, flinches and breathing imperfections, I tested the gun’s accuracy using a simple rest on a bench at 15 yards. I’d shoot five rounds and then measure the best three, center to center. All three hollowpoint loads shot groups of less than 0.75” at this distance. The best of the bunch is the highly respected Federal HST. Three bullets made a single misshapen hole just off the center X that measured under 0.4”.

Ammunition Performance

 AmmunitionVelocityEnergyBest 3-Shot Group
Federal HST 147-gr. JHP1,031 fps347 ft-lbs0.38”
Liberty Defense 50-gr. JHP +P2,061 fps566 ft-lbs0.69”
Speer Gold Dot 124-gr. JHP1,135 fps355 ft-lbs0.63”
Group size is measured in inches and is best of three-shot groups and fired from a bag rest at 15 yards. Velocity is shown in feet per second and is the average of five rounds at 10 ft. fired across a Competition Electronics ProChrono chronograph.

As delivered, the gun felt a touch tight. The more I shot, the more it seemed to loosen up — though accuracy and reliability were impressive throughout.

Target shot on the range next to Emissary pistol
At 15 yards, the best three-shot group measured less than 0.4″ with the 147-gr. Federal HST load. The other loads from Liberty and Speer also offered excellent accuracy.

As with any gun you intend for personal protection, I recommend shooting no fewer than 500 rounds through it, including at least a couple of boxes of your intended carry load. I don’t know about you, but I want to find any potential flaws on the range and not on the street.

Final Thoughts

I don’t know if the Springfield 1911 Emissary 9mm with a 4.25” barrel is the best 1911 for concealed carry, but it certainly can make a credible claim to the title. Throughout my time testing it, the pistol met and exceeded every one of my expectations. The fit and finish are impeccable, while the performance was superb.

Springfield Armory Emissary 9mm commander-length pistol
Built like a custom gun but costing half the price, the new Emissary 4.25″ 9mm is a solid choice for 1911 fans.

Earlier in the article, I referred to the price being half of what a comparable custom gun would cost you. I stand by that claim. Springfield Armory assigned a suggested retail price of $1,349 to this Emissary. I’ve handled and shot 1911 pistols with price tags north of $3,000 that aren’t as nice as this pistol.

If you find yourself in the market for a premium 1911 chambered in 9mm, you’d be hard-pressed to justify spending a dime on another pistol when this one is readily available.

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Springfield Armory® recommends you seek qualified and competent training from a certified instructor prior to handling any firearm and be sure to read your owner’s manual. These articles and videos are considered to be suggestions and not recommendations from Springfield Armory. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Springfield Armory.

Product prices mentioned in articles and videos are current as of the date of publication.

Richard Johnson

Richard Johnson

Having made many odd choices in his youth, Richard was left with two career choices: aerospace engineer or cop. After failing his second year of chemistry, Richard pursued a law enforcement career where understanding covalent bonds was not a requirement for success. Along the way, Richard discovered a passion for writing. Consequently, he hung up his uniform and now publishes GunsHolstersAndGear.com where he reviews firearms and other shooting gear to feed his frequently annoyed family.

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