Springfield Armory has just introduced a 9mm version of their popular Garrison 1911 and it looks like a winner. Coming on the heels of the popular .45 ACP version, the Garrison is a quality, versatile 1911 platform with a relatively inexpensive price tag. TheFireArmGuy [YouTube channel] gives us the rundown, complete with range footage and field strip, in the video linked below.
Let’s take a look at the specs before moving on:
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 9+1
- Recoil System: GI
- Barrel: 5-inch forged Stainless Steel, Match Grade, Fully Supported Ramp, 1:16
- Overall Length: 8.6 inches
- Height: 5.5 inches
- Weight: 38 ounces
- Sights: Low Profile Combat 3 Dot
- Colors: Stainless Steel or Hot Salt Blued
- MSRP: $899 Stainless Steel or $849 Blued
Our host has the stainless-steel model, so we’ll move forward with that. The frame and slide are forged steel with diamond checkered thin line wood grips featuring an attractive Springfield Armory crossed cannons logo. The gun has a textured backstrap and the front of the grip is smooth.
The contoured grip safety features an extended beavertail, and both the hammer and trigger are skeletonized. The extended thumb safety is not ambidextrous, being only on the left side of the frame.
The rear sight is a Novak style low profile ramped set up with the post front sight. Both are adjustable. The stainless-steel finish is glossy on the flats and matte on the rounds, including on top of the slide to mitigate glare. The same glossy and matte pattern comes on the blued version. The Garrison has standard 1911 dimensions and disassembly.
The gun ships with one 9-round single stack stainless-steel magazine and a padded soft carrying case. You’d think they would include an extra mag but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Right out of the gate, he says the “overall shooting impressions are excellent. When I took this to the range…it was very, very nice. No recoil and it kept you on target.” The trigger breaks at about 4.5 pounds and is “So smooth, so light, and the reset is, like, nothing.”
He notes that shooting 9mm ammo from a full-size 1911 like the Garrison will really build your confidence as a shooter. “When you shoot 9mm out of a full-size handgun like this, it is so smooth.” The 9mm barrel is fully ramped and being a 70 series gun, it doesn’t have a firing pin block. “Makes it nice and smooth. Easy to handle.”
Smooth seems to be the operative word in this review. Not a bad thing to say about any firearm. He notes that lots of people love 1911s but want to shoot 9mm because of the increased magazine capacity, softer recoil, and cheaper ammo. Coupled with the 1911 trigger, “You just can’t beat it. It’s a good-looking and shooting handgun. So, if you’re one of those people, you’ll love the Garrison.”
Does the Springfield Armory Garrison 1911 look like a winner to you, especially at that price point? Let us know what you think in the comments below. Happy shooting y’all.
