Post by XavierBreath on Mar 30, 2004 14:21:57 GMT -5
In 2003, Springfield decided to release their own version of a military style 1911A1. Rumors of this had circulated the 1911 forums for a couple of months, and some buyers, like myself were chomping at the bit for this pistol. We all wanted a GI style 1911 as a shooter, and the Auto Ordnance version just did not measure up. The Colt reproduction was just to expensive, and many thought to pretty. Sistemas seemed to be a crapshoot and hard to find. Norincos were even tougher to find. Forget about Remington Rands and Switch & Signals and other real GI guns, they are just to valuable to be shooters. The market was ready for a durable, decently fitted and inexpensive GI styled 1911 that could shoot out of the box. I ordered mine the day after Springfield released them. I had no idea what to expect. The ads showed a gun with brown plastic grips and a stainless barrel. The initial MSRP was $489. My cost was $400, and it seems as if you can now find several Springfield WWII Mil-Specs at any gunshow for $399.
When my WWII Mil-Spec arrived, it had Springfield's ILS system, a teardrop thumb safety, standard trigger, and black plastic checkered grips. It also had a parkerized barrel with a loaded chamber indicator, and the older blocky Springfield front strap. I found it to be acceptable for $400 though.
I have listed the differences between the two Mil-specs below, as this often confuses people. My WWII Mil-Spec had "IMBEL BRAZIL" buzzpenned under the dustcover, indicating it was finished in Brazil. The good thing is that it had a GI style ejection port, straight slide serations, and a parkerized barrel and bushing. The slide and frame are forged.
The first thing on mine to be changed were the grips. I went with walnut double diamonds. Basically what I wanted to do was not to reproduce a certain pistol, but to make my pistol have the feel of a military 1911. I located a GI trigger, a GI abbreviated thumb safety and installed them. Next, I installed a checkered magazine release and slide release. The ILS system had to go, so I bought a lanyard loop mainspring housing off ebay and installed it. I also picked up a couple of GI magazines. I like a wide spur hammer, so I installed one of those as well, and polished up the action.
This pistol is a surprisingly good shooter once you adapt to the military sights. It is as accurate as the regular Mil-Spec. Make no mistake though, military sights are not Novaks. This pistol looks even better with finish wear (imagine that!). After approximately 600 rounds, I began to have feeding difficulty on the last round of a magazine. I swapped magazines to no avail. I finally resorted to putting an 18.5 pound recoil spring in the pistol, and it has been chugging along ever since. I'm not positive of my round count, but I know it is between 1500 and two thousand, mostly Winchester White Box with a smattering of reloads. This pistol does ding the brass a bit on ejection, but not badly according to a reloader friend. It will eject a live round. I had no stovepipes. It will shoot JHP, although I only ran one magazine of HydraShoks through it just to see if it would. Others report no problems with JHP as well.
The Springfield WWII Mil-Spec is a great buy if you want a military style 1911 that is a shooter and can be beat around. It won't fool a WWII buff, but if you swap in a checkered slide stop, checkered mag release, a GI thumb safety, put on brown plastic or walnut grips and get rid of the ILS mainspring housing it is pretty darned authentic. I would rate it as a best buy for a novice 1911 buyer. Many experienced 1911 shooters are buying this pistol and having a heck of a lot of fun with it. Most are trying to figure out how Springfield is turning a profit. This is certainly one 1911 that gives you more than you pay for.
WWII Mil-Spec
PW9108L
WW serial number
Around $400
GI style high ejection port
Straight slide serations
Parkerized barrel with chamber indicator (chamber indicator omitted on later models)
Military sights
Parkerizeed bushing
Blockier front strap (later models have the rounded frontstrap)
More machining marks under slide
No ".45 Cal" or crossed cannon logo on slide
Lanyard loop
Serated slide stop and mag release
Sear and hammer pins are domed on right side
Civilian teardrop safety
Short serated trigger
Black checkered plastic grips (brown grips on later models, and Springfield will send brown grips to you if you have an older model)
Parkerized finish only
Cardboard box
Original Mil-Spec
PB9108L
N or NM serial number
Around $500
Lowered and flared ejection port
Slanted slide serations
Stainless barrel with chamber indicator
Three dot sights
Stainless bushing (some are parkerized)
Rounded front strap
Less machining marks under slide
Has crossed cannons logo on slide
No lanyard loop
Serated slide stop and mag release
Civilian teardrop safety
Short serated trigger
Sear and hammer pins are flat on right side
Black checkered plastic grips
Comes in parkerized, stainless and various sizes
Plastic box
When my WWII Mil-Spec arrived, it had Springfield's ILS system, a teardrop thumb safety, standard trigger, and black plastic checkered grips. It also had a parkerized barrel with a loaded chamber indicator, and the older blocky Springfield front strap. I found it to be acceptable for $400 though.
I have listed the differences between the two Mil-specs below, as this often confuses people. My WWII Mil-Spec had "IMBEL BRAZIL" buzzpenned under the dustcover, indicating it was finished in Brazil. The good thing is that it had a GI style ejection port, straight slide serations, and a parkerized barrel and bushing. The slide and frame are forged.
The first thing on mine to be changed were the grips. I went with walnut double diamonds. Basically what I wanted to do was not to reproduce a certain pistol, but to make my pistol have the feel of a military 1911. I located a GI trigger, a GI abbreviated thumb safety and installed them. Next, I installed a checkered magazine release and slide release. The ILS system had to go, so I bought a lanyard loop mainspring housing off ebay and installed it. I also picked up a couple of GI magazines. I like a wide spur hammer, so I installed one of those as well, and polished up the action.
This pistol is a surprisingly good shooter once you adapt to the military sights. It is as accurate as the regular Mil-Spec. Make no mistake though, military sights are not Novaks. This pistol looks even better with finish wear (imagine that!). After approximately 600 rounds, I began to have feeding difficulty on the last round of a magazine. I swapped magazines to no avail. I finally resorted to putting an 18.5 pound recoil spring in the pistol, and it has been chugging along ever since. I'm not positive of my round count, but I know it is between 1500 and two thousand, mostly Winchester White Box with a smattering of reloads. This pistol does ding the brass a bit on ejection, but not badly according to a reloader friend. It will eject a live round. I had no stovepipes. It will shoot JHP, although I only ran one magazine of HydraShoks through it just to see if it would. Others report no problems with JHP as well.
The Springfield WWII Mil-Spec is a great buy if you want a military style 1911 that is a shooter and can be beat around. It won't fool a WWII buff, but if you swap in a checkered slide stop, checkered mag release, a GI thumb safety, put on brown plastic or walnut grips and get rid of the ILS mainspring housing it is pretty darned authentic. I would rate it as a best buy for a novice 1911 buyer. Many experienced 1911 shooters are buying this pistol and having a heck of a lot of fun with it. Most are trying to figure out how Springfield is turning a profit. This is certainly one 1911 that gives you more than you pay for.
WWII Mil-Spec
PW9108L
WW serial number
Around $400
GI style high ejection port
Straight slide serations
Parkerized barrel with chamber indicator (chamber indicator omitted on later models)
Military sights
Parkerizeed bushing
Blockier front strap (later models have the rounded frontstrap)
More machining marks under slide
No ".45 Cal" or crossed cannon logo on slide
Lanyard loop
Serated slide stop and mag release
Sear and hammer pins are domed on right side
Civilian teardrop safety
Short serated trigger
Black checkered plastic grips (brown grips on later models, and Springfield will send brown grips to you if you have an older model)
Parkerized finish only
Cardboard box
Original Mil-Spec
PB9108L
N or NM serial number
Around $500
Lowered and flared ejection port
Slanted slide serations
Stainless barrel with chamber indicator
Three dot sights
Stainless bushing (some are parkerized)
Rounded front strap
Less machining marks under slide
Has crossed cannons logo on slide
No lanyard loop
Serated slide stop and mag release
Civilian teardrop safety
Short serated trigger
Sear and hammer pins are flat on right side
Black checkered plastic grips
Comes in parkerized, stainless and various sizes
Plastic box