Why?

Recently, I have been obsessed with the 1911 platform and its relevance to defensive and duty applications. I have been field testing another well-known 2011 duty pistol during training in order to gauge real-world reliability. When Springfield Armory released their “Comp” version of the 1911 DS Prodigy pistol, I had to pick one up to see how it would fare in the same role.

I reached out to Springfield Armory last year when I began evaluating these guns with no response. This time around, I didn’t waste the time and simply ordered one from my friendly neighborhood gun dealer. Thankfully they were in-stock and it was in my hands in a couple of days.

I chose the 5” Comp version for several reasons. My “other” gun is a 5” non-compensated pistol. This allows me to shoot the same ammo side-by-side in a very similar platform to assess the effectiveness of the compensator. I intended to attach a SUREFIRE X300T-B to this gun and the light is longer than the 5” barrel, so there would be no overall length difference with the 4.25” 1911 DS. The “Comp” version pulls the front sight closer to the rear, thus reducing the usability of the iron sights (if that is a concern). Finally, I just prefer the look of the 5” slide.

Ported or Compensated?

First, we need to clear something up. Springfield Armory calls this a “compensated” pistol. Compensators are usually bulky attachments that have expansion chambers and one or more ports to vent the muzzle blast upwards in order to counteract muzzle-rise. Production pistols usually are only ported. Ports are just holed cut through the barrel to accomplish the same task, but less efficiently. I have already had Prodigy enthusiasts comment that the 1911 DS Prodigy Comp is only ported. This is false.

The 1911 DS Comp is equipped with a very beefy bull-barrel. The 1911 platform was designed for the .45 ACP cartridge, so the 9mm leaves some extra room for barrel thickness. Springfield Armory used this extra space to machine an expansion chamber behind the muzzle of that bull barrel. Springfield then cut a “chunk port” through the slide into this expansion chamber. This design allows the last millimeter or so of barrel to act as a baffle to deflect the expanding gasses upward. While this is not as effective as the multi-chamber comps found on competition race-guns, it is more effective than ports.

I shot the 1911 DS Prodigy Comp side by side with another non-compensated 5” 2011. The recoil reduction and muzzle rise was noticeable based on the rise and fall of the red dot optic on the target. Ammunition selection and operating spring weight will affect how much of a difference you experience.

The “Comp” version of the 1911 DS is priced at approximately $100 more than the standard version. Having this same modification done by a reliable custom shop will cost around $400 depending on refinishing options. This makes it an attractive option for most shooters.

Low-light Performance

Any time we talk about compensators or ports, the topic of low-light shooting creeps up. Several times a year, I teach a low-light shooting class. This time around, I brought the Prodigy Comp. I have shot comped, ported and plain muzzle guns in a variety of lighting and Night Vision situations. I was pretty sure I knew what I was in for. The Prodigy Comp ranked right alongside of other standard compensated duty-pistols that I have used in these situations. The plume from the comp is visible in darkness. However, if you have enough light to identify a target, the flash is not sufficient enough to blind the shooter. If you are using a quality weapon-light like the SUREFIRE X300T-B, the flash is almost unnoticeable against the illuminated target. The flash is visible from the target, but so is the muzzle blast of most standard muzzle handguns. In short, the additional flash is not an issue.

Noise

The most noticeable drawback from the Prodigy Comp is the additional noise at the shooters ear. With ear protection on and in an open-air environment, it isn’t an issue. When shooting in confined spaces, the additional concussion is noticeable, but probably not an issue for most shooters. When training on an indoor range, double ear protection is a good idea for any un-suppressed firearm. I did not get a chance to run the Prodigy Comp in our Vehicle CQB block, but I anticipate that it will increase the concussion in the enclosed passenger compartment the same as any other comped gun. If you routinely find yourself gun fighting in cars, you may want to select a non-ported gun…..or drive somewhere else.

Close-contact shooting

Many shooters are concerned about defensive carry of ported or comped guns because of the chance that they may have to shoot from retention. In reality, you are far more likely to shoot from compressed ready or full presentation. However, with a proper retention shooting position, compensated pistols are not a problem. If you end up with your face or hands over the port, you are going to have a bad day. Don’t do that. In a good retention position your port will be facing away from your face/body.

Reliability

Some of the first generation 1911 DS guns were plagued with reliability issues. Springfield Armory used MIM (metal injection molded) ignition parts, slide stops and safety levers in order to keep costs down. This combined with heavy application of coatings and poor QC let some lemons out on the market.

The 1911 DS Prodigy Comp is what the community is calling a Gen 2 gun. There are several small improvements on these guns when compared to the first batch of Prodigy’s that left the factory. After field stripping the gun, the most obvious improvement is a pair of lightening slots milled into the slide on either side of the firing pin channel. The cartridge stripping rail has been polished to reduce drag on the disconnector. The nose of the disconnector has been polished as well as the feed ramp of the barrel. The thickness of the Cerakote on the slide and frame rails seems to be better controlled, although I have no way of measuring this. With the exception of the slots in the slide, these modifications are all things that the Prodigy facebook groups have been recommending to new owners.

Instead of doing all of the recommended “fixes”, I just lubricated the gun with some Slip2000 and shot it. Almost 2000 rounds later the gun is still running like a clock. I initially cleaned and inspected for wear at the 500 round mark. I then ran the next 1500 by only lubricating it before a shooting session. Most of the sessions were hard runs where the slide got hot enough to be uncomfortable. I ran a mix of 115gr., 124gr., 147gr. FMJ ammo from Blazer, PMC, and Winchester, and some 147gr. Federal HST just to check feeding with hollow points. All ran well although the 147gr sub-sonic were just barely dribbling out of the ejection port.

This sample has been reliable and I would consider using this sample as a defensive pistol. With a sample size of one, and the track record of other samples of the 1911 DS, I would counsel caution in running an un-tested 1911 DS as a duty or defensive gun.

Modifications

The 1911 DS is a double-stack style 1911 platform, chambered in 9mm. Springfield Armory did the smart thing and built this pistol to be compatible with 2011 style parts that are currently on the market. That is not to say that all aftermarket parts are “drop-in”. If you are coming from the polymer, striker-fired pistol world, you may be surprised to find that many parts require minor fitting to operate properly.

Somewhere during the first couple of runs I got tired of dealing with the two-piece guide rod and replaced it with a Dawson Precision tool-less guide rod. The Dawson rod makes field stripping at the range much easier and thus contributes to better maintenance habits.

Evolution Gun Works has several Prodigy specific parts. Prodigy enthusiasts have taken to replacing many of the internal parts with EGW, Infinity or Atlas Gun Works components. There are many other 2011 parts that can be fitted. Since I have not experienced any issues so far, I plan on leaving the internals stock until I experience failures or until I get bored.

Magazines

The 1911 DS Prodigy uses 2011 pattern magazines. My sample arrived with one 17 round and one 20 round magazine. They are well constructed and finished magazine bodies that drop-free without issue. They do come with plastic base pads, but I have not managed to break them during 1R1 drills yet. Racking up the round count would have been tedious with only two magazines, so I enlisted the help of a bag full of 20 round Staccato magazines. These ran flawlessly in the 1911 DS.

Value

Value is always a difficult thing to judge. The 1911 DS Prodigy Comp is likely to be one of the most expensive pistols many shooters own. However, it is still close to the “budget” end of the 2011 platform. Many shooters will just run it stock or replace cosmetic parts. Others will completely gut the pistol and use it as a base for a custom build. In my opinion, it is a quality pistol for the price. It is not on-par with 2011 platforms costing two and three times as much. Nor would I expect it to be.

2000 rounds isn’t exactly a “burn down” test. It’s less ammo than I run at some classes. However, I do actually have to shoot other guns for work as well. I will continue to rack up the round count on this gun and see where we are in another 5-8000 rounds.