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(PC - Springfield Armory)

Springfield’s Prodigy line of double-stack 1911 pistols has been around for two years; they are producing variants. My previous reviews of the Prodigy are here Part 1 and Part 2.


The variations we now see include ported models and those coming from the factory in different finishes — olive drab green and flat dark earth. Another version, and the one we will look at, is their compact, which just cleared a media embargo last week.

 

Compact Model

The immediate difference is the frame. It is shorter by two rounds as the gun ships with two (2) fifteen (15) round magazines. The other grip dimensions are unchanged. Unlike another popular double stack 1911-style frame, the Prodigy frame does not require a grip reduction. The molded-in, stipple-like texture is sufficiently grippy for me. Part of my shooting with this pistol was in sub-freezing weather (25 degrees F with a snowstorm coming in). Bare-handed or gloved, I did not have any problems.

Having carried the 1911 platform on duty and throughout my training, teaching, and competing efforts for twenty years, the combination of grip safety and thumb safety is not foreign to me. As a result, it has been interesting to see the number of people who feel the need to tape or rubber band down their grip safety. Even with my relatively small hands and short fingers, there were no issues establishing my grip and deactivating the grip safety with either hand.

This was the first magazine worth of 124gr 9mm Blazer Brass at 7 yards, and the aiming point was the “D” in the bottom quarter.

Mechanical Safety

If you have experience using any firearms with frame-mounted, ambidextrous safety, this thumb safety will be familiar to you.

From a design perspective, the Springfield engineers did very good work in getting the slide stop to meld into the frame rather than stand out physically and visually. However, this makes locking the slide to the rear more difficult for left-handers.

“As mentioned, there is a grip safety with a memory bump on its base. The grip safety must be depressed for the handgun to fire.

Installation of the PB-3 optic was done with the Fixitsticks tool kit.



Chamber Dimensions

My Prodigy Compact did not have any stoppages during the 500 rounds I fired through it—specifically, no failures for rounds to chamber and go into battery. I mention that because it was widely discussed with some of the first batch of the full-size Prodigies, mine included.

Springfield has clearly fixed the chamber dimensions.

The grip size fits even my hands, and there are no issues with depressing the grip safety.

Managing Recoil

The recoil spring assembly is the same three-piece design – threaded guide rod, spring, and end cap that screws onto the guide rod. With the correct size Allen wrench, the installation and removal are easy to accomplish.

I shot the Prodigy Compact indoors and out.


Barrel & Slide

Springfield sent me a 4.25-inch4.25-inch barrel and slide version, which is the same as the full-size version I reviewed previously. There is also a 3.5-inch model, both of which have bull barrels.

Elevation and windage adjustments were made using the Pistol-Mounted Optic Tool from Patriot Products.

Optics & Sights

This pistol is optics-ready; the slide is cut and comes with several mounting plates. Springfield decided to adopt Agency Arms’ AOS. Having already used this in the past, I had one of the Acro/MPS plates – which does not ship with the pistol. After removing the stock iron sight plate, I installed the Acro/MPS version using the mounting process I described here before. Paint pen marked the plate screws before beginning to install the optic.

Using the Ransom’s MultiCal Steady Rest, in some light snow, to finish this review.



Lead & Steel

I paired the Prodigy Compact with Lead & Steel’s Pandora PB-3 pistol-mounted optic for this review. As mentioned, it has shared a mounting footprint with the Aimpoint Acro. It uses the now near-ubiquitous CR2032 coin cell battery. The brightness up and down controls are located on top of the housing within a molded rubber strip. Inside the window is a 3-minute of angle (MOA, one inch at one hundred yards) dot.

With the controls mounted on top, Lead & Steel was able to lower the housing’s glass window.

‘An observation, rather than a criticism, is that with the lower window, I would prefer and recommend using more traditional height sights rather than the suppressor height sights historically common on optic-equipped pistols.

With the PB-3 window sitting as low as it does, suppressor height sights are too tall.

One other observation is that both the housing and the forward window on the optic slope downward to the rear, meaning they are angled forward. The AOS plate puts the top of the window over the rear of the ejection port. During the review, a fair amount of burnt powder collected on the upper right portion of the glass.

The forward angle of the housing and the glass may have contributed to the powder fouling.



Round Count

Why 500 rounds?  There are two reasons for this. First, when I started as a new deputy sheriff, the firearms sergeant at my old office required you to have fired 500 rounds through any new semi-auto before you brought it to the range to qualify before carrying it on -duty. That has always struck me as a reasonable initial threshold. Secondly, and it may be contrary to popular belief, I do not get pallets of free ammunition with each firearm I review. As you know, ammunition does cost money. While I would love to be able to shoot a two-thousand-round review with every firearm, it is not always possible in this venue.

A final 6-shot group at 15 yards – at 25 degrees F.

Final Thoughts

The resurgence of the double stack 9mm 1911 pistols has been very interesting to watch. If that platform is your choice and you need (or want) a reliable compact-size concealed carry pistol, then the Prodigy Compact deserves a serious look. With a MSRP of $1549, it is worth your attention. When you consider the retail cost, you may be able to include accessories or modifications within your budget.

 

REFERENCES

Prodigy Compact

Panora PB-3 Optic, MSRP $299

Pistol-Mounted Optic Tool

FixItSticks

Ransom Multi-Cal Steady Rest

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