SPRINGFIELD TRP .45 ACP

By Mike Venturino

Test-firing a .45 ACP pistol is always a pleasure, and the Springfield Armory TRP version of the Model 1911A1 was no exception. The TRP is a full-size autoloader available in .45 ACP only, but I want to stress that the TRP is not just a standard copy of the basic Model 1911A1. It is almost a full-blown custom handgun.

The TRP has Novak combat night sights with both front and rear sights dovetailed into the slide. In this manner the sights are adjustable for windage by drifting either in their dovetails. There is no provision for adjusting either for elevation, but front sights of varying heights are available.

The TRP's grip safety is the beavertail type designed to better protect the shooter's hand from hammerbite, and the hammerspur itself is the burr type. Unlike a standard Model 1911A1, the mainspring housing on the TRP is flat instead of arched, and both the front and rear of the grip frame are fully checkered to provide a positive grip. Likewise, the very attractive cocobolo wood grips are deeply checkered over their entire surfaces. The slide is serrated both fore and aft to provide fingers with good purchase when cycling it.

Other external features include an extended ambidextrous safety and a beveled magazine well to facilitate quick insertion of fresh magazines. Every TRP pistol comes with two eight-round Wilson magazines and a fitted plastic carrying and storage case. All exterior edges and corners of the TRP are beveled and smoothed for concealed carry. On the left side of the frame this pistol is marked "Model 1911A1 CAL .45." Below that on the frame is the word "Tactical." On the slide's right side besides the Springfield Armory logo are the letters "TRP."

The TRP comes in either regular steel with Armory Kote finish or stainless steel. My sample was in stainless.

The Thompson/Center Encore digests stouter loads than the original Contender.

Internal features of the TRP include a polished extractor, oversize barrel link, lightweight speed trigger, and combat action job. Springfield advertises barrels in the TRP as being match grade.

And there was one other feature of the TRP that I have never seen on a Model 1911A1 handgun--a key-activated safety. This system is integral with the mainspring housing and locking it will keep the pistol from firing. This is in addition to the grip safety and thumb safety of all Model 1911A1s.

Fit, Finish & Function
I could tell the TRP was a quality piece of equipment when I picked it up. It exhibits very good fit and finish. Cycling the slide showed it to work positively. In fact, my sample TRP was so tight that I wondered if it would require a breaking-in period. It did not. Functioning was perfect from the very beginning, and in the firing of over 200 rounds of both assorted factory loads and lead-bullet handloads there was not one single functioning failure. The ambidextrous safety flips on and off smoothly, and magazines eject smartly when the magazine release is pushed.

The as-issue trigger pull of 5.5 pounds was not a great aid to sandbag benchrest shooting, but such trigger pull weights from the factory are simply a sign of the times. I could see instantly that this pistol was not sighted-in for me. At 25 yards it printed about six inches low and two inches to the right.

Four factory loads and one handload were used to test-fire the .45 ACP TRP. The pistol averaged less than three inches for all loads and turned in some individual five-shot strings that measured less than 2.5 inches at 25 yards.

In fact, for my group shooting exercises I had to use one bullseye target as an aiming point and put another below it to collect the bullet holes. However, as stated earlier, the front sight on the TRP is dovetailed in and different sight heights are available. It would take but a few minutes to install one that would raise the point of impact.

SPECIFICATIONS .45 ACP Semiautomatic Pistol
IMPORTER:	Springfield Armory
Model:	1911A1 TRP
OPERATION:	Autoloader
CALIBER:	.45 ACP
CAPACITY:	8 rounds
BARREL LENGTH:	5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	8 5/8
WEIGHT, EMPTY:	36 ounces
FINISH:	Armory Kote or satin stainless steel
SAFETY:	Ambidextrous thumb safety, beavertail grip safety, key activated lock in mainspring housing
SIGHT RADIUS:	6.75 inches
SIGHTS:	Windage-adjustable Novak rear; dovetailed front
Grips:	Checkered cocobolo

One other sight problem was encountered once group shooting started. Initially groups were as I would expect from a quality .45 ACP pistol fired from my hands over sandbags. Five shots were printing about two to 2.5 inches with an occasional flyer showing that I had probably mashed the trigger on that particular shot. Then suddenly the groups opened up into the four-inch range and shifted from a right-side point of impact to the left.

That made me suspect a sight problem, and my suspicions were confirmed when I pressed on the rear sight and it fell off the slide. These Novak rear combat sights have an Allen-headed cramp screw to lock them in the dovetail, and this one had somehow come loose. I centered up the rear sight in its dovetail, tightened it, and had no more shifting point of impact or unusually large groups.

Accuracy
A pistol of this grade is apt to be carried for personal defense so I fired it with self-defense-type ammo such as the Federal 230-grain Hydra-Shok and the Cor-Bon 200-grain JHP and with standard 230-grain ball loads as well as my own lead-bullet handloads.

The TRP handled them all well, and I was surprised to find that the averages of five different loads varied by no more than a half-inch. Most five-shot groups ran about 2.00 to 2.50 inches with an occasional flyer making a group larger, and as I said, I'm willing to take the blame for most flyers.

After shooting more than 200 rounds with this pistol, I think the Springfield TRP .45 ACP is a quality handgun. I would like to see slightly thinner grips on a piece that would be used for concealed carry, but that's a personal opinion. And I would like to see the rear sight dovetail hold the sight a bit tighter without reliance on the lock-down screw. Otherwise, I would feel perfectly comfortable in putting this .45 ACP in my holster and carrying it.