A Smoother Operator

If Springfield's original 1911-based pistol is too heavy for your taste, give the new Lightweight Operator a try.

By Gary Paul Johnston

Identifying your target as quickly as possible has always been paramount in defensive situations. You have to know what you're shooting at, not what you think you're shooting at. And, of course, it's vital to know what's beyond your target as well. So in the darkened conditions where you might have to defend yourself, the only way to make this identification is with light.

When I became a police officer in Los Angeles in 1963, I was taught techniques for using my flashlight while shooting in low light. These techniques had improved by the time I retired nearly 30 years later, but they weren't the answer for some situations. Handgun lights were just coming into existence, helped along in 1989 by the development of the standardized M1913 rail--a system on which to locate and lock an accessory, most commonly a weapon light. After that, pistols began to emerge with built-in light mounts, and in 2001 Springfield came out with one of the best: the Operator.

Based on the time-proven Government Model 1911 blueprint, the Operator introduced a significantly different frame. Beginning just forward of the slide stop, the frame went from a standard width of 0.77 inch to 0.84 inch and continued this dimension all the way to the end. Called the dust cover, this portion of the frame is normally curved on the bottom, but not in the Operator. Here the frame is squared in order to accommodate its M1913 rail.

Like the frame, the slide of the original Operator was squared all the way to the muzzle and omitted the stylish cuts on its lower front. Here instead was a set of angular square serrations matching those at the rear of the slide. Early on, Springfield eliminated the full-length frame rail and reduced the dust cover/rail portion to roughly the length of a standard 1911 dust cover while also reinstating the flute-like cuts in the forward portion of the slide.

While users liked the integral 1913 rail, law enforcement and military folks--who carry guns for hours or even days at a time--didn't like the increased weight. I agreed with that assessment and, having been extremely impressed with the performance of the original Springfield Operator (along with several all steel Operators I tested later), I began to hound Springfield to bring out an Operator with a lightweight alloy light-rail frame. Springfield was all in favor of the idea, but it had so much on its plate with orders for its all-steel Operator pistols, XD pistols and other guns, an alloy-frame Operator simply had to wait.

The new Lightweight Operator (top) is distinctly different from the original in terms of frame design and rail configuration, a change that lightened its weight considerably.

The wait is over. Not too long ago, Springfield sent me the first Lightweight Operator to test for this Guns & Ammo exclusive. While it shares many of the features of the all-steel Operator, the new Lightweight Operator deserves some description.

Beginning at the front, the LW Operator, offered in .45 ACP, comes with a Match Grade stainless steel five-inch barrel and stainless steel bushing, and beneath this is a standard recoil spring plug. This plug gets my vote because not only do I see no use for full-length guide rods in a duty-grade 1911, I also believe common sense leaves the room when someone puts a full-length guide rod in a lightweight pistol. After all, full-length guide rods were originally added to competition 1911s to reduce muzzle flip.

The LW features a stainless steel barrel and bushing, M1913 accessory rail and a lightweight three-hole aluminum trigger that's adjustable for overtravel.

The front sight of the LW Operator is not only tritium powered, it's also dovetailed and pinned to the slide--a procedure begun by renowned pistolsmith Wayne Novak decades ago. On either side of the front of the slide are forward retracting grooves, the use of which is best limited to checking the chamber for a loaded round (when a weapon light is not mounted).

In addition to being typically lowered and flared, the LW Operator's ejection port is also nicely devoid of sharp edges, as is almost the entire exterior of the gun. The usual cocking grooves are present on the rear of the slide, and they match those at the front, except that there are two additional grooves for more purchase when retracting it all the way to the rear. Atop the rear of the slide is Springfield's version of the Novak LoMount sight, and our sample came with two tritium inserts to match that in the front sight.

The only markings on the slide are the Springfield Armory name and the logo on the right side and "Operator Cal. .45" on the left side, and the only way to tell this Operator is the new lightweight version is by the "LW" serial number prefix--or by picking up the gun, which weighs a svelte 33 ounces.

As with all current Springfield Operator pistols, our LW came with the company's "speed" hammer. Moving down and front, we come to the LW Operator's integral frame rail. It's made of 7075-T6 aircraft-grade alloy, and the front of the dust cover is angled back--matching the angle of the slide retraction grooves.

The flat mainspring housing incorporates Springfield's integral locking system that, when engaged, blocks the mainspring cap and prevents the gun from being cocked.

This not only looks good but also makes the gun easier to holster than some other 1911 rail guns. The reinforced area of the frame extends farther rearward than on the original Operator, and there are three cross notches on the rail to accommodate just about any rail accessory.

A conventional slide stop rides above a lightweight aluminum trigger that is adjustable for overtravel. The ambidextrous thumb safety is standard equipment, as is a humped beavertail grip safety, both of which are well fitted.

A flat, 20 lines-per-inch checkered mainspring housing completes this end of the gun, and this latter part contains Springfield's Internal Locking System. Located in the upper left of the mainspring housing, the ILS is turned with a special key to block or unblock the mainspring cap (with the hammer down). Once engaged, the ILS locks the pistol by preventing the hammer from being cocked.

The magazine well is properly beveled, and the frontstrap is left smooth. The walnut grips appear to be laser checkered in the large diamond pattern with the Springfield logo in the center of both panels, and these are held on with hex screws.

The company's lightweight "speed hammer" is paired with a beavertail grip safety. The grips are laser-engraved wood, and the low-profile, three-dot sights are drift-adjustable for windage.

Fit and finish of the LW Operator are nearly perfect. The pistol is rendered in a soft matte black Armory Coat finish on the steel parts with a hard-anodized frame to match. The fit of the pistol is equally impressive; there's no play between the slide, frame and barrel.

As far as a firing-pin safety in the LW Operator, don't hurt your eyes looking for it. Springfield has always wisely, in my opinion, opted to use an ultra lightweight titanium firing pin with a heavier firing-pin spring to eliminate the one-in-10 million chance of the pistol firing when accidentally dropped from 16 feet on its muzzle.

If you're like me, looking at pictures of holes in targets works better than a sleeping pill. Either way you'll have to deal without such breathtaking images here. My sample gun shot better than I could hold it. That's why I shot it for accuracy from the bench, but even shooting fast-moving drills brought good hits. Muzzle flip wasn't even an issue.

The trigger's crisp four-pound let-off was more than acceptable, but the gun's 18-pound recoil spring and heavy mainspring made retracting the slide good exercise with the hammer down.

The Lightweight Operator, shown with an Insight M3 light attached and with a Blackhawk SERPA holster designed to accommodate light-rail 1911s, answered the needs of users who carry a gun for extended periods of time.

I also mounted an Insight Technology M3 weaponlight on the gun, and it fit to perfection and provided all the light I needed to identify a subject more than 25 yards away in the dark. The pistol can also equipped with an internal LaserMax sight or a pair of Crimson Trace LaserGrips can be used to replace the factory ones.

Duty-type holsters that accommodate pistols such as Springfield's LW Operator are still playing catchup, and concealable rigs for light-mounted 1911-type pistols are even rarer. However, holster makers have seen the light, and an increasing number of rigs that will hold 1911 rail guns (with or without lights mounted) are becoming more common. For synthetic holsters look to Bianchi, Blackhawk, Blade-Tech and Safariland.

We tested the LW Operator with Blackhawk's new Tactical SERPA Thigh holster and found this rig to be excellent. The thigh plate incorporates M1913 rails to carry your weapon light and a spare magazine.

For those who ache for a lightweight, alloy-frame 1911 pistol with an integral rail, Springfield is the leader of the pack. Its design and light weight will be pretty tough to beat.