I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t like a soft shooting 9mm. They come in different forms, but none may be better than a 1911 in 9mm. That’s precisely what Springfield Armory has given us in the new 1911 DS Prodigy. The DS stands for double stack, which should make the Prodigy a 2011—right?
The Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy
While I’m not entirely sure what makes a double stack, single action pistol chambered in 9mm, a 2011 vs. a 1911, I am sure that the Prodigy breaks new ground in this space. It brings excellent fit, feel, and performance into a very affordable price point not typically enjoyed by pistols of this type.
Historically you could count on a minimum of $2,000 for such a pistol, with magazines teetering at just about $100. Now with the Prodigy, that price falls to a walk-in price of $1499.99, with magazines around $60. Game changed.
There are two versions of the 1911 DS Prodigy, a 5-inch, and a 4.25-inch, both with match-grade bull barrels. The barrels add some good heft and feature an 11-degree target crown.
These pistols are the same, save for the length. They feature front and rear serrations, skeletonized hammer, lightened trigger, fiber optic front sight, and are optic ready. The optics system is the AOS or Agency Optic System, which is a collaborative effort between Springfield and Agency Arms.
It’s basically an optics plate system that lets you use different plates for specific optics. This results in proper optic height and optimized sight picture. If you don’t want to run an optic, the removable optic plate features a rear sight.
The frame of the 1911 DS Prodigy is forged steel with a polymer grip module attached to it. The grip module features excellent texturing with a positive grip surface and a small cut to decrease the grip radius and help with undercut of the trigger guard.
The magazine capacity of the 1911 DS is 17+1 with extended 20 and even 26-round magazines available.
The Springfield DS Prodigy is a Feature Rich 1911
Other features include an extended ambidextrous thumb safety, and a full-length accessory rail upfront, for lights or other accessories. The Prodigy is finished in a Black Cerakote that is corrosion resistant.
On the range, the Prodigy is simply awesome. Soft shooting with excellent manners in both versions. The 5-inch has a long, slow recoil impulse while the 4.25 has a much faster and seemingly flatter recoil response. Either way, you can’t lose.
Only time will tell how good the 1911 DS Prodigy is, but so far, the start is amazing. Springfield has undoubtedly brought us a lot of pistol for the dollar.
For more information, please visit Springfield-Armory.com.
