Springfield Armory TRP Operator Review

Let me just start off by saying I LOVE THIS DAMN GUN.

I received my firearm about a month ago and have carried it every day, in my store and out in town, since. It feels great in my hand, levels straight on the draw, and shoots smoothly with every trigger pull. Took it to the range and put about 250 rounds through it and had a blast with every shot.

Let’s talk about some of the features that come standard with this gun:

The trigger on this 1911 is phenomenal for a straight-out-of-the-box firearm. An aluminum long trigger at 4.5 to 5 pounds, it’s an easy and crisp pull. I prefer a trigger with no “slack.” When I pull a trigger I want the only movement to be the release of the hammer. The TRP does this beautifully. Almost no take-up or squish like you get with a Glock or most other firearms for that matter. If the trigger is moving, you’re sending lead downrange.

The G10 Composite grips feel like they’re gripping your hands and there’s no way you could even slip. Plus with the checkered front and back strap you have complete control at all times.

The grip safety is slightly extended rearward like with some other manufacturers, eliminating the possibility of not depressing it enough even with a proper grip, but doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

The competition-grade bull barrel is a nice feature and is definitely noticeable after several hundred rounds. When the barrel on my G.I. Spec is hot as hell and throwing bullets around, this one stays right on target. That being said, because it has an extra-thick bull barrel this handgun is a bushing-less set up. Now not having the bushing has no ill effects such as wobble in the barrel or in the slide, but it does make field-stripping a bit more of a pain in the ass. The full-length guide sits in a hole in the slide but has no bushing to turn out of the way to remove it from the front. What it does have is a pinhole through the guide rod a couple of inches from the end that you need to stick a paperclip in (no shit, they recommend a paper clip right in the owners manual) to the hole bent at a 90-degree angle to keep tension off the slide. Then you can remove the takedown pin without doing it under the full weight of the spring fighting you, and once apart can you then remove the guide rod and guide rod bushing from the rear. All in all not too different, but definitely threw me for a loop when I first got it. Though a setup like that is a pain in the ass when you consider having to field-strip it “in the field.” So I’m not a huge fan of that particular setup, but if you don’t mind it, then, yay.

It has fully adjustable rear sights, an extended ambidextrous safety selector, a little beefier slide stop, and an extended beaver tail. It also has tritium night sights, a commander-style hammer, and a tactical accessory that is more akin to an AR-15 than a standard pistol rail. Another very nice feature is the magazine well, heavily beveled and very deep, which makes for a very easy loading with the standard magazines that come with it. My old G.I. magazines will need to have the plastic bottom plates attached before they will fit without disappearing into the handle.

After all day at the range and various shooting exercises and drills I had no problems whatsoever with reliability, functioning, or handling. It fired like a dream. I would have no problem taking this firearm into combat or any other life-threatening situation.

The only problem that I can see for most people who might want this gun is the price tag. I’ve wanted one for a few years now, and with most shops selling it for about $1,600 and an MSRP of close to $1,800, it’ll be a tight squeeze for a lot of people’s budgets. That being said, if you can afford it, or save up your pennies, I would pick this 1911 over a Colt Marine Pistol or a Kimber Warrior.

In the end, I will say I’m having the gun sent back to Springfield’s custom shop. Not for repairs or because something is wrong. It comes with a flat mainspring housing, and I prefer an arched, but the only one available to match with the gun and keep my magazine well is made by STI, and the custom shop says they need to do the work to warranty it. So I figure I’ll just have them do a custom trigger job while it’s there.