From Ar15.com
"The Professional,written by Charlie Cutshaw,good read for those interested in the Professional by Springfield.
There are many manufacturers of the classic M1911 pistol for what seems to be an endless market, but Springfield Armory has established an enviable reputation as a producer of high-quality, reliable M1911 pistols. Springfield Armory pistols are used by the FBI Hostage Rescue Team and their regional SWAT teams, and also by many other federal and local special operations units.
Elite Marine Corps special operations units use M1911s built largely from Springfield Armory components. A recent photo from Iraq shows a special operations Marine holding his MEU-SOC (Marine Expeditionary Unit-Special Operations Capable) .45 on Iraqi prisoners with a Springfield Armory logo clearly visible on the slide. Every U.S. military special operations organization continues to employ the venerable M1911, many of them Springfield Armory pistols. The FBI uses Springfield Armory M1911A1 pistols almost exclusively, as does the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group.
When the FBI decided that it required an M1911-type pistol for its regional SWAT teams, it issued a request for procurement (RFP). The RFP was for a 5,000-unit order, but once the lucrative contract was set, any government agency would be able to buy direct from it without going through a lengthy procurement process.
There was no specific manufacturer in mind; the FBI issued what is called a “performance requirement” that simply lists specific performance standards that must be met by the successful bidder. In the case of the FBI pistol, the criteria were extremely stringent. In addition to features found in most custom M1911s, the FBI raised the bar to standards that only the finest firearm could meet.
The new pistol was required to feed almost any hollow point cartridge, although Remington Golden Saber and Federal Hydra Shok were specified. Our test shooting revealed that Springfield’s FBI pistol, designated “Professional Model” for commercial sales, reliably fed any hollow point, flat nose or semi-wadcutter cartridge we could find.
The trigger pull was initially specified to be 5 to 6.5 pounds, but the requirement has since been changed to 4.5 pounds. Our test pistol was slightly outside the specification, with an average trigger pull of only 4 pounds, but broke like the proverbial “glass rod” without creep or backlash. The new pistol was required to carry a 50,000-round warranty.
The accuracy requirement, however, was yet another requirement that bordered on the impossible. This stipulated that the pistol fire three consecutive 10-shot groups no larger than 1.5 inches at 25 yards from a Ransom Rest using service ammunition. The pistol then had 20,000 rounds fired through it and was again tested for accuracy. No more than a 15% accuracy reduction was permitted.
A single stoppage over 2,500 rounds disqualified a pistol from the competition. Several notable manufacturers of 1911 type pistols submitted bids and test pistols, but when the testing was completed, only Springfield’s candidate met the performance criteria and the rest, as the old saying goes, is history.
Springfield originally designated all pistols built to the FBI standard “Bureau Model,” but the FBI protested, so the name was changed to Professional Model. All Professional Model pistols, whether for government issue or commercial sale, are identical and carry the serial number prefix “CRG.”
The Springfield Armory FBI pistol is an unqualified success, but what makes this pistol arguably the premier production M1911in the country? First impressions lead one to think that the FBI Pistol looks to all the world like any custom M1911, but the devil is in the details, and it is the details that make the Springfield Armory Professional Model arguably superior to almost any other.
Each pistol has every component fitted to the closest tolerances possible while maintaining reliability and accuracy. Each Professional Model begins with a forged Springfield frame and slide. Only the best components are used to assemble the pistol: Nowlin barrel, Novak tritium sights, a Wilson “Bullet Proof” extractor, Videcki trigger and ambidextrous safety.
All of these components are available “off the shelf,” but it is how Springfield’s Custom Shop builds each pistol that makes them special. When the shooter disassembles the pistol, he finds that each major component—barrel, barrel bushing, slide stop and slide—is numbered with the last three digits of the pistol’s serial number. None of these components will fit any other pistol.
The ambidextrous safety is slightly narrower on the right so it doesn’t “bite” the shooter’s knuckle like some others, or worse, be forced up into the “safe” position which could cause one to have a VERY bad day in a gunfight. The slide stop pin is slightly recessed into the right side of the frame so it cannot be inadvertently pressed, thereby immobilizing the slide, another “show stopper” in a crisis.
The slide fits the frame with absolute perfection—there is no discernable play, and the slide feels as if it were moving on ball bearings. The front and back straps are checkered with 20 lines per inch checkering to ensure positive grip. For easy tactical magazine changes, the Professional Model comes with an extended magazine guide, fully contoured to the frame and grips. The magazine release is slightly extended for positive release. Needless to say, mags drop free every time.
Each Professional Model, like its FBI counterpart, is equipped with six Metalform seven-round magazines, each with an extended rubber bumper pad for positive insertion. The seven-round mags are our only real complaint about the pistol. Many consider eight-round magazines to be less reliable than their smaller capacity brethren, but we have never had a stoppage with our eight-round magazines.
After we decided that we just had to have the Professional Model and made arrangements to purchase it, we ordered six Cobramags manufactured by Tripp Research. These magazines are the most significant improvements in 1911 magazines since the pistol was introduced. Strong words, but these magazines have so many improvements over any other that the list is really too long for inclusion here.
Most significant is the positioning of the cartridge .080 higher than any other magazine. This puts the cartridge in almost a direct line with the chamber. The follower is reinforced with stainless steel at the slide stop interface to prevent failure. The eight-round magazines are designed from the outset as such, and are not converted seven-round magazines like most others. The feed lips have also been modified for enhanced reliability. The list goes on, but the message is clear—if your life depends on your M1911, regardless of manufacturer, have a Cobramag up the magazine well and a couple of more in reserve.
It is difficult to describe in words just how “right” every aspect of Springfield’s Professional Model is. The slide is incredibly smooth. The trigger pull is remarkably consistent, varying no more than a few tenths of an ounce. With its Black T finish as specified by the FBI, the Professional Model also looks right. Best of all, the pistol shoots!
In a word, the Professional Model is synergistic, with its parts all working in concert to achieve a result that is greater than their sum, a tribute to the craftsmen at the Springfield Custom Shop who build these outstanding handguns. Since the 1911 was introduced so many years ago, many pistols have come and gone, but the 1911 endures."
