I have not heard that Springfield no longer buys from Imbel, but it's possible. However, even when SA was buying from Imbel, the lower-end guns (the GIs and Mil-Specs, for the most part) were completely built in Brazil and imported as completed firearms. They were marked "Made in Brazil." The higher end models used frames and slides (and some other parts, I believe) made by Imbel in BRazil, but the parts were shipped loose and final assembly was done by SA in the U.S. The government's rules are that if more than 50 percent of the work is performed in the U.S., the product can be labeled "Made in U.S.A."
Which means that manufacturers can play all sorts of games about how to justify that whatever work they do in the U.S. represents more than 50 percent of the total.
I have a 1988 Jeep Cherokee. The engine and some other parts were made in Canada. The transmission, fuel injection, and ignition system were made in France. The glass was all made in Mexico. But it's an "American" vehicle. I had a 1993 Honda. The body, the glass, the electronics, even the tires and battery were made in the U.S. (Marysville, OH), but the engine, transaxle and drive train were made in Japan and shipped to Ohio as completed sub-assemblies. Even though American labor actually did more work on the Honda than on the Jeep, the Honda was classified as a Japanese vehicle.
. So I can't call my collection complete, right? Now, if you put "1911" into the Gunbroker search, you get over 100 pages of listings. I guess they are kinda popular. So, if a guy wanted one that was:
