SpringField Champion 2001 Loaded

C

cobraman

New member
This is kind of a repost from Before the Crash.
I am looking for some info on this particulat 1911 I have always liked the Champs and now with all the Bells and Whistles added on I am thinking about buying one when the old tax man sends me my refund. Any thoughts or impressions on this piece? Blue or Parkerized? I dont care for Stainless 1911's(Sorry George Hill).

Thanks Guys
Matt
 
A friend of mine bought a Springfield Champion Lightweight over the weekend at a gunshow we attended.

There were perhaps half a dozen new Sprinfields on the guy's table.

ALL of them had the following attributes:

1. Excellent finish in both blue and stainless. The finish on the one that Bob bought was superior to the Kimbers that were also on the table. A lot more even.

2. SUPERB triggers, and I mean SUPERB, for factory line guns. I walked around the show after Bob bought his testing the triggers on other Sprinfields. They were all Very Good to absolute-a-freaking outstanding.

3. Good sights. Even the bottom line factory sights give a really good sight picture.

4. Excellent worksmanship. I noticed only two minor flaws on the guns that I looked at, one grip had badly cut checkering on one spot, and on another gun you'd need a hammer to operate the safety quickly.

The one thing I didn't like about the Sprinfields is that the checkering on the grips is EXTREMELY agressive. Felt like my hand was on a bed of needles. I could see a long range session leaving your hand feeling pretty roughed up.

This Lightweight impressed me to the point where I'm seriously considering getting one for myself. I want to shoot Bob's first, but if it works as well as I think it will (I've got a Sprinfield MilSpec, and it's great), I'm going to rethink my adversion to carrying a 1911 C&L.
 
Don't care for stainless... FEH!

The Champion is a good unit - solid and all that. Very old school. You'll love it.


and the holster wear that will show up inside a year too... No stainless... sheeesh!

;)
 
After being away from "the 1911 format" for a decade or so, I recently returned to "the family". After checking out all the makers now available, Kimber, etc, I went out and bought a Springfield "loaded" as the first 1911 purchase in all those years. Well, it's was pretty much a typical 1911...it took a little "tweaking" before it would run 100%. Still, I wasn't too bothered, and now it's a real gem. In fact, I started liking it (and the 1911 format again!) so much that I bought a Springfield lightweight compact in stainless and alloy. This one has been flawless from the start. Good trigger, easy to carry, reliable, the factory sights (now gone) shot to point of aim, etc. And so now, after yet another "transition, I'm back to cocked-and-locked. Stay safe.
 
"Don't care for stainless...feh!"

Not all of us do, George.

Stainless steel has no soul, no character. Sure, it has utility, but a 1968 VW Beetle also has utility. :)
 
Sing it Mike!
George I am about as Old School as a 25 year old can get.
No Plastic no Stainless. I have yet to see a bad review of a 2001 SA CHAMPION. Maybe I will call the shop and have them order it now? Nah I better wait to I have the cash.
 
Just 2 days ago, I purchased a Springfield PX9608L full size. I got it off the web for 499.00 plus 25.00 S/H
I regularlly go to http://www.youngsguns.com and click on his "Auction" button. He always has about 100+ guns on the block and always atleast 4-5 Spring's and a couple of Kimbers....

I noticed that if a gun doesn't auction off in 2-3 days, his price starts dropping. These are NIB and come with all of the Springfield goodies, coupon, box, 2 mags etc...

If you click on his "guns" button, it goes to a search/selection page. If you select the fields for all of his springfields in stock, you'll se he advertises the 9608 for $600.00 right now on sale.

Springfield's retail quote for the 9608L is 750 or so......When I called him to arrange payment yesterday, he said, "yeah I let this one go for near price to move some and get the word out". Check out his site, I have gotten quite a few good deals from these guys as they are a high volume dealer....If he doesn't have it, he get it and match anybody elses price. Also he is a "davidson" dealer, so you get the additional lifetime warranty from Davidson's above and beyond the manufactures warranty...
 
I just went to Youngs guns after I posted and he has a Champ on the block, Item number 1180353 for 639.00

NIB, no reserve...It is on auction for 5 more hours....
I checked his inventory, he has 6 of them and regularlly sells them for 658.94........

You can either go to his site and click on auctions, and it is on page 4 about midway down the page, or go to http://www.gunbroker.com and search for that item number....

I think this is a pretty reasonable price for the champ, loaded with the coupon etc.....
 
I have a stainless Springfield Champion and I echo what George Hill said about it being a "good unit". It's not a gun I feel like parting with anytime soon. However, the stainless on the slide is a bit bright (if it were brushed it would look better), so I refer to it as my "pimp gun". My champ is no tack driver, but I would not feel one bit uncomfortable if it were my carry gun.

Get it (in blued or parkerized). You won't regret it.

My new carry gun is a Springfield full size parkerized 1911. Talk about being old-school... And I'm only 24!
 
I forgot to mention what my friend Bob paid for his Champion Lighweight...

$499 and change, with tax added. I think final price came out to about $520. Not bad at all, if you ask me.
 
Good morning all, and hello, Mike

The aforementioned "Bob," here. The Champion came to $524 out the door, from two fellows, Rod Hodge and David Jarrett trading as "Dark Sun Surplus." I'm not shilling for them - hell, can't say I know them - but their prices struck me as fair to low. They were offering a NIB Sig P245 for $449 last spring, but my paperwork was FUBAR and they couldn't deal. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued.

I'm going to dragoon Mike and head to the NRA range after Easter and break in that Springfield.
 
Why the "Champion"? This model has a full size frame and a "Commander" length slide. If you're going to carry around a pistol with the shorter slide, why not make it one a little easier to conceal? The "compact" has the same length slide but a shorter grip, and thus a little more discreet. If concealment isn't a concern, then why sacrifice the barrel length?
 
Well I tell why the Champion. I hate the balance of a 4inch slide and Officers length grip. It just doesnt feel right to me. Thats why I sold my Kimber Compact. I thought I could get used to it but I couldnt. Plus I have wanted a Champ since I was 21. I hemmed and hawed and missed my chance on the last one in the Store a few years back, so now that I have a Pocket gun, 3 carry guns, and a Pretty gun I figured I'd buy something I just wanted.
 
More muzzle blast than a full size .45, less accurate from the practical aspect than a fullsize .45, just as hard to carry, weight and size wise since its the grip that makes it harder to conceal. In short in my opinion if you want to carry a 1911 .45 it is just as easy to carry a full size .45 as the champion. I had an ultra compact v-10 owned it for 1 year and just traded it on a beretta 92 inox compact. The berretta is better balanced and carries better in an iwb holster than the v-10 champion. I found it just as easy to carry my fullsize government model as the v-10.
The champion was not a good range gun, fullsize .45s are more accurate for me. The extra barrell length of a full size gives you another 100fps out of your ammo (more reliable expansion, of HP ammo) and it balances better in the hand and in an IWB holster. I found that the champion was constantly tiping forward in my holster where as the full size does not do this. The ports on the v-10 are just a bad idea, more blast at the range, much louder than a regular .45, less velocity, Slower follow up shots for me, and an unecessary risk for concealed carry, firing from retention.

I would get a fullsize 1911. Get a fullsize 1911 you will not regret it.
 
I must confess, a full size is easier for me to shoot, and I can conceal a full size as well as I can conceal my champion. I do enjoy shooting my full better than my champ, and my full is my carry gun, not the champ. Oh well, I like the SA Champion anyway.
 
I did it I did it!

Well, I made a rash decision and bought the Champ before the fund had enough money. No problem at all it was only $50 bucks which I was going to have next week any way.
Now then to the Champion.
Parkerized, Night sights.
The frame is a Grey-Green color and the slide is black Parkerized. Fit and Finish outstanding! I cleaned and lubed it and fired 50 rounds of 230 Blazer's through it.
Zero malfuntions. Incredibley accurate.
This is a great gun. The guys at the Range drool all over it. The manager is ordering one to put in the display case.
The grips are very sharply checkered so I will probably replace those in a month or two.
I cannot be happier with this gun. In fact if I had to pick just one, it would be the Champ.
Thanks Guys!
PS look for my Post about outstanding service in General Discussion.
 
Congrats, I too just got a new Springfield, a Full Size Blued, PX9608L. I am very happy with this gun. It is very accurate and fun to shoot...

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