Hammer67
Professional
And fairly common knowledge, for anyone familiar with the platform. Some of the reviewers of the Prodigy clearly weren't.
Springfield Prodigy Torture Test: Did It Survive 10K Rounds?
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
This is hardly a torture test. Torture tests typically include minimal maintenance in the form of occasional lubrication. When you are doing routine cleaning and replacing parts halfway through, you are just shooting the gun like a normal person in a compressed time period.Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Springfield Prodigy Torture Test: Did It Survive 10K Rounds?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/springfield-prodigy-torture-test-review/.
9mm is the industry standard for duty carry and self defense. 10mm and 45 are novelty rounds in 2023. You’re gonna wait a long time of this is what you are waiting for.
In what way?
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I can confirm they aren’t ready for prime time yet. My office ordered three to TandE and they weren’t very impressive. We put them in the hands of multiple shooters and put probably 500 rounds through each at this point. We have had dozens of malfunctions with each. Some shooters couldn’t get through a full mag without a stoppage or two. This is unacceptable in my view for a self defense/ duty weapon which they are marketed as.
Why would you not trust the guy trying to sell you a gun? We ordered three and they have been a mess.
That’s pretty standard for the 2011 platform. The owners manual says so. It’s one of the trade offs for this platform. Having said that, it’s hardly a torture test if you are constantly cleaning the gun and replacing parts.
You’re the exception not the norm. My department bought three and all three have had extensive issues in our testing. This is the problem with Springfield. They fire out products and let the early end users find the problems rather than iron them out themselves. I couldn’t get through three mags with any of the guns without at least one stoppage. That’s unacceptable for a gun marketed as for duty. Before anyone tries the operator error narrative, know that I have been carrying a Staccato P for over two years so I’m very familiar with the platform. The Staccato has never failed to go bang, not once, even brand new. While I don’t expect the same performance from a hun that costs 1k less, I expect reliability.
There shouldn’t be widespread issues coming from the factory that have to be made right.
There’s dozens of 2011’s on the market. Making one cheaper than most other manufacturers isn’t revolutionary. For 1500 bucks, the hun should come out of the box ready to go.
Malfunctions out of the box and needing to replace parts isn’t illustrative of a quality product. I personally had a lot of problems with the T and E models I was sent. Many stoppages mag issues. I have been running 2011’s in competition and on duty for years so the operator error narrative is just that. If I can’t make it run, it’s because it doesn’t run.
Hammer67
Professional
In the way that some reviews started with, "I'm just taking this Prodigy out of the box, I haven't done anything to it, and let's see how it runs." This, to me, indicates cluelessness of the basics of a 1911 platform. In my experience, you should always thoroughly clean a 1911 that is new from the factory and properly lube it. If a reviewer doesn't that, and then reports problems as a result, I have little respect for their credibility. They should stick to reviewing Glocks.
Seriously?
Yeah. I seem to get that a lot.
But it isn't really relevant. My experience with the Prodigy has been excellent, yes. And some people have had legit issues, which by all accounts were quickly addressed and fixed by Springfield. And some of those issues were very minor and could have easily been addressed, but people chose to send it in anyway, which is their prerogative. And some people clearly had issues because of operator error, or operator cluelessness.
I will also say, I find it interesting that we have had a number of people join, just in the last few days, only to post their negative experience with the Prodigy. Duly noted.
Oh boy, here we go. I own nine Springfield handguns and rifles. I have a Saint Victor riding in my gun rack to my right as I write this, so your thinly veiled implication that I joined just to trash this gun or this company is nonsense. I joined because my entire agency is looking at going to this platform and I want to see what people on this forum have to say because I want both sides. This gun is being dragged everywhere else on the web and is literally being called the Springfield Apology in other 1911/2011 forums and based on my experience, that seems warranted. When Springfield sends me three and not one of the three can run right out of the box, that’s a failure in my view and the “it needs a break in period, it needs a different spring, it needs etc” narrative is fanboy BS perpetrated by people who have a hard time admitting they bought something that wasn’t the best. Springfield has been making 1911’s for decades. I know because I own four, so the idea that they turned out yet another gun knowing it had problems is unacceptable to me. I’m neither a fan boy nor a detractor for Springfield. I’m a firearms instructor and armorer responsible for the guns that 60 plus guys put in their holsters every day. Sorry, but send it in and they will make it right, or fix it yourself is utter BS for a gun costing three times the price of a Glock and being marketed as a duty weapon. It should come out of the box, take a little lube and easily handle hundreds of rounds without a hiccup. Thats the standard for a modern pistol marketed for duty and CCW carry. That’s what guns costing a third as much do and that’s what the 3k Staccato on my hip as we speak does. Springfield needs to make this right and stop shipping under sprung crap guns. They need accountability, not special pleaders like you sir.In the way that some reviews started with, "I'm just taking this Prodigy out of the box, I haven't done anything to it, and let's see how it runs." This, to me, indicates cluelessness of the basics of a 1911 platform. In my experience, you should always thoroughly clean a 1911 that is new from the factory and properly lube it. If a reviewer doesn't that, and then reports problems as a result, I have little respect for their credibility. They should stick to reviewing Glocks.
Seriously?
Yeah. I seem to get that a lot.
But it isn't really relevant. My experience with the Prodigy has been excellent, yes. And some people have had legit issues, which by all accounts were quickly addressed and fixed by Springfield. And some of those issues were very minor and could have easily been addressed, but people chose to send it in anyway, which is their prerogative. And some people clearly had issues because of operator error, or operator cluelessness.
I will also say, I find it interesting that we have had a number of people join, just in the last few days, only to post their negative experience with the Prodigy. Duly noted.
SimonRL
Hellcat
If you came here looking for people’s opinions why is it you seemed determined to disregard those who have had no problems? Why is it always the guys who claim to have a lifetime of experience and own this gun and that gun who come on here and get butthurt when people don’t buy into their cause? Nobody is saying the Prodigy hasn’t had problems, which you clearly have, but instead of getting into it with people on this forum call SA, go to the source and tell them your issues. BTW, 2000 flawless rounds through mine. Karma. Know what I mean?
Luckily I didn't buy the Prodigy for a CCW or for duty but only for running in the tactical games or similar competition. I received the pistol and immediately field stripped and cleaned the factory "whatever" they put on the gun because it was slow to cycle out of the box just manually racking the slide. After cleaning and properly lubing the gun I put three magazines through the pistol and was pleasantly surprised how good it shot. Then it stopped running and since the majority of people online in the forms said that theirs ran better after "breaking it in", I went through about 200 more rounds trying every type of ammo we had on hand. It just would not run through an entire mag without some sort of stoppage. Just to be clear I have years of 1911 experience and have never had one of my other 1911s do this. The next day I shipped it back to Springfield. Since it was going to be a month before I got my Prodigy back I went ahead and ordered another popular DS 1911 and ran it the same way I tried the Prodigy. I have put about 400 rounds through the other pistol with not one failure. I understand an occasional hiccup, especially with all of the underperforming ammo that is on the shelf now and cheap "target reloads" that are available, but it should run. I just got notice last night that my Prodigy is on the way back to me. They sent a list of everything they did to make it run. Hopefully, it runs as good as some of yours when I get it. I didn't join to beat up on the Springfield or attack anybody in this forum, I just wanted to comment on the torture test and give a voice to the people that got a lemon out of the box.
Mr. Untactical
Master Class
I'm not a pistol smith so unsure of spring dynamics in this realm. Still, to me, if you leave the original spring in place throughout the test, I'm guessing it may be possible that spring-induced instability could show up once higher round counts are reached. For me, that would just be another data point in a long-term test. It all depends on what the goals of the test are. If the general rule of thumb is to replace a spring after 5K rounds - and that applies across all (or most) modern platforms - then have at it
HayesGreener
Ronin
Most manufacturers recommend recoil spring replacement at 5k rounds. That was emphasized for me at SIG, Glock, and SA1911 armorer courses. The loadings of your ammo is also a factor for recoil spring replacement.
Hammer67
Professional
Exactly. I don't even know why this is such a topic of concern.
HayesGreener
Ronin
Spring metal fatigue occurs from repeated compression and decompression. If you shoot 100 rounds per week, you will fire 5200 rounds in one year. It is prudent to change the recoil spring at that point due to tremendous forces on the spring that you cannot see. At current ammo prices that is a lot of ammo down the tube. If you are shooting that much or more you need a robust maintenance program. The fact is, most people will not fire 5k rounds from a single pistol in a lifetime. If you are a high volume shooter you know the importance of preventive maintenance to keep them running.