Springfield Armory 911 .380 ACP

By Michelle Cerino

I first shot the Springfield Armory 911 during a Las Vegas Desert Duel writer event back in November and knew right away I wanted to own one. This is quite unusual for me, since I often find pocket guns snappy and a 1911 for concealed carry isn’t my cup of tea…until now.

The smooth, low-profile frame of the 911 .380 ACP pistol measures just 5.5″ long and less than 4″ high. With a flush 6-round and a 7-round extended magazine, the 911 offers an exceptional capacity for such a small platform. Designed for defensive use at close range, Springfield’s 911 has features anyone familiar with a 1911 would expect.

Range Time

On the range, I first shot the gun at 15 yards offhand using American Eagle 95-gr. FMJ at a silhouette target. Most of my shots went off to the right, so I decided to take a few slow-aimed shots at a cross on the target at 10 feet. Yep, still off to the right. Upon further inspection of the sights, I noted the rear sight was definitely off about a pencil width, which is enough to make quite a difference at the distance I was shooting.

Since I didn’t have any tools with me, I decided to just shoot like I normally would, knowing my hits would be off to the right. I continued testing the 911 by stepping back to 15 yards with Blaser 95-gr. FMJ off-hand. With the extended magazine, I shot eight rounds in rapid fire succession making a nice 2″ group. Not bad!

Pushing the limits of the 911 even further, I walked back to 25 yards with 6 rounds. I missed my first shot at a 12″ piece of steel, which reminded me at this distance I had to hold to the left to compensate for the sights. The next five rounds hit in a 4″ group. That’s impressive for a gun designed for close range.

My Choices

There are several reasons to carry a 911 for personal defense. Here are a few:

• The trigger requires 5 pounds of pressure to break, which is a great weight for a carry pistol.
• A loaded chamber indicator, ambidextrous safety and hammer provide both visual and tactile cues, allowing for various modes of carry.
• An Ameriglo Pro-Glo green tritium front sight inside a yellow luminescent circle, and a tactical rack U-notch rear sight with green tritium inside of white luminescent circles provide fast target acquisition.
• G10 thin-line grips and Octo-Grip texturing on the mainspring housing and front strap allow for a secure grip.

If you enjoy shooting a 1911 or use one for concealed carry, I highly recommend the Springfield Armory 911. It’s a perfect size and a great shooting gun. Plus, it has an awesome tagline…

“When the police are minutes away and the threat is seconds away…9-1-1…When you have to be your own first responder.”

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Michelle Cerino and shared with us by Women’s Outdoor News. Also, be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in!

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