Editor’s Choice: Springfield Armory Ronin Operator

by
posted on April 14, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
roninopr.jpg

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY is upping its 1911 game with the Ronin Operator series.

Offered initially with 5"-long, forged stainless steel match barrels in 9 mm Luger or .45 ACP, the Ronins’ blued carbon steel slides and stainless frames are also forged—giving the guns a classy two-tone look and long-term durability.

Sights are a fiber-optic front and a “Tactical Rack” rear with two white dots, and both are dovetailed into the slide. The reddish laminate wood stocks bear the Springfield Armory crossed cannons and are half-checkered, half-smooth.

Standard is a skeletonized “Gen 2 speed” trigger, while the hammer is skeletonized as well. Magazines come with a basepad, and the .45 holds eight rounds and the 9 mm holds nine. These are really good-looking renditions of the M1911, and it’s hard to beat the MSRP of $849.

As if the fullsize guns aren’t impressive enough, the Commanders have aluminum alloy frames, making them true lightweights.
springfield-armory.com

Latest

AR on table with target
AR on table with target

Skills Check: Rifle Standard Delta 2

Carbine performance is all about maintaining control. The Rifle Standard Delta 2 is a drill that pressures recoil control, visual discipline and cadence as distance decreases and time compresses.

Gun Sales Up for the 7th Month in a Row in 2026

The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) estimate of last month’s gun sales was up 2.2 percent compared to August 2025.

Caring For & Feeding Your Cap-and-Ball Revolvers

Compared to pistoleros of the 19th century, today’s handgunners have it easy. It's not enough just to get an old-school, cap-and-ball revolver. You also need to acquire everything to shoot and clean it.

Lighter & Better: Savage’s Updated Ultralite Series of Rifles

Savage Arms kicked off 2026 by announcing a new generation of Model 110 bolt-action rifles, and now, the company has also introduced an updated series of Ultralite rifles.

Gun of the Week: Franchi Momentum Elite MULE

One of the latest entrants into the general-utility rifle market is Franchi with its Momentum Utility Lite Elite bolt-action rifle, also known as the MULE.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 11, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.