New for 2021: Springfield Armory Emissary 1911

Springfield Armory announced the addition of its Emissary 1911 to the company's extensive lineup of 1911s, bringing a blended mix of elements only found on today's elite defensive and custom-built guns. Despite the unique, custom styling and construction of the Emissary, it doesn't carry the price tag of today's elite custom 1911s.

At the heart of the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 is its forged frame, which features unique "grenade-pattern" texturing on the front and backstrap for improved handling. One of the stand-out features of the frame is the three-slot Picatinny accessory rail on the dust cover, giving users plenty of room for attaching lasers, weaponlights and training modules. There are also a set of VZ Grips Thin-Line G10 stocks with texture that matches the grenade-like pattern found on the frame.

Topping the frame is a forged slide with a special tri-top cut usually found only on high-end custom guns. This tri-top slide is lightened with grooves at the front and rear and features a serrated top to reduce glare. A set of Springfield U-dot open sights are dovetailed into the slide, featuring a tritium-illuminated dot at the front and a flat-faced, ledge-style rear sight that gives owners the ability to rack the gun off flat surfaces with a single hand.

Inside the Emissary's slide is a heavy bull barrel and a full-length steel guide rod, which add more weight to the front end of the gun to help soften recoil and muzzle rise. Other stand-out features of the Emissary include a flat-faced, solid-body trigger and a skeletonized hammer, as well as an extended beavertail grip safety. The gun is available in a two-tone finish only, with a blued carbon-steel slide and a stainless-steel frame. The 5" bull barrel is cut with a 1:16" twist rate. Unloaded, the gun weighs 40 ozs, and it measures 8.4" long and 5.25" high. Each pistol ships with two eight-round magazines.

The suggested retail price on the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 is $1,279. For more information, visit springfield-armory.com.