NRA Gun Of The Week: Springfield Armory Garrison

by
posted on September 16, 2022
** 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. **

Springfield Armory is no stranger to the M1911 platform, having offered some of the best commercial variants on the market, from the company’s entry-level Mil-Spec models to elite custom guns with hand-fit components and top-tier features and performance. In recent years, Springfield has focused on incorporating as many custom-grade features as possible into affordable packages. The Garrison is one of the company’s latest takes on an heirloom-quality gun. Watch the video above to see the .45-cal. Garrison M1911 in use on the range.

Man shooting silver stainless steel Springfield Armory Garrison pistol M1911 .45 acp


Each Springfield Armory Garrison is built with a forged frame and slide that comes fitted with match-grade 5" barrel, which is also a forged unit. There’s a U-shaped cutout at the rear of the barrel hood, which allows users to easily see whether or not the chamber’s loaded at a glance. A traditional M1911 barrel bushing, guide rod and checkered recoil-spring plug is provided, too. Topping the matte-finished slide are a set of low-profile sights for a traditional three-dot sight picture.

shooting range springfield armory garrsion stainless steel silver m1911 pistol in hands


The Garrison's frame provides a single-sided, extended thumb safety, as well as an extended beavertail grip safety with a raised memory bump. While traditionally styled, there are some welcome upgrades on the Garrison, such as the skeletonized hammer and a three-hole trigger. The sample provided for NRA Gun Of The Week is constructed entirely of stainless steel, but Springfield also offers a carbon-steel model, complete with a hot-salt blued finish. Both guns come with Springfield’s checkered thinline grips and are outfitted with a finely checkered mainspring housing.

left-side view m1911 pistol garrison springfield armory


On the range, the Garrison performed like a premium product, even though it’s a very affordably priced gun. While it’s available in the classic .45 ACP, of course, there is also a 9 mm Luger model that’s available in a stainless steel or blued finish. We appreciated the matte finish at the top of the slide, which reduced glare in bright light and made the sights easy to see. In today’s world double-stack magazines, polymer frames and accessory-heavy platforms, there’s something refreshing about heading to the range with a pure M1911 that has all the right updated touches without taking anything away from the essence of the original Browning design.

Specifications
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
Model: 1911 Garrison
Action Type: recoil-operated, semi-automatic, centerfire pistol
Chambering: .45 ACP
Frame: forged stainless steel
Slide: forged stainless steel
Sights: drift-adjustble, low-profile, three-dot
Stocks: Thinline wood
Magazine: seven-round, detachable box
Overall Length: 8.6"
Height: 5.5"
Weight: 37 ozs.
MSRP: $899

Latest

Hopkins & Allen Gunmaker
Hopkins & Allen Gunmaker

Hopkins & Allen: The Armsmaking Giant That Didn't Survive

Founded in 1868 in the northeast U.S., Hopkins & Allen grew from a friendly business venture into a prolific maker of affordable guns for brand names such as Merwin & Hulbert and Forehand & Wadsworth.

Burris Optics Celebrates 50 Years Of Fullfield Riflescopes

Firearms and ammunition ballistics have changed greatly over the last half-century, but one of the biggest leaps in performance hit the scene five decades ago, when Burris Optics introduced its Fullfield line of riflesopes.

I Have This Old Gun: Heckler & Koch P7

In the mid-1970s, the German federal police sought a replacement for its existing World War II-era sidearms and put out stringent guidelines for what it wanted in a handgun. The result was the Heckler & Koch P7.

New For 2025: Smith & Wesson Shield X

Smith & Wesson's new Shield X micro-compact handgun combines elements from the company's M&P Shield Plus with some cues from its smaller Bodyguard 2.0 design.

Review: Tisas PX-5.7 FO

The idea that a faster-moving, lightweight projectile can do the same work as a heavier, slower-moving slug has been around for ages, and the math clearly supports it, even if some in the general public don’t.

NRA Awards Grand Scholarships To 2024 Y.E.S. Students

The Y.E.S. program—which launched in 1996—is held each summer in Washington, D.C., and brings together high-achieving high school students from across the country for a week of immersive learning focused on the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and American government.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.