Springfield TRP?

[88redryder88]

I've been looking at the 1911 platform for a while and ive finally decided to get one. I was first interested in a Kimber TLE, but after some research, I decided to go another route. Then I saw a Colt Combat Elite. After checking it out a couple times at my local gunshop, I thought I had my mind made up. But yesterday, I saw a TRP and fell in love. I can't seem to find much info on it and was wondering if anyone has any experience with one. If so, what are the pros/cons of this gun? The one they had was stainless but I kinda want the black. Does the Armory Coat finish hold up well to IWB carry?
Thanks in advance for the info

[M4Fundi]

I do not have alot, but have some recent experience I'll share. I think to buy a 1911 NIB and expect it to be 100% reliable you have to buy a high end semi-custom or just have a guru build you one. The lower or mid tier 1911s just seem to need some extra hand fitting that they were originally designed to get (in the days of hand craftsmanship) before shipped out that is no longer the case. I think the TRP is that mid tier gun that some might run 100% out of the box but most will need some TLC from your local gunsmith or after sending it back to SA which I think is BS for the price. I was expecting a gun closer in quality (as advertised) to their FBI PRO.

I bought a rare only made in 1999 TRP Champion NIB as my potential duty gun for a special overseas job. It is really rough, gouged rails, lots of fitting problems, completely unreliable, blah, blah...unacceptable to the point that I will suck it up and carry a Glock or M&P, but am waiting to see what SA does to remedy the gun. I'm not even certain it is a quality enough base gun for a custom build. Dave W. at SA custom will be giving me his opinion on this in the coming weeks:(

I will be buying a Volkmann or Nighthawk for a hard use 1911. I have heard that the Les Baer TRS is the Mid Tier 1911 that seems to be most reliable out of the box.

[Rob96]

GoGFi to the 10-8 Performance website for the info you seek on the 1911. The TRP should serve you well.

[High Tower]

I agree the TRP will serve you well. Out of the 3 you mentioned, its what I would get. It may need some polishing, but any good 1911 you will have to break in. After 500 rounds, if you are still having issues, then you start looking for problems.

[88redryder88]

Thanks for the answers guys. sorry about your luck M4fundi :(
I was planning on doing a 500 round break in on my new 1911 over 2-3 days. after 500 I kinda start trusting them a little too.;)

[ThirdWatcher]

I think to buy a 1911 NIB and expect it to be 100% reliable you have to buy a high end semi-custom or just have a guru build you one. The lower or mid tier 1911s just seem to need some extra hand fitting that they were originally designed to get (in the days of hand craftsmanship) before shipped out that is no longer the case. I think the TRP is that mid tier gun that some might run 100% out of the box but most will need some TLC from your local gunsmith or after sending it back to SA which I think is BS for the price.

I couldn't disagree more. Most 1911s used for EDC don't cost anywhere near $2,000-$3,000 and they are reliable shooters.

[BT2012]

I haven't had any issues with my TRP and the first thing you should do is get rid of the magazine that came with it. The stock magazine that came with it caused a lot of FTF and stick with quality magazine and you will be fine. I used this at LAV's Tactical 1911 Pistol course this past June and didn't have any issues at all. LAV gave it some minor adjustment to it during the class. I don't use this an every day carry but the Armory Kote does seems pretty durable. Overall, the TRP is not a bad price when all things are considered and I'm very satisfied with it. The changes I've made were the grips and replacement of the FLGR to the standard plug and guide rod.

[QuickStrike]

I couldn't disagree more. Most 1911s used for EDC don't cost anywhere near $2,000-$3,000 and they are reliable shooters.

Examples?

Round counts?

[prestonoconnor]

My department is using stock colt xse government models. the only thing we added were the night sights. trijicon fronts and 10-8 rear sights. we have had no problems with reliability. we bought 50 guns a couple of years ago and apart from sharp edges they all shot great. this is our second run of colts. the first buy was from about 1993. they too were stock except for night sights. I own more than a few custom or high tier 1911s but i am issued a stock gun and i carry it with no reservation; so no i don't believe you need an expensive 1911. just remember if you are buying a 1911 because it is cheap they cut a corner some where. i think of base guns as starting points for gunsmiths. i plan on buying a trp soon for off duty.

[Mr. Smith]

The TRP model is a nice gun but not for hard use it is filed with mim parts which are less money than forgings or bar stock and not the way to go. The truth is you can upgrade a lesser model from the same company and it will be a nicer gun in the long run. There are no custom guns on the market for the money that you can buy a TRP for to build a custom gun the parts wood be as much as the hole TRP the manufactures are going to make a profit somehow. The work you get in a true custom 1911 is the reason that people love the platform it is fast modular and accurate. You can fit anyone to the gun it is what people try to make everything ells do.

SUPERIOR FIREARMS LLC.
5510 Fern Valley RD.
Louisville KY. 40228.
502-365-2244

[Bantee]

I have a three yr. old TRP, with several thousand rnds. thru it, and have had no problems whatsoever. As far as the black Armory coat, it holds up very well.It's not quite Glock"s Tenifer but it's good. I did swap out the one piece guide rod however for ease of breakdown.Hope this helps.:D

[JHC]

Rob96 pointed you to the right place. 10-8 Performance and Hilton Yam. Read his on line articles. TRP is at the top of the food chain for a production gun.

Mine has about 2K rounds through it. Ball and about 4 different kinds of JHP. It has not failed to feed, fire and eject once yet. I've only cleaned it once at a little over 1K round mark. It's superbly accurate as well as reliable. Following the owner reports of dozens of TRP owners on 1911forums, my experience is more the norm than problem guns.

Much smarter 1911 guys than I feel that the MC Operator is about equal for less $$$.

25 yard shooting from a range bag as a rest. Federal 230 grain HST.

[88redryder88]

Rob96 pointed you to the right place. 10-8 Performance and Hilton Yam. Read his on line articles. TRP is at the top of the food chain for a production gun.

Mine has about 2K rounds through it. Ball and about 4 different kinds of JHP. It has not failed to feed, fire and eject once yet. I've only cleaned it once at a little over 1K round mark. It's superbly accurate as well as reliable. Following the owner reports of dozens of TRP owners on 1911forums, my experience is more the norm than problem guns.

Much smarter 1911 guys than I feel that the MC Operator is about equal for less $$$.

25 yard shooting from a range bag as a rest. Federal 230 grain HST.

That makes me feel like I'm making a good choice.;) I'll check out 10-8. thanks guys for the help. Keep the info coming.

[MarshallDodge]

While I have no personal experience with the TRP, the people that I have spoken to that own them have nothing but good things to say.


I have heard that the Les Baer TRS is the Mid Tier 1911 that seems to be most reliable out of the box.
Mid Tier? Do you mean price or quality?

The LB TRS is one of the best guns you can buy for the money and probably the most reliable 1911 on the market.

[M4Fundi]

Marshall
I'm not going to get into a flavor contest here. Reliable and durable does not mean its 1st Tier and a 2nd Tier 1911 that is Reliable and durable may be all one needs in a hard use 1911. I do not think Les would consider his TRS his Tier 1 gun and I do not think comparing a TRS to certain Wilsons, Browns, Nighthawks in design, detail, fit, etc. is fair nor is it a condemnation on the TRS being extremely worthy for its genuinely intended purpose as a hard use 1911.

I do believe that Hilton's articulate and thorough writings on the 1911 are spot on and the only place I get off the Yam train is I like Commanders:eek:

[JAYTEAM]

All I did to mine was swap out the full length guide rod for a GI style plug and change over to Gunner Grips. The picture in the avatar was before the grip change. It didn't always lock the slide to the rear using Wilson 47D's for some reason, but that is never a problem using the factory mags, or McCormick Power Mags.

Jay


ETA: Even though the TRP is a very fine pistol, I would have waited a little longer and bought a Wilson CQB if I had it to do all over again.

[MarshallDodge]

Marshall
I'm not going to get into a flavor contest here. Reliable and durable does not mean its 1st Tier and a 2nd Tier 1911 that is Reliable and durable may be all one needs in a hard use 1911. I do not think Les would consider his TRS his Tier 1 gun and I do not think comparing a TRS to certain Wilsons, Browns, Nighthawks in design, detail, fit, etc. is fair nor is it a condemnation on the TRS being extremely worthy for its genuinely intended purpose as a hard use 1911.

I do believe that Hilton's articulate and thorough writings on the 1911 are spot on and the only place I get off the Yam train is I like Commanders:eek:
I thought we were talking about fighting guns and said nothing about another flavor. :confused: All I wanted to know is what scale you were rating the gun on....the money scale or the quality scale. What I was saying is that in the class of fighting guns, the TRS is really hard to beat.

Funny that you mention Hilton and his thoughts on Commanders, I tend to disagree with him on that issue as well but I am spoiled with a Concept VIII. :cool:

[civilian]

I own one of the original full dust frame railed Springfield loaded operators. The TRP is basically a step up from that model, with the Professional being the top of the ladder. The loaded operator has served me well and was carried for a while before I went to a Glock 19 as my primary carry gun. Springfield (in my experience) builds a reliable 1911, but as is the case with most tools, you'll want to run a thousand rounds or so down the pipe to determine whether the one you end up purchasing needs any work. I don't know what constitute hard use, but I've run mine in training courses, and shot countless rounds on the range, and I haven't had anything break on me, though I did end up sending it in for a refresh at the Custom Shop.

http://www.pbase.com/ashinoyu/image/111164369/large.jpg

[ThirdWatcher]

Examples?

Round counts?

Oh, I don't know... how many rounds did the military fire out of their 1911s in the 75+ years they issued them?

I own several 1911s (manufactured by Colt, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson, and Nighthawk Custom) to include a TRP and they are all reliable pistols. The difference in 1911s is whether they will reliably feed JHP ammo. My SA GI Model will not, but the others (to include my TRP) will.

The main difference I see after that is the more money you spend, the fewer sharp edges you find.

I installed a 10-8 Performance slide stop in my TRP and it will reliably feed from any magazine I've tried.

Magazines seem to be one of the most critical components of any 1911. Hilton Yam has written quite a bit about 1911s and magazines and I believe he is right on the money. Buy good magazines but don't fall in love with them. At the first sign of trouble, replace them. I carry a 1911 every day and I probably have close to 100 magazines. It's cheap insurance.

YMMV

[Vash1023]

yes, MC operator ftw

[jp0319]

Perfect mid level 1911 is Cylinder & Slide R&D 1911. It costs around $1800 and has everything you need. They take a Springfield Milspec 1911 fit all new internals, do a trigger job 4.5lbs, fit a national match bushing, reliability job, Fit Novak Sights, stipple the front strap and msin spring housing. All the stuff needed for a good defensive 1911 and no more. Also there are NO mim parts.