So why do I say this is the gun you’ve been waiting for? Well, Springfield Armory, the company damn near synonymous with the 1911 platform, finally came out with a double stack 1911 at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. When I first unboxed this gun, I did not love the look of the grip; it looked basic to me. However, when you grab this gun – things change. The stippling on the Prodigy might look plain but it acts similarly to grip tape. The other thing that stood out to me was the undercut on the trigger guard – it’s more aggressive than what you find on a Staccato 2011 or even an Infinity, which allows for your hand to naturally get higher up on the gun. The barrel is a match-grade bull barrel with an 11-degree crown resulting in fast follow-up shots.
The real game changer for me was actually shooting the Prodigy. This gun, simply put, just wants to return to your point of aim so quickly and consistently that it was a joy to shoot. For me, it’s one of the fastest and most accurate handguns I’ve ever shot. My only major gripe with this firearm is the HEX Dragonfly red-dot optic. While I think the Dragonfly red dot looks great, the window is smaller than what you get with the Sig and Leupold red-dot offerings. Further, I found the 3.5 MOA dot on the Dragonfly harder to pick up against the Arizona reddish brown landscape. For those of you who shoot competitively, you will be left wishing Springfield launched a comped, ported, and larger magwell version of this in the initial release but at the rate Springfield is coming out with new firearms, I’m willing to bet this is in the pipeline.
We did shoot the Springfield Prodigy 1911 DS against the Staccato P and XC, as well as a couple of Nighthawk customs that were ported and non-ported, along with my custom Infinity 2011, aluminum frame. For firearm recent history buffs, Infinity and Staccato have been around for over 30 years and Nighthawk Custom has been around for more than 18 years. All three of these companies have worked hard to earn their places on the Mount Rushmore of 1911 double stacks (or 2011’s), but don’t sleep on Springfield – they have easily become a worthy competitor to these top companies in the 1911 double stack market. The Springfield Armory 1911 DS (Double Stack) hits a home run with a $1,499 price point (without optic) and $1,699 with the optic. Yes, it is still an expensive firearm but it’s substantially less than a Staccato 2011, an Infinity 2011, a Nighthawk 1911 double stack, etc. Please don’t get me wrong, those other brands are awesome in their own right but I truly think that the Springfield Prodigy respectfully should be added to this list. 
For those car enthusiasts like me, here’s my take on the comparison – If an Infinity is like a Ferrari – super expensive, amazing performance, impeccable fit and finish, and a Staccato is like a Porsche – super performance, not as rare, but I’ll still never drive one of those to its limit, then the Springfield Armory is akin to a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette. Sure there may be a little more plastic in the interior than you had hoped for but it still delivers supercar performance, is a blast to drive, and let’s be honest, it’s still more car than you can handle. Is the fit and finish on the new Springfield Prodigy as nice as the Staccato, Nighthawk, and Infinity? No, it isn’t. But the firearm is also well built and a fraction of the cost of those other brands. Personally, I’m a firearm enthusiast, not a competitive shooter, so the extra performance between a $4,000+ gun and the Springfield Prodigy isn’t missed on me. In the end, whether this is your first 1911 double stack, or you own some of the more expensive alternatives, this gun deserves a spot in your safe.
Personally, it’s my favorite gun of 2022 so far! If you’ve been looking to get a double stack 1911 but don’t want to spend $2,000+, do yourself a favor and buy this gun.
Want to watch our full review? Watch below:
