Springfield Armory 1911 Garrison 4.25-Inch: Range Review

My love affair with 1911s began the day my father showed me his WWII Springfield. It was worn, a little nicked up, but felt like magic in my hands. From that day on I have had a passion for these classic guns. Fast forward a bit and I now have the glorious opportunity to shoot and review many fantastic firearms – especially 1911s. I felt like I had come full circle recently when I was tasked to write a piece on a new product from the good folks at Springfield Armory. The newest additions to their popular 1911 line are the Garrison 4.25-inch pistols.

The gun is built on the solid Springfield 1911 DNA. In the company’s words, “Garrison is a rock-solid 1911 that gives you a host of upgrades along with the strength to provide a lifetime of service.” The gun is built on a durable foundation and offers the solid qualities of a defensive pistol with an added air of custom refinement. The pistols feature forged frames, slides, and barrels for durability, as well as modern enhancements such as low-profile, high-visibility sights, an extended thumb safety, thinline grips, and much more. Like the full-size Garrisons, the 4.25-inch models with be available in either a carbon-steel configuration with a classic hot-salt blued finish, or with rust-resistant stainless-steel construction. As well, both .45 ACP- and 9mm-chambered models are available.

Anyone familiar with the classic 1911 pistol will be right at home with the 4.25-inch Garrison. With its traditional barrel bushing system and wood grips, this is a pistol that captures the charm of a design with more than a century of service behind it. The Garrison pistols feature attractive finishes made up of a smooth, matte finish on the rounds of the slide and frame complemented by polished flats that bring out the luster of the carbon or stainless steel. The prices for each vary slightly, with the blued version listed at $868, and $917 for stainless. “The Garrison is designed to appeal to those who respect tradition and demand the quality for which Springfield Armory 1911 pistols are known,” says Springfield Armory’s Vice President of Marketing, Steve Kramer. “With the addition of these new 4.25-inch models to complement the original 5-inch guns, fans of classic 1911 pistols have a great new EDC-ready option.”

As you have guessed, Springfield Armory sent me a Garrison to test drive so I could get a better feel for the gun. Being a 1911, I couldn’t resist opting for a .45 ACP model – just as Browning intended. Once rigged up, it was time to hit the range. After a little pre-shooting lube-up and a few test shots to see what my point of impact would be, I was off to the races. Trying to talk about muzzle rise on this gun is a moot point because it barely exists. You might think that because Springfield shaved 3/4 of an inch off the full-size gun this model would be jumpier. It is simply not the case. Manageable recoil combined with a nice trigger, notable for its short takeup, let me really put the pedal to the metal.

Magazine after seven-round magazine of focused speed shooting produced a grey fist-sized impact zone on my freshly painted steel targets. I will be honest and say it took me a minute to get accustomed to the lack of movement on the gun. It is, after all, a slightly smaller-size 1911 running 230-grain ball ammo. I believe the fact that the gun still has some heft to it, 33 ounces even in this smaller package, allows it to soak up a lot of the recoil.

The trigger mixed with a match-grade hammer-forged barrel made accuracy testing a simple task. The combat-style three-dot sights were easy to pick up and clear. I ran a number of drills from a concealment holster and found it to be a good combo. Yes, kydex has its place in our world, but I believe that a 1911 and gunleather go together like Captain and Tennille. It may be a bit dated, but there’s no substitution for such a perfect fit. As with any gun that shoots this tight, I felt obliged to shoot it at distances outside its intended performance range. For better or worse, the range I was on maxed out at 100 yards. Even at that distance, though, I was able to punch center mass on a 2/3-size IDPA steel silhouette with little effort. This has absolutely no application in the real world, but it is a good way to test trigger control and the overall accuracy of a gun. And yes, it is fun.

When business turned to groups on paper the gun continued to shine. I ran three flavors of ammunition during testing: Hornady 185-grain XTP; Winchester 230-grain White Box; and American Eagle 230-grain Syntech. Of those, the Hornady 185-grain load took the top prize with a best group of just 1.5 inches at 15 yards, off hand. In fact, all three flavors did well! Function-wise, the gun performed flawlessly.

While I can’t say that a few good days of shooting on the range are a true test of a firearm’s durability, they are a solid indicator. With good ammunition, good magazines, and proper lubrication this gun has the bones to be almost unstoppable. I mention lubrication because it is essential for a 1911 to run. From watching it happen in countless classes and in other training, the biggest cause for 1911 malfunctions is the lack of lubrication. At this point, some shooters blame the gun when the real issue is neglected maintenance. These pistols can be every bit as reliable as a modern polymer wonder-gun, but they do require more attention. Anyway, that is a rant is for another article.

In the operational category, the gun was nice to shoot. There are no sharp edges on it anywhere and it was easy to manuever in and out of the holster. I carried the Garrison as my EDC for a couple of weeks and found it to be comfortable. I was able to carry outside the waistband because, during testing, we were in the dead of winter here in Arizona. That meant I could wear at least a light jacket and not look out of place. Loaded, the gun weighs in at a touch over 34 ounces which means you know it is there. As a rule, I carry two extra magazines when my EDC is a 1911. The Garrison in .45 ACP has a seven-plus-one capacity, which is about average for a 1911. To some, this is a sign that the gun has a relatively low capacity. Many of these naysayers, however, carry micro-blasters with the same capacity or less. Regardless of the pistol you carry, it is important to have at least one extra magazine.

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When the day came that I had to pack the Garrison up and ship it back to Springfield Armory, I reflected on everything I had experienced with the gun. First off, it was a pleasure to shoot. It ran without issue, was accurate, and was comfortable to carry. The 4.25-inch Garrison is more than a simple marketing gimmick by Springfield to create matching sets of 1911s. This gun stands on its own and would serve you well as an EDC pistol. If you are like me and appreciate the 1911 for all that it brings to the table, then you should take a look at the Garrison 4.25-inch.

Springfield Armory 1911 Garrison 4.25-inch

• Type: Single-action, semi-automatic pistol
• Chambering: 9mm, .45 ACP (tested)
• Barrel: 4.25 in.
• Material: Forged steel
• Weight: 33 oz.
• Sights: Low-profile, three white dots
• Grips: Thinline wood stocks
• Finish: Blue or stainless
• Capacity: 9+1 (9mm), 7+1 (.45 ACP)
• Price: $868 (blue), $917 (stainless)
• Contact: Springfield Armory, springfield-armory.com