Springfield is expanding their popular Range Officer line of 1911s with four new Elite series versions; Compact, Champion, Operator and Target models. All are offered in 9mm or .45 ACP with MSRPs ranging from $1030 to $1159. Here’s Springfield’s press release:

Springfield Armory® expands 1911 Range Officer® line with new RO® ELITE series pistols.

GENESEO, ILL. (7/17/17) – With the launch of four new RO® Elite models, the Springfield Armory® 1911 Range Officer® line is expanding its reputation for performance that far exceeds price. 

New for summer 2017, the new RO Elite line adds multiple premium components and details for both competition shooters and defense-minded citizens, in both 9mm and .45ACP versions. For example, every new RO Elite series pistol is clad in the same Black-T® treatment specified on Springfield Armory 1911s built for the FBI’s regional SWAT and Hostage Rescue Teams. The Black-T coating is self-lubricating, highly corrosion resistant, unaffected by extremes, and engineered to shield the firearm from the heaviest use and toughest conditions. RO Elite models also include: Springfield Armory’s crisp, newly designed Gen 2 triggers, ambidextrous thumb safeties, and custom thin-line G-10 grips designed specifically for this series, adding an entirely new feel for high-precision 1911s. That’s more than $370 worth of upgrades for only a $125 increase in price.

“The original 1911 Range Officer line remains a huge success with serious shooters”, says Dennis Reese, Springfield Armory CEO. “It made professional level performance more affordable by leveraging the tools, techniques and experience only Springfield Armory has. That’s always been our calling card. The new RO Elite models are more of the same: premium features, high performance, affordable price.”

The RO Elite Target is engineered for accuracy. Forged steel match grade frame and slide are precision-fit for fluid-smooth function. The 5-inch stainless steel, match grade barrel, fully adjustable rear target sight, fiber optic front sight, and GI recoil system complete a form with fit, feel and balance that will dominate the range.

The RO Elite Operator® also has a 5-inch match grade stainless steel barrel, Picatinny rail for accessories, and slanted serrations on the front and rear of the slide. The Operator has a GI recoil system, along with a tactical ledge, white-dot rear sight and fiber optic front sight.

The RO Elite Champion™ features a 4-inch stainless steel match grade barrel, captured in a forged steel slide with flat wire captive recoil system. The full-height, forged lightweight aluminum alloy frame is light and strong. The RO Champion is topped with a tactical ledge, white-dot rear sight and red fiber optic front sight.

The RO Elite Compact carries a 4-inch stainless steel match grade bull barrel with fully-supported ramp and a flat wire captive recoil system for ultimate reliability. The compact frame is forged aluminum alloy, maximizing concealment and minimizing weight. A low-profile, tactical ledge, white-dot rear sight with fiber optic front sight sits on a forged steel slide, allowing quick and accurate target acquisition.

“We’re proud to offer new choices for pistol shooters who appreciate details”, says CEO Dennis Reese. “And especially proud to prove, once again, that you can own and enjoy a high-quality firearm without breaking the bank.”

About Springfield Armory®     

Founded in 1974, Springfield Armory Inc. is located in Geneseo, Illinois. Its iconic brand remains unmatched in quality, precision engineering, manufacturing and unparalleled customer service in the firearms industry. The USA facility in Geneseo engineers, manufactures and assembles the legendary M1A™, 1911 and SAINT® AR-15 line of firearms. Since 2001, Springfield Armory has enjoyed a strategic, collaborative partnership with the state-of the-art factory in Croatia working hand in hand in the development and engineering of the multiple award-winning line of XD® polymer pistols that have become staples in the US marketplace. For over 40 years Springfield Armory has been committed to providing customers with trusted and reliable defensive products and a time-honored dedication to customer service excellence.

h/t to Curtis in IL for looking up the MSRPs:

RO Elite Target 9mm $1,061, .45 ACP $1,048
RO Elite Operator 9mm $1,159, .45 ACP $1,145
RO Elite Champion 9mm $1,044, .45 ACP $1,030
RO Elite Compact 9mm $1,044, .45 ACP $1,030

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98 COMMENTS

    • Nope, really wanted an XDm after shooting one my buddy had. Bought a S&W Shield instead, couldn’t be happier. Springfield is dead to me. Go pound sand

      • So we aren’t supposed to buy Smith and wesson, Ruger, or Springfield Armory now? Man the gun community is a filled with a bunch of whiners these day. Get over it. They made a mistake. Like you haven’t.

  3. + 1

    Really, does anyone think they adequately addressed their attempted subterfuge of the gun community in Illinois…

    • Well, maybe their board, cfo and CEO, do to the fact that they have not been replaced.
      The rest of us think they can go to hell but Illinois is pretty close.

  5. Looks good to me,in michigan we let the legislature make the laws,not private companies. Must be a different system in Illinois.

    • Yes, Illinois is different. Very, very different. But it has more to do with self-serving Democrats, low information voters, corruption and union money. Private companies can hardly get a word in edgewise.

  6. I bought an XDE despite my distaste, but won’t be purchasing more unless they actually prove their atonement is genuine.

    And yes, I bought an XDE. Budgets, choices, safe single stack 9mm DASA- P239 is too expensive.

  8. No, thank you. I have an XDs, but Springfield won’t be getting another cent from me until they actually accept responsibility for what they did and fire the people responsible. So far, all they did was try to point the finger at and distance themselves from an organization that’s conveniently comprised of Springfield and Rock River executives.

  11. Before I buy a Springfield they’re going to have to do more than just apologize. I want to see them dig deep in their pockets and get some real pro 2A types elected in Illinois. Go all in on some republican primaries and defeat some RINOS. I’m nowhere near there, but it’s what that state deserves to right the wrongs. They have enough money to tip the balance in state legislative elections.

    • I think it’s ok to buy them right now. I think they just made a mistake by not keeping an eye on the group they created. I can’t say I blame them though. They wanted to run their business and not be politicians.

      • NO IT’S NOT OKAY!!! IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY DID, THEY GAVE MONEY TO ANTI-GUN POLITICIANS!! THEY ARE DEAD TO ME!!!

      • The only mistake SA and RRA made was they got caught! They knew exactly what they were doing when the sold out all the gun owners and small gun stores in IL. They ran their business by being political and getting a carve out in the bill to exempt them from having to follow the law in exchange for basically supporting this anti 2nd Amendment piece of legislation.

  16. Want a good 1911? Save up for a Dan Wesson. Unless Springfield comes out with a Mea Culpa edition 1911 that costs next to nothing, there’s no good reason to give them your money.

  17. Once again, a press release on new guns with no MSRP listed.

    Ok, I did the legwork (Springfield Armory web site).
    Target 9mm $1,061, .45 ACP $1,048
    Operator 9mm $1,159, .45 ACP $1,145
    Champion 9mm $1,044, .45 ACP $1,030
    Compact 9mm $1,044, .45 ACP $1,030

    Looking forward to a review, hopefully one of the 9mm models.

  18. Illinois is bankrupt. Their entire tax current revenue receipts is how much the retired employees pension costs per year are. Think about that. They played Santa Clause for the last 20 years and gave away the treasury to public employees unions and now that they are retiring the economics ball, kicked down the road for some other legislator to deal with has come to screeching halt. They have no $ for schools, public safety or infrastructure. Their anti-gun, socialist regimes have led them to what they have know…staring down the barrel of Bankrupcy.

    As for Springfield Arms, they need to drain their own corporate swamp. Find and fire all the decision makers who decided to get in bed with the IL legislature. Publish an apology, stating what and how they are going to make this right, then sink or swim in the market place like all the other gun makers do.

    • This site hasn’t “sold out” anything. It’s a press release, fer cryin’ out loud. This site has published information and opinions from all sides, allowing you to make an informed decision.

      While the journalism around here often falls short of my expectations, I must say their coverage of the whole Springfield/RRA cluster surrounding the failed Illinois gun owners’ licensing bil was pretty comprehensive.

      • This site stands for nothing. I guess all the TTAG outrage was click bait because now they are schilling for a company TTAG called a boycott on. There are plenty of opportunities to pass on a story or press release. Bunch of f’ing sellouts.

        • We never called for a boycott of Springfield. We simply reported on the Illinois bill and Springfield’s and Rock River’s part in it.

          And we don’t get a dime from Springfield. They no longer advertise here. You can probably guess why.

    • Ask Admin the turkey. Clickbait, thats why no pricing specs…they just want the clicks and comments.

      • We regularly post press releases on new guns and gun-related gear. Almost every day, in fact, and sometimes multiple times per day. Nothing unique or special about this one. Copied-and-pasted press release exactly as it came over the wire.

        …I’ll edit to add MSRP info at the bottom as a couple folks have requested it.

        • Take the MSRP and shove it up your arse Jeremy. You guys are a bunch of hack sellouts. How much did SA pay TTAG to post this press release? Just because the bill is dead doesn’t mean the betrayal is forgiven. This is the problem with gun websites, they claim to be for the consumer and gun owning public, even the Second Amendment, but really it’s all about clicks, ads, and money.

        • First, the bill isn’t dead. That’s the problem…it’s in limbo in the Illinois house and can still be brought up for a vote.

          Second, we received nothing for this post. Springfield no longer advertises with us. All we did was post a press release. It’s gun news worthy of note. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.

        • st381183, you’re way off base. TTAG lost advertising money by breaking all of the news about Springfield and RRA. Literally everything you know about everything they’ve done you know because of this site…to TTAG’s advertising revenue detriment (as far as I’m privy to know).

          We get press releases via e-mail every day, and we re-post most of them on the site here when they’re gun- or gear-related news. Which this one is. Press releases are NOT paid content.

          YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. I’m not going to force my personal opinion onto you and won’t be censoring or blackballing a company based on my own opinion. As TTAG continued to post Springfield’s responses and public relations statements regarding their anti-gun bill carve-out and political donations in Illinois, we’ll continue to post news about their products. If you decide not to support the company based on the news TTAG researched and broke — or for whatever reason — that’s great. We provided information for you to make an educated choice. We didn’t tell you what to do with your life or with your dollars (as mentioned above, TTAG never said people should or shouldn’t boycott Springfield and RRA).

          Media Integrity doesn’t include forcing censorship on readers or telling you how to think. If you want a safe space echo chamber where somebody will tell you what you should do and think, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

  21. Well I got two Springfield’s on consignment because of their betrayal. I can’t even stand seeing their advertisements.

  22. One wonders if Springfield will recover from their betrayal. I did have a dim counter boy at Big R in Morris,IL tell me they didn’t “need” Illinois…duh.

      • I have one s&w that was given to me. Its was manufactured well before the sellout.
        I do not own a Ruger or a RRA.
        I do own 2 springfields, an xdm and a 1911. And as much as i enjoy shooting them i may be trading them in to purchase an FN 45 tactical.

      • Smith is an entirely different company with new ownership and management from back then. Ruger, too. The people who made those anti-2A decisions and any vestiges of their influence are long gone. I personally do not see any reason to continue a boycott against them — they’re different companies now.

        • I won’t buy from S&W until they move their headquarters out from MA, a state that does not honor my carry permit.

  28. There is a 5th version they didn’t discuss…the widely anticipated Range Officer 2A Sellout Edition. Comes with certificate of authenticity signed by Bloomberg. Act now and get a set of Ginzu steak knives at no additional charge!

  30. No, it is a good thing that Truth About Guns brings up Springfield Armory news….then we can post in the comments about their anti 2nd Amendment activity……more speech, not less speech is the way you fight dupes like the anti gunners and the companies who support them…

    • It has clearly had the side-effect of informing more and more people about the news that TTAG broke. Every press release or other benign post we’ve put up about Springfield since that has been full of boycott-related comments AND comments like John’s “?” reply up at the very top of the comments section here. Many people are still not aware, but have learned about it through these sorts of posts.

  32. I don’t and won’t even consider buying anything from sa or rra. Sa recently extended their free mag offer another 60 days so that tells me true American 2A supporters are making a difference. Thank you everyone! Last month I received my semiannual copy of the Illinois State Rifle Assc. magazine and couldn’t believe my eyes. A full page ad for rra and a competitive shoot using sa firearms on the ISRA range? Apparently ISRA is in bed with Illinois democrats also so I am not renewing my long time membership with them. This isn’t over yet.

  33. I don’t really know what all this belly aching on here is about, but what I would suggest is don’t vote in a bunch of Communist liberal Democrats! I own a XD and a S&W shield. The XD is twice the gun the shield is. Springfield makes some of the best guns in the price range out there!

  34. I recently bought my first 1911 – I had very specific list of desires for it. I ended up buying a Kimber Pro Carry II Two tone in 9mm that I’ve been extremely happy with thus far that meets all of my “requirements”. I wanted a 9mm 1911 with a 4″ barrel that didn’t have a plain parkerized finish like the current Range officer champion model – I wanted something with a little more flash. I also prefer a single sided safety lever but that wasn’t a deal breaker. I wanted it to be as light as possible with an aluminum frame for more comfortable carry. The Springfield EMP conceal contour model was at the top of my list, except it was hard to find – even online – and about $175 above my price range. The Kimber met all of those requirements with ease, it also is lighter than the competition, and was under my budget – nailed it!

    The RO Elite in 9mm would have been high on my list if it was offered at the time, but I’m guessing the street price will still probably be higher than my $800 budget (I got the Kimber on sale at Cabela’s for under $700).

  36. I take it some of you guys still wont buy anything from Bill Ruger’s company too!

    • Bill Ruger is long dead. Headed by new people and management for some time now. What Bill did was many moons ago…

  37. Nice press release you got there, Springfield. It’d be a shame if something happened to it. Also, my Range Officer needs service.

  38. These “new” RO 1911 variants have probably been in SA’s pipe prior to everyone getting the dope on them first. I would have zero surprise if they manage to break even on these pistols, if not a loss.

    I’d have an equal lack of surprise if they try to roll out a revamp of the XD next. But more likely SA’s bottom-line won’t support an R&D budget for trim options & OOO-themed accessories.

  41. Came for the flames…

    The controversy won’t put Springfield out of business. Impact their bottom line sure, but the vast majority of gun owners either don’t know or don’t care. Have any online gun shops or physical shops outside Illinois have stopped carrying SA or RRA?

    The youtubers that bashed SA haven’t taken down their springfield related videos or even updated the video descriptions the best I can tell.

    • Springfield isn’t going anywhere. This will blow over eventually and they’ll be fine. They aren’t the first gun manufacturer to deal with something like this.

      • I wouldn’t be so sure about that. They gave money to anti-gun politicians. They are dead to me and many others…

  43. So the Illinois gun bill is in limbo in the Illinois house?
    Will it die at the end of the current legislative session or will it carry over into next year?
    Springfield cannot be forgiven until they actively campaign against it and kill it

  44. I’m gonna’ guess that give the vehemence and quantity of responses, Springfield is going to continue to suffer from their mistake in judgement.

  45. If all you little bitches had your way there wouldn’t be a Smith and Wesson, Ruger, or Springfield. That’s smart. Let’s put all the gun makers out of business.

    • No. We only want the irresponsible gun makers out of business that betray their own customers for their own benefit. What Springfield did is worst than what S&W and Ruger did. They sold out the citizens of their state.

    • No. I only want gun manufacturers to go out of business that betray their customers in the state where they are located for the benefit of only themselves. What they did is worse than what S&W or Ruger did. I would not want them to get a penny of my money because of the danger that they will send it to anti-gun politicians as they have done in the past. Fool me once, shame on you. Shame me twice, shame on me.

  46. It’s hilarious how so many on here scream and yell about freedom and rights but as soon as someone says something the crowd doesn’t like they’re breaking out the torches and pitchforks and attacking other people’s freedom to do what they want.

  48. I bought an Elite Operator 45 and love it. It is great to shoot and works great. I will continue to buy SA products as long as they continue to produce products of quality.

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