Travis Pike for TTAG

I have a checkered history with 1911s. I don’t get the hubbub, but I can appreciate their aesthetic, the awesome triggers and historical significance.

There are lots and lots of different companies producing 1911s, probably close to the number of companies producing different types of AR-15s. The gun has been around the block a time or two.

Springfield is adding one more model to their rather large library in the form of the new Ronin. What’s immediately apparent is that you are getting a lot of gun for the money. Springfield did the same with the Saint AR-15 series and looks to be taking that route with the Ronin.

Springfield Ronin 1911
Travis Pike for TTAG

The Ronin is a classic 1911 that comes in two sizes, your standard 5-inch government model and Springfield will be releasing a 4.25-inch commander size model. Of course, the gun is in .45 ACP and there’s a 9mm version, too.

The Ronin has a forged frame and slide and a hammer-forged barrel. It comes with a two-tone finish that’s attractive and subtle enough not to be gaudy. The grips are laminate wood and feature the Springfield logo. It’s subtle and not an annoying billboard.

The rear sight is quite tall and squared off enough to be used to rack the slide against a belt, table, or anywhere solid. The front sight is a high visibility red fiber optic. The trigger is the Speed Trigger Gen 2 that goes a bit beyond your average 1911 trigger. It was very light and crisp with almost no take-up. The trigger is skeletonized which lends to the gun’s appearance and gives it that little extra. The reset was very short, audible and tactile.

Springfield Ronin 1911
Travis Pike for TTAG

The Ronin has an MSRP of $849, and factoring in the forged steel that seems to be an excellent price point. It’s rounded out by subtle, but important features that seem to make a good out-of-the-box 1911. The street price will likely be in the $750 to $800 neighborhood.

I like the look of the gun and the price, but what say you?

33 COMMENTS

  1. It might be a nice gun, but I’m not buying anything with ‘Ronin Operator’ engraved on the slide. I’d only buy one if they put ‘Jedi Operator’ on the side, because a light saber beats a samurai sword every time.

  2. No front strap checkering…why?
    So many manufacturers now doing this. I won’t buy a 1911 without checkering, both front and back.

    • Exactly what I was thinking. Such a huge difference in grip under recoil with front checkering. Not having it is a solid meh for me on any Steel frame 1911. Hard pass.

      • Dumb question: can’t you just put some grip tape there or something?

        I guess if you spend $800 you don’t want to do something like that. But from a practical perspective it doesn’t seem like a big deal.

    • It blows my mind that Taurus, at $500, gives you front strap checkering yet Colt can’t be fucked to give it to you on their $1,500 CQB.

  3. It’d be great if it didn’t have big letters on one side saying “RONIN OPERATOR”… and if you had to protect yourself with it then you’re suddenly in court explaining how a Ronin is an ancient aimlessly wandering Samurai who has no master.

  4. Needs front grip checkering and ambi’s That usually separates the also rans. Not sure what niche this gun fits in. What they need to make is a gun in between the $1200 TRP and the $3000 HRT gun.

  5. Im a 1911 fan and carry one every day.
    But
    Whats the purpose of this particular gun??
    Trigger?? two tone?? grips??
    Nothing apparently special here???

  6. surprised it doesn’t say “grip zone” somewhere.

    JK seriously looks like a pretty nice 1911.

  7. Is it me, or is this gun more squared-off in the front strap and dustcover, sort of like the original SA 1911s? And/or are those grip panels less wide than normal?

  8. What a bunch of winney asshole elitists. It’s a 1911. One of many in the world.
    Everybody has an opinion and an ass hole. But no one wants to hear from either one.
    Buy it or not end of day. Thank you.

    And nobody likes Glocks either.

  9. I just ordered one from G-A-G. Not my first 45 ACP, but it is my first 1911. It really caught my eye when I saw it and the $730 price tag was too much to resist. Ha, I still have $470 stimulus money for extra mags and a holster. I hope you guys are making a big deal out of nothing with the front strap serrations. I suppose years from now my Grandkids will be wondering what a Ronin is. I thought he was a characters from Stargate Atlantis played by Jason Momoa.

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