Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy Thrives Through 10,000 Rounds

The pistol withstood a test that went far beyond most other torture tests.

by
posted on February 9, 2023
Prodigy DS

Springfield Armory’s 1911 DS Prodigy 9 mm pistol has recently proven its mettle in a demanding 10,000-round torture test, with every round sent downrange documented on video. The grueling evaluation, conducted by Paul Carlson, owner of Safety Solutions Academy, saw the 5-inch-barrel pistol run through thousands of rounds of PMC Bronze, 115-grain 9 mm NATO ammunition, provided by True Shot.

“The Prodigy just ate up all the ammunition I fed it,” said Carlson. “I never tired of firing 9 mm in this full-size pistol—all 10,000 rounds. I cannot recommend the Prodigy enough for anyone looking for a 1911 that adds the benefit of cutting-edge performance features and increased magazine capacity. This one is a proven performer!”

The 1911 DS Prodigy from Springfield Armory takes the proven 1911 platform and enhances it with more capacity and a performance-driven feature set. Reconfigured around a double-stack magazine, the Prodigy’s polymer grip module mounts to its forged steel frame offering capacities of 17+1  and 20+1 rounds (with an optional 26-round magazine also available).

Optics-ready, the Prodigy employs AOS (Agency Optic System) plates designed in concert with Agency Arms exclusively for the 1911 DS. Machined from billet steel, each plate is designed specifically to deliver proper optic height for intuitive sight picture and instant target acquisition and features an integral rear sight.

When Shooting Illustrated’s Ammo Editor Richard Mann tested a Prodigy late last year, he wrote, “It offers extreme precision, generous capacity and a smooth and sensible, well-engineered melding of steel and polymer. Yeah, it might be more gun than you want to carry every day, but when it comes time for shooting—for seriousness or fun—a miniscule 9 mm that’s hardly larger than your hand cannot compare to the Prodigy. This pistol was explicitly developed to deliver bullets where you want them, and to do it in a hurry. Let’s also not forget that size is not an issue for a home-defense handgun.”

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