Smith & Wesson 1911 Pro Series 9mm: Lots of pictures below. Just in case you don't know this tip - If you want to view the images larger, hold down your control button and turn the wheel on your mouse at the same time for larger/smaller images.
I liked the other 9mm 1911’s I’ve had but I wanted something a bit special that wouldn’t break the bank. I decided to buy the recent 9mm offering from S&W in their Pro Series line. (There is also a .45 version) I put down a deposit and ordered it from one of our sponsors, Frontier Firearms. Purchase price all in, delivered is just a few dollars short of $1800. The turn around time from ordering to delivery was about 90 days which I thought was reasonable for a newer product in Canada and well worth the wait.
These pistols have been assembled from custom parts but not in the Custom Shop. There is no special hand fitting of component pieces but they did polish the feed ramp and give a very nice matte finish to the stainless steel (and I mean matte – there is NO shine to this pistol) although like any finish it will wear a bit and I can already see a couple of scratches around the slide release. These aren’t the typical “idiot scratches”, it’s just what happens when metal rubs against metal. There is a large external extractor and the ejection port is large as well. The extended mag well is functional but not blended perfectly to the frame. I had no difficulty with quick magazine changes. Ambi safety is standard along with two ten round Wilson magazines. That was a big point for me as I wanted to use this pistol for IPSC. I’m expecting delivery any day from Fusion for 4 more ten round mags. (Just as an aside I have talked to enough people about shooting 9mm minor in IPSC and if I really feel drawn to it I will likely pick up an STI Edge in .40 and go for major but that’s another story).
The pistol arrived as described from Marlin at Frontier and as usual was professionally and discreetly wrapped with all pieces in perfect order. I took a few pictures and then did a basic field strip and cleaning to get any extra oil and residue off from having been factory fired. There wasn’t a lot to do there but it did need a once over before going to the range. One thing I learned is that there is a sweet spot for taking out and reinserting the slide release. Don’t force it or tap it with a piece of wood as I’ve heard others report doing. Just move the slide one way or another a tiny bit till you feel it go. No problem.
I like the grips on this pistol. They are made by RO CO out of Turkish walnut which is hardened and have a stippled texture. You can visit their website at rocosystem.com. The grips are a bit rough but provide a very good gripping surface. You’ll need it too because they are also a bit on the large side, flaring out in the middle. Kind of like “cokes’ for a 1911. I will use them for a while and then do an A-B against some nice rosewood Wilson Combat grips I have laying around. Sights are basic 3 dot combat.
Slide to frame fit is like my Kimber .45. No play at all and very smooth along the whole track. The trigger wiggles a bit side to side unlike the Kimber but it’s not a shooting issue, just a little thing that bugs me a bit.
I put several hundred flawless rounds of 115 and 147 grain ammo through the pistol at various distances from 15’ to 100’ out at POCO on one of the smaller ranges where I could holster up and go for it. I’m not a great shot but I was smiling as I saw lots of holes very close together wherever I aimed. That slide feels like it’s on ball bearings and I don’t know if it’s the grips but I didn’t feel much snap or felt recoil during my little outing. I didn’t have my camera at the range but here are some photos of the gun in question.
Although I have been shooting for years it’s always been a bit of a solitary sport for me until recently. I am taking the Black Badge course this month at POCO and plan to shoot my qualifier in Kelowna on Oct 10th . I’ll be using this pistol for the course and qualification and I’ll give a supplementary report at that time.
Mike in Vancouver
I liked the other 9mm 1911’s I’ve had but I wanted something a bit special that wouldn’t break the bank. I decided to buy the recent 9mm offering from S&W in their Pro Series line. (There is also a .45 version) I put down a deposit and ordered it from one of our sponsors, Frontier Firearms. Purchase price all in, delivered is just a few dollars short of $1800. The turn around time from ordering to delivery was about 90 days which I thought was reasonable for a newer product in Canada and well worth the wait.
These pistols have been assembled from custom parts but not in the Custom Shop. There is no special hand fitting of component pieces but they did polish the feed ramp and give a very nice matte finish to the stainless steel (and I mean matte – there is NO shine to this pistol) although like any finish it will wear a bit and I can already see a couple of scratches around the slide release. These aren’t the typical “idiot scratches”, it’s just what happens when metal rubs against metal. There is a large external extractor and the ejection port is large as well. The extended mag well is functional but not blended perfectly to the frame. I had no difficulty with quick magazine changes. Ambi safety is standard along with two ten round Wilson magazines. That was a big point for me as I wanted to use this pistol for IPSC. I’m expecting delivery any day from Fusion for 4 more ten round mags. (Just as an aside I have talked to enough people about shooting 9mm minor in IPSC and if I really feel drawn to it I will likely pick up an STI Edge in .40 and go for major but that’s another story).
The pistol arrived as described from Marlin at Frontier and as usual was professionally and discreetly wrapped with all pieces in perfect order. I took a few pictures and then did a basic field strip and cleaning to get any extra oil and residue off from having been factory fired. There wasn’t a lot to do there but it did need a once over before going to the range. One thing I learned is that there is a sweet spot for taking out and reinserting the slide release. Don’t force it or tap it with a piece of wood as I’ve heard others report doing. Just move the slide one way or another a tiny bit till you feel it go. No problem.
I like the grips on this pistol. They are made by RO CO out of Turkish walnut which is hardened and have a stippled texture. You can visit their website at rocosystem.com. The grips are a bit rough but provide a very good gripping surface. You’ll need it too because they are also a bit on the large side, flaring out in the middle. Kind of like “cokes’ for a 1911. I will use them for a while and then do an A-B against some nice rosewood Wilson Combat grips I have laying around. Sights are basic 3 dot combat.
Slide to frame fit is like my Kimber .45. No play at all and very smooth along the whole track. The trigger wiggles a bit side to side unlike the Kimber but it’s not a shooting issue, just a little thing that bugs me a bit.
I put several hundred flawless rounds of 115 and 147 grain ammo through the pistol at various distances from 15’ to 100’ out at POCO on one of the smaller ranges where I could holster up and go for it. I’m not a great shot but I was smiling as I saw lots of holes very close together wherever I aimed. That slide feels like it’s on ball bearings and I don’t know if it’s the grips but I didn’t feel much snap or felt recoil during my little outing. I didn’t have my camera at the range but here are some photos of the gun in question.
Although I have been shooting for years it’s always been a bit of a solitary sport for me until recently. I am taking the Black Badge course this month at POCO and plan to shoot my qualifier in Kelowna on Oct 10th . I’ll be using this pistol for the course and qualification and I’ll give a supplementary report at that time.
Mike in Vancouver
