Rail-tech

American Handgunner, July-August, 2009 by Clint Smith

My personal deviation is a rail-equipped 1911 made by Dave Williams from Springfield Armory's Custom Shop. The Operator pistol is a full size 5" 1911 made with the 1913 version rail allowing for any of the best lights (SureFire, Streamlight or Insights Tech Gear as examples) to mount right up to the pistol on the rail. My street carry 1911 s are sans-rails so this was my first integral rail 1911. I use also use this Springfield pistol for carry and for daily work, and at the end of the day the pistol is checked and the light mounted up as it is placed at the night-ready mode.

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Some may find it odd but I in fact carry this pistol pretty regularly in a Sparks Summer Special, and I carry a SureFire X300 in my pocket, I've never had to draw the pistol and mount the light under duress, but I have used just the light to look for something I dropped under the car seat. I have often mounted the light to the pistol for training work in the Terminator here.

The Springfield 1911 has night sights that mostly help me locate the pistol at night in the dark. This Operator model built by the Springfield Shop works without a hitch, and wears a flat mainspring housing and a lanyard ring, reflecting an archaic idiosyncrasy of mine. Front and rear grip checkering on the pistol is excellent as always out of the SA shop, and the stocks are the gray-colored G10 high-level abrasion type. Along with forward slide serrations, the pistol is pretty much a non-slip piece of gear. This handgun is a strong piece of gear, made by competent people, and I spent my money wisely on this gun.