# Range Report: Springfield Loaded Ultra Compact



## Playboy Penguin

I was worried about this gun after I bought it. It was a bit of an impulse buy and I was afraid I had made a mistake. I already had a micro 1911 that I loved and I was afraid this one would not live up to it's predecessor.

I took it to the range today (along with three other 1911's) and put it through it's paces. I ended up putting 250 rounds through it and ignoring the other guns I took. I was shooting 230gr Winchester white box.

*FORM:* This is a 1911 and you don't get much better than that form wise. This is a particularly nice looking one too. The build is solid stainless and is very well put together. The stock wood grips are well fitted and attractive. I also like the FLGR.

It is also pretty small. Not quite as small as my Para Slim Hawg but almost. It should carry very easily.

*FEATURES:* This gun is nicely equipped. It comes standard with nite-sights, wood grips, FLGR, a nice trigger, a very nicely design grip safety, and ambi-safety. I really do like the grip safety better on this gun than on my Colt's or my ParaOrd.

*FIT & FINISH:* This is one tightly fit gun. It is very nicely put together. It was almost too tight. It took a couple hundred rounds before it started to feel fluid and smooth. The tolerances are very tight and the finish is very nice. The polished parts are well done and the flats are very even and well finished.

*FUNCTION:* I was a little worried, what with this gun being so tight. I thought it might take some breaking in for this gun to function reliably. I had also heard bad things about the stock mags.

All of my fears were put to rest at the range. The gun functioned flawlessly from round one. It fired all 250 round today (300 total) without a single malfunction.

I could notice a small bit more recoil in it than in my commander sized 1911's but nothing you would notice if you were not looking.

Accuracy wise I could not see any difference between this gun and my other larger 1911's. It shot nice tight groups at 10 yards and had not trouble sending the metal spinners flying at 30 yards. Being a .45acp made it take a second to get back on target after each shot but I found it pointed very nicely and when firing rapidly I could keep them all on the torso at 10 yards with little effort.

*FLAWS:* The only flaws I can find with the gun are minor. I do not prefer nite-sights. I prefer 3-dot but that was not available. Also, they could have de-horned/beveled the front edges of the slide. The Para Slim Hawg is de-horned/beveled and it makes a difference.

They could also come up with a shorter name. Springfield Armory Loaded Ultra Compact is quite a mouthful. 

*FINAL IMPRESSION:* This gun is a definite keeper. It is like having a full sized .45acp is a small and easily concealed package. It is a very beautiful gun also and has a ton of features. If you are a 1911 guy and want a great CC gun then you might want to look at this one. This is definitely an A+ gun. As far as micro 1911's go I would give it a good 9.5 out of ten. The only things keeping it from getting a 10 is the lack a beveled edges, lack of 3-dot sights, and being a tiny bit larger than my other micro 1911.


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## Baldy

Glad you got a winner. My wife had been looking at that pistol for a long time but she run across a Kimber CDP Ultra at a show and bought it. I would say they are fairly close in size and everything. She shot a 96 last night with hers at the 20' to 50' range and IDPA targets. Here's hers. :smt023


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## Playboy Penguin

Baldy,

The Spriger and Kimber are pretty much identical in size. The Kimber is a little lighter due to it's aluminum frame. The Kimber also lists itself as holding an extra round but I could not get seven into the mag I tried to load.

How does your wife like that hot melt treatment they give those guns? I think they call it "carry melt."


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