Yup... another Springfield Prodigy 1911DS acquired to round out my collection. This one is an aluminum frame 4.25" Compact. Purchased used and scratched up for a really good price (my standard mode of operation). I don't plan to carry or train with it regularly, but I wanted an aluminum frame version to compare with my heavier steel frame guns as well as to have a lighter weight 4.25" version for those occasions when I want to carry something a little lighter than a steel frame Prodigy but bigger than my 3.5" Compact Prodigy. I didn't want any barrel porting done to this one, as I have come to appreciate the simplicity and lower maintenance of a non-ported gun.
Photos from the Gunbroker auction
I did a complete Prodigy Enhancement Package on the gun, which included dehorning the slide, frame, and controls, and then refinishing it in my custom DLC Mimic Cerakote color. I also refinished all of the other small parts to match the rest of the gun like the grip screws, mag release button, extractor, ejector, and hammer, which took quite a bit of extra work and time to do. It's a little difficult to tell the difference between my custom DLC Mimic and the original Graphite Black Cerakote in the photos, but it looks really good in person. I already had a previously textured Compact grip module that I took off of my 4.25" Carry Comp, so the 1911DS specific grip texture work was already done. I also did my typical trigger tuning to just under 3 pounds with the addition of a STI/Staccato long curved polymer trigger shoe/bow to gain some pretravel adjustment.
I recently upgraded both of my Staccato C2 optics from Trijicon RMRs to Holosun 508Ts to gain a bigger and more usable window size and I've been really happy with them, so I went with that optic on a Dawson Precision mounting plate, which appears to be a better fit on the slide than the factory optic plates. I also installed a black Dawson Precision tool-less guide rod with a keyed reverse plug. This new Prodigy specific guide rod in black looks really good with the black barrel, but it is a bit more expensive than the Atlas Gunworks guide rods that I include with my Prodigy Enhancement Package. I went with a Streamlight TLR-7 HLX compact light for this gun rather than a full-size light because I wanted to stay with the "compact" theme, and I already have holsters made for a 2011 style gun with that light.
The biggest downside to the steel frame Prodigy is that it is very heavy, so it's a little more difficult to carry all day long. This lighter aluminum frame version should be much easier to carry for extended periods. The downside to an aluminum frame is that it's long term durability will be reduced compared to a steel frame gun, which is why I don't plan to train with it regularly.
I took the Prodigy 4.25" Compact and my non-ported Staccato C2 with me to the range and shot them both together (with their lights removed), switching back and forth every two shots. The recoil impulse of the 4.25" Compact is virtually identical to the Staccato C2. Racking the slide on both guns gives me the impression that the spring rates are similar, and the weight of the two are very similar, so it doesn't really surprise me that the recoil impulse is similar. While I prefer the aesthetics of the Prodigy over the C2, the C2 returns to zero more consistently than the Prodigy. It's not a night and day difference, but the C2 tracks very consistently for me. This may be due to the C2's proprietary dual recoil spring system, but who knows. However, the Prodigy is also about half the cost of the C2, so take that for what it's worth. This Prodigy also shoots way better than my Staccato HD P4. 😜
