The Garrison was first offered in .45 ACP and is now available in 9mm. The Government-size 1911 is built from forged components and comes in hot-salt blue carbon steel or stainless steel.
April 22, 2022
By J. Scott Rupp
The 1911 is a traditional favorite for many pistol shooters, and they're still as popular today as they ever were. That's why companies like Springfield Armory continue to bring out great models like the Garrison . First introduced in .45 ACP, brand new is the 9mm version.
The Garrison's thumb safety is extended, and the grip safety sports a memory bump for sure deactivation. The hammer is skeletonized for a faster lock time. It's a Government-size 1911, and it's available in hot-salt blue carbon steel or stainless steel, with a matte finish on the rounded top and high polish on the flats.. Both feature forged steel slides and frames. It has a five-inch barrel forged stainless steel match-grade barrel that is fully supported and ramped. It is 8.6 inches overall, with a weight of 38 ounces. The recoil system is the traditional GI-style short rod, with the standard barrel bushing. It comes with one nine-round flat-base magazine.
The sights are low-profile combat with white dots. They're fast to acquire. The Garrison is a classic design, but it has some bells and whistles that make it appealing to today's shooters, starting with the sights. They're low-profile combat three-dot, with the rear drift-adjustable for windage.
Unlike a lot of 9mm 1911s, the Garrison employs a traditional barrel bushing. The gun has the standard GI-style recoil system. The safety is extended for easy operation, and it has an extended beavertail. The skeletonized hammer decreases lock time, which aids accuracy.
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The thinline wood grips have the traditional double-diamond, with Springfield's cross-cannon logo in the center. They look fantastic on both versions, and at least for me the thickness is just right for a solid grip on the pistol.
I didn't bench-test the pistols for accuracy yet, but I did take the opportunity to run some ammo through the stainless steel version—which is my favorite because I like stainless pistols. The gun ran without fail, and if there's a more fun centerfire semiauto to shoot than a full-size 1911 in 9mm...well, I don't think I've come across it yet. There's very little muzzle flip, and the highly visible sights come back on target really quickly.
The thinline wood grips look and feel great. The mainspring housing is checkered, the fronstrap smooth. Both of these guns are lookers, and if you're a fan of traditional Government 1911s, either one would make an excellent addition to your gun safe. The blued version goes for $849 while the stainless gun sells for $899. Those are great prices for such heirloom quality pistols, and because they're from Springfield—famous for its forged components—you know they'll provide a lifetime of reliable service.
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The three-hole trigger proved excellent, breaking cleanly at just under four pounds right out of the box.
