In September of 2022, Springfield Armory rocked the shooting world when they introduced the Prodigy—a double-stack 9mm 1911 with a hybrid frame and optics-ready slide. Springfield machines the slide and frame from carbon steel and Cerakotes them black. The polymer grip module attaches to the steel frame and is textured for a secure firing grip. Prodigies ship with a flush-fit 17-round and an extended 20-round magazine. A 26-round magazine is also available.
The Prodigy would be just at home in a cop’s holster as it would a competitor’s. It has a full-length Picatinny rail and ambidextrous extended thumb safeties. While they are extended, they are not too wide for carry or duty use. At 3.75 pounds, the Prodigy’s trigger is one of the heaviest we tested but is probably just right for defense or law enforcement work. That being said, it did not prevent the gun from turning the smallest groups of any of our six contestants. Our aggregate group size for the three different 9mm loads tested was just 0.79 inches! With a suggested retail price of just $1,499, I expect Springfield Armory to sell a lot of these Prodigies!
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KC: “The Prodigy’s grip is just a little bit too fat for me to get a high thumb grip with my little girly hands without shifting my grip slightly. Its trigger is excellent as is and probably just right for carry and law enforcement use. Using my standard for a working man’s gun, a 25-year-old deputy definitely could afford to put this gun in his holster and he would be well armed!”
LG: “There’s a sharp edge at the bottom of the backstrap but that could probably be fixed in a minute or two with a nail file. I like how the frame is undercut at the triggerguard and the beavertail allows me to get a really high grip on the gun. It comes with good magazines and can also use 2011 mags. Given its intended use as a match or duty gun, I think Springfield was smart in Cerakoting the slide and metal frame instead of putting a high polish blue on those parts and jacking the price up. Given its suggested retail price, I think the only problem with the Prodigy is trying to find one!”
