Springfield Armory 911 Semi-Automatic 380 ACP Pistol

by Jeff Quinn

photography by Boge Quinn

December 11th, 2018

YouTube Video Link

 

Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

Pistol comes with 1 seven-round and 1 six-round magazine.

 

 

 

 

Excellent set of Tritium-illuminated night sights.

 

 

Loaded-chamber indicator.

 

 

 

 

Compact 380 pistols are still a very hot segment of the firearms market. While many people opt to carry a handgun on a regular basis, most are aware that they will never actually have to use the gun in a fight, thus most also opt for something light and compact, and the 380 fills the bill for many. The 380 has adequate power for a close-range defensive pistol, and while I prefer to carry a larger handgun every day, I know that most people do not, and I would prefer a 380 pocket pistol to being unarmed. Close up and personal, the 380 can get the job done if needed, and there are many good choices available in a lightweight, compact 380 pocket pistol. One such choice is the subject of this review: the Springfield 911.

The 911 is a single-action semi-automatic pistol, meaning that the hammer must be cocked before the trigger can release the sear to fire the weapon. The 911 has ambidextrous safety levers, and is intended to be carried cocked-and-locked, meaning hammer cocked and the manual safety in the “ON” position. To fire the weapon, release the safety and press the trigger.

The 911 is made primarily of metal. It has a steel slide and an aluminum frame, finished in a matte black, and wears durable textured G10 grips. The frame has a generous beavertail to protect the hand from hammer-bite, and the hammer is a rounded type, serrated laterally for a positive feel when cocking the hammer manually. The safety locks the hammer in place, whether cocked or not. The magazine release is on the left side, behind the trigger guard, where it belongs. The front and back of the grip area is also textured for a positive grip in any weather.

One area that is often overlooked on compact pistols is in sighting. The 911 has an excellent set of tritium-illuminated night sights, made out of steel. They are black with the familiar three-dot pattern, with luminous circles around the green tritium inserts. Perfect.

The folks at Springfield paid attention to details on the 911. The trigger pull is excellent, having a very crisp release with just four and three-quarters pounds resistance on the sample pistol shown here. The feed ramp is polished for smooth feeding from the stainless-steel magazines, two of which are included; one is a six-shot which fits flush with the grip frame, and the other a seven-shot extended version.

Critical specifications for the Springfield 911 are listed in the chart below. Weights are listed in ounces. Linear dimensions are listed in inches. Trigger pull is listed in pounds of resistance, as measured with my Lyman digital trigger pull scale. Height includes sights and standard flush magazine base. Maximum width is measured across the ambidextrous safety levers.

Chambering 380 ACP
Weight with Empty Magazine 13.9 ounces
Barrel Length 2.82 inches
Barrel Diameter 0.468 inch
Overall Height 3.92 inches
Overall Length 5.54 inches
Grip Width 0.94 inch
Slide Width 0.795 inch
Maximum Width 1.04 inches
Trigger Reach 2.36 inches
Trigger Pull 4.75 pounds
Magazine Capacity 6 and 7
Magazines Supplied 2
Sights 3-Dot, Windage-Adjustable Night Sights
Manual Safety Yes, Ambidextrous
Loaded-Chamber Indicator Yes
Accessory Rail No
Magazine Safety Hell No
MSRP as of December 2018 $599.00 US

I fired the 911 with every brand and type of 380 ACP ammunition available to me to check for reliable function. I fired several types of ammunition over the chronograph to check velocities, with the results listed in the chart below. Velocities are listed in feet-per-second (FPS), and were recorded ten feet from the muzzle of the little 911. Bullet weights are listed in grains. JHP is a jacketed hollowpoint bullet. TAC-XP and DPX are Barnes hollowpoint homogenous copper bullets. FMJ is a full metal jacket roundnose bullet. FP is a full metal jacket flat-point bullet.  PB is Cor-Bon Pow’RBall. HC is a hard-cast flat-nose lead bullet. Velocities were taken at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level, with an air temperature around the thirty-two-degree Fahrenheit mark, with eighty-two percent relative humidity.   

Ammunition Bullet Weight Velocity
Remington JHP 102 932
Super Vel JHP 90 960
Barnes TAC-XP 90 910
Cor-Bon JHP 90 963
Cor-Bon PB 70 1112
Cor-Bon DPX 80 1121
Handload JHP 88 997
Buffalo Bore JHP 90 1023
Buffalo Bore FMJ 95 906
Buffalo Bore HC 100 976
Buffalo Bore TAC-XP +P 80 1223
Buffalo Bore JHP +P 90 1157
Buffalo Bore FMJ +P 95 1004
Buffalo Bore HC +P 100 1034
CCI Blazer Brass FMJ 95 893

The Springfield 911 pistol functioned flawlessly with every type of ammo tested. Every cartridge fed, fired, and ejected perfectly. The slide is very easy to operate to chamber a cartridge. The magazine loads with very little effort. The trigger pull is a perfect single-action pull. There is no long, stacking, trigger pull on this weapon; just a light, crisp, short trigger pull, like a 1911, because it IS very close to a1911 in operation. Using the seven-shot magazine, the grip is long enough to get every finger on the pistol for easy control, even with my large hand. Even while using the Buffalo Bore Plus P ammo, the pistol is easy to fire, and easy to fire accurately. The 911 also conceals very easily and comfortably, with the slide being just a hair over three-quarters of an inch thick, yet having a barrel that is long enough to squeeze more velocity from a 380 cartridge.  Springfield also thoughtfully put an ambidextrous safety on this pistol for those of us who shoot with the left hand.  The 911 is a dandy little 380 pistol. It has an excellent feel, great sights, easy controls, and is reliable with a wide variety of ammunition. Springfield got this one just right.

Check out this and other Springfield Armory firearms and accessories online at www.springfield-armory.com.

For the location of a Springfield dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.

To order the Springfield 911 online, click on the Gun Genie at www.galleryofguns.com.

To order quality 380 ACP ammunition, go to www.buffalobore.com, www.midsouthshooterssupply.com, www.luckygunner.com, and www.doubletapammo.com.

Jeff Quinn

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Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magazine release is right where God intended it to be.

 

 

Slide locks open on an empty magazine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Vel and Barnes ammo performed very well in the 911.