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Springfield Range Officer or Loaded Model
- Thread starter bonnellt
- Start date
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ChristianPatriot
Grandmaster
Define better? What do you want out of it? Range gun? Carry gun? The Range Officer is the more accurate competition based gun. I carried a Loaded for a while. Great gun. A lot more goodies than the RO.
I hate seeing these threads, as I've been talking myself out of buying a RO for the last few weeks. Mine will be mainly range use, so I'd go RO.
Like above, what is your intended use for the gun? That will help people answer the question.
If you want to answer your own question, read this...
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/365790-springfield-1911s.html
Like above, what is your intended use for the gun? That will help people answer the question.
If you want to answer your own question, read this...
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/365790-springfield-1911s.html
ChristianPatriot
Grandmaster
Range Officer's are fantastic. Everyone should have one.
Both are equally great firearms, depends on what you wish to do with it. If your going to carry and the loaded model you are looking at has the low mount novaks that would be a good choice. If target shooting the Range Officer would be hard to beat. I have a Springfield Combat blackened stainless i like very well, close to a loaded version minus the ambi safety. Have no experience with the Range Officer but have only heard great things about one.
Can only vouch for the RO bought it in the 9MM and it is dead accurate with an excellent trigger. Would have to put it right up there with my TRP!
If you read my thread that TTB Yeee linked to, you'll see I went with the SS Loaded. The reasons I went with that model over the RO is that I liked the look of the SS model better and I prefer the novak style sights over the bomar sights. Very nice gun, though the trigger was slightly gritty and a bit heavier than I'd expected (close to 6lbs). With a couple hundred rounds through it, the trigger is a bit better, but I ended up buying a C&S trigger kit for it that I'm going to have ChurchMouse install for me. I think that'll bring it down to around 4lbs, which is what I want.
If you want a 1911 that's easy for an armorer to do upgrades on that has the most compatibility with the 1911 platform, the Springfields are a good way to go. If you want to get a 1911 that you don't do much to in the way of upgrades, the Sig Sauer 1911's are pretty nice for the money. Don't get me wrong, you can do upgrades to the Sig 1911's, but some of their parts are non-standard, so you might pay more or have a harder time finding parts. Right now, CDNN Sports has the Sig Nightmare model on sale, for just a bit more than you'd pay for a SS Loaded:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/369729-nice-sig-sauer-1911-deal.html
I have a Sig TacOps 1911 that I picked up for a really good price on Thanksgiving and out of my three 1911's, it's easily the most accurate. It's also become my favorite handgun. Oddly enough, it also has the heaviest trigger, but with the accuracy it has out of the box, I can't complain. Good luck with your decision. It'll mostly just come down to personal preference. What finish you like best, which sights you prefer, etc. I'd bet that either model you choose will make you happy.
If you want a 1911 that's easy for an armorer to do upgrades on that has the most compatibility with the 1911 platform, the Springfields are a good way to go. If you want to get a 1911 that you don't do much to in the way of upgrades, the Sig Sauer 1911's are pretty nice for the money. Don't get me wrong, you can do upgrades to the Sig 1911's, but some of their parts are non-standard, so you might pay more or have a harder time finding parts. Right now, CDNN Sports has the Sig Nightmare model on sale, for just a bit more than you'd pay for a SS Loaded:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/369729-nice-sig-sauer-1911-deal.html
I have a Sig TacOps 1911 that I picked up for a really good price on Thanksgiving and out of my three 1911's, it's easily the most accurate. It's also become my favorite handgun. Oddly enough, it also has the heaviest trigger, but with the accuracy it has out of the box, I can't complain. Good luck with your decision. It'll mostly just come down to personal preference. What finish you like best, which sights you prefer, etc. I'd bet that either model you choose will make you happy.
I have the RO. I liked everything but adjustable rear sight which was easy to replace (well for AllenM to replace).
Which sight did you get?
Had a loaded and sold it to try something different. Not a bad gun after trigger work was done but pretty loose fit (you could hear the slide rattle on the frame when you shook it), that said it seemed accurate & reliable so I can't say the sloppy fit was an issue, I just expected it would be comparable to similar priced guns and it bugged me. The full length two piece guide rod is just a bad idea in my opinion, mine came unscrewed a time or two, but it can be pitched & replaced for a reasonable cost.
I'm going to buy an R.O. as a back up gun to my Les Baer, I suspect for an IDPA / Steels / USPSA gun the r.o. will give me what the loaded did but for less money. I haven't checked but I think the guide rod issue goes away also.
If I was going to put more than R.O. money into a Springfield I'd save a bit and get a TRP or Target. I think you start to get into real quality fittment with those and have been impressed shooting friends guns.
I'm going to buy an R.O. as a back up gun to my Les Baer, I suspect for an IDPA / Steels / USPSA gun the r.o. will give me what the loaded did but for less money. I haven't checked but I think the guide rod issue goes away also.
If I was going to put more than R.O. money into a Springfield I'd save a bit and get a TRP or Target. I think you start to get into real quality fittment with those and have been impressed shooting friends guns.
It depends on what you are looking for. The Loaded has a lot of little upgrades that make it a well rounded 1911. The Range Officers tend to be more about function and accuracy. I went with the Loaded for my first 1911 because I wanted something in a Stainless Steel finish. It seems to be pretty accurate too. I have shot it side by side with my older brother's TRP and it was pretty close to the TRP in accuracy. But I would not go so far as to say it is equivalent. My next 1911 will probably be either the Range Officer Compact or the MC Operator. For the money, the MC Operator offers a heck of a lot of bang for the buck, pardon the pun.
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