To say that no other handgun has been as celebrated, discussed, coveted and produced as much as the Model 1911 by gun designer John Browning is an understatement. Long past the century-old mark, this ubiquitous firearm design shows no sign of fading in popularity or practical use. Springfield Armory is well known for its comprehensive lineup of 1911 pistols, with models and variants to serve just about every purpose and fit every shooter.
The Garrison model stands in the center of this impressive family of guns as the 1911 that has its feet in two worlds. On the one hand, it is a nicely tuned and carefully built handgun that is pleasing both to the eye and the hand. On the other hand, it is a practical tool — a rugged pistol meant to withstand everyday use.
Targeted Move
Springfield Armory is introducing the new Garrison Target model, which brings to us the same rugged elegance of this popular 1911 model with a purpose aimed (pun intended) at the target shooter. The new target model does away with the three-dot combat sights and outfits the pistol with a set of high-quality Bomar-style adjustable target sights.
The Garrison Target is available in both .45 ACP (tested here) and 9mm Luger. The finish is available in a beautiful and traditional hot salt blued over carbon steel, or a lustrous stainless steel. The target model is a full-sized 5” barrel 1911 in a traditional configuration, including a short GI-style guide rod. While the Garrison is a very traditional 1911, there are some updates that make it a gun worthy of modern expectations.
The skeletonized and bobbed hammer and lightened alloy trigger are noticeable modern touches. The widened manual safety and enhanced beavertail/grip safety also make the Garrison fit today’s expectations for user function and ergonomics. These newer touches are grounded to tradition by such details as the thinline double-diamond checkered wood grip panels and the smooth front strap. Should that tradition ever be in question, one need only see the timeless logo of Springfield Armory, bearing the crossed cannons that is cut into each wood panel.
With nearly 2½ lbs. of weight, the Garrison Target is substantial in the hand and capable of absorbing much of the recoil offered by the .45 ACP cartridge. When chambered for 9mm, that recoil impulse is faint indeed. The overall length of 8.6” provides ample sight radius for the precision target sights. The distance from the rear notch to the front dot is 6¾”. The height of the pistol is 5.5”. That’s the same height as the Garrison pistol with combat sights.
Read Paul Carlson’s Springfield Garrison review to get the scoop on the original 1911 pistol.
In other words, you don’t have to worry about the gun fitting into any boxes, holsters, or meeting regulations at a match. Inside that height resides the included single standard seven-round magazine in the .45 (nine rounds in the 9mm version). I tested the gun with that and also aftermarket 8-round magazines without any issues. The 5” barrel is forged stainless steel, match grade, with 1:16 rifling. That barrel is held true by a precision-fit bushing made of stainless steel.
Success in Your Sights
Of course, this is the Garrison Target — and the big distinguishing feature is the sights. With all of today’s options for aiming at your target, things can get real confusing really quick. Do you need an electronic optic, or iron sights? If iron sights, then which style? There are so many to choose from! What do target sights offer that “regular” sights don’t?
For starters, adjustability. While combat style sights can be drift-adjusted for windage, the adjustments are fairly crude. Adjustment for height is usually not available with combat sights. Then there are electronic optical sights, which are good options but not always the desired tool for the job. For competition, the use of an electronic sight almost always puts you into a special category, or might not even be allowed. Additionally, there are inherent challenges with electronic sights, such as difficulty holding a zero, dead batteries, extra bulk, and risk of damage. The best solution for many has for years been a quality adjustable steel sight.
The Garrison Target is equipped with a high-quality Bomar-style adjustable rear sight that is paired with a nicely matched front sight. One of the traits of many “target” sights that I don’t care for is that there is often too much “air space” in the rear notch. What I mean by this is that when you align your front sight in the rear notch, there is a great deal of space on either side. This allows you to move the muzzle significantly right or left and still have the front sight in the notch. This can be several degrees of motion, and even at distances like 15 yards or less, can place your shot an inch or so off center.
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Sure, the answer to that is “just keep it in the middle and you’re fine”. This is certainly true, but for me personally it’s like staring at a golf ball on a tee for a long time before taking the swing. I start to over analyze my alignment, trying to eyeball the space on each side and get it just perfect. Perfect is the enemy of good, and it causes me to have poor groups because I’m not using the same sight picture for each shot even though technically the front sight is in the notch each time.
The adjustable rear sight of the Garrison Target and its companion front sight blade with bright white dot are nicely sized to help avoid this problem. The rear notch is 0.120” wide and the front sight blade is 0.120” thick as measured by my calipers. The distance between them leaves just enough gap for me to easily see that I am centered in the notch without proving so much space that I move it around trying to even it up. The brain can easily measure the thin gaps for equality, but the more gap you have the more it will question the evenness.
To make adjustments to the rear sight is simple and intuitive. A small, thin-bladed screwdriver is used for both elevation and windage adjustments. Keeping such a tool in the range bag is highly recommended. The windage screw indicates the adjustment direction for Left, and the elevation screw indicates the adjustment for “Up”. As you slowly turn the screws to make your adjustments, there is a tactile click in the notched wheel. There is considerable range for elevation and windage, so getting a good zero at any distance should not be a problem. And unless there is and impact to the sight, it will hold that zero forever until adjusted again.
The sight is well constructed of steel and mounted via a dovetail cut. The rear of the slide has a special cut to accommodate the rear of the sight when in its lower adjustments. It is a low-profile sight but as viewed by the shooter it has considerable size. The rear sight is all black with horizontal serrations to eliminate glare and help accentuate the front sight. That front sight has a small white dot for precision aiming.
1911 Garrison Target Specifications
| Chambering | .45 ACP, 9mm |
| Barrel | 5″ |
| Weight | 39–40 oz. |
| Overall Length | 8.6″ |
| Sights | Adjustable rear, white dot front |
| Grips | Thinline wood |
| Action | Single-action |
| Finish | Blued |
| Capacity | 7+1, 9+1 (one magazine included) |
| MSRP | $999 |
Shooting the Garrison Target
The sight picture is crisp and intuitive. I found the sights to be extremely good for rested shooting as well as off-hand shooting. This gun can go from a Bullseye competition directly to an IDPA match and be perfectly suited for each.
Of course, it’s an all-steel 1911 so it has wonderful balance and as mentioned absorbs recoil very well. Rotating through a few standard range grade ammunition brands, there were no malfunctions or hiccups of any kind. I was pleased with the 15-yard accuracy both off-hand and rested. I was able to easily shoot 1½” groups, five rounds at a time. I had “best three” groups with all holes touching at just a hair over ½”. Taking some time to find the optimal load should provide the user with reliably tight groups that will win matches.
The Garrison Target is built tough and tight. The slide to frame fit is one that would be expected on much higher priced custom 1911’s. The barrel lockup is also tight as a drum. These are the extras you can’t find on the spec sheet or see in the brochure photos — but make the Garrison Target a strong value. The thinline grips are ideal for my medium sized hands and the 20 lpi checkering on the mainspring housing keeps the pistol planted during firing. I found that I enjoyed the smooth front strap because it allowed me to tighten my grip on the pistol without any painful feedback to my fingers. The extra wide safety is appreciated and easy to swipe on and off with a flick of the thumb.
And saving the best for last, the trigger of the Garrison Target is excellent for a production 1911. It is an alloy trigger that is skeletonized with lightening holes and nicely serrated for good finger traction. It has an adjustment screw if needed for over-travel, though my copy was perfectly tuned from the factory. With just a tiny take-up to put you at the breakpoint, the break is crisp and light with a short and positive reset. My digital gauge measured the trigger break at 4 lbs., 4 oz. on an average of three pulls.
Final Thoughts
The Garrison Target is a welcome addition to the already rich lineup of Springfield Armory 1911 models. Fitting this pistol with top-quality adjustable target sights will make it a welcome option for many shooters. As much as I appreciate technology, there is something very satisfying about adjusting a set of iron sights to your target and aligning them properly for the shot that puts a hole in the bullseye of the target. That feeling of accomplishment, as well as the critical fundamentals of sight adjustment and alignment are invaluable lessons to teach a young family member. The Garrison Target is a perfect platform with which to teach those lessons. This affordable heirloom quality pistol is one to be appreciated and enjoyed for generations.
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