Review: Springfield Armory Garrison 4.25 inch 9 mm

Earlier this year, Springfield Armory expanded its Garrison 1911 pistol series with two new 4¼-inch barrel models chambered in 9mm Luger and .45 ACP. Similar to the full-size Garrison 1911 models released in late 2021, these smaller variants are available in classic hot-salt blued carbon steel or rust-resistant stainless steel. With a design that combines classic and modern 1911 features, the Garrison 1911 4.25 is a solid choice for a defensive pistol. Let’s take a closer look at that.

Although smaller than the original models, Springfield Armory’s new Garrison 1911 4.25 pistol is no slouch in quality, featuring a forged steel frame, slide and barrel for durability, low-profile iron sights, an extended thumb safety on the left side and checkered thin wooden handles. The traditional aspects of the design are complemented by a push-button magazine release and one-sided slide release. Although it is modeled after a classic 1911 look, the Garrison 1911 4.25 also features modern improvements such as a match-grade stainless steel barrel, a skeletal hammer, and an extended beavertail grip safety with memory bump (the latter helping to minimize the chance of hammer bite ). To complete the package, there is a traditional barrel bushing system for easy disassembly.

The company made these guns with enthusiasts of the classic 1911 aesthetic for their carry pistols in mind.

“The Garrison is designed to appeal to those who respect tradition and demand the quality that Springfield Armory 1911 pistols are known for,” said Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing at Springfield Armory. “With the addition of these new 4¼-inch models to complement the original 5-inch pistols, fans of classic 1911 pistols have a great new EDC-ready option.”

For my review I chose the Garrison 1911 4.25 chambered in 9mm Luger. While there is little doubt that the .45 ACP cartridge has more stopping power, the advantages of the softer-shooting 9mm Luger in a 1911 steel pistol made it a more attractive option, at least for this evaluation. Additionally, the Garrison 1911 4.25 has a fully supported ramp to the barrel, meaning the ramp is actually part of the barrel itself. When the 9mm Luger cartridges release from the follower, they are guided into the barrel chamber via this ramp, providing more support to the rears of the cartridge cases. Not much can go wrong with this setup, especially with higher pressure ammunition.

With a shorter slide and barrel, the Garrison 1911 4.25 has an overall length of 7.9 inches, but the height is still 5½ inches, just like the previously released full-size models. The weight (loaded) drops to 34 ounces, which is a quarter pound less than its government-length big brothers, thanks to cutting three-quarters of an inch from the slide and barrel. Despite the reduction in size that brings the weight to less than two pounds, the Garrison 1911 4.25 has enough weight to manage recoil well, while still being compact enough to carry around.

The three-hole skeletonized trigger shoe has a serrated surface and an overtravel adjustment screw. It has a short shot and, combined with the light-feeling recoil, makes this pistol a fast shooter.

As for sighting duties, the Garrison 1911 4.25 uses a set of traditional, low-profile iron sights with three white dots that fit into the slide and do not disappoint at the range.

The Garrison 1911 4.25 chambered in 9mm Luger comes with a nine-round magazine. (The .45 ACP model has a seven-round magazine.) Because it is a single-stack gun, its capacity is not as high as other guns in this segment, but for the Garrison 1911 4.25 there are aftermarket magazines available, including recessed 10 pieces. -round ones from Wilson Combat and Chip McCormick.

Both Garrison 1911 4.25 pistols look attractive, with a smooth matte finish on the slide and frame bullets. The look is further enhanced by polished surfaces that emphasize the shine of the carbon or stainless steel.

ON THE SHOOTING BENCH

After receiving the gun and giving it a quick oil, I headed to the range. I started outside with a falling Bianchi-style plate rack at 10 yards and after getting comfortable with it, I knocked over steel with ease while drawing from a concealed holster. Cleaning the plate rack was a simple job. Later I decided to stretch the Garrison 1911 4.25 at a USPSA cardboard target at 50 yards, which resulted in more hits in the A zone than the C zone. While I haven’t pushed the limits of the gun at longer ranges, the Garrison 1911 4.25 certainly has the capabilities to go beyond 50 yards.

The first thing I noticed after shooting the Garrison 1911 4.25 is that the muzzle is minimal, especially compared to a polymer rifle. In the hands, the Garrison 1911 4.25 feels solid, as a pistol built from forged steel components should be. The checkered, thin wood handles with a double diamond pattern are as functional as they are beautiful and worthy of wearing the Springfield Armory double barrel logo. This weapon also does not jump as you would expect from a weapon with a shorter barrel. The heavier weight of steel softens recoil well, despite its smaller size. Thanks to the smooth trigger and the hammer-forged barrel of equal quality, this pistol is a pleasure to shoot, especially quickly.

To evaluate the accuracy of the Springfield Armory Garrison 1911 4.25 chambered in 9mm Luger, I chose five different factory loads, including two from Federal: Syntech Training Match 124-grain and Federal Syntech Range 115-grain. Both federal offers are total loads of synthetic jackets. Along with the Federal options, I went with Fiocchi Range Dynamics 147-grain all-metal jacket load, Hornady’s Critical Defense 115-grain with the company’s FTX (flex tip expanding) bullet and Winchester’s Defender 147-grain jacketed hollow point load.

As you would expect from quality factory ammunition options coupled with an excellent trigger and barrel combination, all of the loads I tested provided excellent accuracy. At 30 feet from a rest, each load hit at least one five-shot group less than an inch, as well as the averages of five groups topping out at just 1.7 inches. The Garrison 1911 4.25 liked Hornady’s Critical Defense 115-grain FTX load the best with an average group size of 1.26 inches, but Federal’s Syntech Range 115-grain TSJ cartridge had the best group of the day with one size of 0.818 inches. With good ammunition, this pistol is no slouch in terms of accuracy.

ACCURACY TABLE

BOTTOM LINE

Finally, the Garrison 1911 4.25 pistol is a classic version of the venerable 1911 in a smaller size with many upgrades that give it a custom feel at an affordable price.

During my evaluation there were no malfunctions after firing about 500 rounds through it.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY GARRISON 1911 4.25 SPECIFICATIONS

MSRP for the Garrison 1911 4.25 pistol is $868 for the blued carbon steel model and $917 for the stainless steel model. If you’re looking for an everyday bag from 1911, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better bargain than this. Learn more at springfield-armory.com.