Springfield Armory EMP

[tonyjones]

Does anyone here shoot and carry one of these? Please offer your thoughts as to what you like and dislike about these pistols: reliability, concealability, accuracy, etc. I lean toward the .40 S&W version.

Thanks,

Tony

[Low Budget Shooter]

Tony, my daughter has one, 9mm. I like it alot. It is very easy to shoot accurately, and is as small as a 1911 gets. We have shot almost all cast bullets in it.

[tonyjones]

Low Budget Shooter,

Did you or your daughter experience any hiccups or failures to feed during break-in? Which cast bullet design(s) are you using? Does your daughter's pistol have a tight throat requiring deep seating of the bullets?

Thanks,

Tony

[AKtinman]

Tony, I have had a 9mm EMP for a little over 2 months. It replaced a Sig Sauer P938, which was a good gun, but the end of the grip pounded me right in the middle of my palm, even with the extended magazine. The EMP has a little longer backstrap and fits me just fine.

So far I have put a little over 200 rounds of factory jacketed ammo through it with no jams or misfeeds.

I did fire one magazine of 125 gr Cast Lee TC over 3.5 gr Bullseye through the gun. Accuracy was fine, but the load was too light to reliably cycle the action, so need to raise the powder charge a bit.

This is a very easy gun to shoot and I like it being a “real” 1911 vs the P938.

If you buy an EMP, three magazines, a polymer holster, and magazine holder are included.

The EMP fits just fine in a Milt Sparks Summer Special for the Colt Officer’s Model and is very comfortable for carry.

When I get some spare time, I will work up a cast load for the EMP and S&W 1911. Hopefully one load will work fine in both.

This is my first Springfield and I am happy with it. This is one of those guns that makes you think one isn’t enough ;)

[35remington]

Please keep in mind that as 1911's are microsized and the breechface only goes to the back of the magwell before returning forward the propensity for malfunctions increases. The slide has an enhanced chance of outrunning the magazine compared to a full sized pistol.

Not that a gun of this type WILL jam....just that it's more likely to the smaller you make it. Reliability is about putting the odds in your favor. If you want to stack odds in your favor.....going too "micro" isn't the way to do it.

[AKtinman]

35rem: You make some good points in reference to downsizing a full-sized 1911, but the EMP was scaled down as a complete new gun, so may avoid some of the issues you mentioned.

Time will tell.

[shoot-n-lead]

There are plenty of those "micro" guns that run like champs...everyone that I have is reliable.

[pme166]

I have a 9mm EMP and like it a lot. I have a bit of concern with a slightly off center firing pin hit but it fires every time and I called Springfield and they said if I want to, send it in and they will fix it. Lifetime warantee to me the original purchaser so I am just living with it.

A couple of comments. The 9mm is accurate because it is a tight chamber. Quality ammo works great in it and is quite accurate. Start cheaping out or getting some surplus (long bullet noses are bad) and it will occasionally hang up and not activate the disconnnector. Decent reloads or good factory and not an issue.

I don't carry it as much as I expected. I was looking for a lighter 9mm to reduce the weigh of my P7PSP but I found that the heal of the butt tends to dig into my back with a VM2 holster. Springfield will round over the heal of the butt but then I have to do a frame refinish so I have just lived with it.

Bottom line, Accurate, light, reliable but I just have not found the perfect carry position for it yet.

[35remington]

AK, if the breechface only goes as far as the back of the magwell before returning forward, it's got the same problems as the rest. The new buyer should evaluate these carefully. Ironically, the micro sized guns which need to be the most reliable are the most likely to malfunction.

[tonyjones]

Do the 4" guns eliminate this issue or does one really need a full size 1911 to be worry free? I can always carry my S&W M&P 340CT.

Thanks,

Tony

[35remington]

Not a problem with the 4 inchers. It's when they get to 3.5 and below that travel problems really crop up.

[Boogieman]

Short 1911s can be reliable if they are set up properly. They need good mags with extra power springs and recoil springs need to be replaced regularly. Amo needs to be chosen carefully

[AKtinman]

AK, if the breechface only goes as far as the back of the magwell before returning forward, it's got the same problems as the rest. The new buyer should evaluate these carefully. Ironically, the micro sized guns which need to be the most reliable are the most likely to malfunction.

35rem: Thanks for teaching me something new! I was not familiar with the issue you had described.

Here is a photo of the 9mm EMP with the slide locked back, with the disconnector not visible under the slide. There is an additional 1/8" or so of rearward slide travel, so I'm thinking the EMP would not face the same problems as the micro sized guns you described.
http://www.fototime.com/7A0B558F4579E1C/standard.jpg

[35remington]

AK, compare that amount of breechface travel with a full size 1911 for a real eye opener. Point is, the small sized 1911's don't have a lot of time for the new round to get into place before the slide starts going back forward. The less time they allow, the more likely to jam they are.
Since most 1911 magazine springs are relatively weak and the magazines are designed for full size guns that allow much more time for the round to rise, the propensity for bolt over base misfeeds is very real.

Having said all that, at least a 9mm single stack magazine does not have to lift as heavy a round(s) into place in time as a 45 ACP single stack.

1/8 inch past the magwell is not awe inspiring and far less than a full size, which goes past the disconnector (!!!) in its travel, but at least it's better than flush with the magwell.

Do NOT let mag springs get weak in tiny 1911's.......and lighter JHP rounds are easy to get into place in time than heavy ones. Less inertia. If you can find a magazine that holds less rounds and has more spring, use it. Wolff extra power mag springs are probably a very good idea if available.

[1911KY]

I put 1,500 rds thru my EMP, all factory ammo, with zero issues.

It was accurate, light and reliable. I carried it often but decided to go away from 9 mm, to consolidate my calibers.

It did have some rattle upon lockup, if that matters to you, but never caused any issues. I wasn't a fan of the smooth frontstrap and 3 dot sights.

[tonyjones]

I'm taking all of this in. Please keep posting your thoughts, observations and experiences.

Thanks,

Tony

[Low Budget Shooter]

Tony, no, I don't remember having hiccups during break-in of EMP. Gun has been happy with Miha 9mm, Lee 356-125-2r, NOE 358242. Yes, throat is tighter than some other guns---356-125-2R has to be seated slightly deeper to feed in EMP than in our M&P9.