By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
Not long ago at all- just fifty years ago- when I began shooting pistols and didn’t understand the value of money as much as I do now.
Eventually I had a number of 1911 handguns modified. Some were done by masters such as the Action Works and Novak’s Gun Shop. Others were done by gun butchers. At the time there were few quality 1911 handguns. Colt was about it and then Springfield came along with a number of very good pistols. Today there are factory 1911 handguns offering good quality service pistols all the way up to high end 1911 handguns with excellent features. My favorite size carry 1911 is the Commander type. This is a 1911 with a 4.25-inch barrel compared to the five-inch Government Model. The pistol may have an aluminum or a steel frame. Most Government Model 1911 handguns from the major makers have a Commander type understudy. Recently Springfield Armory introduced a Commander version of the Emissary pistol.
The Springfield Emissary Commander is similar to the Government Model 1911 in appearance but with a shorter slide and 4.25-inch barrel. The Commander doesn’t have a light rail in the dust cover as the full size Emissary does. The Emissary Commander features a steel frame.
This is a single stack magazine design with the standard 1911 type single action trigger, slide lock safety, and grip safety. The pistol features a nicely blued slide and stainless steel frame. The slide is a tri cut type. Forward cocking serrations are nicely cut into the angled slide. The pistol fits standard 1911 Commander holsters.
The sights are an excellent design for all around defense use. They are fast, very fast on target but precise enough for use to 50 yards or more. The front sight is a tritium dot with a self-luminous roundel surrounding the tritium. The rear sight features a semicircular white outline under a wide U notch. This makes for real speed in target acquisition. The sight is a wedge type that allows racking the slide on a heavy belt or boot heel. A final touch- the grips are slim line types. The pistol measures about 2/16 inch thinner than most 1911 handguns.
A bold feature of the Emissary is the front strap treatment. The pattern may be called a grenade style. There is nothing sharp about this design. Rather than cut into the front strap in the style of high end custom pistols the grenade type is forged into the front strap. What we have coupled with the grips is a very good balance of abrasion and adhesion that offers a firm firing grip but which is never uncomfortable. The slide lock safety is properly fitted with a sharp indent. It is more difficult to place on safe than off safe as it should be. The feed ramp is properly polished with the requisite 1/32nd inch gap between the halves of the feed ramp. The grip safety is a well designed modern beavertail with memory bump. This grip safety helps shooters using the thumbs forward grip keep the safety depressed. We sometimes cup the palm and miss the grip safety. This won’t happen with the Emissary’s design.
The grip safety properly releases its grip on the trigger about halfway into compression. If you release the grip safety it springs back and makes the pistol safe. The grip safety is intuitive and requires no thought to de-activate as you grasp the handle. The slide lock safety falls under the thumb easily and isn’t difficult to operate. The pistol is properly carried cocked and locked hammer to the rear. The pistol is actually locked as the slide is locked in place with the safety applied.
Springfield eliminated the barrel bushing in the Emissary for a bull barrel lockup. The barrel hood locks into the slide snugly and the locking lugs roll into place with a snug fit. The less play in the lockup the less eccentric wear. Normal even wear is part of any machine. Eccentric wear results from slop in the works.
The Emissary is delivered with two eight round MecGar magazines. A bold feature is a squared trigger guard. This may impact how the pistol fits certain holsters. The squared trigger guard will allow the shooter to use the finger on the trigger guard firing grip popular a generation or two ago. The trigger breaks at a clean five pounds without creep or backlash. The pistol is made drop safe by a lightweight firing pin and heavy duty firing pin spring.
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Accuracy testing- five shot group at 25 yards
Load Group in inches
Federal 230 grain American Eagle 2.65 in.
Remington UMC 230 grain 3.0 in.
Federal 230 grain HST 2.0 in.
Federal 230 grain Hydra Shock 2.6 in.
Speer 230 grain Gold Dot G2 2.55 in.
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The square trigger guard makes the pistol a uneasy fit with many 1911 holsters. I used the Falco Holsters Nylon inside the waistband holster during the evaluation and when carrying the pistol later. This holster repels perspiration and moisture and offer real comfort. There is a reinforced sweat guard shielding the handgun from the softer body parts and the belt clip is spring steel, not plastic. I like this rig very much. (Falcoholsters.com)
Firing the original Emissary was a joy. The Commander version actually weighs the same as many Government Model 1911 handguns, a good weight for a .45 ACP Commander. The pistol is also available in 9mm Luger. The .45 ACP offers good wound ballistics, a full powder burn even in shorter barrels, low pressure and excellent accuracy potential. The pistol proved easily handled in off hand fire. The pistol is fast from leather, very fast.
The Emissary Commander rides high on the Falco leather belt for concealment in this holster and the draw is sharp. During the evaluation I found the Emissary Commander like most Commander size pistols faster on the draw than most Government Model handguns. There have been no failures to feed, chamber, fire, or eject. The pistol is controllable in rapid fire. Get a solid sight picture, fire, allow the trigger to reset again and fire when the sights are re-aligned.
I also test fired the pistol for accuracy potential firing from an MTM K Zone shooting rest. I am not certain what this had to do with combat shooting but I confirmed sight regulation and accuracy. The pistol is about as accurate as the five-inch version as often happens with properly fitted Commander type pistols. The smallest group fired with the Emissary Commander was actually smaller than with the full size Emissary tested a few months ago. This is certainly a good pistol to ride with and one of the more exciting handguns to come along in quite some time.
Specifications:
Caliber 45 ACP
Barrel 4.25 inch Match
Sights U-notch rear, tritium front
Grips VZ Grips Thin-Line G10
Magazines Two eight round
Weight 38.5 ounces
Length 7.75 in.
Height 5.25 inches
MSRP $1,279
