Lightweight SR1911 or Range Officer Compact?

[TomJ]

I'll looking at trading one of my safe queens for a lightweight 1911. I'd like to stay with a barrel length of 4" to 4.25". The two I'm considering are the SR1911 and SA Range Officer Compact. I have the stainless SR1911 CMD and love it and have a SA stainless Mil Spec. It's been great as well.

It'll be used as a range gun as well as a carry piece from time to time. I'm leaning towards the Ruger, however it is a newer model. I'm not aware of any issues with it and know Ruger's customer service is outstanding. Does anyone have first hand experience with either of these, and is there a reason to go with one or the other besides personal preference?

 

[JTQ]

The Range Officer Compact has an Officer size grip. http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/1911-range-officer-compact-45-acp/

The rest of your guns use the same full size magazines as the Ruger. For that reason I'd pick the Ruger.

 

[WhoMe?]

I generally think Springfields are a higher quality weapon however I'm not a fan of the bull barrel/no bushing set up of many of their compact 1911 offerings. Of the two choices offered by the OP, I would prefer the Ruger in this case.

 

[Lucky Derby]

I'm not a fan of the sub 4.25" 1911s. They have just never ran right for me. I think it is the bull barrel, no bushing set up. So I'd go with the Ruger.
Of course, others don't seem to have this issue.

 

[WC145]

Well, they both have alloy frames and similar barrel lengths. The big differences are that the Ruger has a barrel bushing and the ROC doesn't and the ROC is a CCO size pistol, which, as has been pointed out, has a shorter Officers ACP length grip. The Springfield bushingless barrel design has been around a long time and is well established as reliable and accurate (it's used in the TRP Operator as well as the 4" and shorter models), and the ROC has been out long enough to have proven itself as well. The only difference between this new Ruger and the existing SR1911 CMD is the frame material so it should be as reliable as the steel ones.

IMO, the bottom line becomes whether or not you want a more concealable pistol - the ROC - or one with a full size frame - the Ruger. Magazines won't be an issue as the ROC will run with full size mags, they'll just stick out a little, no big deal on the range or for spares.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I recently compared these two side by side. The ROC has a shorter grip, Officer size, which feels weird in my hand. I much prefer the standard length grip. I put the ROC back and ordered a lightweight SR1911.

 

[bannockburn]

I like the design features that the lightweight SR1911 has with it and I also like the full size frame it uses though I have no problems with the shorter Officers Model frame either. Go with the one that suits you the best.

 

[wingman]

I have a SA ultra compact, never fails, accuracy is excellent.