Springfield Armory EMP...

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Werewolf

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Saw an ad for the Springfield Armory EMP in the last issue of American Rifleman. Thought thats cool. Light. Would make a good carry gun and would fit in a number of IWB holsters I've already got. AND! To make it even better it's a 1911 that comes in .40S&W (my favorite handgun caliber for carry).

Gotta have one.
Wife saw the same ad. Said that's pretty neat. You ought to get one.

That clinched it. I was gonna get one.

Went to a local gun emporium to see if they had one in stock. As luck would have it they did. I got to fondle it. Very nice. tight. good trigger. It'd do. I was convinced. And it was a SA so I figured around $600 or $700 for it.

Then I looked at the price tag. $1089. Whoa! For an SA 1911? No way and especially not considering that I've heard and read that they're having QA problems lately.

Gave the gun back to the clerk and left. Called another local gun emporium. They wanted $1169! The difference - night sights.

Nope not going spend that kind of money on an SA 1911. Maybe Kimber (got one - the Ultra Tac 2) makes a 1911 in .40. they do but it is a full size and I want a compact 1911 in .40. No joy. Couldn't find what I wanted.

Then I started wondering. *** makes the SA EMP so darn special that it warrants a $1000+ price tag. I sure don't see it. I figured supply and demand. Called 4 other gun shops in town and one in a town about 40 miles away. All had them in stock. Can't be supply and demand.

So what the heck is going on here? I don't get it. What the heck makes SA so darn proud of the EMP that they can ask $1000+ for it? And what the heck is so special about it that people seem to be paying it?

Inquiring minds want to know.
 
I have a 9mm EMP and feel it's worth every penny ($900) I paid for it a few years ago. These days $1000 is a good price.
 
There are essentially no parts on the EMP that are interchangeable with a standard 1911 (grip screws and bushings may be an exception).

This means that there is no "economy of scale". End result--high cost.

They are exceptionally well-made; almost jewel-like. I was seduced by the 9mm version early on. I bought one in March of 07, thinking that there had been enough produced by then. Unfortunately, I got s/n 1073, and had a lot of trouble with it. Sent it back to Springfield, where they messed with it for a while and evenrtually replaced it with s/n 24xx. I shared some of the same problems as the first one did, and went back to Springfield as well.

Springfield was excellent to work with--they paid for shipping both ways, both times, threw in a free mag here and there, and fixed it right, but by that time I had had it.

A local CHL got a good deal on my EMP with only about 150 rounds downrange with 4 mags for $825. :)
 
Last I heard Springfield controlled all parts and mags. No aftermarket That might be changing since been out a couple years. I will keep my Defender and New Agent They work fine
 
what make the EMP so special in the Springfield line is that it is basically a Custom Shop gun...like the Professional Model (about $2500)

it isn't a .45 ACP 1911 rechambered for a 9x19mm or .40 cartridge. it is a 1911 stlye pistol engineered to the size of the 9x19mm...the timing of the action has been optimized to be reliable with the shorter length. i think they are worth what they charge and think that is a pretty good price for the .40 with the steel frame.

i should have bought one back when i could have for $900, but they just went up another $40 and i was happy to find a new 9mm package for <$1k
 
I have the EMP 9mm paid $900 after taxes etc it came to $1052.00 OTD. I love this weapon and find it to be very accurate. It's slick and beautiful. Never had any issues with it. 100% reliable.
I saw a EMP 40 cal yesturday at a gun show for $969.00.

It's only money, I look at guns as an investment so to speak. You can't lose owning good quality guns. jmo.
 
There are essentially no parts on the EMP that are interchangeable with a standard 1911
Click to expand...
Not true. Many parts are the same.

The EMP is finely made. Fit and finish on mine is exceptional. It's as tight as any 1911 I have owned. Runs like a top and 100% dependable.

Pricey? Yea, but very, very nice. Catch a good deal nice used one one of these days. Just keep your eyes peeled everywhere. :)
 
emp's are reengineered 1911 design pistols around the smaller 9mm/40al cartridges. as a result they are inherently much more reliable than a 45acp 1911 that as simply been "chopped" to 3inches.

the timing and slide cycle of the EMP is designed for the 3inch barrel/short slide.

here's EMP40 (one of the lightest recoiling 40cals i have fired by the way):

Pic4145016.gif
 
Saw one at H&H in OKC last night. Didn't ask to see it, though, the price tag kind of scared me away.

But I did come home with this:

reuben.gif

The 1911, not the reuben. :cool:

I've read that the 9mm version is quite difficult to come by and in high demand. The one I saw last night was in .40
 
Springfield's new pistol is called the "EMP" (for Enhanced Micro Pistol). This slick little pistol has a 3-inch barrel and weighs only 23 ounces, yet it has a 9-round magazine capacity and a large enough grip that your little finger doesn't dangle helplessly in the air.

To put the EMP in proper perspective, you need to realize that a Walther PPK/S in .380 ACP weighs a tad over 22 ounces and is only slightly shorter and thinner than this new pistol. The new EMP measures 6.6 inches long. In effect, Springfield Armory has designed a 9mm 1911 pistol that is only slightly larger than a .380 pocket pistol.

To accomplish this Springfield made alterations to some 15 different parts of the 1911 pistol. The slide is shortened, and in doing so, the Springfield design engineers also had to shorten the extractor, the firing pin, and the firing pin spring.

The EMP's frame has also been shortened, and this also required the shortening of the trigger bow. (Springfield refers to this new shortened and enhanced firing mechanism as a "short-action 1911" kind of like the way riflemen have been referring to the different action sizes of bolt-action rifles.) Also shortened was the plunger tube and spring that interacts with the slide stop and thumb safety.

Springfield EMP Semiautomatic Pistol
Manufacturer: Sprigfield Armory
Model: EMP (Enhanced Micro Pistol)
Operation: Recoil-Operated "short-action" autoloader
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 6.6 inches
Weight, empty 23 ounces
Safety: Manual safety, grip safety, passive firing pin block
Sights: Fixed combat sights with tritium inserts
Stock: Checkered cocobolo
Magazine Capacity: 9 rounds
Finish: Anodized alloy frame, stainless-steel slide
Price: $1253 retail.
Springfield also reduced the diameter of the pistol's grip frame. Grabbing a standard 1911 pistol that has thin, concealment grips, I compared the circumference of the grip frames. The EMP's grip frame diameter was 1/4 inch smaller.

The EMP's stainless-steel slide has had all of the sharp edges radiused for shooter comfort. And dovetailed into the slide is a set of fixed combat sights with tritium inserts. The EMP is fitted with an attractive set of thin cocobolo grips that are checkered and have the Springfield logo.

The EMP's frame is anodized alloy, and the black frame with the stainless-steel slide gives a pleasing two-tone look to this pistol. The frame is also fitted with ambidextrous thumb safeties and a beavertail grip safety.
 
Just bought the 9mm version of the EMP. Took it to the range straight out of the box. Shoots great but I have some problems. First of all... I had a few FTE's during my 100 round visit to the range. Also... when the slide locks back after the last round has been fired, and another full mag is inserted... when I hit the slide release lever, the slide jams with the first round of the magazine half way inside the chamber. This happens almost every time. I even tried inserting the mag with the slide closed and cycling the slide back by hand to chamber the round and got the same result on several occasions. Anybody else had these type problems? I was going to use this gun for my carry gun but I'm not comfortable doing that with these problems.
 
Fullolead-

The general consensus is that there is a break in period on the EMP. 500rds or so of FMJ. After that, nearly everyone reports 100% reliability with any commercial loads.
 
Fullolead.
it sounds like the extractor may be tensioned too tight. if you know how to adjust it it's an easy fix.


DSC_0456.jpg

the 15 re-engineered parts in the EMP:
slide
frame
left grip panel
right grip panel
firing pin
firing pin spring
extractor
plunger tube
plunger spring
trigger
magazine tube
magazine follower
magazine spring
magazine base plate
magazine base pad
 
Wow! Cool pic. Who's gun? I'm not a gunsmith so I'm not sure I'm comfortable fooling with the extractor. Any instruction you'd like to offer?
 
Wow! Cool pic. Who's gun? I'm not a gunsmith so I'm not sure I'm comfortable fooling with the extractor. Any instruction you'd like to offer?
Click to expand...

are you having any problems? why do you want to mess with the extractor? usually if you're having ejection or feeding probs is the only time you look at the extractor, my friend.
 
What do you mean by re-engineered parts? I don't see the barrel listed here. Is it not re-engineered as well? Reason I ask is... The feed ramp on my full size 1911 is built into the frame (it eats everything I throw at it) but the EMP's feed ramp is on the barrel. Any indication that this could pose a problem like what I've experienced?
 
Fullolead. barrel hasn't changed, it's everything rear of the barrel that is shorter.

Springfield uses ramped barrels on everything smaller than 5"
Springfield's 5" 9mm & .40S&W use ramped barrels as well.
 
Yes, they were FMJ's. Can't remember the brand name. Can't remember ever shooting any of it before.
 
Thanks brother. Well... it's off to the gun shop to see what I can see. Wish me luck. I'll discuss all the options everyone has past my way. Thanks everyone. I think I might just put another 400 rounds through this thing today and see if the break in period theory holds up. At this point, I'm ready to try anything. I really want this gun to perform at the highest level.
 
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