Springfield 1911 TRP AOS: Updated And Improved

What we love and what we hate about the 1911 is actually the same thing. An old design that has stood the test of time, the 1911 is not easy to manufacture. It is labor-intensive and requires expensive methods of production. If you want a top-tier 1911, you’ll also need it to be hand-fitted and that will cause the price to skyrocket.

You might hate the cost, but what drives the cost is exactly what makes the 1911 special. Reducing the cost requires that you reduce what you love about the platform.

This is the paradox of the 1911.

Springfield Armory’s 1911 TRP was released in the late 1990s after the FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) adopted the Springfield Professional as their primary pistol. The Professional was a more expensive 1911 that was semi-custom and hand-fit. But if you take everything else about the Professional, and reduce the cost of manufacturing a bit, you end up with the TRP. 

The TRP is built for the balance between quality and cost but refuses to compromise on quality where it matters. Match-grade barrel, aggressive grips, easy-to-shoot iron sights and just enough aesthetics to make it sexy.  

That is the TRP people have known and loved for almost 30 years. But like most things, technology can still make it a little better. Enter the TRP AOS.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 1911 TRP AOS .45 SPECS

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Color: Black or Tan
• Barrel: 5″ Forged Stainless Steel, Match Grade, 1:16
• Slide: Forged Carbon Steel, Black Cerakote®, Optics-Ready
• Frame: Forged Carbon Steel, Two-Piece Magwell, Coyote Brown or Black Cerakote®
• Sights: Tritium Front, Black Serrated Rear
• Recoil System: 2 Piece N.M. Full-Length Guide Rod
• Grips: VZ Grips® Hydra™ G-10
• Magazines: (3) 8-Round
• Weight: 39.2 oz
• Length: 8.6″
• Height: 5.5″
• MSRP: $1,999

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 1911 TRP AOS CC 9MM SPECS

• Caliber: 9mm
• Color: Black or Tan
• Barrel: 4.25″ Forged Stainless Steel, Match Grade, Fully Supported Ramp, 1:16
• Slide: Forged Carbon Steel, Black Cerakote®, Optics-Ready
• Frame: Forged Aluminum Alloy, Carry Contour, Coyote Brown or Black Cerakote®
• Sights: Tritium Front, Black Serrated Rear
• Recoil System: 2 Piece N.M. Full-Length Guide Rod
• Grips: VZ Grips® Hydra™ G-10
• Magazines: (3) 9-Round
• Weight: 27.3 oz
• Length: 7.9″
• Height: 5.5″
• MSRP: $1,999

THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT

A lot of the time when you try to bring back the classics with a modern style, it just doesn’t work. Take any live-action-remake Disney movie for example. They might have something in common with the masterpiece, but they’ve lost all the magic. 

Maybe that is why Springfield has taken what feels like forever to finally update and expand the TRP line. It might have taken a long time, but the results speak for themselves. This is the TRP you should know and should love, but now made better with the AOS system and offered in 9mm.

The TRP has been a long-time favorite for a workhorse 1911 that normal people can still mostly afford. While $2,000 MSRP isn’t inexpensive, it’s a good middle-ground if you want a great American-made 1911 but aren’t willing or able to pay custom prices that can be double or more. 

Just about any checkbox you could ask the TRP to fill, it does. It’s pretty enough to be a BBQ gun or a safe queen, but reliable and durable enough that you can honestly count on it as a duty or defense weapon if you want to. 

That magic of the TRP wasn’t lost with this update, it was made better.

These new TRP models have the same iron sights if you don’t want to take advantage of the AOS system, but also have an industry-leading optics system if you do. A rock-solid mounting option that has been proven durable and easy to configure is a pure enhancement upgrade for the TRP. But one you can ignore if you choose to.

And at the same MSRP, there is just nothing to complain about.

NOW IN 9MM

Maybe this is my hot take for the week but let the record reflect that if you ask me: the best AKs are ones in 5.56 NATO and the best 1911s are in 9mm. .45 ACP might be the classic American cartridge, but 9mm is better. 

The TRP in 9mm with the AOS system is a treat of a pistol to shoot. Even in the 4.25-inch barrel model instead of the clearly superior 5-inch model, the 9mm TRP still feels great in your hands. Made with an Aluminum frame instead of steel for the CC model, this comes in almost 12 ounces lighter than the steel full-size .45 ACP TRP and that weight reduction helps a lot if you want to carry it. 

I can only imagine the steel-frame 5-inch version of the 9mm would be an even softer shooting 1911 that might be the crown jewel of the new TRP lineup. 

The only major difference besides caliber between this new 9mm version and the older .45 ACP models is the fact that these carry 9 rounds of 9mm in the mag instead of only 8 .45 ACP.

Putting the new 9mm TRP through the paces was a lot of fun. I tested a wide range of ammo like Federal HST, Hornady Critical Defense, and SIG Sauer V-Crown. Most of the ammo used in this review was 124gr Sellier & Bellot provided by Ammunitiontogo.com!

Throw a great red dot on top like the Trijicon RMR-HD and you have the final evolution of John Browning’s masterpiece.

AGENCY ARMS AOS SYSTEM

We’ve covered the AOS system a lot in the past but it is worth a more complete explanation if this is your first time reading about it.

The Agency Optics System was designed by Agency Arms and is hands-down one of the best optic mounting platforms around. Springfield has made great use of the system incorporating it into pistols like the 1911 DS Prodigy.

AOS uses a plate system that combines the rear iron sight and a mounting plate for the optic into one unit. The plates are interchangeable in AOS system cuts so any plate will fit any gun cut for it. There are a number of plates available that cover just about all of the optic footprints on the market.

The AOS plates also let you choose between irons forward of the dot or irons behind the dot depending on what plate you get.

The plates are easy to install, easy to use, and are designed to actually take a beating.

Adding them to the TRP is the perfect way to update the TRP line.

LOOSE ROUNDS

If you’re a fan of the old TRP but want something a little more modern that can mount optics, the new TRP AOS is a fantastic choice. If you want to get into the 1911 world and need a Goldilocks 1911 that will last a lifetime, the TRP AOS is a clear front-runner and you won’t be disappointed. 

The TRP is a known value and easily one of the best factory 1911s on the market. Springfield has kept all of that while only adding to it by enhancing the capability of it with the AOS.