{"id":97453,"date":"2018-09-30T00:24:57","date_gmt":"2018-09-30T04:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=97453"},"modified":"2018-09-30T00:24:57","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T17:54:10","slug":"sw1911-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/sw1911-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"SW1911 Pro Series 3\u201d 9mm: Full Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SW1911<\/a>

One of the newest offerings from the Performance Center at S&W, the 3″ 9mm SW1911<\/p><\/div>\n

The popularity of the subcompact 1911 has skyrocketed in recent years, particularly those chambered in the insanely popular caliber of 9mm. So, when a major player like Smith & Wesson announces yet another choice in this ever-more-crowded segment it might be hard to get really excited about it. That is until you shoot one. I\u2019ve tested many of the 1911 mini\u2019s in both .45 ACP and 9mm and they all seem to have left something on the table when making the compromises necessary to squeeze Browning\u2019s classic blueprint down to pocket sized. Most will tell you that John Moses never intended his pistol to be so small, nor did he intend it to shoot 9mm Parabellum. Doing either of those things almost always either leads to reliability problems or a no-frills gun that rattles like an old pickup going over railroad tracks. But somehow, the folks at Smith\u2019s Performance Center have found a way to make the 1911 mini-me in 9mm with all the bells and whistles that runs like a full-grown model. I don\u2019t know whether they sharpened their pencils or waved a dead chicken\u2026 but they pulled it off. I liked this gun more than I expected to\u2014let\u2019s talk about why.<\/p>\n

How It’s Built (Specs and Stuff)<\/b><\/p>\n

The SW1911 3″ 9mm Pro Series is a well-built handgun, starting with the selected specifications and “options.” And sometimes it\u2019s as much about what was left out. More on that in a bit.<\/p>\n

It starts with the decision to make a tiny 3″ 1911 pistol. Many have tried\u2014nearly as many have\u2026well, not failed,\u00a0<\/i>but struggled with challenges in reliability and accuracy. It gets further complicated by going with the 9mm chambering. A solid choice for sure when it comes to market demand, but a caliber that can be fraught with feeding problems (this author has experienced enough of that firsthand). Other considerations are the heft of an all-metal pistol compared to the plethora of pocket wonders on the market with polymer frames. Lastly, the issue of capacity has to be addressed. The consumer\u2019s expectation today is double-digit round count and near key-fob size for their carry gun. Is there really a market for a gun like this? I think so\u2014and clearly, Smith & Wesson thinks so.<\/p>\n