This time lets look at its use in competition.
In NRA handgun competition, those generous magazines are wasted.
In Precision Pistol, colloquially known as bullseye, only five rounds per string are loaded.
Shooting right to left, Massad Ayoob strafes the first row of Pin Shoot’s 12 targets per run with the 1911 DS Prodigy. Image: Jeff Sourbeer
For the Precision games, the Springfield Armory catalog has many options for you.
I would point out that the Prodigy is a gun built for ammo volume.
Its also perfectly suitable for International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) matches, the concealed carry sport.
However, I was curious what sort of accuracy I could wring out of it at the bench.
Each group was measured twice center to center between the farthest hits, to the nearest 0.05.
Match Grade JHP proved the point.
The ammunition loads used by the author for accuracy testing the Prodigy at 25 yards. Image: Gail Pepin
All five shots were in a 3.10 group, but the best three were 1.35 apart.
Ive found Springfield Armory 9mms often group their best with 147-gr.
subsonic, and this one ran true to that observation.
Arrows show flying brass as Massad Ayoob demonstrates the Prodigy’s controllability in one-handed rapid fire. Image: Gail Pepin
Thats ample for any pistol match this old geezer is likely to enter these days.
But, the bench rest doesnt tell the whole story.
The ergonomics of a competition gun are best tested in…
Competition.
Grandmaster Tim Herron shoots the Prodigy, with which he has already won two local matches. Image: Courtesy of Tim Herron
The current incarnation is known as 9X12 because there are a dozen pins instead of the original five.
I thought this would be an excellent test for the Prodigy.
It gave me respectable times.
Shooting right to left, Herman Gunter III strafes down a plate rack with the Prodigy. Image: Gail Pepin
I shot the 9X12 match again, for comparison, with a Springfield Armory XD-M.
The Prodigys score was two-tenths of a second behind the XD-Ms for best time.
From my perspective, I think the Prodigy did quite well.
Tim told me, My Prodigy had a trigger pull of just under 4 pounds.
I typically run 2.5 lbs.
Accuracy has been good, and Im very happy with it.
It has been really good for a production gun for about $1,300.
It holds 2-2.5 at 25 yards offhand with CCI Blazer, brass or aluminum, so accuracy is good.
All liked the way it shot for them, and John flat stated his intention to buy one.
Clearly, the Prodigy is at home as a match gun.
And for its reasonable price and what you get, it seems like its a real steal.
