The Ronin EMP incorporates eleven proprietary parts specifically designed to spin up the 9mm cartridge in this chassis.
The end result is a shooting and carrying experience unique to this platform.
The Ronin family of guns comes in seven different configurations and three discrete chamberings.
How does the Springfield Armory Ronin EMP 4” 1911 pistol perform as a CCW pistol? Does it strike a workable balance between packability and real-world tactical performance?
Each gun orbits around a forged steel slide mounted atop a forged aluminum frame.
Within the Ronin line are two EMP variants a 3 and a 4 version.
For me, the 4 version represents a most fascinating compromise.
The Springfield Armory Ronin EMP 4” 1911 pistol is specifically designed to be part of your standard daily loadout.
Why Cant We All Just Get Along?
Is compromise a failed concept these days?
This particular Ronin EMP might just disprove that perception.
The author has carried the Springfield Armory Ronin EMP 4” 1911 pistol underneath his surgical scrubs in an IWB holster.
The 1911 Ronin EMP 4 handgun is easy to conceal while remaining eminently shootable.
It is the elusive successful compromise.
Particulars
The American gun culture has been a bit fickle when it comes to defensive handgun cartridges.
The satin aluminum finish matches the deep blue of the slide to make a beautiful1911-style pistol.
More than a century ago, John Browning dreamt up the .45 ACP because .38-cal.
handgun cartridges were inadequate for the task at hand.
With its luster properly restored, the 9mm is now the most popular defensive handgun round on the planet.
The author thinks the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro (left) is the top of the heap in modern polymer-framed striker-fired carry guns. And he also thinks the capable 4″ Ronin EMP hearkens back to an earlier era.
This makes the 9mm the obvious chambering for the 4 Ronin EMP.
On a 1911 pistol the frame is what interfaces flesh with machine, so its important.
The Ronin EMP frame is forged aluminum alloy finished out insatin aluminum Cerakote.
The Springfield EMP showed no problems on the range as the 1911 design lends itself to accurate shooting.
The slide is forged carbon steel sporting a lustrous deep blue.
The slide is what encapsulates the chaos, so it has to be as strong as is humanly possible.
If the frame is the foundation of a combat handgun, the trigger is the nerve center.
The Springfield Armory EMP 1911 4″ model is a key part of any EDC gear. Many people consider it as key as a watch, knife or cell phone.
The adjustable skeletonized Gen 2 Speed Trigger has been perfected by Springfield Armory over generations.
Left-sided controls are easily accessed, and the thumb safety is slightly oversized for easy access.
The magazine release is of the ideal dimension.
The wooden grips sport a rakish diagonal pattern that is both functional and attractive.
The front sight includes a fiber optic insert.
The rear Tactical Rack sight includes a pair of white dots for quick orientation along with glare-reducing serrations.
The cumulative effect is both fast and precise.
Range Time
The heart of the Ronin EMP 4 compromise balances concealability against practical performance.
The barrel and slide are an inch shorter than standard.
The full-sized frame gives you plenty of real estate on which to grab.
This equates to better control and precision.
Unlike most concealed carry pistols, the Ronin EMP 4-inch 1911 is both fun to shoot and deadly accurate.
I have launched quite a few rounds out of 1911 handguns.
I went decades without owning one before finally taking the plunge.
Now the collection is littered with the things.
1911 .45 is cool, but recoil is a real thing.
These old guns also drop their empties right on the top of your head.
Modern .45 ACP 1911s of the sort produced by Springfield Armory rectify whatever shortcomings the G.I.
originals might have exhibited, but they are still powerful guns with robust personalities.
By contrast, this Ronin EMP 4 pistol is an absolute dream on the firing line.
This gun is positively docile.
I ran everything from 147-gr.
hollowpoint defensive rounds down to 100-gr.
machined Black Hills HoneyBadger loads through it during our time together.
The gun ran 100% with everything and cycled like the precision instrument it is.
The gun also shot to point of aim right out of the box.
The attached performance data tell the story better than I might.
By definition, you have to give something up to get there.
Not so much this time around.
The Springfield Armory Ronin EMP 4-inch handgun is easy to pack and smooth to shoot.
Rather than diminishing the good stuff, it really is the best of both worlds.
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