Hello all... I havent found much to read on about the Champion... so here it is.

I'm looking to add another handgun to my collection... my HK p2000 is lonely all by itself h
After looking over my options for out of the box pistols, I like the pricepoint, reputation, and size of the Springfield Champion. I also like other offerings from Wilson (obviously) and Kimber in this size (4" Barrel). Currently, the Champion comes in 3 styles,

-- GI style that is stripped down - Wouldnt be bad if I was gonna do a complete refinish and rebuild later on, gives me a "cleaner slate" if i'm gonna chuck most of the parts anyway.
-- Lightweight model - I like the looks of this and the lighter weight, but not the Olive Drab frame... I could always have this refinished later in gray...
-- Stainless Steel - I like stainless steel for worry free maint. but dont like the look of the stainless frame also... I could always have the frame and parts coated in black, later, which will give me a nice 2-tone look that I like alot.

Overall i'm looking for a nice shooter, but also something nice to look at (i know, i know, function over form), but I always have my P2000 for get down and dirty use.

Any insight, opinions, and information on this pistol will be GREATLY APPRECIATED. I plan on making the purchase in late October/early November... I should be more than done with my custom AR15 by then.

-- O. Jeremy Miles
Medic
Richmond, Virginia

After messing around with mine because the factory could not even bother to put in the correct parts, I have a hard time recommending one. This is NOT one of SA better designs. The smallest I would recommend shooting a lot is a commander length. I CCW with a Defender LW SS and it's 10x the gun the Champion is, it has been 100% reliable since day one. I could never say that of the Champion. I like SAs guns mostly but not the Champion.

Oh my lord... thats totally opposite from the couple people I have asked about the Champion... I have only heard 1 bad story about a champion and that was the lightweight model... i believe you can find it on google, but its not like you dont hear about a lemon here and there about things... I have a cousin who's owned a lemon F-series superduty and got a new truck out of it, so... does anybody else have a story to share? i really hate to think i've got my mind set on a gun that sucks that bad, haha.

OJM

Quoted: Oh my lord... thats totally opposite from the couple people I have asked about the Champion... I have only heard 1 bad story about a champion and that was the lightweight model... i believe you can find it on google, but its not like you dont hear about a lemon here and there about things... I have a cousin who's owned a lemon F-series superduty and got a new truck out of it, so... does anybody else have a story to share? i really hate to think i've got my mind set on a gun that sucks that bad, haha. OJM

I certainly could have gotten a lemon. I won't argue the point. My biggest problem is that of the 3 SAs I have bought, all 3 needed the extractor set, the SS milspec had blued parts on it [SA was kind enought to send the proper ones] and the extractor had flashing in the rim cut causing problems until I filed it out and polished [The SS small parts on SA milspecs are not SS they are chromed or somwthing]. The Champion had it's own set of problems which, even tho I believe I have fixed now, has caused me not to trust it for CCW. The WW2 on the other hand was excellent save for setting the extractor, and replacing the recoil spring which lost tension unbelievably quick and felt like it was only a 10 or 12 pounder. I just threw in a GI one and it is a very nice gun. Accutate and tho the chamber is a bit tight, pretty much flawless, cept with PMC ammo which sometimes seems to be a bit oversize specwise.

Others I know have had no problems so maybe I just got unlucky. I went back to Colt after the Champion mess and I have had no problems. A lot of SAs problems lie in the fact they push them out to quick sometimes without setting things like extractors and trying them first. If demand slows down I would bet they would take that few extra minutes to get it right.

I purchased a Loaded Champion 2 weeks ago and have now fired 950 rds. through it. I am very happy with it. Only problem I had was with one of the mags which came with the gun. It doesn't lock the slide back every time after firing the last rnd. My three Wilson 47Ds have functioned flawlessly in the Champion including emptying the mag with rapid fire. Love my Champion, beats the hell out of my Glocks.

Quoted: I purchased a Loaded Champion 2 weeks ago and have now fired 950 rds. through it. I am very happy with it. Only problem I had was with one of the mags which came with the gun. It doesn't lock the slide back every time after firing the last rnd. My three Wilson 47Ds have functioned flawlessly in the Champion including emptying the mag with rapid fire. Love my Champion, beats the hell out of my Glocks.hr

Which model did you go with, the Champion Stainless Steel, or the Champion Lightweight? 950rds in 2 weeks ? eek, i have had my P2000 for over 6 months and probably have less than 600rds through it.

GI champion (parkerized)




added flat MSH and grips/screws

100% reliable with ball - shoots beyond my talents.

Best $403 I've spent in a while.

Anybody with a Lightweight or Stainless model ?

I have a loaded Champion Stainless.  I use it for CCW.  It has been very, very reliable.  My complaint was the dustcover rub, but Springfield took care of it, and paid for the trip, which I took advantage of and had the custom shop do a 25lpi checkering on the front strap.  
I love this pistol.  My Champ doesn't like Wilson mags though.  It doesn't always stay open on the last shot with them, but with the cheap ones from the factory, it is flawless.

The grips are also a must.  They are ultra slim, and don't snag my shirt like the factory grips did.

Here are some pictures.

Quoted: GI champion (parkerized) img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/AKsrule/champ1911.jpg added flat MSH and grips/screws 100% reliable with ball - shoots beyond my talents. Best $403 I've spent in a while.

Ditto. I bought a slightly used GI Champion for $320. I put some McCormick ultra thin carry grips on it and painted the front sight high-vis green. I love the gun. It replaced my Glock 36 and it competes on a daily basis with my G19 for carry.

I just like the full size 1911A1 pistols.
Springfield has the Tactical Combat Black Stainless Steel www.springfield-armory.com/prod-pstl-1911-fs.shtml.
I have the "regular" stainless PX9151L. It looks like THIS, but with a Videki match trigger, Novak target sights and a full length guide rod and Pachmeyer grips. I am going to add a Smith & Alexander mag well.
I use my pistol mostly for falling plate matches. I need to go to low profile Novak sights for snag proof carry.
Jim

I went with the stainless model. The 950 rnds. were done in two days at the range. 400 the first day and 550 a week later. To carry on duty the gun must fire 500 rnds to satisfy the instructor that there is nothing wrong with the gun. Normally they let you fire the 500 over a two day period but I got it in in 5 hrs. Hand sure was sore. Had fun though.
The gun comes back on target exremely fast during the rapid fire course. It recovered better than my Glock 23.

Sounds good... come to find out a buddy at work bought a champion stainless for his daughter to go off to college. He seems to like it

I dont blame ya with this gun over a G23... good shooting gun, but just a bit small for my hands.

Too small!! How big are your hands? Your not  thinking of the compact models are you? The Champion is built on a full size frame but has a 4" barrel rather than a 5".

A loaded champion was my first 45.  Was my EDC.  Its now being used by some predator head who looted it out of QS's Cherokee last month.  And yes the Security Cam, while grainy, did show the loota had dreds.  Now I carry a Warrior

Quoted: Too small!! How big are your hands? Your not  thinking of the compact models are you? The Champion is built on a full size frame but has a 4" barrel rather than a 5".

I was referencing the Glock 23 as being just a bit too small for my hands, not the Champion...