I'm not sure if I've posted this before or not..

Local shop doesn't have Long Beach Operator.  

Where to pick one up online?

I will bite. What is a Long Beach Operator?  Makes me thing of some long haired surfer dude with an epic beard in San Diego.

Looks like a somewhat custom/limited run 1911 from Springfield Armory.

from the following: http://blackflagtactical.wikia.com/wiki/Springfield_Long_Beach_Operator_1911

Background

The Long Beach Operator is a 1911-A1 model handgun from Springfield Armory that closely mimics it's parent pistol, the MC Operator. Per a request from the Long Beach, California Police Department, Springfield Armory built the Springfield Loaded Operator Long Beach Police Mod 1911, more commonly called, "the Long Beach Operator".

How the Long Beach Operator Came to Be

Long Beach Police Department places a RFQ with Springfield Armory for several hundred custom spec'd 1911's to outfit their entire police department. Springfield designed the Long Beach Operator and started to manufacture them as quickly as possible in order to fill the order when the LBPD would later place the order. LBPD finally places the order but lowers the quantity to 147 1911-A1 Handguns, so as to only issue them to their SWAT and Tactical Teams. Springfield Armory finished building somewhere right under 1000 of these Long Beach Operators, and after filling LBPD's order, sold off the remaining inventory on the Civilian market as a Limited Run, Loaded Operator Long Beach Police Mod. There is none and has never been any information pertaining to the LB Operator at Springfield's website, www.springfield-armory.com, as it is not a standard production model but a limited run. It should be noted that Springfield Armory still builds the Long Beach Operator at least once every two years in quantities of less than 500 at a time, to ship to distributors. Because of this, if the LB Operator is a 1911 you want to purchase, it could take several months to find one, and if you do see one, you should purchase it right away and not pass it up, as most gun stores will have less than 10 of them on hand.


Parts and Differences

Like all Springfield model 1911s, the LB Operator is a series 70 pistol and does not feature the firing pin safety plunger in the slide, nor does it contain the extra parts on the sear/disconnector pin used to deactivate the firing pin saftey plunger. Unlike the MC Operator from which the Long Beach Operator spawned, the LB Operator is entirely coated in Springfield's propriety coating Armory Kote, in Satin Black. The entire gun is built on Carbon Steel Forgings, and contains all parts that the MC Operator does, minus the MEUSOC standard Pachmayr Gripper Wraparound Grips. The LB Operator utilizes a pair of Black G10 Grips made by 10-8 Performance. Also, unlike the MC Operator the LB Operator has an extended bolt-on magwell flaring from the bottom of the handguns grip, this helps make tactical mag changes quicker and easier for the shooter. Tijicon's Tritium Night Sights in a Novak sight are standard on the LB Operator as well as a SS Match Grade barrel and GI Guide Rod assembly. The LB Operator comes chambered only in .45ACP, like all good 1911's do. Springfield has been known to ship the LB Operator with a number of different magazines, all of which come with the rubber slam pad on the bottom due to the grips magwell. Early model LB Operators shipped with Wilson Combat 47D mags or Wilson Combat 47 mags. Most models built within the last couple years ship with 8rd nickel plated Mecgar mags.

These guys have one in stock and sell on-line.  Scottsdale Gun Club

They have a big retail store in Az. No sales tax if shipped out of Az.

Here you go. I was just checking this out.

Buds Gun Shop

This is the first I have heard of this model.  You've just added another 1911 to my list.  Thank you.  NOT.

PSA had a Loaded Black Operator in the case at the Fernandina store last weekend.

ETA: LBO was a limited run gun. About a year ago, they made it a production gun, the Loaded Black Operator.

Are there any noted differences between the limited and production runs?  Fitment?  Parts?

They both fall under the Loaded line. My older gun has the parts numbered and came with Wilson mags. If you want a TRP Operator with Novak style sights, these are close. They are missing the checkering though.

I went mc loaded operator, newer edition with the octogrip.

shows up on wed.

A guy had one F/S F/T in a local classifieds yesterday, I was talking to him last night about it but he has all of a sudden stopped communicating even though I offered him exactly what he wanted as far as a Trade/Cash combination...almost ready to mark it up as another Armslist flake.

I bought one last year had to do some searching but they are out there. Just a couple of weeks ago I received a bunch of in stock emails so a batch must have shipped good luck! I LOVE mine!

ARFCOM rules,  get both.

Picked one up for 1109 shipped, hope I did good

That's a solid price in my area. If I recall, the last one I saw at PSA was about $1150 plus tax.

What grips do you have on the MC Operator?

Those are the factory grips on the new style.

Gunbroker is where I got mine for $1050. Love the thing but do want to have SACS eventually do a few things.