That's gonna be a spicy little gun! Make sure to get us a range report.
Spicy it is. Recoil is significantly more than 9mm but it is manageable. I am definitely gonna have to play with the back straps to see what I like best. With most full size handguns, I like the larger backstraps. However, the grip on this gun is too short for me. I was going to remove the mag well and go with the shorter base plate for the mags, but then my pinky has nothing at all to grip and just hangs out below the grip. With the mag well and 11 round base plate, I can still grip the magazine with my pinky and that helps control recoil and get the gun back on target. I have since switched to the smallest back strap. The smaller back strap actually allows me to get a better grip, since the grip area is too short for me.
The Hex Dragonfly optic seems reasonably nice and worked well. Today I bought a Crossbreed Super Tuck holster for it. I had to remove the optic to use the holster, which is ok by me. The factory sights on this gun are definitely useable. I also prefer to carry without the added bulk of an optic.
I was impressed with velocities obtained from this gun with a 3.8" barrel. I shot two brands of ammunition. Hornady Critical Defense 175 grain, and SIG Elite Performance 180 grain V-Crown. The Hornady ammunition gave an average velocity of 1080 fps, and the Sig ammunition gave an average velocity of 1235 fps.
Once sighted in, the optic and the gun performed admirably. At ten yards I could keep them all in a four inch circle or so. Given that the grip at the time was uncomfortable from the larger backstraps and the gun was new to me, I have no doubt the gun would shoot much better with some practice.
The recoil with the SIG ammunition was much more than with the Hornady. The gun ate 100 rounds of defense ammo without issue. The only stoppages I had were due to me riding the slide release lever and locking the slide open. Again, this was due to the larger back strap and not having enough grip. I have ran a few drills since changing the backstraps and it is better. Ultimately, I may end up purchasing the extended mags from Springfield and converting this to a full size grip. Although, ai think with more practice, I will become accustomed to the shorter grip.
I would go shoot it some more, but 100 roundd of defense ammo costed me $150, and I don't have the stomach to shoot up the good stuff until I have some brass and primers to load some range ammo.
Overall, the gun seems well made. Recoil is substantial, but not unmanageable. It shoots well and seems to eat up whatever I run through it. The ability to convert it to a full size grip and back to a compact is a plus for me. The trigger on this gun is excellent. Especially when considering the price. I have shot more expensive guns with triggers not as good as this one.
With a full mag, 11+1, the gun is pretty heavy, albeit not as heavy as a steel 1911. I am very happy with it so far, except for the length of the grip. In comparison, the grip on my Glock 43x is long enough for all my fingers to get a grip, even without the magazine. If that grip was a half inch longer on the Springfield, the gun would be perfect for me
