Recently I got my hot little hands on a new Springfield Armory 1911 Range Officer Elite 10mm pistol. Years earlier, I’d bought a similar pistol, a Springfield Armory 1911 TRP pistol chambered in .45 ACP. I’ve always loved that production version of the FBI contract gun, so I was anxious to compare it to this new 10mm. While there are subtle feature differences between the two pistols, the big stuff is the same or similar enough for government work.

Both pistols are steel with G10 grips – made for hard use. The weight is almost identical with the 10mm Range Officer tipping the scales at 41 ounces empty and the TRP at 42. There are some subtle differences in features. For example, the sights are fiber optic on the Range Officer and Tritium on the TRP. Given the slimmer profile of the 10mm case versus the fat .45, you’ll get an extra round in the 10mm pistol. The two included factory magazines hold eight rounds compared to the standard seven in the .45 ACP.

Read the rest: 10mm or .45 ACP? The Springfield Armory TRP – The Mag Life