Might be the best $430 out the door I’ve spent in a long time.

[palmettomoon]

Grab a Gun has this Springfield GI model on sale for $499 right now. I might would pay a little more and get this over one of the Turkish clones right now.

Springfield Armory Defender 1911 Mil-Spec .45 ACP 5" Barrel 7-Rounds

The Springfield Armory Defender 1911 Mil-Spec is an entry-level member of Springfield's Defend Your Legacy Series. This 1911 style handgun is chambered in .45 ACP and features a 5-inch Match Grade stainless steel barrel, a forged Carbon Steel frame and slide, and fully-checkered wood grips. This...

grabagun.com

They are sourcing parts from partners in Brazil but finishing and assembling in the U.S. I read. They are nice pistols, the sales rep brought some samples by the store last year and I was impressed.

 

[Mark IV]

I've had several Springfields pass through my hands ( and none of them higher-end), and they all ran flawlessly. I'd be happy to get any of them back.

 

[palmettomoon]

I tried some (2) .38 stupid loads and they printed 4" left and not in a particularly group. Vihtavuori n320 may not be best for my purposes. 124 Eley competition bullets seemed to disperse. Xtreme cast 124 gr with copper plating did better. I'm going to try some old standard powders next.