[hodge5]

I ordered one from Guns.com (good transaction), and it arrived at my favorite shop today. This is my first Springfield 1911, so naturally my first EMP.
I purchased it because I wanted something a littler smaller than a commander size- but I didn't want one that was too small. I didn't want to get into the range of a micro 1911. I also wanted something that was a little more than an officer size, hence the 4".
I was surprised that it's bigger than I had anticipated. I'm not disappointed, just surprised. I will attach some photos, for anyone who may be considering the same thing. The first photo shows the EMP beside my Dan Wesson Vbob commander, and the second shows it atop of the DW. It is extremely close in size, other than the slide/barrel length.

 

[hodge5]

I haven't gotten to my range to try it out, yet. A friend passed away in a plane crash at the beginning of the week, which has taken priority.

 

[hodge5]

Looking forward to your range report hodge5. Sorry to hear about the passing of your friend. It makes is especially difficult when it's sudden and unexpected.

Thank you.

 

[hodge5]

I was able to break away from work to go to my range yesterday. I'm going to send the slide off to have the bluing removed and coated in DLC, so I wanted to make sure it ran before shipping it. I had 4 failure to loads, initially. I was running brass cased ball ammo. After running two mags, it cleared up and ran reliably. It was probably a rough spot on the feed ramp. After that, I ran brass and aluminum cased ball, and it was 100%. I put 150 rounds through it.
I really like it. I didn't want a micro pistol, so I'm pleased at the size. It's reduced, but not tiny. It feels well in my hand. It's a keeper. I am not satisfied with the slide finish, but that'll be corrected soon. The hot salt bluing is very fragile. I must have scratched the top of the slide with my wedding band without realizing. I'm very careful and easy with my firearms, and the scratch took me by surprise. It was down to metal, and must have happened when I racked the slide.
Doing some research, hot salt bath bluing is not a superior finish. It is thin and topical- it is a controlled oxidation of the steel. It does not penetrate the steel, and does not offer superior abrasion resistance like other finishes. DLC is a new, physical vapor displacement finish with a rockwell hardness of 80. It performs much better than the bluing. For anyone interested, I'm sending the slide to Evolution Armory, and the total cost (minus my shipping cost to send the slide to them) is $128.95. That includes removing and reinstalling the sights, refinishing the slide in DLC black, and shipping it back to me.

Despite the fragile slide finish, I am super happy with my EMP. It is an excellent compromise in size, and it is a joy to shoot. The slide finish is the only thing that I'll change on the gun.

 

[hodge5]

I do like it. I've always admired the EMP, and glad that I finally got one.