Springfield’s New 3.5-Inch Prodigy Hybrid Keeps the Short Slide and Gives You the Whole Grip Back

GENESEO, ILL. — Springfield Armory released a new 1911 DS Prodigy that pairs a 3.5 inch bull barrel with a full length grip module, and the result is 18+1 rounds of 9mm behind a short slide.

The 1911 DS Prodigy 3.5″ AOS 9mm is not the same pistol as the Prodigy Compact 3.5″ already in the lineup. That gun uses a shortened grip module and a 15 round magazine. This one keeps the small slide and gives back the full grip, which is the configuration a lot of carry shooters have been asking double stack 1911 makers to build for years.

Two 18 round magazines come in the box. Springfield’s 1911 DS magazine line has been built around 15, 17, 20 and 26 rounders, so the 18 appears to be new.

The barrel is forged stainless steel with a black DLC coating. The slide is forged carbon steel in black Cerakote, milled to accept Agency Optic System plates with integral rear sights. Springfield shortened the beavertail grip safety and recontoured the hammer to pull in the profile.

The polymer grip module uses Springfield’s Adaptive Grip Texture and mounts to a hardcoat anodized, black Cerakote 7075-T6 billet aluminum frame. There is a strip of Picatinny rail on the dust cover and an ambidextrous manual safety.

Steve Kramer, vice president of marketing for Springfield Armory, said the new variant is “as equally at home in an EDC holster as it is on the range.”

MSRP is $1,582. Each pistol ships with an AOS cover plate, a Docter/Noblex footprint AOS plate, and a coupon for a second plate of the buyer’s choosing at $49.

Springfield is also producing a 10 round version for restricted states, listed as PH9114AOSLC. It carries the identical $1,582 price tag. Same barrel. Same slide. Same frame. Same grip module. Eight fewer rounds.

The pistol weighs 29.3 ounces, runs 7 inches overall and stands 5.5 inches tall. Sights are a tritium front post with a black serrated rear, and the recoil system uses a captured guide rod. The barrel is match grade with a 1:16 twist.

Compare that to the Prodigy Compact 3.5, which is also 7 inches long but 5.1 inches tall. Same length front to back, four tenths of an inch more grip, three more rounds. That is the whole pitch for this gun in one line.

Short slide with a full grip is a combination that tends to work for concealed carry, because slide length rarely drives printing and the grip is what you need to run the gun.