Browning’s 1911 handgun is one of the most iconic handguns ever made. It’s reliable, accurate, and just downright cool. But it’s also a big gun with a long barrel.
This is fine for most applications, but when you are carrying concealed, it can be an issue. The weight and barrel length can make a 1911 hard, or at least uncomfortable, to conceal. This is one of the reasons the new 1911 3.5″ DS Prodigy AOS is perfect for conceal carry and self-defense.
This new model from Springfield Armory pairs a classic, single-action trigger and double-stack magazine with a 3.5-inch bull barrel. Because the firearm is built around the original Prodigy, they were able to bring the price down. You get custom performance at production-level prices.
It is an engineered hybrid built specifically for deep concealment. It does this by downsizing the footprint while maintaining duty-grade firepower.
3.5″ DS Prodigy AOS 9mm
The primary engineering philosophy behind this compact 1911 DS variant revolves around maximizing defensive performance within a shortened, concealable profile. It uses a forged carbon steel slide and a matching forged carbon steel frame. Both major metal assemblies are coated in a durable black Cerakote finish. This provides great resistance against friction and moisture.
Springfield Armory then permanently forges the steel frame to a high-impact polymer grip module. This hybrid construction allows the gun to feed from double-stack magazines without becoming excessively thick or heavy.
The compact slide assembly is machined with wide forward and rear slide serrations. This makes the slide easy to grip, even when your hands are sweaty or you’re wearing gloves.
Another thing I like about this new model is that it comes with a high-visibility tritium front sight post and a black serrated rear sight. For those who like using traditional iron sights, I found these sights superb.
But for those who prefer an optic, that can be added as well. Springfield Armory integrated their proprietary Agency Optic System (AOS) into the 3.5” Prodigy AOS. Developed in close collaboration with Agency Arms, this system uses steel plates to securely mount red dot sights to the slide. The optic plate design places the red dot at the perfect height to co-witness with the backup iron sights.
Double recoil spring
The 4.25-inch Prodigy uses a two-piece guide rod setup with a single recoil spring. The new 3.5” Prodigy AOS, however, uses a one-piece guide rod and double recoil spring, which I like. This helps with recoil management when firing rapidly or using heavier self-defense ammunition.
Because it is a captured guide rod system, the spring assembly is self-contained. This means you don’t have to worry about any springs flying out when taking it apart. The spring has plenty of force to load the round and close the chamber, but it’s still easy enough to perform a press check.
Disassembly
To field strip the Prodigy AOS, you need to use a small plastic sleeve to hold the guide rod in the compressed position. Of course, this little tool comes with the gun. I have some other brands of 1911s that have a small pinhole in the guide rod instead. On those, you must use a paper clip to hold the guide rod in the compressed position before it can be removed.
With the small sleeve that Springfield Armory uses, this process is much faster and easier. Once the slide is off the gun, simply compress the recoil spring. When you do this, the guide rod will push out past the end of the slide. Stick the small sleeve against the guide rod and let go. It will stay in place. At this point, you can slide the whole thing inward, towards the back of the slide until it comes out.
Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy 3.5″ AOS Specifications
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel: 3.5″ Forged Stainless Steel, Black DLC, Match Grade, Bull, 1:16 Twist
- Slide: Forged Carbon Steel, Black Cerakote, Optics-Ready
- Frame: Forged Carbon Steel, Black Cerakote
- Sights: Tritium Front, Black Serrated Rear
- Recoil System: Captured Guide Rod
- Grips: Polymer
- Magazines: (2) 18-Round
- Weight: 29.3 oz
- Length: 7″
- Height: 5.5″
- MSRP: $1,582
A good concealed carry option?
What makes a gun good for self-defense or concealed carry are often opposite features.
For a self-defense handgun, I prefer a higher ammo capacity. I also want the grip to be large enough to control the handgun under stress, should the unthinkable happen.
But when I’m concealing a handgun, I want a smaller overall footprint and shorter barrel, which normally means less ammo capacity. It also means the grip is often so small the gun is hard to control when rapid-firing under stress.
By shortening the barrel down to 3.5 inches, the DS Prodigy AOS is easier to carry concealed. They also used a recontoured, low-profile skeletonized hammer. This helps prevent the hammer from snagging on cover garments when drawing the gun.
Compact Slide and Full-Length Grip
Offering a 3.5-inch barrel with a full grip is a great balance between carrying comfort and shooting control. This shorter slide profile makes the gun more comfortable when carried inside the waistband, particularly when sitting or driving.
While the slide and barrel are shortened for concealment purposes, Springfield Armory chose to pair it with a full-length grip module. This specific configuration gives you a full-size grip for recoil management. It also allows you to hold the maximum amount of ammo in your handgun. In this case, it is 18+1. I also like that this 3.5” variant uses the same mags as the other Prodigy pistols. The gun ships with two of the 18-round magazines.
Despite the shorter sight radius, the 3.5” DS Prodigy AOS is still an accurate shooting pistol. This is in part due to the match-grade forged stainless steel bull barrel. This heavy bull barrel has a tough black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) finish, which helps it hold up well under extreme use.
The added front-end weight of the thick barrel helps make the gun feel balanced in your hand. This weight distribution keeps the gun shooting flat and helps with follow-up shots.
When you combine the shorter barrel and full-size mag with the traditional single-action 1911 trigger pull, you get a smooth shooting gun.
On the range with the 3.5” DS Prodigy AOS
When it comes to optics on handguns, I’m a bit agnostic. That is to say, I’m not a dedicated optics or iron sights guy. While I like optics on handguns, I often use iron sights for conceal carry guns. This is mostly because an optic makes the footprint just a little larger. But there are a lot of compact optics out there, and I have some on a few of my smaller handguns.
Before installing an optic, I decided to put a few hundred rounds of Hornady American Gunner 9mm 115gr XTP through it using the iron sights. This ammo is a great multi-purpose round that works for self-defense, hunting, and training.
I found the slide release a little slim and hard to work without shifting the gun slightly in my hand. But this is a handgun made for concealed carry, so I’m not sure I would want an oversize slide release anyway. With a background in law enforcement, I’ve always trained to rack my slide during reloads instead of using the slide release.
Mags dropped out extremely easily when hitting the large mag release button. With the slightly flared mag-well, performing mag changes was also an easy task.
Need a light?
Even though the frame is shorter, you still have just enough Picatinny rail to mount a compact light. I tried an assortment of lights I had on hand and found the Nightstick TCM-5B worked with it the best.
This light fits up against the trigger guard, sits flush with the muzzle, and is plenty bright for self-defense applications. Other compact lights will also work with this model, so there are plenty of choices, but this is the one I liked best on this gun.
Adding an optic
The 3.5” Prodigy handled extremely well on the range. Accuracy was great, cycling was smooth, and of course, the 1911 trigger made everything better. After this, I decided to mount the Vortex Defender-ST using the adaptor plate provided by Springfield Armory.
This type of plate has a dovetail in the back, so the force is not on the screws during cycling. The adaptor plate also has the back iron sight connected to it, which is what keeps the sights at co-witness height.
Most of the time I would say keep your conceal carry gun as simple and light as possible. But I have to admit, the 3.5” Prodigy AOS with the Nightstick light and Vortex optic was a pretty nice-looking gun.
I put a few hundred more rounds through it with the light and optic mounted. Of course, I was more precise with my shots because of the red dot. But I really couldn’t tell any difference in how it shot with these attachments. The main consideration would be added weight and size of the gun.
And the verdict is…
After shooting the Prodigy COA, I went into this review a little biased. I love that gun, and it’s just about the right size for duty or self-defense. But after using this new hybrid for a while, I’m a big fan of it as well. This would be a great gun to carry in an OWB holster during winter months when you are wearing a jacket. It has a full-size grip, carries plenty of ammo, but has a short barrel.
This would also be a great IWB handgun when wearing the right shirt to conceal the handle. Because it’s a full-size grip, you may need a baggier shirt to conceal it, but it wouldn’t be that hard to pull off.
I think Springfield Armory did a great job with this new addition to the Prodigy family. It’s a gun I consider reliable, and one I would carry any day of the week.
