AO Review – Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm

Springfield Armory has a storied history of crafting some of the best 1911s available to the firearms industry for decades. This journey for Springfield Armory began back in 1974, and 50 years later they are still at the top of their game delivering Custom Shop quality 1911s as standard-catalog models. Nothing is more representative of that than the Springfield Emissary series. The Emissary came out almost 3 years ago now with a unique aesthetic, buttery smooth action, and surgical accuracy. Now, Springfield Armory has kicked that curb appeal up a notch by gifting us with a murdered out black version of the trustworthy Emissary. Today, we will take a look specifically at the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm 5″ version to see if the standards are still set as high as the first model we reviewed back in July 2021. Let’s dive in!

Springfield Armory Hellcat Coverage on AllOutdoor

Specifications – Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm

For those who might be unacquainted with the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm – that was announced early this morning – it is a sexy, subdued version of the two-tone model that has been out for several years. It still retains the squared-off trigger guard from its predecessors, a Tri-Top slide cut, and a cubical grip panel design. The rest of the nitty-gritty specs can be read below as presented by Springfield Armory:

Cartridge: 9mm
Finish: Black Cerakote®
Barrel: 5″ Forged Stainless Steel, Nitride, Match Grade, Fully Supported Ramp, Bull, 1:16
Slide: Forged Carbon Steel, Black Cerakote®
Frame: Forged Stainless Steel, Black Cerakote®
Sights: Tritium/Luminescent Front, Tactical Rack U-Notch Rear
Recoil System: One Piece w/ Full Length Guide Rod
Grips: VZ Grips® Thin-Line G10
Magazines: (2) 9-Round
Weight: 43 oz
Length: 8.4″
Height: 5.25
MSRP: $1,378

The MSRP for the 4 new Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote variants is benchmarked at $1,378 across the board. Each pistol comes with two top-quality magazines with base pads as well as the rest of the accoutrements you would come to expect from a Springfield Armory 1911 like a soft case, cardboard box, cable lock, and owner’s manual. The 4 models currently available are listed below:

Emissary 1911 .45 ACP | PX9230L
Emissary 4.25″ 1911 .45 ACP | PX9228L
Emissary 1911 9mm | PX9229L (this is the one we are reviewing here today)
Emissary 4.25″ 1911 9mm | PX9227L

As always, in the rare event that you should ever need service for your firearm, Springfield Armory has a Lifetime Warranty that stands behind all of their firearms. One final snapshot into what the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm is all about can be read below in Springfield Armory’s Press Release statement:

Geneseo, Illinois – March 21st, 2024 – Springfield Armory® is proud to announce four new additions to its family of popular 1911 Emissary pistols. These all-black variants are offered in 4.25” and 5” barrel lengths, and chambered in either 9mm or .45 ACP.
“These four variants add a unique new look to the popular Emissary line of 1911 pistols,” says Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing for Springfield Armory. “With this all-black finish, shooters now have four new appealing options for a defensive handgun with an additional measure of refinement.”

Field Use – Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm

When you first pop open the box of a new Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote pistol, it is visually stunning. It instills Batman “Dark Knight” vibes and you feel like an operator. In short, it is sexy and it feels cool in the palm of your hand… but how does it perform?… First, let’s run through a lot of the specs and aesthetic before we dive into shooting this handgun. One of the most noticeable features on the Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm is its grips. The VZ Grips that Springfield selected for this model don a “grenade pattern” checkering and it is odd because it is tactile enough to firmly grip your hand yet it has no surface that could cut or chew up your palm. It is slick with positive dexterity all-in-one.

Next, we can take a look at the Tri-Top cut slide. While this is truly unique and not seen anywhere else, it is not so unique that it will inhibit the slide from reciprocating back-and-forth like hot butter in a pan, or from fitting smoothly into a holster. You get both function and curb appeal coupled together. Also, the flattened and serrated top strap reduces glare in nearly all lighting conditions. An additional bonus.

The next most eye-catching aspect of this 1911 is the squared-off trigger guard. This affords you more room if you happen to have big mitts for hands, or are simply shooting with a gloved hand. Being as I live in the arctic tundra known as Minnesota (where winter last 6 – 7 months), I can appreciate a generous trigger guard allowing for gloved shooting. Also, the solid-body, flat-faced trigger touts a simplified and streamlined design so owners will have a more consistent trigger pull; thus, equating to more accuracy on paper.

While we are talking about all of these new and unique traits, there are some familiar ones on the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm as well. The Emissary utilizes a similar U-Dot™ sight picture as their award-winning, micro-compact Hellcat. The tritium and luminescent front sight is paired with a Tactical Rack U-Dot™ rear for easier sight and target acquisition in all lighting conditions.

Now, that we have appropriately assessed the inviting and refreshing facade, it is time to get down to business. The accuracy of this pistol – as we alluded to earlier – is surgical in every sense. The price-point of this handgun approaches that of their legendary and venerable TRP (Tactical Response Pistol) models, and the accuracy steps right in line as well. Assuming you have reliable ammunition, are a decent shot yourself, and mitigated your caffeine intake to civilian consumption levels, this is an absolute laser of a handgun. We are talking Point, Pull, and HIT type of accuracy.

The heavy-profile, bull barrel assists with this accuracy, dampens recoil, and lessens your muzzle flip. Also, by deploying a bull barrel, no barrel bushing is needed; furthermore, that equates to less moving/reciprocating parts. The tight slide-to-frame tolerances exhibit no play from the upper receiver to the lower receiver. The action is buttery smooth like that hot butter in a pan type of feel. It feels like a Custom Shop quality handgun without the $2K – $3K punch to your wallet. As long as I contained the caffeine vibrations coursing through my veins to a minimum, this pistol can stack rounds at 20 yards. Not an easy task for any handgun.

Final Thoughts – Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm

So, what are my final thoughts on the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm 5″ version?… This pistol is a bit of a niche handgun. If you are in that sweet spot of wanting a $1,000+ handgun with truly distinctive characteristics, but want to stay under that ~$1,800 TRP price tag, then this is it. You will love it. It will love you. It will be the perfect marriage between machine and shooter. The only negative I can possible grasp at is the squared-off trigger guard potentially limiting some of your holster options, but being a cold-weather resident and knowing the Emissary series has been out for ~3 years already, that is not much of a deterrent to stop me from wanting to own one of these.

In closing, I want to say thank you to Springfield Armory for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm 5″ version. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Springfield Armory Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote 9mm 5″ version is something worth spending your money on? Would you deploy one for everyday concealed carry? Take it with you camping or hiking? Shoot a league with it? As always, let us know all of your thoughts about Springfield Armory and the Emissary 1911 Black Cerakote model in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak