Customer Reviews for Springfield Armory 1911 EMP 8+1 .40 S&W 3" Package

One of the best purchases I've made in a while. The EMP is a great carry gun not to heavy and just the right size. For it's size it's very accurate. I'd recommend the gun to anyone that is considering purchasing one.

I have shot this gun for several years now. It is tight, accurate and fun to shoot. Wonderful carry gun too. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a small 1911 style pistol that just shoots and shoots!

I have purchased five Springfield Armory EMP .40 cal pistols in the last year. Two EMPs, two EMP4s, and an EMP4 CCC. Two of the five had issues where the glued in extractor broke free and locked up the slide. One so bad that I had to leave the range and go home so that I could open the slide with a rubber mallet! And getting SA to address the issues took a bit of time and effort. As I write this the EMP4 CCC is on the way to SA. But after finally reaching SA they did take them in and pin the extractors (they are doing the EMP4 CCC when they get it). Even after all this, I still love these pistols. For a $1k pistol they should pin the extractor as a routine step in manufacturing and not try to rely on glue. But there are many people who never have issues with them, even though I'm hitting 40% failure. But again SA is making these 100% corrected, even the ones that didn't fail, all for free. So with all the above noted, everything else is high quality and satisfactory. Now that the extractor issues have been addressed and I have put several thousand rounds through them, they are trustworthy pieces for carry. These aren't Tupperware. They are good old fashioned all metal guns. They are heavier than like sized Tupperware, but that extra weight helps tame recoil. Shooting these is more fun than shooting the similarly sized S&W Shield. But the Shield has it's place too. However, most of the time carrying the extra weight isn't bothersome. I'm moving soon so purchases have stopped, but we'll be getting another EMP4 CCC when we get settled into our new place. Yes, we love these pistols that much! We'll deal with the pain of returning it to SA to get the extractor pinned, but we'll trust it completely after that.

Saved up for a while to purchase this firearm for my carry. Great pistol out of the box and accurate. Very tight out of the box so a good cleaning and lubricating brought it to life. Took it to the range and put 50 rounds of federal ammo through it. No issues what so ever, did another strip and clean and finished with another 50 rounds. This pistol did everything i expected and is a great gun to shoot. A bit snappy due to the short barrel but the recoil is manageable and the more times I shot it the faster I could reacquire target and proceed. + Experience - Great experience through Buds Gun Shop. Everything went as promised and my account was updated as the steps of processing my order were complete. Definitely researching and looking here for my next purchase. Thank you!

Excellent firearm. A bit pricy but when you add the extra mag(s), holster, ammo pouch and night sights, it is actually pretty good deal. Excellent fit and finish. Exception trigger with very small reset. A bit heavy for long term concealed carry but I normally only carry a few hours a day.

This is one fine gun. I am an old man and have been carrying for many years. Buds has been my primary go to for guns for a long time. You can trust them to provide prompt shipment. I just got this gun a few weeks ago and I have run 500 - 600 rounds of all kinds of ammo with ZERO problems. The sights were pretty dim for my old eyes so I carefully applied yellow nail polish in to recessed holes in the sights and now it is very clear to see and it looks great. The weight of the EMP 40 S&W is a good plus. The recoil is very manageable. I have both the Sig P938 and Kimber Micro 9 and the felt recoil is better with EMP 40 S&W than either of these guns. This is now my EDC gun with Speer Gold Dot 180 gr. The fit and finish on this gun is very good but I did put some BooDads grip tape on the front strap to get a firmer fit. I am very satisfied with this gun and Buds service/

Like most that have stated this before me, out of the box the slide is VERY TIGHT. After putting 500 rounds through it, it has finally been broken in and the slide action is much smoother. Only having a 3inch barrel, one would expect the recoil to be greater than it is, but the frame is steel and absorbs a lot of it. It is a fantastic carry piece and it shoots quite well. This was my first purchase from Bud's and it certainly won't be my last. I placed the order on the Thursday evening and my FFL received the firearm the following Friday. I was very impressed with how quickly Bud's shipped my order.

This has always been my dream pistol to own. Finally, Buds made an offer (price) that I couldn't refuse. The EMP is everything that I was looking for in a pistol: .40 S&W, easily concealable, and a beautiful looking handgun. It arrived in outstanding condition, as promised by Buds. Have every intention of doing business with Buds in the future.

A stunningly handsome & accurate 40 S&W self-defense pistol. I’ve been a concealed carry license holder for nearly 12 years. When dressing for the day the OWB holster goes on and stays on until bedtime. It’s not nice out there & it’s getting more dangerous for those of us perceived as ”easy prey”. I disarm myself only when I plan to enter a no gun zone, i.e., the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center for treatment or any other gun prohibited building or facility. I own more than a few handguns of different caliber, style, manufacture and date of birth. As I approach [the] “geezer” stage of my life I decided I needed to limit my daily carry choices to one or two arms that would satisfy my needs. I live in the Southwest and by mid-April through mid-October my uniform of the day is T-shirt & shorts, restaurant attire – add a shirt. A tough time to conceal a 3-1/2 inch .45 ACP Colt Officers model 1911 in a OWB holster. However, when the weather allows a jacket, old thumper goes back on. A year ago I took the first step in resolving my corundum by purchasing (from Buds) a upgraded Beretta Pico complete with night sight, red laser & Talon Grips. Loaded with cartridges topped with a Leheigh Defense Extreme Defender bullet, I don’t believe I am under gunned at self-defense ranges and the Pico can be effectively concealed in a flannel shirt’s breast pocket! Next I began searching for a small semi-auto chambered for 40 S&W that when carried in a quality leather OWB holster it would be effectively concealed by an un-tucked shirt. Unfortunately my Officer’s 1911 presents a little “lumpy” under an Aloha shirt. Lots of new semi-automatics out there. One caught my eye – the Springfield Armory 3-inch EMP. I own an original .45 ACP HD equipped with a green laser which is my go-to living room gun. I am aware and appreciative of Springfield Armory quality. After internet EMP owner/shooter’s review searches I purchased the .40 S&W 3-inch bi-tone from Bud’s. I am not disappointed. Concept, design, size, materials, machining & final assembly of my EMP is outstanding! With the exception of the barrel sans barrel bushing, slide recoil assembly and its overall smaller size, the EMP is a faithful reproduction of the 1911A1 and user controls placement & function work just like the original. This is a handsome pistol. Place my EMP beside any other handgun and it will not be criticized as a second place winner; some of my handguns are high-end expensive arms. As other reviewers have noted, out of the box the EMP’s springs are very tight, the slide was tough to rack. Now after 200 rounds (no hiccups experienced) and proper lubrication the recoil & hammer springs have exercised into an easier rack. I expect this smoothing to continue as I work through a 500 round break-in evaluation before I deem it to be a reliable carry piece. Some criticize the lack of factory front strap checkering/stippling. Actually, I believe Springfield deliberately omitted roughing the front strap in anticipation of the 40 S&W cartridge recoil impulse. I solved the so-called ”torque-retention problem” as described by some shooters, by applying a strip of Talon Grips textured rubber material to the front strap. This works for me and prevents any abrasive action by checkered metal during extended range sessions. Other shooters have complained the 40 EMP is too heavy for daily carry vis-a-vis the 9mm Emp which has an alloy frame. Shoot them both side by side and the extra weight of the all steel 40 EMP soaks up a whole lot of recoil. Get over the small weight penalty. My advice: evaluate your holster & pant belt - consider wearing braces. With the proper ammo the 40 S&W EMP is a pleasant shooter. Trigger weight (presently 5.1#s) & reset makes double tapping easy & accurate. In summary, I believe the 40 S&W 3-inch barrel EMP is an outstanding choice for a belt carry defensive firearm! I have found the second pistol I will carry daily for the foreseeable future. My EMP is the forth firearm I have purchased from Buds Gun Shop. No negative issues for me to complain about. I will continue to be a return customer. This particular purchase saved me hundreds of dollars compared to what I would have paid at my local gun stores. Thank you Buds! Good luck out there, sensors up! And practice all you can.

Bought this little buddy two weeks ago and it is a AWSOME gun. No jams or anything. Has a little bite to it but jus gotta focus on the retention. Other than that. AWSOME gun. Thanks Buds!

Nice gun. Springfield made a great gun here! This is my first 3" gun and let me tell you it's a real pleasure to shoot. I have put 300 rounds through this gun without one hang up I called Buds and ordered the gun with out any problems. I will buy from them again.

Beautiful pistol. The pictures do not even do it justice. This is the only springfield I've ever shot, but it won't be the last now. I am totally in love with this gun and it is deadly accurate!!

nice little gun feels good in the hand,i like the slim line feel great carry weapon have not shot it yet but i am sure its fine buds was great as usual

Received my EMP .40 back in October, 2012. I wanted to be able to offer a true, well 'cycled' review of this pistol, hence my delayed review. After putting about 750 rnds down range I have to say this is one of my favorite 1911 style pistols ever shot. Slide is very stiff out of the box, but that is my only 'complaint'. The trigger is not too long, quick reset and definitely not too heavy. Almost feels like its been worked, again, right out of the box. If you miss the black on your target it is because of you, not the gun. The OWB holster included is very comfortable to carry, and has good retention, and doesn't feel at risk while wearing it. I love this EMP and Bud's was very easy to deal with.

After reading some bad reviews about buds, I decided to buy a springfield emp 40cal. All the stuff I read was bull. Buying a firearm from buds was easy, brandon was perfessional and pleasure to work with. Could not beat price anywhere. Shipped free and on time undamaged. Beautiful gun! Thanks buds and I will be ordering again. Do not hesitate to order from buds gun. Thanks again.

Excellent pistol, Very concealable, high quality fit and finish! Thanks Buds Gun Shop for a smooth transaction.

Thanks Buds! An excellent purchase. EMPs are hard to come by and waiting months was not an option for me. MSRP was also not an option. Great quality gun. I've got 100 rounds through it so far with no jams. The EMP is now on several two of my friends wishlists!

excellent pistol very concealable, very reliable not one jam. shoots any ammo i throw at it. very tight and accurate 3" 1911. shoots as well as a full size. very fast smooth shipping thank you buds. Will buy again no doubt. best price by far online and locally.