Other Features
The black anodized aluminum frame has an extended ambidextrous thumb safety and the traditional slide lock on the left side. The grip safety is a beavertail, cut out on the top to accept the Commander-style hammer when the gun is cocked or fired. The flat mainspring housing and the front strap are both checkered in the pattern Springfield Armory calls a Posi-Lock texture, matching up with the checkered cocobolo double diamond grip panels. This gives an exceptionally secure grip. This texturing on both front and back straps and both grip panels matched up with the low recoil of the 9mm result in a pistol which will not twist in the hand on firing. Since the grip frame was designed around the 9mm cartridge it’s slightly shorter from front to back making it much easier for smaller hands to wrap around.
As mentioned the barrel length is 4 inches and is a stainless steel match bull barrel with a fully supported ramp. It’s a 6-groove barrel with a 1:16, left-hand twist. Magazine capacity is single stack and has a capacity of 10 rounds. The magazine release is in the traditional spot and the skeletonized trigger is set at 41/2 pounds. The combination of satin stainless steel slide, black anodized grip frame and cocobolo grips with the Springfield Armory logo in the center all result in an exceptionally attractive pistol. Once again, I find myself totally satisfied with the factory grips and these will not be swapped out. The EMP4 comes with three magazines, a polymer holster, a double magazine pouch, and everything is packed inside a very sturdy lockable plastic case.
A total of 18 loads were test-fired in the Springfield Armory EMP4 consisting of 15 factory loads and three handloads. The most accurate — actually unbelievably accurate — handload proved to be the Oregon Trail 122-grain hard cast flat point over 7.8 grains of AA7 for a muzzle velocity of 1,166 fps and five shots into less than 1″. This was followed by the Oregon Trail 147-grain flat point hard cast over 6.7 grains of AA7 for a 2″ group a velocity of 1,049 fps. Excellent factory loads included the Black Hills 115-JHP+P with a velocity of 1,295 fps and a 13/8″; SIG SAUER’s 115 JHP at 1,184 fps and 11/2″ and the SIG SAUER 147-FMJ with a muzzle velocity of 971 fps and a 5-shot 20-yard group of 15/8″.
With both of these 9mm pistols from Ruger and Springfield Armory now thoroughly tested presented me with a dilemma. Which one would I choose for carrying? Which one should I buy? These questions are too difficult for me to answer so I took the easy way out. I bought them both and they will receive equal carrying time.