I've carried one 1911 or another on a regular basis for more than a decade. Like most gun guys with limited budgets, I've bought some guns I shouldn't have, and I've parted with more than a few I regret selling. One such pistol was a limited-production model Springfield Armory marketed as the Night Light.
The moniker Night Light was sort of a play on words. Its black slide was festooned with a crescent moon logo, and it had night sights, but the "light" also referred to its weight, which was greatly reduced by building the full-size 1911 on an alloy frame.
When things go bump in the night, a weapon-mounted light on the nightstand can be a real lifesaver.
That was the first full-size, lightweight 1911 I had ever seen, and it struck me as a wonderful idea. After all, it is generally accepted that 5-inch guns are the most reliable of the 1911 clan. Further, the longer sight radius aids in accuracy, and the longer slide just seems to point and balance better than a shorter slide. I haven't found 3- or 4-inch guns to conceal much easier in the trim 1911 package, but they do have an advantage in the weight department. So in my opinion, the Night Light, with its 5-inch slide and weight-saving alloy frame, was a perfect concept. I don't know what I was thinking when I traded it away so many years ago, but I've regretted that bit of foolishness ever since.
Springfield was one of the first--if not the first--manufacturer to offer a 1913-spec rail as an integral part of the dustcover. Light rail-equipped pistols caught on fast in the SWAT community. Today, weapon-mounted lights are de rigueur--not just for SWAT cops, but for armed citizens and patrol officers, too.
The Operator has improved a great deal since the first iteration, which featured a full-length dustcover that made the pistol a bit on the heavy side. But the current, improved Operator has a smaller, lighter dustcover that adds only 2 ounces to a standard 1911 and retains the classic 1911 look. SWAT operators and folks whose 1911s reside on a bedside table would, doubtless, not notice the extra bit of weight, but street cops and armed citizens surely would. So Springfield Armory introduced a new lightweight version of the Operator that will certainly appeal to those who carry a gun every day.
The Lightweight Operator is a full-size 1911 with an integral Picatinny rail. As previously noted, adding a dustcover-mounted rail increases the weight of a 1911 by approximately 2 ounces. However, by using an alloy frame, Springfield is able to reduce the empty weight of the newest Operator to 34 ounces--5 ounces lighter than the Springfield Mil-Spec. While it is still heavier than any of the popular polymer pieces, the Operator gives 1911-devotees a full-size, light rail-equipped gun in a package that is light enough to wear for extended periods.
The Lightweight Operator's frame is forged from a durable 7075-T6 aluminum alloy that is hard anodized in an attractive black. The dustcover has three cross slots for mounting a light or laser. Unlike earlier versions, the 1913-spec rail does not add to the length of the dustcover. However, instead of the usual right-angle profile, the front of the dustcover features a rearward rake that matches the angle of the slide's forward cocking serrations.
I tried several accessories on the rail, including a light/laser combo from Insight Technologies and a SureFire X200 light. They all fit perfectly, but I chose to test the pistol with the SureFire because it has the DG switch I prefer. For those who aren't familiar with it, the DG switch is a polymer arm that runs from the light along the bottom of the trigger guard then onto the frontstrap. The part that rides the frontstrap contains a rubberized pressure switch that is much easier for small-handed shooters like me to operate than the conventional switch.
Other than the alloy frame and light rail, the Lightweight Operator is built largely to the same specs as most of Springfield's Loaded line. The frame is devoid of sharp edges to ensure snag-free operation and features a beveled magazine well to facilitate speedy reloads. The frontstrap is smooth, but the mainspring housing is checkered at 20-lines-per-inch for added traction. As with all Springfield 1911s, the Lightweight Operator has Springfield's Internal Locking System (ILS), which blocks the mainspring cap if the hammer is down with a turn of the key and prevents the pistol from being cocked.
The ILS is unobtrusive as far as internal locks go, but I do not care for it or any other internal pistol lock. The more complicated a pistol becomes, the more potential for failure. For end-users who are so inclined, removal of the ILS is a fairly simple and straightforward affair.
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