A 5" Prodigy Project

[GunBugBit]

New pictures with some new parts visible, and some on the inside:

 

[GunBugBit]

Other side:

[GunBugBit]

Updated list of what I’ve added:

 

Phase 1:

- 17# hammer spring

- EGW magwell-ready Prodigy-specific mainspring housing, stainless

- EGW magwell for the Prodigy

- Dawson extended length firing pin

- Wolff firing pin spring

- Atlas tool-less guide rod

 

Phase 2:

- EGW titanium strut

- EGW hammer

- EGW sear

- EGW disconnector

- EGW ambi thumb safety

- EGW ledge-style slide stop

[GunBugBit]

A few comments on parts and what I observed during installation.

The new slide stop had a pin diameter of 0.200”, different from the factory diameter of 0.1975” to 0.198”. So I fit the pin to match. EGW has a slide stop specifically for the Prodigy with a 0.198” pin, but it was sold out, so I ordered this one after asking EGW if it would work on the Prodigy. They said yes. Also, I see others have added this same part on their Prodigy. A nice thing about it is the generous ledge that allows easy manipulation and pulling out the slide stop without having to press on the pin from the right side.  It comes with the idiot-scratch-prevention notch already cut.

EGW is now shipping 3 hammer pins with their ambi thumb safety kit - three different lengths. Turns out the mid-length one is the correct fit. This pin is part of the key to making the safety rock solid. That and the sleeve around where the safety halves join inside the frame. Another good thing about this hammer pin is its very precise fit in the hammer hole, virtually eliminating side to side play in the hammer.  For this thumb safety kit alone, I think EGW rocks.

The gun is not quite entirely de-MIM’d. The ejector, the firing pin stop, and the mag catch are still factory MIM parts. I have two EGW 9mm ejectors in the event the factory one breaks, plus counter-clockwise-cut drill bits from Dawson.  Would someone please make a drilled and tapped mag catch for the Prodigy! Seems there are none yet that are a good fit.

I’ll probably replace the firing pin stop after my next range session.

The grip safety leg of the leaf spring I received in the ignition kit is tuned so weak that it effectively disables the grip safety, whereas the factory one is close to how I like them - light enough to never cause disengagement problems but with enough tension for the grip safety to pass safety checks.

I have an Atlas X-line medium flat silver color trigger, not installed yet. This trigger will allow for pre-travel adjustment and it’s the same trigger shoe/bow I have in my Atlas .40 Nemesis.

I have the trigger pull set at 3.5#, with plenty of life in the disconnector leg of the leaf spring, which I find helps me with my personal fastest splits

Edited November 14, 2023 by GunBugBit

[Sarge]

I presume drilling and tapping the mag release is a simple job for a gunsmith?

[shred]

9 hours ago, Sarge said:

I presume drilling and tapping the mag release is a simple job for a gunsmith?

It's not a difficult job, but much easier and likely cheaper to swap in one made that way in the first place.  

[ddc]

13 hours ago, GunBugBit said:

  Would someone please make a drilled and tapped mag catch for the Prodigy! Seems there are none yet that are a good fit.

 

You've probably already looked at this option... I installed the Dawson Precision mag release which is tapped and the associated button: https://dawsonprecision.com/mag-releases-for-sti-2011-gen-1-grips-by-dawson-precision/

 

[Sarge]

47 minutes ago, shred said:

It's not a difficult job, but much easier and likely cheaper to swap in one made that way in the first place.  

For sure but is one coming for the Prodigy? Doesn’t look like there is one currently?

 

2 minutes ago, ddc said:

 

You've probably already looked at this option... I installed the Dawson Precision mag release which is tapped and the associated button: https://dawsonprecision.com/mag-releases-for-sti-2011-gen-1-grips-by-dawson-precision/

 

Is it drop in for the Prodigy?

[RGC]

I am installing my EGW internals tonight.  Have the EGW guiderod, Red Dirt Trigger bow, EGW magwell and MSH.  Nitrofin tonight as well.  Respringing too.  Its a 4.25".

[ddc]

2 hours ago, Sarge said:

 

Is it drop in for the Prodigy?

 

It drops in. However before I responded any further I thought I'd take a closer look at it and now I'm not sure how good the fitment actually is.

 

I just installed this yesterday and it dry fired ok and I took it to the range and it functioned ok there.

 

But upon further review as you can see from the picture the right side is not close to being flush with the outside of the frame the way it is on my Pointman 9.

Since I'm a novice 1911 guy and a total 2011 newbie I don't know how big a deal this is. 

Perhaps this is typical for a 2011 installation? Actually I don't think so as I can see that the factory is flush as expected...

 

When a mag is inserted it is closer to being flush.

 

I'm also not thrilled with the button. I'd much rather there was a paddle option. I will look for one.

 

Curious what you guys think...

 

Edited to add:

 

I just talked to Dawson Precision and they were unsure how well it would work, assuming it worked at all, in a Prodigy grip.

 

Given all that I think I'll have to keep on looking; can't recommend it.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by ddc

[GunBugBit]

Someone on reddit posted that this mag catch works (from Fusion Firearms):

https://fusionfirearms.com/2011-magazine-catch-big-button-extended-black

 

Pic of button side:

 

Opposite to the situation shown in the pic from ddc, the screw side sticks out from the grip module.  Seems to me one could shape that side to make it match the contours of the grip module.

 

Pic of screw side:

Edited November 14, 2023 by GunBugBit

[GunBugBit]

14 hours ago, Sarge said:

I presume drilling and tapping the mag release is a simple job for a gunsmith?

Yes and some have gone that route.

[GunBugBit]

3 hours ago, ddc said:

 

You've probably already looked at this option... I installed the Dawson Precision mag release which is tapped and the associated button: https://dawsonprecision.com/mag-releases-for-sti-2011-gen-1-grips-by-dawson-precision/

 

I have seen that one installed and I gather that it works well.  If one doesn't mind the screw side of the mag catch being recessed inside the grip module, it seems good.

[GunBugBit]

I'm not so concerned about the durability of a factory MIM mag catch.  For me, the mag catch is a functional thing.  I've dry-fired with the Prodigy, including mag changes with weighted plastic dummy magazines, and find that my thumb is just a little too short to get the mags to consistently drop at speed.

 

Maybe I just need to look for a thumb stretcher.

Edited November 14, 2023 by GunBugBit

[GunBugBit]

I ordered the Fusion mag catch:  https://fusionfirearms.com/2011-magazine-catch-big-button-extended-black

 

There's a 25% discount going.  I'll let you guys know how the part works out.

[Sarge]

1 minute ago, GunBugBit said:

I ordered the Fusion mag catch:  https://fusionfirearms.com/2011-magazine-catch-big-button-extended-black

 

There's a 25% discount going.  I'll let you guys know how the part works out.

Thanks. I also need a button on my mag catches to reach it. Only reason i'd replace it or drill it.

[sandflea316]

I got this one from dawson for my prodigy.  Fits flush and I will add a brazos cyclone button.  I don't like how light the spring is so i will  change it out with an Atlas extra power spring

https://dawsonprecision.com/search.php?search_query="519-1046"&section=product

Edited November 18, 2023 by sandflea316
Correction

[ddc]

That link goes to an empty cart page.

 

I only see two 2011 options on the Dawson website.

 

Is it this: https://dawsonprecision.com/mag-release-for-sti-2011-standard-length-drilled-and-tapped-blue-by-sti-staccato/

 

or this: https://dawsonprecision.com/mag-releases-for-sti-2011-gen-1-grips-by-dawson-precision/

[sandflea316]

Ok updated my post with right link

Part number is 519-1046

[ddc]

1 minute ago, sandflea316 said:

Ok updated my post with right link

Part number is 519-1046

That looks like a closer fit than the Dawson one I bought.

[GunBugBit]

I’ll see if I can contour the oversized Fusion mag catch to nicely match the Prodigy grip.

 

I’m not satisfied with the trigger yet.  The EGW sear with the Prodigy kit with an EGW hammer is giving creep.  It is a short sear and advertised as such, too short to stone in the old style Warner 2-disc jig.  The factory Prodigy factory sear gave creep but not after I stoned it.

 

For action shooting, creep doesn’t matter because we blow right past it with our fast trigger presses, but it means something is not optimal, usually sear-hammer interface.  I want a primo trigger, even if it is around 3.5# which I find very shootable.  I believe in not getting too cute with tension on the sear spring leg.  My gold standards are the triggers on my PM-9s - zero creep, light, pre-travel and over-travel as I like, safe, reliable.  To achieve that with this gun, there’s still work to do.  On the PM-9’s, I did nothing to the sear, hammer, disco, nor the sear spring leg.  On other guns, the Warner jig gave great results.

 

I have learned over the years that just because we can’t manually induce hammer follow, a gun can still double, triple and quadruple when testing fast live fire trigger presses, which I’ve always done under the safest possible circumstances.  Anyone can bend a sear leg and get a light trigger press at their work bench, but this doesn’t mean it’s safe.  Some day I might learn the sure fire fine points of getting a safe sub-2# trigger, but with my current knowledge and experience level, I don’t push it.

 

Harrison offers sear-hammer-disco sets where the sear is already stoned with the new style Warner jig, and polished.  I might order that set.

Edited November 18, 2023 by GunBugBit

[GunBugBit]

 

Recall this picture of someone else’s Prodigy with a Fusion mag catch:

This led me to believe there was an opportunity to contour this side of the mag catch.

 

Not the case.  The fellow must have had the button depressed when he took the picture.

[GunBugBit]

I received my Fusion mag catch yesterday, installed it, and shot the gun today.

 

Pic of the screw side:

As you can see, the rear portion is recessed into the grip module, and the front portion is flush.  This doesn’t bother me at all, because…

 

Functionally, it’s great.  Can I easily drop mags?  Yes.  Does the button contact my support hand such that mags will be dropped while shooting?  No.  Has reliable function been affected?  No.  The mags are held at the appropriate height to facilitate consistent feeding, and they solidly stay in place until intentionally released, which is easy to do.

Edited November 21, 2023 by GunBugBit

[GunBugBit]

Pic of the button side:

Edited November 21, 2023 by GunBugBit

[GunBugBit]

Today’s range session included finishing off the 117 PF reloads I had made.  Perfect feeding, ejection and extraction.  Probably just right for Steel Challenge.

 

I also shot about 100 Winchester White Box 115gr advertised at 1,190 fps, for a PF of roughly 137.  Also 100% function with those.

 

All PFs I’ve tried (117, 132, 137) have functioned 100% with a 9# recoil spring.

 

Accuracy-wise, I’m pleased.  At 7 and 10 yards at least, the hits are going where I expect.

 

Out of the box, the front sight was slightly off center, and sure enough, the hits reflected windage being slightly off in the expected direction.

 

I removed the front sight and reinstalled it with green Loctite (retention compound), centered as perfectly as I could eyeball it with magnification.  I prefer a smaller fiber optic, but the factory sight will do because I’m only going to use it for a couple of practice matches before I install an optic.  Other than the fat dot, I like the irons sight picture pretty well.

Edited November 21, 2023 by GunBugBit