Nevada handgunner Bob Smith likes the balance and heft of the full-size S&W 1911PD.

Smith & Wesson pretty well shook up the handgun world by offering a Government Model .45 a couple of years ago. This year's catalog shows no less than eight variations on the perennial favorite--damned if it doesn't look like these guys are serious about this 1911 thing.

The gun we'll look at here is one of the more interesting 1911 variations to appear under the Smith & Wesson nameplate. It is the new Model SW1911PD.

The S&W 1911PD features a lightweight scandium receiver and a blued steel slide. Note the smaller markings on the receiver compared to previous S&W 1911s.

The key to identifying the pistol's features comes with the "PD" suffix at the end of the model number. It stands for Personal Defense, and S&W has been using it to identify lightweight handguns finished in a basic, all-business black. So it is with the pistol at hand. It's a full-size 1911 finished in a flat tactical black and built on a scandium receiver.

Normally, a full-size S&W 1911 pistol weighs around 40 ounces, but the use of scandium here drops that weight to a mere 29.5 ounces. Ten ounces is a significant reduction in weight, and that means the gun is a little more likely to be at a shooter's hip when the trouble starts. It's a function of human nature, but a lighter gun is usually preferable in that it's easier to carry than a heavy one. If you want to go even lighter yet, S&W offers a short-slide version of the 1911 that weighs less. For the moment, let's focus on the other virtues of the SW1911PD.

(Left) Novak Lo Mount three-dot sights are standard on the Smith & Wesson 1911PD. (Center) the 1911PD features a long external extractor and a guide rod (right) instead of a plunger.

The barrel of the pistol is the full original length of 5 inches, mirroring that of the pistol that John Browning and some dedicated officers of the Army Ordnance Corps meticulously engineered for use by our servicemen. Although the gun has been shortened for various roles in modern times, the full 5 incher will give you a point or two more for reliability.

SPECIFICATIONS Smith & Wesson 1911PD
MAKER:	Smith & Wesson
ACTION:	Recoil operated semiauto
CALIBER:	.45 ACP
CAPACITY:	8 + 1
BARREL LENGTH:	5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	8 1/2 inches
WEIGHT:	29.5 ounces
SIGHTS:	Novak three-dot Lo Mount
STOCK:	Checkered rosewood
FINISH:	Anodized scandium receiver, blued steel
PRICE:	$1029

Functioning with this specimen was 100 percent in my evaluation. It is a nicely fitted and finished Government Model pistol, set up with Novak Lo Mount sights (three-dot type) and checkered rosewood grips.

I note that the markings are a bit more subdued than the ones used on the company's first 1911s. A flat, checkered mainspring housing and vertical serrations on the frontstrap help maintain the shooter's grasp. Other popular features include a beavertail grip safety, full-length guide rod and long trigger. The pistol also wears S&W's newly developed external extractor.

I went to my local range with several popular .45 ACP loads and the new S&W. Since this is, by definition, a Personal Defense pistol, I confined my shooting to close-range speed-shooting exercises that are consistent with real-world scenarios.

One of the more realistic is the so-called "Mozambique" or Gunsite Failure Drill, in which the shooter delivers two fast shots to the opponent's high chest. In the event the opponent does not go down, another round goes into the head. After some intensive practice, I was able to perform this exercise in about a second. Mostly, this is a function of the shooter's skill because I assure you that the gun was up to the job in the hands of the many shooters who are able to do it faster.

(Left) A nicely checkered set of rosewood grips featuring the old-fashioned "double diamond" pattern is standard on the new pistol. (Right) This group shows a magazineful of fast pairs at 15 yards. The author found the lightweight S&W to be both reliable and controllable.

The SW1911PD is a strong, well-fitted and -finished example of the 1911 breed. For all-day, every-day carrying in an open-top holster, it would probably be my choice out of the growing family of high-quality Smith & Wesson 1911 pistols.