I know they are two totally different animals, but I have a chance to pick up one or the other, does anyone have any "real" world experience with either?

To help sway me one way or the other.

Thanks,

I had the LTT Centurion with their trigger job and the gun was just superb. Light and silky smooth DA and light and super crisp SA. Don't know anything about the Professional, but I gather it will cost more than the LTT.

I was all set to get the LTT with all the goodies, the carry bevel the NP3 finish and the red dot optic cut, but tonight I found a Springfield Professional 1911 9mm that is just like new, and I had to think on it.

An hour sooner and I would have the Beretta on order.

Sounds like you can get the Beretta anytime whereas not true with the Springfield. That and there’s just something about a 1911. I think a 9mm might have to be in my near future as well.

The one or the other thing hasn’t been working out very well for me lately. Twice recently I’ve run into that dilemma and now I have 4 new to me guns. No regrets though.

Buy both and we can start a support group.

I have a Springfield Pro .45 and it is one of my favorite pistols. Very well made by the Custom Shop, and a very smooth shooting gun. When I first bought it I shot about 700 rounds through it w/o cleaning (to break it in), and it just kept on shooting with zero issues. Highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.

Nothing against the Beretta. I can't comment on that model.

Very few SA Pros floating around used. You can always find 92LTT’s. No brainer

Professionals are scarce on the secondary market but Ernest will still sell you a nice Beretta after you have replenished your Gun Fund.

But is that a real gun? Did the FBI ever buy any 9mm Springfields?

While I own 1911’s they are merely range guns for me. I never carry them. An LTT Centurion or Compact would be sweet. I have a couple of the fullsize and they are great 92’s.

Really hard choice. You need both.

Guess I'm not sofistimakated enuff to truly appreciate the sublime build quality of the Profession. We had one in new from SA several years back, and while the bluing was pretty and the slide action was smooth in a buttery way (though not a creamy as the current new 5" WC 9mm that we have in our display case at almost half the price), it otherwise looked like pretty much every other regular government-style 1911, just with a subtle facelift. We never dry fired it, or at least I never dry fired it out of respect for its future owner, whomever that was to be so I can't say how the SA's trigger was. But clearly I'm not a connoisseur of the genotype, as I admire and gravitate to those 1911 brands that more expand the type and aren't afraid to express that in their builds (WC, Ed Brown, etc.). Yes I'm a lowly heathen but I wear the branding's requisite Velcro'd morale proudly. (thumps chest, proceeds to cough and hack for the next five minutes...)

In all candor the LTT is more my style even if it's a more commonplace pistol in this company. I look at the LTTs with Langdon's trigger work as something as superbly sweet as any CZ Shadow or Tactical Sport, or the 92X Performance and SIG's own P226 X-Five reboot. Guns that are above their regular lineup, but not elevated to the point of halo status, where the term 'safe queen' becomes a real point of consideration. It also helps that I've also shot the LTT, whereas I can only guess at how well the Professional shoots. Owning any of that group of guns I'd gladly shoot without a second thought, and I certainly have with those I do actually own. But the subtlety and relative rarity of the SA to me puts it in that more rarified halo/safe queen class, and I suspect that this is also so for many of its owners.

That said, if I were to find a used, reasonably shot Professional at a tolerable price (and if I can ever get over my despising of SA's past political antics), I'd probably buy it AND then proceed shoot the snot out of it, cost of .45AUTO ammo notwithstanding.

I've got them both. You're right about how different they are. The Beretta is probably more enjoyable to shoot but the Pro is a nice gun. Interest in them had really faded by the time COVID hit and they were one of the last semi auto pistols that I was able to find in stock wholesale. Obviously their price was a factor in that.

I have 3 Beretta O/U shotguns so I should be leaning towards Beretta in this "contest". However the 1911 fits my hand like it was made specifically for my hand. Due to Shotgun sports I am primarily a Point Shooter and with a handgun I focus on the target. Anytime I bring up a 1911 to eye level the sights are lined up perfectly. So my vote is for the 1911 all the way.