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Chris Kyle Limited Edition 1911 Legend Series TRP Pistol Released By Springfield Armory

By Jinger Jarrett
Published on: 08:10 PST, May 3, 2016

Springfield Armory released a limited edition Springfield Legend Series 1911 TRP Pistol in honor of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. Kyle was the subject of the movie American Sniper, and is considered to have had more kills than any American sniper in history. Kyle was later murdered in 2013 by a former Marine while on a shooting range.

The American Rifleman reported that in his book, American Sniper, that Chris Kyle said he believed the Springfield Armory TRP actually saved his life in combat.

“In 2004, I brought over a Springfield [Armory] TRP Operator, which used a.45 caliber round. It had a 1911 body style, with custom grips and a rail system that let me add a light and laser combo. Black, it had a bull barrel and was an excellent gun—until it took a frag for me in Fallujah. I was actually able to get it repaired—those Springfields are tough.”

Springfield is releasing 1,000 of the pistols, and each will have its own unique serial number ranging from CK0001 through CK1000. Each pistol will also be laser engraved with its placement in the series. It comes packed in a serialized mahogany presentation case and includes a limited edition commemorative Chris Kyle coin and also includes a copy of Kyle’s book, American Sniper.

Each of the commemorative pistols sells for $2,499, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to Chris Kyle’s Frog Foundation, run by his wife, Taya Kyle. Springfield Armory CEO Dennis Reese presented Taya Kyle with the first commemorative pistol at a ceremony at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. She immediately announced that the pistol would be auctioned and the proceeds would go to the Frog Foundation.

Ammoland reported that the online auction began on May 1, and it will continue through May 21. The pistol will be presented to the winner at one of the National Rifle Association annual meetings provided the winner is present.

Tara Kyle said that the proceeds from the sale of the pistol would benefit military families.

“One of the big benefits of doing this with Springfield Armory is that part of the proceeds will go to the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to honor God, country and family by serving those who serve. To us, that represents the marriages and family life of our law enforcement, EMS, and military communities.”

As previously reported in Inquisitr, although wildly popular among the American public, American Sniper caused a great deal of backlash, too. Screenings were cancelled on college campuses at the University of Michigan, as well as at Eastern Michigan University. Student protesters at George Mason University said that the movie portrayed Muslims in a negative way, even though the students who organized the protest hadn’t seen the movie. The protests called into question whether the rights of students outweighed the right to free speech. The movie debuted on Christmas Day, 2014, and was based on the American Sniper book written by Chris Kyle.

Tara Kyle started the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation after the death of her husband. It is dedicated to providing family enriching experiences for military personnel and first responders. The foundation is responsible for shepherding a community of families that share both their successes and their struggles. The Springfield Armory, which offered the limited edition pistols to support the foundation, was started in 1777 when George Washington created an armory to store ammunition and gun carriages.

[Photo via Springfield Armory]

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