GENESEO, IL May 1st, 2016 – Springfield Armory® is pleased to announce the Legend Series 1911 TRP™ Pistol. In cooperation with the Chris Kyle Foundation and the Chris Kyle family the company aims to honor the spirit of American Sniper and Navy Seal Chris Kyle while providing direct support to the foundation.
While in combat, Chris chose the Springfield Armory TRP™ for its reliable performance and toughness. In his words in best-selling book, American Sniper, he tells how that TRP™ may have saved his life.
“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 Amory® will produce one thousand TRP™ Legend Series pistols, each with a unique serial number ranging from CK0001 through CK1000. Separately, the company will laser engrave each pistol identifying its placement in the series.
The Legend Series pistols will come packaged in a custom and also serialized mahogany presentation case. Additionally, a memorial copy of the best-selling book, American Sniper, signed by Taya Kyle will accompany the package. The attractive presentation case also includes a .999 pure silver Chris Kyle limited edition challenge coin and a Springfield Armory® certificate of authenticity.
The MSRP of the Legend TRP™ commemorative edition pistol is $2,499, with a portion of the proceeds from each pistol sold benefitting the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation.
The first pistol in the Legend Series was presented to Taya Kyle by Springfield Armory® CEO Dennis Reese at a ceremony during the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Kyle immediately announced her intention to auction this one of a kind pistol during the 2016 National Rifle Association Annual Meeting, with all proceeds to benefit the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. Taya Kyle will auction Chris Kyle Legend Series 1911 TRP™ Pistol #1. This auction will take place in Springfield Armory® booth #5823 at the NRA annual meetings in Louisville, KY.
The on-line auction will go live Sunday May 1st under Springfield Armory®’s charity account ongunbroker.com and will end at 3:00pm May 21st at the NRA annual meetings. Live bidding will start at 2:45pm in the booth. Persons who wish to bid live in the booth for this #1 Limited edition pistol can sign up in the booth at 2:00pm with a Springfield representative and receive a number and bidding paddle.
View live auction: http://www.gunbroker.com/Item/554032581
Taya Kyle will be present to award the winner (if winner is present) with the pistols along withSpringfield Armory® President and CEO Dennis Reese. Upon completion of the auction, SpringfieldArmory® will also present a check to Taya Kyle for the full amount of auction proceeds.
The following people will sign the serial #1 pistol certificate of authenticity: Taya Kyle of the Chris KyleFrog Foundation, Dennis Reese President and CEO of Springfield Armory®, Wayne LaPierre Executive Vice President of the NRA and Chris Cox NRA-ILA’s Executive Director.
Now run by Taya Kyle, the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation supports members and families of those who serve. According to Taya Kyle, “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.”
“We’re very pleased to support Taya and the Frog Foundation,” explained Springfield Armory® CEO Dennis Reese. “When on deployment, Chris Kyle carried a Springfield Armory® 1911 TRP™ Operator pistol, so we felt it appropriate to make this special edition pistol to honor his memory and support the ongoing work of the foundation. Very much like American hero Chris Kyle, this pistol is truly one of a kind.”
The Legend Series pistols feature five-inch stainless steel match grade barrels, low-profile three-dot Tritium combat sights, and black and gray G10 grips with an attractive American flag engraving. The slides are forged carbon steel with Black Nitride™ treatment for durability and corrosion resistance. A National Match full-length guide rod rounds out the 8.6-inch long government model 1911. Each pistol ships with two seven-round stainless steel magazines with slam pads.
At the conclusion of the NRA Annual meetings shipments of the Limited Edition Chris Kyle pistols will arrive at firearms dealers throughout the country.
About the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation
The Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, www.chriskylefrogfoundation.org, is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving military and first responders through meaningful interactive experiences that enrich family relationships. Founded and led by Taya Kyle, Chris’s wife, the foundation is entrusted to shepherd a community where the successes and struggles of these families can be shared. Its programs and partners reflect the service excellence that these individuals and families provide in service to their communities and country.
About Springfield Armory®
“The First Name in American Firearms,” Springfield Armory® was founded in 1777, when George Washington ordered the creation of an armory to store ammunition and gun carriages during the American Revolution. In 1794, the armory began to manufacture muskets and spent the next 150 years supplying firearms for every major American conflict. The original armory closed in 1968. In 1974, the Reese family took ownership of the Springfield Armory® name and began making the M1A™ rifle. Today, Springfield Armory® develops many products loyal to the company’s heritage, like the 1911 pistol, while ensuring its future with innovative products, including the XD®, XD® Mod.2™ XD(M)® and XD-S® polymer pistols.
