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Here's the link to the appropriate Springfield Armory page: http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?version=11.
Springfield claims it weighs 40oz with an empty magazine. If that's true, then it's legal for IDPA in the ESP and CDP classes. You would have to load the mags with only ten rounds for ESP and eight rounds for CDP. The current IDPA rulebook is here: http://www.idpa.com/Documents/IDPARuleBook2005.pdf; see Appendix A , about page 19, for the rules on guns, and Appendix B for the ammunition "power factor" rules. To successfully use this for IDPA, you would at least need better sights (it has military sights), and probably a beavertail safety and trigger work.

Good luck in finding one to handle. I saw one in San Diego about six years ago and haven't seen one since. I'm not certain it was exactly the same pistol. I seem to remember that the model number (PW9701) was the same, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's still made the same. I was told by the gun shop clerk that it was built on a Para frame, but I don't know that for certain, and we all know the average level of knowledge of the gun shop clerk population. I do remember that it felt about the same size as a Para double stack. Bud's Guns lists this at $556 but is out of stock (http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/prod ... s_id/32591).

Thanks for mentioning this model; I'd forgotten it existed. I've been thinking about a .460 Rowland for a while, but don't want to use my Trophy Match for it and don't have another 1911. Single stack Springfield "Government" models are acceptable platforms, and if the double stack version uses the same slide and upper frame, then it might work as well. Clark discontinued the conversion kit for Paras, and there doesn't seem to be any other double stack that's acceptable. This Springfield might provide that. Since Clark sells a Kimber Custom II with the conversion installed for under $1100 (you get the original barrel and spring, also), the Springfield probably wouldn't save any money as it would need a beavertail, sights, and probably trigger work. But it'd be amusing to have a 13+1 Rowland - too bad there's no bowling pin shooting around here, since that'd provide some justification :).