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Colt M1911
The Colt M1911 was developed as a replacement for the various .38 revolvers being used in the 1890's. Earlier Colt models that fired .38 ACP rounds were the basic prototype. It was one of the most innovative self-loading handguns of its kind at the time of its introduction. It was one of the eminent armament designer John Browning's most celebrated efforts, and employed the short recoil principle that became so popular in firearms later on. This feature is the mainstay of all center-fire automatic pistols.
The Colt M1911 was commonly used in the United States Armed Forces as a standard issue weapon. It has all the right features - it has a single action, is semiautomatic and fires the .45 ACP cartridge, which happens to be one of the most successful cartridges of all time, among both military and civilian users. In fact, around 2.7 million units of the M1911and its immediate cousin, the M1911A1, were bought by United States. The operating system it employs has become the benchmark technology of most contemporary handguns in this century. The design has not undergone much changes since it was first introduced more than a 100 years ago.
In fact, the M1911A1 is still widely used among specialty law enforcement units such as SWAT outfits. The M1911 is also widely used by certain Marine units as well as delta Force (Los Angeles Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment). It certainly has exceptionally high stopping power in close firing situations and it accommodates a number of useful accessories. The latter attribute makes it a favorite among gun enthusiasts who like to customize their pistols according to personal tastes.
The M1911, though quite heavy and large, but its position as a preferred weapon has not been assailed by more lightweight .45 designs. Its flat format makes it easy to conceal despite the bulk. However, it is primarily a combat firearm and not a pocket piece. It is one of the most beloved handgun designs and has become something of an American icon among lovers of handguns and all that they stand for.
The M1911 weighs approximately 1.1 kilograms in an unloaded condition and measures 8.25 cm in length and 5.25 cm in height. The size of the barrel varies according to the specifications it is manufactured for. Its unique design makes it a popular firearm for personal defense and target shooting, and the basic model is quite affordable. One can buy a M1911 for as little as $250, though certain imported models can cost as much as $3000. The latter price would also apply for tactical models such as those manufactured by Wilson, Springfield Armory and Kimber. Les Baer also has an upper-end model.
In 1985, the US Armed Forces chose to replace the M1911 with yet another innovative handgun - the Beretta 92 F. This was to conform with the standard 9 mm NATO sidearm format, and also because the Beretta 92 F was considered a safer piece. Diehard M1911 adherents, who continue to state that this firearm features superior trigger durability, accuracy and stopping power, did not meet the replacement with much enthusiasm. It seems that their claims have been borne out by the recent experiences of the Armed Forces with the Beretta - they jammed because of the ubiquitous sand that was a factor during this series of operations. It is reported that the Marines finally had to resort to their M1911s. This stands testimony to the pistol's timeless utility and design, even in the face of newer and purportedly more advanced models.
M1911 fans claim that the handgun has a mystique and aura that is uniquely its own. In the first place, the .45 design has a distinctive masculine presence to it. Also, the fact that it lends itself so patently to individual customization makes it to handgun enthusiasts what the Chevy 57 is to hotrod tinkerers. It is also among the most accurate auto-loading pistols ever to see the light of day and can withstand an enormous amount of real-time combat use without malfunctioning. Probably the only drawback (also seen by some as its main attraction) is the fact that it must be cocked either manually or by slide racking. In fact, this fact makes the M1911 such an eminently effective handgun for depiction in Hollywood films.
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Technical Specs
- Ammunition: .45 Auto (.45 ACP)
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Comments
The Colt .45 ACP model 1911 is a design, which, but for minor modifications, has lasted for in excess of 100 years! That statement, in itself should probably be quoted as “ nuff said” but never the less there is more to be said. I don’t know much about all the other manufacturer’s variants like Springfield or Kimber, all I do know is ALL the parts do not interchange so that is a strike. The basic, right out of the box Colt is a reliable, powerful idiot proof weapon., after all it was made for the Army and being an old Army man myself we get our fair share of dumb asses. All that being said it is a gun that will almost always work, and that is the important thing when it comes to combat or personal defense.To start let us examine the round itself. .45 Automatic Colt Pistol round was developed to replace the .38 S&W Special being used against the Moros in the Philippines. The Moros would work themselves up with drigs, bind their small important parts with wet leather and as that dried they went on the attack. With such a combination of factors they could withstand several direct hits from the meager .38 sp. And go on to attack and kill our troops. Thus was developed the .45 acp with a 230 gr bullet deftly delivered at 930 fps with a whopping 421 ft. lbs. of energy. The great John Browning decided that to deliver this cartridge a new type of weapon had to be created with rapid fire and reloading capabilities and simple to fix. Shortly thereafter the gun Gods visited him with a vision and soon the 1911 was born of the vision. Although the first prototypes appeared in the late 1890’s the weapon was dubbed the 1911 after the first year the U.S. Army adopted the gun on March 29.
Fast forward to present. Despite being replaced by the Berretta 92s in 1985 elite forces in the US Military and police units are going back to the 1911. In all the years of service there has been only one instance of a 1911 accidentally firing without any operator error! I can cite the occasion but that is for another time. The oldest, sloppiest, dirtiest 1911 will usually still fire at least one round, and quite accurately I might add but a well-maintained modern gun will give years of flawless, reliable, fun service. With all that in mind let us have some fun with a brand new 1911 right out of the box. A few years ago I got a deal on a new stainless and ordered the parts I needed. Unfortunately my girlfriend was at the house when she arrived and what she saw was horrifying, and I’ll explain what she witnessed. First get a catalog from a company that specializes in Colt 1911 parts, I use Brownell’s (www.brownells.com). Order all titanium springs, firing pin, mag well, flat mainspring housing, full length guide rod and extended ejector, shock buffs optional. You can also add skeletonized hammer and trigger, match bushing and a deep seat beaver tail if you have a Dremmel Moto tool and gun-smithing experience, if not don’t mess with that stuff. The lighter weight of the titanium aids in lock up speed for your subsequent shots. When the parts come DO NOT kiss the UPS guy, just take the box and go in the house quietly. Once inside you may scream with joy. Now take the gun apart and comparing parts throw away all the crap it came with and put in the trick stuff. Now go to the garage and get that tube of waterproof wheel bearing grease you use on the boat trailer and mix a half a teaspoon with Molybdenum Disulfide 2 micron powder until the mix is gray. Grease all the moving parts with this gooey crud. Put the gun together and go bust a bunch of caps! Now that we all feel better take the gun apart, clean it and re-grease it. Do this 3 or 4 times always brushing the barrel with Moly powder on a dry patch.
Now that you have done all this for one gun just imagine that I have 14 of them and they have all been treated equally. Why? A Colt prepared in such a way will give flawless service through hundreds of thousands of rounds in any weather conditions and my great grand-children will be using them 3 generations from now, or roughly, another hundred years if Hillary doesn’t become President.
Life is short, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
Thanks for the information JDCARP,I have a variant model 1991 A-1 that I love also.I bought it because it fits in my fat hand so well. Its a good carry gun as well, but I would like an original design 1911.
I have a .45 Colf semi-auto and I'm looking for the date of manufacture. Does anyone have any idea where I could find a site to get that info?