The M1911 is a single-action, semiautomatic handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. It was designed by John M. Browning, and was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Its formal designation as of 1940 was Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 for the original Model of 1911 or Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 for the M1911A1, adopted in 1924. The designation changed to Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1 in the Vietnam era. In total, the United States procured around 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols during its service life. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... .45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10-3 m and 10-2 m (1 mm and 1 cm). ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... Recoil operation is a type of locked-breech firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ... A semi or fully_automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward. ... Rate of fire is the speed at which a specific firearm or artillery piece can ]] per minute (RPM or round/min), or rounds per second Note that heat and ammunition concerns mean that most automatic weapons are unlikely ever to sustain their cyclic rate of fire for a full minute... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... Feet per second is a unit of speed; it expressses the number of feet traveled in one second. ... Metre per second (U.S. spelling: meter per second) is an SI derived unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector), defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds. ... A yard (abbreviation: yd) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... In firearms, the chamber is the part of the barrel in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A Semi-automatic (also known as Self-loading) pistol is a type of handheld firearm, a kind of pistol. ... .45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... John Moses Browning (January 21, 1855 – November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed myriad varieties of weapons, cartridges, and gun mechanics, many of which are used in the U.S. military and elsewhere to this day. ... A side arm is a small personal weapon that is typically worn on the body in a holster in such a way to permit immediate access and use. ... The Military of the United States, officially known as the United States Armed Forces, is structured into five branches consisting of the: United States Army United States Marine Corps United States Navy United States Air Force United States Coast Guard The U.S. Public Health Service and NOAA also have... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

The same basic design has also been offered commercially and has been used by other militaries. In addition to the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), models chambered for .38 Super, 9 mm Parabellum, .400 Corbon, and other cartridges were also offered. The M1911 was developed from earlier Colt designs firing rounds such as .38 ACP. The design beat out many other contenders during the government's selection period, during the late 1890s and 1900s, up to the pistol's adoption. The M1911 officially replaced a range of revolvers and pistols across branches of the U.S. armed forces, though a number of other designs would see some use in certain niches. The . ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The . ... Colts Manufacturing Company (CMC) is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. ... The . ...

The M1911 is the most well-known of John Browning's designs to use the short recoil principle in its basic design. Besides the pistol being widely copied itself, this operating system rose to become the pre-eminent type of the 20th century and of nearly all modern pistols. Recoil operation is a type of locked-breech firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ...

History

Early history and adoption

The M1911 pistol originated in the late 1890s search for a suitable self-loading (or semi-automatic) handgun to replace the variety of revolvers then in service. The United States of America was adopting new firearms at a phenomenal rate; several new handguns and two all-new service rifles (the M1892/96/98 Krag and M1895 Navy Lee), as well as a series of revolvers by Colt and Smith & Wesson for the Army and Navy were adopted just in that decade. The next decade would see a similar pace, including the adoption of several more revolvers and an intensive search for a self-loading pistol that would culminate in official adoption of the M1911 after the turn of the decade. The Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. ... The Lee Model 1895 (also known as the M1895 Lee, Navy Lee, Winchester-Lee 1895, M1895 Winchester-Lee, etc. ... Colts Manufacturing Company (CMC) is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. ... Smith & Wesson NASDAQ: SWHC are the largest manufacturers of handguns in the United States. ...

Hiram S. Maxim had designed a self-loading pistol in the 1880s, but was preoccupied with machine guns. Nevertheless, the application of his principle of using bullet energy to reload led to several self-loading pistols in the 1890s. The designs caught the attention of various militaries, which began programs to find a suitable one for their forces. In the U.S., such a program would lead to a formal test at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, 1916 1895 . ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

During the end of 1899 and start of 1900, a test of self-loading pistols was conducted, which included entries from Mauser (the C96 "Broomhandle"), Mannlicher (the Steyr Mannlicher M1894), and Colt (the Colt M1900). Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... An National Revolutionary Army soldier with a gas mask and a Mauser M1932. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Colt Model 1900 Photo by Adam Guns The Colt Model 1900 was a self-loading semi-automatic . ...

This led to a purchase of 1,000 DWM Luger pistols, chambered in 7.65mm Luger, a bottlenecked cartridge. These would go on field trials but ran into some issues, especially in regard to stopping power. Other governments had also levied similar complaints, which resulted in DWM producing an enlarged version of the round, the 9mm Parabellum (known in current military parlance as the 9x19mm NATO), a necked-up version of the 7.65mm round. Fifty of these were tested as well by the U.S. Army in 1903. Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken (German Weapons and Munitions Works), known as DWM, was an arms company in Imperial Germany created when Ludwig Loewe & Company merged with several other companies. ... The Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), popularly known as the Luger pistol is a semi-automatic self-loading pistol patented by Georg Luger in 1898 and manufactured by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) starting in 1900. ... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

General William Crozier became Chief of Ordnance of the Army in 1901.

In response to problems encountered by American units fighting Moro guerillas during the Philippine-American War, the then-standard .38 Long Colt revolver was found to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power, as the Moros had very high battle morale and frequently used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain.^{[citation needed]} It's also been reported that the Moros wore a very effective bamboo "armor" that was difficult to penetrate with the smaller caliber revolver.^{[citation needed]} The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt caliber, which had been standard during the last decades of the 19th century; the slower, heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen. The problems with the .38 Long Colt led to the army shipping new single action .45 Colt revolvers to the Philippines in 1902. It also prompted the then-Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier, to authorize further testing for a new service pistol. Image File history File links William_Crozier. ... Image File history File links William_Crozier. ... The Moro Rebellion was the second phase of the Philippine-American War, following the so-called Philippine Insurrection phase. ... Combatants United States Philippines Commanders William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt Emilio Aguinaldo Strength 126,000 soldiers 80,000 soldiers Casualties 4,324 U.S. soldiers dead, 3,000 wounded 2,000 killed, dead, or wounded suffered by the Philippine Constabulary 16,000 soldiers killed est. ... The . ... Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Branch insignia of Ordnance Corps The Ordnance Corps is a combat service support branch of the United States Army. ... -1...

Following the 1904 Thompson-LaGarde pistol round effectiveness tests, Colonel John T. Thompson stated that the new pistol "should not be of less than .45 caliber" and would preferably be semi-automatic in operation. This led to the 1906 trials of pistols from six firearms manufacturing companies (namely, Colt, Bergmann, Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM), Savage Arms Company, Knoble, Webley, and White-Merril). The Thompson-LaGrande Tests were a short series of unscientific tests conducted in 1901 to determine which caliber should be used in new military handguns. ... John Taliaferro Thompson (December 3, 1860 - June 21, 1940) was a United States military officer best remembered as the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun. ... Colts Manufacturing Company (CMC) is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. ... Bergmann or Bergman is a surname which is German, Swedish, in origin, respectively. ... Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken (German Weapons and Munitions Works), known as DWM, was an arms company in Imperial Germany created when Ludwig Loewe & Company merged with several other companies. ... // Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, NY. Perhaps best-known for the Savage Model 99 which is a hammerless lever action rifle, which is no longer in production. ... The famous Webley Mk VI, standard sidearm of the British Army 1915-1932 Webley and Scott is an arms manufacturer based in Birmingham, England. ...

Of the six designs submitted, three were eliminated early on, leaving only the Savage, Colt, and DWM designs chambered in the new .45ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge. These three still had issues that needed correction, but only Colt and Savage resubmitted their designs. There is some debate over the reasons for DWM's withdrawal — some say they felt there was bias and that the DWM design was being used primarily as a "whipping boy" for the Savage and Colt pistols,^[1] though this does not fit well with the earlier 1900 purchase of the DWM design over the Colt and Steyr entries. In any case, a series of field tests from 1907 to 1911 were held to decide between the Savage and Colt designs. Both designs were improved between each testing over their initial entries, leading up to the final test before adoption.

Among the areas of success for the Colt was a 6,000 round test at the end of 1910 attended by its designer, John Browning. The Colt gun passed with flying colors, having no malfunctions, while the Savage designs had 37.

Service history

M1911A1 by Springfield Armory (contemporary remake of WWII G.I. Model, Parkerized)

M15 General Officers was adopted in the 1970s

Following its success in trials, the Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, thus gaining its designation, M1911 (Model of 1911). It was adopted by the Navy and Marine Corps in 1913. Originally manufactured only by Colt, demand for the firearm in World War I saw the expansion of manufacture to the government-owned Springfield Armory. Image File history File links Springfield_Armory_M1911A1. ... Image File history File links Springfield_Armory_M1911A1. ... From 1794 to 1968 the Springfield Armory was a center for the manufacture of U.S. military small arms and the site of many important technological advances. ... Parkerizing (sometimes called phosphating) is a method of protecting steel surfaces from corrosion and thus increasing their durability. ... Image File history File links M151911. ... Image File history File links M151911. ... M15 General Officers is a . ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (89th in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... From 1794 to 1968 the Springfield Armory was a center for the manufacture of U.S. military small arms and the site of many important technological advances. ...

Battlefield experience in the First World War led to some more small external changes, completed in 1924. The new version received a modified type classification, M1911A1. Changes to the original design were minor and consisted of a shorter trigger, cutouts in the frame behind the trigger, a curved mainspring housing, a longer grip safety spur (to prevent hammer bite), a wider front sight, a longer spur on the thumb safety, and simplified grip checkering. Those unfamiliar with the design are often unable to tell the difference between the two versions at a glance. No internal changes were made. Hammer bite is a term used for firearms, and in particular semi-automatic pistols. ...

World War II

World War II and the years leading up to it created a great demand for the weapon. During the war, about 1.9 million units were procured by the U.S. Government for all forces, production being undertaken by several manufacturers, including Remington Rand (900,000 produced), Colt (400,000), Ithaca Gun Company (400,000), Union Switch and Signal Company (50,000), Singer (500), the Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal. So many were produced that, after 1945, the government did not order any new pistols, and simply used existing parts inventories to "arsenal refinish" guns when necessary. This pistol was favored by US military personnel. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A Remington Rand branded typewriter Remington Rand was an early American computer manufacturer, best known as the original maker of the UNIVAC I, and now part of Unisys. ... Ithaca Guns, USA LLC is a manufacturer of high-quality shotguns and rifles, founded in Ithaca, New York in 1880. ... Singer Corporation is a sewing machine company located in the United States of America. ... RIA is a company located in the Phillipines. ...

Before World War II, a small number of Colts were produced under license at the Norwegian weapon factory Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk (these Colts were known as "Kongsberg Colt"). During the German occupation of Norway the production continued; these pistols are highly regarded by modern collectors. German forces used captured M1911A1 pistols, using the designation "Pistole 660(a)".[1] The 1911 pattern also formed the basis for the Argentine Ballester-Molina and certain Spanish Star and Llama pistols made after 1922. Kongsberg Gruppen (KOG) (lit. ... [edit] History Norway adopted the 7. ... The Ballester-Molina bears an uncanny resemblance to the Colt M1911, perhaps because Colt technicians took part in the weapons development. ... Star Bonifacio Echeverria, S.A. was a manufacturer of small arms (principally handguns and sub-machineguns) in the Basque region of Spain from about 1905 until 1997. ...

Replacement for most uses

After the Second World War, the M1911 continued to be a mainstay of the United States Armed Forces in the Korean War and the Vietnam War and was even used during Desert Storm in some U.S. Army units. Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ...

However, by the late 1970s the M1911A1 was acknowledged to be showing its age. Under political pressure from NATO to conform to the NATO-standard pistol cartridge, the US Air Force's Joint Service Small Arms Program was run to select a new semi-automatic pistol using the NATO-standard 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge (a cartridge that had been previously tested by the US Army in 1903 and found wanting). After trials, the Beretta 92S-1 was chosen. This result was contested by the Army which subsequently ran its own competition (the XM9 trials) in 1981 which eventually lead to the official adoption of the Beretta 92F on January 14, 1985. By the later 1980s production was ramping up despite a controversial XM9 retrial and a separate XM10 reconfirmation, which was boycotted by some entrants of the original trials, cracks in the frames of the Beretta-produced pistols, and also despite a dangerous problem with slide separation that resulted in injuries to some US Navy servicemembers. This last resulted in it being updated to the 92FS standard, which includes additional protection for the user. Seal of the Air Force. ... The Joint Service Small Arms Program, usually just called JSSAP was a program run by the Air Force to select a 9mm Parabellum pistol in the late 1970s and the turn of the decade. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. ... The M9 pistol The M9 pistol is a pistol of the U.S. military adopted in the 1980s. ... The Beretta 92SB-F (later renamed Beretta 92F), Beretta 92FS, Beretta 92G, and Beretta 92FS Inox are a series of semi-automatic, locked-breech delayed recoil operated, double/single action pistols, chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, designed and manufactured by Beretta. ...

By the early 1990s, most M1911A1s had been replaced by the M9, though many remain in use by special units. The United States Marine Corps in particular resisted the change-over, and they were able to win the right to continue use of the M1911A1, as did many smaller special groups within the armed forces. For its part, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a requirement for a .45 ACP handgun (Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) trials). This resulted in the Heckler & Koch OHWS becoming the MK23 Mod 0 Offensive Handgun Weapon System (beating a Colt OHWS). The M9 pistol The M9 pistol is a pistol of the U.S. military adopted in the 1980s. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ... .45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ... The MK23 Mod 0 is an offensive handgun system consisting of a match grade semi-automatic pistol, a laser aiming module (LAM), and suppressor. ... The Colt OHWS (Colt SOCOM) was a pistol manufactured by the Colt firearm company. ...

Current users

A Colt 1911 Gold Cup National Match edition with nickel plating.

The M1911A1 design is favored by a large number of police SWAT teams throughout the United States. Many military and law enforcement organizations in the United States and many other countries continue to use (often modified) M1911A1 pistols because they favor the stopping power of the .45 cartridge and the superior handling of the weapon in close fighting.^{[citation needed]} Marine Force Recon, Los Angeles Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (Delta Force) are among them. The Tacoma, WA Police Department made history in 2001 by becoming the first metropolitan police department in nearly 50 years to adopt the 1911 as its official carry weapon. TPD selected the Kimber Pro Carry II or Pro Carry II HD as optional, department supplied weapons available to its officers.^[2] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 2. ... The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) —commonly known as Delta in the U.S. Army, Delta Force by civilians, and Combat Applications Group by the Department of Defense— is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). ...

The M1911 is also extremely popular among the general public in the United States for practical and recreational purposes. The pistol is commonly used for concealed carry, personal defense, target shooting, and competition. Numerous aftermarket accessories allow the user to customize the pistol to their liking. There are a growing number of manufacturers of 1911-type pistols and the model continues to be quite popular for its reliability, simplicity, and nationalist appeal. Various tactical, target, and compact models are available. Price ranges from a low end of $250 for an imported model to more than $3,000 for the best competition or tactical models such as those by Wilson, AMT, Kimber, Springfield Armory, STI International Inc, Strayer Voigt Inc, Les Baer and Evolution Gun Works. AMT or amt, a three-letter abbreviation, may refer to: An abbreviation of the word amount. The Agence métropolitaine de transport, a public transportation organization Montreal Amt, an administrative unit in several European countries Anxiety Management Training a form of treatment for anxiety. ... // Kimber is the worlds largest manufacturer of M1911 pistols. ... Springfield Armory, Inc. ... STI International, Inc. ... An Infinity Firearms Pistol Strayer-Voigt, Inc. ... Les Baer manufactures Colt 1911 pattern handguns and AR-15 pattern rifles. ...

The Springfield Custom Professional Model 1911-A1 pistol is produced under contract by Springfield Armory for the FBI regional SWAT teams and the Hostage Rescue Team. This pistol is made in batches on a regular basis by Springfield's custom shop, and a few examples from most runs are made available for sale to the general public at a selling price of approximately $2500.00 USD each.

MEU(SOC) Pistol

A 1911 Colt Series 70.

Main article: MEU(SOC) pistol

USMC Marine Expeditionary Units continue to issue M1911s to Force Recon units. Hand-selected Colt M1911A1 frames were gutted, deburred, and prepared for additional use by the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) in Quantico, VA. They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, ambidextrous thumb safeties, triggers, improved high-visibility sights, accurized barrels, grips, and improved Wilson magazines. These hand-made pistols were tuned to specifications and preferences of end users. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 548 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 617 pixel, file size: 366 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 548 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 617 pixel, file size: 366 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is the smallest combined forces unit in the United States Marine Corps. ... Official Name USMC Force Reconnaissance Force Recon Marines Branch United States Marine Corps Command Structure MARFORPAC; MEF I, III; MEU(SOC) 11, 13, 15, 31 MARFORLANT, MEF II; MEU(SOC) 22, 24, 26 MARFORRES, Reserves Description MEU(SOC) Deep Recon Capability, Special Operations Capability Readiness Any shore in the world... Quantico, Virginia is in Prince William County, 23 miles north-northeast of Fredericksburg, Virginia, near Dumfries and Stafford along Highway 619. ...

In the late 1980s, USMC Colonel Robert Young laid out a series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs. However, as the U.S. Marine Corps began its process of hand selecting members from its Force Recon to be submitted to USSOCOM as Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One (MCSOCOM Det-1), the selection of a .45 ACP M1911A1-based pistol meant roughly 150 units would be needed, quickly. The PWS was already backlogged with producing DMRs, USMC SAM-Rs, and updating M40A1s to M40A3s, so Det-1 began the search for COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) surrogates to use. Discovering that the Los Angeles Police Department was well pleased with their special Kimber M1911 pistols, a single source request was issued to Kimber for just such a pistol despite the imminent release of their TLE/RLII models. Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). Maintaining the simple recoil assembly, 5-inch barrel (though using a stainless steel match grade barrel), and internal extractor, the ICQB is not much different from Browning's original design. United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Emblem of the United States Special Operations Command. ... MCSOCOM Detachment One Marine Corps Detachment One, United States Special Operations Command, or MCSOCOM Detachment One (DET1), is the USMCs contribution to USSOCOM. It is an eighty-six man unit, 81 Marines and 5 Navy corpsmen, commanded by Col. ... The United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR, NSN 1005-01-458-6235; more formally the United States Rifle, 7. ... A Squad Advanced Marksman of the 22nd MEU in Afghanistan The Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R) gives U.S. Marines the capability to provide precision fire in support of the rifle squad, providing precision fire in support of an assault, and aid in observation and adjusting of supporting arms. ... This article is about the M40 rifle. ... This article is about the M40 rifle. ...

A 1911 Colt Series 70.

The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with Surefire IMPL (Integrated Military Pistol Light), Dawson precision rails, Tritium Novak LoMount sights, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, and Wilson '47D' 8 round magazines. They have reportedly been used with over 15,000 rounds apiece. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 598 pixel, file size: 389 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 598 pixel, file size: 389 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

The 1911 is slated to be the issue handgun for all Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable), and should be used well into the second century of the design.

Other users

Numbers of Colt 1911s were used by the Royal Navy as sidearms during World War I in .455 Webley Automatic caliber. The handguns were then transferred to the Royal Air Force where they saw use in limited numbers up until the end of World War II as sidearms for air crew in event of bailing out in enemy territory. Some units of the South Korean Air Force still use these as officers' sidearms(2005). The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

Norway used the Kongsberg Colt which was a licence produced variant and is recognized by the unique slide catch. Argentina manufactured them for some time and led to the cheaper Ballester-Molina. Spain produced the STAR Model P. [edit] History Norway adopted the 7. ... The Ballester-Molina bears an uncanny resemblance to the Colt M1911, perhaps because Colt technicians took part in the weapons development. ...

Design

Asking for a .45-caliber automatic pistol was a tall order that few manufacturers or inventors attempted successfully in the early 20th century. To accomplish this, Browning settled on a design that is so timeless, it has been changed little in nearly 100 years of production. The basic principle of the pistol is recoil operation. As the bullet and combustion gasses travel down the barrel, they give momentum to the slide and barrel which are locked together during this portion of the firing cycle. After the bullet has left the barrel, the slide and barrel continue rearward a short distance.

A 1911 Colt Series 80 XSE model.

At this point, a link pivots the barrel down, out of locking recesses in the slide, and brings the barrel to a stop. As the slide continues rearward, a claw extractor pulls the spent casing from the firing chamber and an ejector strikes the rear of the case pivoting it out and away from the pistol. The slide stops and is then propelled forward by a spring to strip a fresh cartridge from the magazine and feed it into the firing chamber. At the forward end of its travel, the slide locks into the barrel and is ready to fire again. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 528 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 594 pixel, file size: 308 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 528 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 594 pixel, file size: 308 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

The military mandated a grip safety and a manual safety. A grip safety, sear disconnect, slide stop, half cock position, and manual safety (located on the left rear of the frame) are on all standard M1911A1s. Several companies have developed a firing pin block safety. Colt's 80 series uses a trigger operated one and several other manufacturers use one operated by the grip safety. In firearm terms, a grip safety is a button, lever or other device situated on the grip of a weapon which must be actuated by the operators hand in order for the weapon to fire. ... Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle. ... In a firearm, the sear is the component of the trigger group which resists pressure on the trigger. ...

Despite being challenged by more modern and lightweight pistol designs in .45 caliber, such as the Glock 21, the SIGARMS P220 and the aforementioned Heckler & Koch Mk 23, the original 1911 design shows no signs of decreasing popularity. Despite its large size, the M1911 has a very flat profile owing to its single-stack magazine design, easing concealment. The Glock 21 is a pistol manufactured by Glock. ... SIGARMS is the US representative of Swiss manufacturing firm Swiss Arms AG, which was split off of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) in 2000. ... Categories: Weapon stubs | Semi-automatic pistols ... Heckler & Koch G41 Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) (pronounced [1]) is a German weapons manufacturing company famous for various series of small firearms, notably the MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 personal defense weapon, USP series of handguns, high-precision PSG1 sniper rifle, and the G3 and G36 assault rifles. ... The Mark 23 Mod 0 Caliber . ...

Specifications

• Cartridge: .45 ACP;
• Other commercial and military derivatives: Other versions offered include .38 ACP, 9 mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, 10 mm Auto, .400 Corbon, .22 LR, .50 GI, and probably many others. The major ones were 9 mm Parabellum (9 x 19 mm), .38 Super, 10 mm Auto, .455 British.
• Barrel: 5 in (127 mm) Government, 4.25 in (108 mm) Commander, and the 3.5 in (89 mm) Officer's ACP. Some modern "carry" guns have significantly shorter barrels and frames, while others use standard frames and extended slides with 6 in (152 mm) barrels
• Rate of twist: 16 in (406 mm) per turn, or 1:35.5 calibers (.45 ACP)
• Operation: Recoil-operated, closed bolt, single action, semi-automatic
• Weight (unloaded): 2 lb 7 oz (1.1 kg) (government model)
• Height: 5.25 in (133 mm)
• Length: 8.25 in (210 mm)

Memory groove grip safety

• Capacity: 7+1 rounds (7 in standard-capacity magazine +1 in firing chamber); 8+1 in aftermarket standard-size magazine; 9+ in extended and hi-cap magazines/frames guns chambered in .38 Super and 9 mm have a 9+1 capacity. Some models using double-stacked magazines, such as those from Para Ordnance, Strayer Voigt Inc and STI International Inc have significantly larger capacities. Colt makes their own 8 round magazines which they include with their Series 80 XSE models.
• Safeties: A grip safety, sear disconnect, slide stop, a half cock position, and manual safety (located on the left rear of the frame) are on all standard M1911(A1)'s. Several companies have developed a firing pin block. Colt's 80 series uses a trigger operated one and several other manufacturers use one operated by the grip safety.
• Grip safety deactivation: A problem for some shooters is that they have trouble deactivating the grip safety when they hold the gun. This primarily affects shooters who have small hands. It can also occur when a shooter places their thumb on top of the thumb safety, which tends to reduce pressure on the grip safety. To rectify this problem, a number of grip safety manufacturers have designed safeties with extended ridges, so that when a shooter grips the gun, their hand will come into contact with the ridges and deactivate the safety (i.e., allowing the gun to fire).

.45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ... The . ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The . ... The 10 mm Auto is a powerful and versatile cartridge for semi-automatic pistols, developed by ammunition manufacturer FFV Norma AB of Ã…motfors, Sweden, and introduced in 1983 in the ill-fated Bren Ten pistol. ... The . ... (Redirected from . ... The . ... Recoil operation is a type of locked-breech firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ... Springfield Armory M1911A1 . ... The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et... Image File history File links Memory_Groove_Grip_Safety. ... The . ... Para-Ordnance is a firearms manufacturer located in Toronto, Canada. ... An Infinity Firearms Pistol Strayer-Voigt, Inc. ... STI International, Inc. ... In a firearm, the sear is the component of the trigger group which resists pressure on the trigger. ...

Notes

References

• U.S. Military Automatic Pistols 1894-1920 by Edward Scott Meadows (Richard Ellis Publications 1993)
• Colt 1911 & Early prototypes (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com 2003)
• The Colt 1911A1 Explained (Download) by Gerard Henrotin (H&L Publishing - HLebooks.com 2004)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

M1911

• John Browning
• .45 ACP
• Colt Delta Elite
• Browning Hi-Power
• AMT Hardballer
• Vis
• LAR Grizzly
• TT-33
• M15 General Officers
• Kimber Eclipse Target II
• Kimber Custom
• Captured US firearms in Axis use in WW2

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... John Moses Browning (January 21, 1855 – November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed myriad varieties of weapons, cartridges, and gun mechanics, many of which are used in the U.S. military and elsewhere to this day. ... .45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ... A modified Colt Delta Elite with aftermarket sights and compensator. ... The Browning Hi-Power is a semi-automatic, single-action, 9 mm pistol. ... The AMT Hardballer is a clone of the . ... Vis (Polish designation , German designation 9 mm Pistole 35(p), often simply called the Radom in English sources) is a 9 mm caliber, single-action, semi-automatic pistol. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The TT-30 (7,62 mm Samozarjadnyi Pistolet Tokareva obrazets 1933 goda, Russian: 7,62-мм самозарядный пистолет Токарева образца 1933 года) is a semi-automatic pistol developed by Fedor Tokarev for the Soviet military to replace the old Nagant M1895 revolvers in use since tsarist times. ... M15 General Officers is a . ... The Kimber Eclipse Target II is a model 1911 based semi automatic pistol chambered in the . ... The Kimber Custom is a model 1911 semi-automatic pistol. ... US firearms that have been captured and redesignated by the third reich. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... A side arm is a small personal weapon that is typically worn on the body in a holster in such a way to permit immediate access and use. ... The M1917 revolver was a US six shot revolver of 45 ACP caliber. ... The Smith & Wesson Military & Police revolver is a . ... A rifle is a firearm with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the barrel walls. ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ... The Springfield M1903, formally the United States Rifle, Caliber . ... The M1 Garand (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber . ... The M1 Carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber . ... The M1941 Rifle was an American short-recoil operated semiautomatic rifle designed by Melvin Johnson prior to World War II. The M1941 competed unsuccessfully with the U.S. M1 Garand. ... The Browning Automatic Rifle (more formally the Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber . ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A lance corporal of the East Surrey Regiment, British Army equipped with a Thompson M1928 submachine gun (drum magazine), 25 November 1940 The Thompson was a family of American submachine guns that became infamous during the Prohibition era. ... The M3 Grease Gun (more formally United States Submachine Gun, Cal. ... The Reising (sometimes called the Buck Rogers Gun) was an American submachine gun patented in 1940 and manufactured by Harrington & Richardson. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with UD 42. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... The Browning Model 1917 Machine Gun is a heavy machine gun used by the United States armed forces in World War I, World War II, Korea, and to a limited amount in Vietnam and by other nations. ... The Browning M1919 was a . ... The M1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun was an American recoil-operated light machine gun designed in the late 1930s by Melvin Johnson. ... It has been suggested that K6 HMG be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Bazooka (disambiguation). ... A soldier from the U.S. 33rd Infantry Division uses an M2 flamethrower M2A1-7 is a flamethrower used by the American troops during World War II. It has four controls:- - Back of the rear grip: firing safety catch. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... .45 ACP cartridges .45 redirects here. ... Left to right: .38 Special, .17 HMR and . ... .30-06 Springfield cartridge specifications. ... The . ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... .50 BMG rounds and 20MM Vulcan round, with a golf ball and a stick of RAM posed to provide scale. ...

External links

• The Sight M1911
• Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC
• Official M1911 Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
• Official M1911A1 Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
• Official MKIV Series 70/Model O Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
• Official MKIV Series 70/Model O1970A1 Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
• Official MKIV Series 80/90 Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
• Sam Lisker's Colt Automatic Pistols Home Page
• The M1911 Magazine FAQ
• The M1911 Pistols Organization
• Detailed animated drawing of all operational parts
• The Thompson-LaGarde Cadaver Tests of 1904