Colt M1911

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Summary

Country🇺🇸 United States
CategorySemi-automatic pistol
ManufacturerBrowning Firearms

Technical specifications

Colt M1911
Fire Rate20 - 30 rounds/min.
Caliber.45 ACP (11.43 x 23 mm)
Magazine7 rounds
Length219 mm (8.6 in)
Weight1.13 kg (2.5 lb)
Range50 m (164 ft)

Description

The M1911 pistol's development began in the late 1890s with a search for a self-loading pistol to replace existing revolvers. Early 1900s testing included entries from Mauser, Mannlicher, and Colt. Field trials of the 7.65mm Luger revealed issues with stopping power, leading to the 1904 Thompson-LaGarde tests, which recommended a caliber of not less than .45. The 1906 trials involved pistols chambered in .45 ACP from Colt and Savage. After field tests from 1907 to 1911, the Colt design by John Browning was adopted by the U.S. Army on March 29, 1911, as the "Model of 1911". Formally adopted by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in 1913, it was used in the 1916 Punitive Expedition into Mexico. Battlefield experience in World War I led to modifications, resulting in the M1911A1 version, adopted in 1926. By the late 1970s, it was deemed to be aging, leading to the Joint Service Small Arms Program and the adoption of the Beretta 92F in 1985.

The Colt M1911 is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge. After firing, the slide and barrel lock together briefly, then the barrel pivots down to unlock from the slide. As the slide moves rearward, it extracts and ejects the spent casing before being propelled forward by the recoil spring to load a fresh cartridge and lock back into the barrel. The design uses no fasteners other than grip screws; components are held by spring force. Safety features include:

  • a grip safety,

  • sear disconnect,

  • slide stop,

  • half cock position,

  • and a manual safety on the left rear frame.

Many later models incorporated a firing pin block safety, such as the trigger-operated Colt's 80 series. The M1911A1 improvements included a shorter trigger, cutouts behind the trigger, an arched mainspring housing, a longer grip safety spur, a wider front sight, and a shortened hammer spur.

Browning's basic M1911 design has seen little change. During World War I, manufacture expanded beyond Colt and Springfield Armory to include Remington-UMC. During World War II, about 1.9 million M1911A1 units were produced by several manufacturers, typically featuring a parkerized finish and brown plastic grips. Post-war refurbishment marked pistols with arsenal initials. Modern variants include the M45 MEU(SOC) developed by the USMC in the 1980s, hand-customized M1911A1s with aftermarket components for reconnaissance units, and the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB) by Kimber for the Los Angeles Police Department. The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit initiated the M1911-A2 project to explore modular M1911 designs. In 2012, the USMC awarded Colt a contract for the M45A1, designated Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP), featuring a dual recoil spring, Picatinny rail, and tan Cerakote finish for Force Reconnaissance and MARSOC units, though it was later replaced by the SIG Sauer M18. Other caliber variants were offered commercially, such as a .22 training version.

The M1911 served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985 and was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The M1911 is currently listed as being used by Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Greece, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, North Korea, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Republic of China, South Korea, Thailand, United States, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Many military and law enforcement organizations in the U.S. and other countries continue to use M1911A1 pistols, often modified.