J.M.SACULLA
03-09-2002, 07:07 PM
History of the M1911
John Moses Browning is most frequently remembered as the designer of the 1911 .45 ACP and the Browning High Power,but he also created the Winchester 30-30,The Winchester Pump Shotgun,The Browning Auto-5 Shotgun (produced by Remington as the Model 11),The BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) and the Browning .50 caliber Machine Gun.He is credited with 128 gun patents,and some fifty million sports and military weapons were manufactured from those patents during the forty seven years he was an active inventor.
During the time Browning was putting Winchester Repeating Arms on the map,a highly motivatd tribe of warriors,known as the Moro,were giving the U.S. Army fits in the Philipines.To prepare for battle,the Moro used a combonation of body binding with leather,narcotics,and religious ritual to put themselves into an altered state of consciousness whih left them insensible to injury.Soldiers found that their revolvers chambered in .38 Long Colt simply would not stop the Moro.It should be noted that their .30 Krag rifles didn't do much better against these warriors.
Based on the experience with the Morros,an Army Ordnance Board headed by Col. John T. Thompson (inventor of the Thompson sub-machine-gun) and Col. Louis A. La Gardde,determined that the Army needed a .45 caliber cartridge to provide adequate stopping power.In the mean time,Browning,who was working for Colt,had already designed an autoloader pistol around a cartridge similar in dimention to the .38 Super.When the Army requested designs for a new handgun,Browning re-engineered ths .38 autoloader to accommodate a .45" diameter cartridge of his own design with a 230 gr. FMJ bullet,and submitted the pistol to the Army for evaluation.
The selection trials began in 1906 and Browning's pistol faced competition from pistols submitted by Colt,Luger,Savage,Knoble,Bergmann,White-Merrill and Smith & Wesson.Brownings design and the Savage design were selected in 1907.The Army called for additional tests of function and reliability which revealed that neither Colt nor Savage's offerings had reached the desired perfection.The Ordnance Department instituted a series of further tests and experiments,which eventually resulted in the appointment of a selection committee in 1911.
Browning was determined to prove the superiority of his handgun,so he went to Hartford to personally supervise the production of the gun.A torture test was conducted on March 3rd,1911.The test consisted of having each gun fire 6000 rounds.One hundred shots would be fired and the pistol would be allowed to cool for five minutes.After every 1000 rounds,the pistol would be cleaned and oiled .After firing those 6000 rounds,the pistol would be tested with deformed cartridges,some seated too deeply,some not seated enough,etc.The gun would then be rusted in acid or submerged in sand and mud and some more tests would then be conducted.
During the trials,some alterations were made to the original design such as a single swinging link,an improved manual safety,and the inclusion of a grip safety and a slide stop.The other significant change was to the grips,which were angled more acutely and lengthened slightly.
In its final form,the M1911 was a locked-breech ,single-action semi-automatic pistol.It was chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge and had a magazine capacity of seven rounds.Its weight unloaded was 39 ounces;overall length was 8.25";the height was 5.25".Sights were fixed,although the rear sight was hsed in a dovetail slot that allowed it to be drifted either left or right for windage adjustments.The pistol was finished in blue and fitted with checkered wood stocks.
Browning's pistols passed the whole test series with flying colors.It was the first firearm t undergo such a test,firing continuosly 6000 cartridges.The report of the evaluation commiittee released on the 20th of March 1911 stated :"Of the two pistols,the board was of the opinion that the Colt is superior,because it is more easily disassembled when there are broken parts to be replaced,and more accurate."
On March 29th,1911,the Browning-designed,Colt-produced .45 Automatic pistol,was selected as the official sidearm of the Armed Forces of U.S.A.,and named Model 1911.
When we entered the Great War,the U.S. government had purchased some 140,00 M1911 pistols from both Colt and Sringfield Armory.The Armory tooled up in 1913 to make M1911's and help fill initial orders.Altogether some 31,000 M1911's were built at Springfield prior to the U.S. entry into World War 1.To meet war time requirements,they made 45,000 more,all in 1918.
Guns made for those production runs were all stamped UNITED STATES PROPERTY on the frame.The slide carried the inscription MODEL OF 1911 U.S. ARMY.Production runs increased when World War 1 started and continued to increased through 1918.By May 1918 it had increased to 1000 per day.The summer months of 1918 saw an increase to 2200 per day.
To meet the needs for our expanding armed forces,1917 planners estimated that a total of 765,000 pistols would be required.The estiate was later revised upward,first to 1.3 million and then to 2.7 million.
Filling the needs ment that pistols would have to be made by contractors other than Colt.Thus orders were placed with Remington-UMC,Winchester,Burroughs Adding Machine Co.,Lanston Monotype Machine Co.,National Cash Register Co.,A.J. Savage Munitions Co.,Savage Arms Co.,and two Canadian firms,Caron Brothers Mfg. Co.,and North American Arms Co.Of those firms,only Remington-UMC delivered any meaningful quantity (22,000 of 150,000 ordered).North American did make some pistols,but the total was probably less than 100.
A number of foreign companies or governments were licensed to manufacture the Colt-Brownings in a variety of calibers.It is interesting to note that Colts were at one time produced under the direction of the Nazi government.In 1915 the Norwegian government was licensed to ake the pistols.When Nazi troops occupied Norway in World War 2,they ordered the government arsenal to start production.The Nazi's planned to use the pistol to arm their occupying forces.However,only about 1000 guns were produced in 1941 and 1942.
After World War 1,the Army's Ordnance Department evaluated the Colt .45's combat performance.They recommended the following changes:
1.Wider front sight to develop "Partridge-type" of sights,allowing the shooter to quickly align both front and rear sights under various lighting coditions.
2.Longer hammer spur.Both changes 2 and 3 work together to prevent the web between the thumb and the forefinger being pinched between the hammer and the safety spur when the gun is fired.
3.Longer grip- safety spur.
4.Arched spring housing fills the shooter's hand and checkering backstrap provides a better grip.
5.Relief cuts in the frame around the trigger allowing easier access to the trigger.
6.Shorter trigger with knurled face to avoid the trigger finger from slipping.
These changes were put into production on June 15,1926 as AUTOMATIC PISTOL,CALIBER .45,MODEL OF 1911A1.
World War 2 was a replay of the situation in 1917,but worse.Colt .45 were in demand,not only by U.S. Armed Forces,but also by the military establishments of our major allies.Again,contractors other than Colt provided the balance of the 2.5 million .45's made during 1941 to 1945.In all,four contractors added their share to Colt's 480,000 pistol contribution.Remington-Rand produced 1.03 million.Ithica turned out 370,000.Union Switch and signal Co. of Swissvale,PA.,recieved and filled an order for 55,000 M1911A1's.And Singer Sewing Machine contracted to provide 500 1911A1 pistols,which they did.
In the early 1970's,the Army decided to do something for its General Officers in terms of personal protection.The M1908 Colt Hammerless pistols issued to General Officers since World War 2 had finally ouylived their service life.To correct this situation,Rock Island Arsenal,Rock Island,Illinois beagn modifying the standard M1911-A1.The pistols barrel and slide were shortened just over .75"(1.905cm) and the barrel had one locking lug removed.A full-length recoil spring guide was installed,as was an enlarged set of fixed sights.Checkered,walnut grip panels inlaid with a plate bearing the officer's nam replaced the standard pistol's brown plastic grips.Adopted in 1972 as the United States Pistol,General Officers',Caliber .45,M15,it is similar in both size and weight to the civilian Colt Combat Commander.The M15's increased muzzle blast and recoil are a small price to pay for what is hoped to be a personal weapon of last resort.
The M1911-A1 pistol remained in service through World War 2,the Korean War,and the War in Vietnam.The old war-horse proved to be particularly use full in the tunnel fighting that went on in Vietnam.
Civillan Commercl Production by Colt
In the early 1930's,Colt offered a target version of the basic civillian Model 1911.This National Match pistol first appeared in 1933.These pistols differed from the standard gade because they incorporated a match barrel,checkered trigger,checkered arched grip,walnut stocks and the internal parts were hand honed.Also included in latter versions were a ramped front sight and an adjustable rear sight.These models were marked"NATIONAL MATCH COLT Automaic Calibre .45"on the left side of the slide.During World War 2,the National Match Model was discontinued,but resumed in 1957.This newer version was reffered to as the "Gold Cup National Match".
In 1950 Colt introduced the Lightweight Commander.This pistol was chambered in 9mm,.38 super or .45 ACP with a 4 1/4" barrel and full size grips.Itwas built in both steel and aluminum alloy frame variations,and was produced untill 1976.
The MKIV Series 70 Government Model Colt Pistols were manufactured from 1970 to 1983 and have "70G" as a prefix in the serial numbers on the models made from 1970 to 1976.The models made from 1976 to 1980 have "G70" suffixes.Models made from 1979 to 1981 have "B70" suffixes and models made from 1981 to 1983 have "70B" prefixes.The series 70 had,in addition to the Government model,a Series 70 Combat Commander,Series 70 Lightweight Commander,and a Series 70 Combat Government.The Series 70 featured an accurizer barrel bushing for improved accuracy.
In 1983,Colt presented the MKIV Series 80 pistolIt was a single action with a 5" barrel.It was offered with checkered walnut grips and rubber combat style grips.This model had a firing pin safety incorporated.
In 1985,the United States Armed Forces replaced the 1911 with the Beretta 92F to the everlasting consternation of 1911 devotees everywhere.There were several reasons for the switch.The U.S. was the only NATO country not using a 9mm as the standard issue sidearm and there was a desire to issue a pistol chabered for the unbiquitous 9mm for logistical reasons.The Marines in particular resisted the switch to the Beretta and only accepted delivery when ordered to do so by Congress.Many special forces units within the Armed Forces still select 1911-pattern sidearms.In 1998 The FBI S.W.A.T. team adopted the Springfield 1911A1 as standard issue.Anecdotal evidence out of Desert Storm indicates that the Berettas jammed because of the fine sand in the desert and the Marines broke out the 1911's
Today 1911-pattern pistols are produced by Colt,Sprinfield Armory,Kimber,Para-Ordnance,Wilson Combat,Les Baer,Ed Brown,Caspian,STI,Robar,Auto-Ordnance,Strayer-Voight,Charle Daley,IAI,Llama,and others.The 1911 is perhaps more popular today than anytime in its long illustious career.
A lot of people believe that the 1911-pattern pistol is the greatest combat handgun ever built.I certainly wouldn't argue with them,although that I am aware that some other good pistols have been designed since 1911.It remains one of the best fighting guns ever,even though the single action design has become something of a liability in this hoplophobic milieu in which we live.Rather than stroking the "best" arguement which is truly endless without resolution,I will say only that the 1911 occupies a very special place inthe history of combat weaponry,and in the hearts of pistoleros everywhere.It was the 1911 in the hands of Cpl.York which brought down the German patrol,which downed the Zero for 2nd Lt. Bagget,and fought until dawn against overwhelming odds with Kouma,Basilone,and Schmid.It was the 1911 which lay under John Dillinger's pillow and dangled from the drunken hand of Machine Gun Kelly at his capture.This rich history coupled with the superb performance of the pistol is unique and will never be duplicated.
***I would like to dedicate this post to Reynaldo O. Lujan (1922-1994),my grandfather,a man who carried the same 1911 for 50 years.A gun in which now I proudly own.Thank You***
John Moses Browning is most frequently remembered as the designer of the 1911 .45 ACP and the Browning High Power,but he also created the Winchester 30-30,The Winchester Pump Shotgun,The Browning Auto-5 Shotgun (produced by Remington as the Model 11),The BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) and the Browning .50 caliber Machine Gun.He is credited with 128 gun patents,and some fifty million sports and military weapons were manufactured from those patents during the forty seven years he was an active inventor.
During the time Browning was putting Winchester Repeating Arms on the map,a highly motivatd tribe of warriors,known as the Moro,were giving the U.S. Army fits in the Philipines.To prepare for battle,the Moro used a combonation of body binding with leather,narcotics,and religious ritual to put themselves into an altered state of consciousness whih left them insensible to injury.Soldiers found that their revolvers chambered in .38 Long Colt simply would not stop the Moro.It should be noted that their .30 Krag rifles didn't do much better against these warriors.
Based on the experience with the Morros,an Army Ordnance Board headed by Col. John T. Thompson (inventor of the Thompson sub-machine-gun) and Col. Louis A. La Gardde,determined that the Army needed a .45 caliber cartridge to provide adequate stopping power.In the mean time,Browning,who was working for Colt,had already designed an autoloader pistol around a cartridge similar in dimention to the .38 Super.When the Army requested designs for a new handgun,Browning re-engineered ths .38 autoloader to accommodate a .45" diameter cartridge of his own design with a 230 gr. FMJ bullet,and submitted the pistol to the Army for evaluation.
The selection trials began in 1906 and Browning's pistol faced competition from pistols submitted by Colt,Luger,Savage,Knoble,Bergmann,White-Merrill and Smith & Wesson.Brownings design and the Savage design were selected in 1907.The Army called for additional tests of function and reliability which revealed that neither Colt nor Savage's offerings had reached the desired perfection.The Ordnance Department instituted a series of further tests and experiments,which eventually resulted in the appointment of a selection committee in 1911.
Browning was determined to prove the superiority of his handgun,so he went to Hartford to personally supervise the production of the gun.A torture test was conducted on March 3rd,1911.The test consisted of having each gun fire 6000 rounds.One hundred shots would be fired and the pistol would be allowed to cool for five minutes.After every 1000 rounds,the pistol would be cleaned and oiled .After firing those 6000 rounds,the pistol would be tested with deformed cartridges,some seated too deeply,some not seated enough,etc.The gun would then be rusted in acid or submerged in sand and mud and some more tests would then be conducted.
During the trials,some alterations were made to the original design such as a single swinging link,an improved manual safety,and the inclusion of a grip safety and a slide stop.The other significant change was to the grips,which were angled more acutely and lengthened slightly.
In its final form,the M1911 was a locked-breech ,single-action semi-automatic pistol.It was chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge and had a magazine capacity of seven rounds.Its weight unloaded was 39 ounces;overall length was 8.25";the height was 5.25".Sights were fixed,although the rear sight was hsed in a dovetail slot that allowed it to be drifted either left or right for windage adjustments.The pistol was finished in blue and fitted with checkered wood stocks.
Browning's pistols passed the whole test series with flying colors.It was the first firearm t undergo such a test,firing continuosly 6000 cartridges.The report of the evaluation commiittee released on the 20th of March 1911 stated :"Of the two pistols,the board was of the opinion that the Colt is superior,because it is more easily disassembled when there are broken parts to be replaced,and more accurate."
On March 29th,1911,the Browning-designed,Colt-produced .45 Automatic pistol,was selected as the official sidearm of the Armed Forces of U.S.A.,and named Model 1911.
When we entered the Great War,the U.S. government had purchased some 140,00 M1911 pistols from both Colt and Sringfield Armory.The Armory tooled up in 1913 to make M1911's and help fill initial orders.Altogether some 31,000 M1911's were built at Springfield prior to the U.S. entry into World War 1.To meet war time requirements,they made 45,000 more,all in 1918.
Guns made for those production runs were all stamped UNITED STATES PROPERTY on the frame.The slide carried the inscription MODEL OF 1911 U.S. ARMY.Production runs increased when World War 1 started and continued to increased through 1918.By May 1918 it had increased to 1000 per day.The summer months of 1918 saw an increase to 2200 per day.
To meet the needs for our expanding armed forces,1917 planners estimated that a total of 765,000 pistols would be required.The estiate was later revised upward,first to 1.3 million and then to 2.7 million.
Filling the needs ment that pistols would have to be made by contractors other than Colt.Thus orders were placed with Remington-UMC,Winchester,Burroughs Adding Machine Co.,Lanston Monotype Machine Co.,National Cash Register Co.,A.J. Savage Munitions Co.,Savage Arms Co.,and two Canadian firms,Caron Brothers Mfg. Co.,and North American Arms Co.Of those firms,only Remington-UMC delivered any meaningful quantity (22,000 of 150,000 ordered).North American did make some pistols,but the total was probably less than 100.
A number of foreign companies or governments were licensed to manufacture the Colt-Brownings in a variety of calibers.It is interesting to note that Colts were at one time produced under the direction of the Nazi government.In 1915 the Norwegian government was licensed to ake the pistols.When Nazi troops occupied Norway in World War 2,they ordered the government arsenal to start production.The Nazi's planned to use the pistol to arm their occupying forces.However,only about 1000 guns were produced in 1941 and 1942.
After World War 1,the Army's Ordnance Department evaluated the Colt .45's combat performance.They recommended the following changes:
1.Wider front sight to develop "Partridge-type" of sights,allowing the shooter to quickly align both front and rear sights under various lighting coditions.
2.Longer hammer spur.Both changes 2 and 3 work together to prevent the web between the thumb and the forefinger being pinched between the hammer and the safety spur when the gun is fired.
3.Longer grip- safety spur.
4.Arched spring housing fills the shooter's hand and checkering backstrap provides a better grip.
5.Relief cuts in the frame around the trigger allowing easier access to the trigger.
6.Shorter trigger with knurled face to avoid the trigger finger from slipping.
These changes were put into production on June 15,1926 as AUTOMATIC PISTOL,CALIBER .45,MODEL OF 1911A1.
World War 2 was a replay of the situation in 1917,but worse.Colt .45 were in demand,not only by U.S. Armed Forces,but also by the military establishments of our major allies.Again,contractors other than Colt provided the balance of the 2.5 million .45's made during 1941 to 1945.In all,four contractors added their share to Colt's 480,000 pistol contribution.Remington-Rand produced 1.03 million.Ithica turned out 370,000.Union Switch and signal Co. of Swissvale,PA.,recieved and filled an order for 55,000 M1911A1's.And Singer Sewing Machine contracted to provide 500 1911A1 pistols,which they did.
In the early 1970's,the Army decided to do something for its General Officers in terms of personal protection.The M1908 Colt Hammerless pistols issued to General Officers since World War 2 had finally ouylived their service life.To correct this situation,Rock Island Arsenal,Rock Island,Illinois beagn modifying the standard M1911-A1.The pistols barrel and slide were shortened just over .75"(1.905cm) and the barrel had one locking lug removed.A full-length recoil spring guide was installed,as was an enlarged set of fixed sights.Checkered,walnut grip panels inlaid with a plate bearing the officer's nam replaced the standard pistol's brown plastic grips.Adopted in 1972 as the United States Pistol,General Officers',Caliber .45,M15,it is similar in both size and weight to the civilian Colt Combat Commander.The M15's increased muzzle blast and recoil are a small price to pay for what is hoped to be a personal weapon of last resort.
The M1911-A1 pistol remained in service through World War 2,the Korean War,and the War in Vietnam.The old war-horse proved to be particularly use full in the tunnel fighting that went on in Vietnam.
Civillan Commercl Production by Colt
In the early 1930's,Colt offered a target version of the basic civillian Model 1911.This National Match pistol first appeared in 1933.These pistols differed from the standard gade because they incorporated a match barrel,checkered trigger,checkered arched grip,walnut stocks and the internal parts were hand honed.Also included in latter versions were a ramped front sight and an adjustable rear sight.These models were marked"NATIONAL MATCH COLT Automaic Calibre .45"on the left side of the slide.During World War 2,the National Match Model was discontinued,but resumed in 1957.This newer version was reffered to as the "Gold Cup National Match".
In 1950 Colt introduced the Lightweight Commander.This pistol was chambered in 9mm,.38 super or .45 ACP with a 4 1/4" barrel and full size grips.Itwas built in both steel and aluminum alloy frame variations,and was produced untill 1976.
The MKIV Series 70 Government Model Colt Pistols were manufactured from 1970 to 1983 and have "70G" as a prefix in the serial numbers on the models made from 1970 to 1976.The models made from 1976 to 1980 have "G70" suffixes.Models made from 1979 to 1981 have "B70" suffixes and models made from 1981 to 1983 have "70B" prefixes.The series 70 had,in addition to the Government model,a Series 70 Combat Commander,Series 70 Lightweight Commander,and a Series 70 Combat Government.The Series 70 featured an accurizer barrel bushing for improved accuracy.
In 1983,Colt presented the MKIV Series 80 pistolIt was a single action with a 5" barrel.It was offered with checkered walnut grips and rubber combat style grips.This model had a firing pin safety incorporated.
In 1985,the United States Armed Forces replaced the 1911 with the Beretta 92F to the everlasting consternation of 1911 devotees everywhere.There were several reasons for the switch.The U.S. was the only NATO country not using a 9mm as the standard issue sidearm and there was a desire to issue a pistol chabered for the unbiquitous 9mm for logistical reasons.The Marines in particular resisted the switch to the Beretta and only accepted delivery when ordered to do so by Congress.Many special forces units within the Armed Forces still select 1911-pattern sidearms.In 1998 The FBI S.W.A.T. team adopted the Springfield 1911A1 as standard issue.Anecdotal evidence out of Desert Storm indicates that the Berettas jammed because of the fine sand in the desert and the Marines broke out the 1911's
Today 1911-pattern pistols are produced by Colt,Sprinfield Armory,Kimber,Para-Ordnance,Wilson Combat,Les Baer,Ed Brown,Caspian,STI,Robar,Auto-Ordnance,Strayer-Voight,Charle Daley,IAI,Llama,and others.The 1911 is perhaps more popular today than anytime in its long illustious career.
A lot of people believe that the 1911-pattern pistol is the greatest combat handgun ever built.I certainly wouldn't argue with them,although that I am aware that some other good pistols have been designed since 1911.It remains one of the best fighting guns ever,even though the single action design has become something of a liability in this hoplophobic milieu in which we live.Rather than stroking the "best" arguement which is truly endless without resolution,I will say only that the 1911 occupies a very special place inthe history of combat weaponry,and in the hearts of pistoleros everywhere.It was the 1911 in the hands of Cpl.York which brought down the German patrol,which downed the Zero for 2nd Lt. Bagget,and fought until dawn against overwhelming odds with Kouma,Basilone,and Schmid.It was the 1911 which lay under John Dillinger's pillow and dangled from the drunken hand of Machine Gun Kelly at his capture.This rich history coupled with the superb performance of the pistol is unique and will never be duplicated.
***I would like to dedicate this post to Reynaldo O. Lujan (1922-1994),my grandfather,a man who carried the same 1911 for 50 years.A gun in which now I proudly own.Thank You***