Colt M1911

Home \ Handguns \ Colt M1911

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 14:11 Written by Administrator Thursday, 02 July 2009 12:45

The Colt M1911 is a semiautomatic pistol that was designed by John Browning in 1911. It was the standard sidearm of the United States Army from 1911 to 1985 and was used in numerous conflicts of World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. Even today, some U.S. forces use the Colt M1911. More than 2 million M1911s and its variants have been manufactured over the years.

The Colt M1911’s design has its origins in the late 1890s. However, it was adopted in the year 1911 and thus its designation. It was initially manufactured only by Colt’s Manufacturing Company. However, when the First World War broke out, the government-owned Springfield Armoury also started manufacturing it to meet the increased demand for weapons.

During the First World War, certain changes were made to the original design. The new design was designated was M1911A1 and was very similar to the original except for a smaller trigger, a longer grip safety spur and simpler grip checkering. The M1911A1 has no internal modifications and parts are interchangeable with the earlier M1911.

The Second World War saw even more demand for weapons and more than 1.9 million units were manufactured during the war years by several companies such as Remington Rand, Rock Island Arsenal and others. The pistol was very popular among soldiers because of its reliability and effectiveness.

After the Second World War, the M1911 saw action in the Korean War and in Vietnam. In recent years, it saw action during both the First and Second Gulf Wars. However in the recent years, its use has been limited and better models such as the Beretta 92F and M9 pistol are been used to replace the M1911.

Currently, the M1911A1 is preferred by various SWAT personnel in the USA. Other police departments in various countries also prefer it for its high stopping power. The M1911A1 is also popular among the general public. It is often used as a concealed weapon for personal defence and for target practice. The demand for the weapon is increasing in the recent years with its reliability and simplicity being the main reason for its popularity.