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Colt M1911


Semi-Automatic Service Pistol


United States | 1911



"The Colt M1911A1 is regarded by many as the most successful semi-automatic pistol design of her time - seeing consistent action in a plethora of conflicts during the 1900s."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Colt M1911. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
82 ft
25.0 m | 27.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range
830 ft/sec
253 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the Colt M1911. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
210 mm
8.27 in
O/A Length
127 mm
5.00 in
Barrel Length
2.51 lb
1.14 kg
Weight
Single-Action; Short Recoil-Operated
Action
.45 ACP
Caliber(s)
7-Round Detachable Box Magazine
Feed
Iron Front and Rear.
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Colt M1911 Semi-Automatic Service Pistol family line.
M1911 - Original Production Model; appearing in 1911.
M1911A1 - Revised M1911 production model; appearing in 1924.
Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 - Formal Designation for M1911 production model.
Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 - Formal designation of M1911A1 production model.
Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1 - Revised formal designation for M1911A1 production models.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/10/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Colt model M1911 series of pistols is one of the most successful small arms designs of the 20th Century - and in all of warfare history for that matter. The handgun has been produced in quantity in the United States, Argentina and Norway (the latter two under license production as the m/1914 and the Model 1927 respectively) and was fielded in both World Wars and many of the major and minor conflicts of the century - eventually becoming a commercial success for the Colt concern. The M1911 continues service in many forms today (2012) and is still a favorite among sporting, security and casual operators the world over.

Design

The M1911 was a design by famous American gunsmith John Browning and was based on his earlier Model 1900 design. By 1905, the system was refined to the point it could compete for government contracts. With so many like-minded automatic weapons companies vying for such lucrative government deals with the US military, it was decided that all interested parties should compete through trials to be had in 1907. The requirement of the government was for a modern, semi-automatic pistol capable of firing the lethal 230gr bullet - a bullet which had already been made for another Colt product. By the end of the trials, only the Colt M1911 remained against a Savage sidearm with Colt eventually earning the US military deal.

The Colt M1911 was chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge and this was fed from a stout 7-round detachable box magazine. The large, man-stopping rounds promoted an equally large pistol grip (which housed the magazine) and filled up the firing hand rather completely. Muzzle velocity was 830 feet-per-second giving the required man-stopping capability that went on to become a staple of the pistol's service record. Additionally, the pistol proved to be wholly reliable and robust even in the heat-of-battle, qualities that would ensure its survival through the countless conflicts it would be featured in.

The external design of the M1911 proved the classic semi-automatic frame. A slide covered the internal working functions as well as the barrel. The magazine was inserted into the base of the pistol grip in the traditional way. The pistol grip was well-angled up to the receiver. The curved trigger assembly sat within an oblong trigger ring which gave good support when firing. Various levers along the side of the receiver controlled a safety, magazine release and slide release. Wooden or rubber grips straddled the metal pistol grip frame. A tang overhung the rear area of the grip and sat over the firing hand's web. Overall weight was roughly 2.4lb (sans magazine) with an overall length of 8.25 inches (the barrel measuring just over 5 inches).

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Service

In practice, the weapon was very sound with a manageable recoil, the slide quickly moving rearwards to allow ejection of the spent cartridge and introduction of a live one into the chamber. The "semi-automatic" nature of the weapon meant that there was one cartridge fired for every trigger press. The initial cocking of the weapon was handled by manually pulling the slide to the rear with the support hand - this introducing the initial live round into the chamber and setting the hammer. Of course the safety would have to be set off for active management of the mechanism. The semi-automatic short-recoil action allowed for all seven .45 ACP rounds to be fired as fast as the operator could press the trigger. As semi-automatic pistols proved more complex internally than revolver types, they required regular cleanings to keep an optimal action.

The Colt M1911 entered US Army service in 1911 and would be fielded as the standard-issue sidearm for both the United States Army and Navy from 1911 to 1992. British forces would also take the weapon into inventory for their Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps ranks up until the end of World War 2. After its service in the preceding World War, the M1911 underwent some minor modifications during the post-war years which led up the new standardized designation of "M1911A1" appearing in 1926. From then on, the M1911 would undoubtedly solidify its place in the history of small arms.

Manufacture

Throughout its history, the Colt M1911 family has been produced through a variety of US and foreign sources. Some included the Ithaca Gun Company, the Union Switch & Signal Company, the Singer Sewing Machine Company and Remington Rand. The original Colt M1911 was produced by the Colt concern, Remington Arms-Union Metallic Cartridge Company and the Government Arsenal at Springfield. Over 2 million M1911s went on to be produced since inception in 1911. John Browning's lasting design no doubt inspired hundreds of similar models to appear over the last 100 years - many designs unashamed of borrowing the classic well-accepted Browning look. A plethora of civilian models have also been released by various parties.

Legacy

It is noteworthy that the M1911 has still been seen in combat zones like Afghanistan and Iraq. The formal US military designation for the M1911 was "Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911". It has since been replaced as the official sidearm of US forces by the Italian Beretta M92F (in the US inventory as the "M9"). The US special forces MEU(SOC) was developed from reworked M1911A1 pistols.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Colt M1911. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Colt Firearms - USA (See text for full listing of manufacturers)
National flag of Argentina National flag of Bolivia National flag of Brazil National flag of Colombia National flag of the Dominican Republic National flag of Ecuador National flag of Egypt National flag of modern Germany National flag of Nazi Germany National flag of Greece National flag of Indonesia National flag of Iran National flag of Malaysia National flag of Mexico National flag of Nicaragua National flag of North Korea National flag of Norway National flag of the Philippines National flag of South Korea National flag of the Soviet Union National flag of Spain National flag of Taiwan National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States National flag of Vietnam National flag of Zimbabwe

[ Argentina; Brazil; Bolivia; Colombia; Coasta Rica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Fiji; Greece; Guatemala; Haiti; Indonesia; Iran; Liberia; Malaysia; Mexico; Nazi Germany; Nicaragua; Norway; North Korea; Philippines; Spain; South Korea; South Vietnam; Soviet Union; Taiwan; United Kingdom; United States; Zimbabwe ]
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Unknown.
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Unknown.

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The Colt M1911 Semi-Automatic Service Pistol appears in the following collections:
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