Country of origin |
United States |
Entered service |
1911 |
Caliber |
11.43 x 23 mm (.45 ACP) |
Weight (empty) |
1 075 g |
Weight (with loaded magazine) |
1 130 g |
Length |
219 mm |
Barrel length |
127
mm |
Muzzle velocity |
253
m/s |
Magazine capacity |
7 rounds |
Sighting range |
50 m |
Range of effective fire |
50 m |
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Development
of this semi-automatic pistol began at the end of XX century. It was
developed by the John Browning, a legendary weapon designer, for the
Colt company. Later Browning sold the rights of this pistol to the
Colt company. In 1906-1907 the US armed forces announced trials for
a new pistol, that would replace a number of older pistols
revolvers. In 1911 after extensive testing the Browning's pistol was adopted by the US Cavalry and
Navy fleet as the Model 1911. It proved to be a highly successful
weapon. Since its introduction it was used in almost every military
conflict, including the WWI. In 1924, its modified version, the M1911A1,
was adopted by the US Army. During the WWII several millions of
these pistols were produced in the USA by various companies. Later
it was used in the Korean and Vietnam War. The M1911A1 remained the
main sidearm of the US Army until 1985. This pistol was widely
copied and cloned.
Even though the M1911 was introduced a century
ago, and is generally out-dated, it is still very popular. This
weapon has been in use longer than any other small arm in the US
armed forces inventory. The second weapon after the M1911,
that has been longest in the US armed forces inventory, is the
M2 machine
gun, which was also a creation of John Browning.
Currently
the M1911 is still in
service with the US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Navy Seals and other special operation
units,
FBI, SWAT teams. Since its introduction
this pistol it has been exported to more than 50 countries from all
around the world. Currently it is still in service with nearly 30
countries, although numbers are reducing.
The M1911 is
chambered for a powerful .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) round. This
round was developed alongside this pistol. The US armed forces
required their new pistol to have a caliber of .45 inches. This
round has an extreme penetration and man-stopping effect. The M1911
is one amongst the most powerful pistols, that are currently
available.
Operation
system of this pistol proved to be reliable and was widely copied.
The M1911 has a single-action trigger. This pistol has an automatic grip
safety mechanism and
manual safety lever.
It is fed
from a 7-round magazine. However by modern standards such magazine
capacity is no longer sufficient. Most current military pistols have 15- or even 20-round
magazines. The M1911 is relatively slim due to its single-stack
magazine.
The M1911 is
very accurate. Some sources claim that the M1911 can hit targets at
a range of 100 m.
Various clones
and copies of this
highly successful pistols are still being developed and produced.
However in most cases the only differences from the original are the
external trim, shape of the grip, or sight. Some clones are
chambered for different calibers. Some have a double-action trigger
mechanism.
Variants
M1911A1 is
an improved version, adopted by the US Army in 1926. It has some
minor improvements, such as wider front sight, shorter trigger, and
some other improvements. It has been the main US Army
pistol until 1985, when it was replaced by the
M9 (Beretta 92FS).
Colt
Government Model 1911, a civilian version. In 1929 this pistol was
introduced, chambered for a new .38 Super Automatic round. This
version has a 9-round capacity magazine. The .38 Super Automatic
version is extremely accurate and is often used for target shooting.
Colt
Commander, a compact model intended for civilian market.
Colt Combat
Commander is a compact model, introduced in 1970.
M15 is a
compact model, developed by Rock Island Arsenal. In 1972 the M15 was adopted
as a self-defense weapon for high-ranking US Army and US Air Force
officers. It is very similar to Colt Combat Commander.
Colt
Defender is an even more compact version of the M1911A1 pistol. It
is also intended for civilian market. This pistol has a shorter
grip. Its magazine holds 6 rounds.
Colt
Officer's ACP. It is a compact pistol, introduced in 1985.
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