97 years ago today.
On this date, the United States Army Ordinance adopted Colt's .45 acp semi-automatic pistol as the official service pistol. This was after beating out Savage in 4 years of trials, culminating in a 6000 round endurance test in late 1910, in which Colt's pistol reportedly demonstrated zero malfunctions to Savage's thirty seven. Designer John Moses Browning was in attendance at the proving grounds for the trials, which ranks in my top 20 of places I'd go to visit if I had a time machine.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps followed suit two years later. For 74 years, the Model 1911 remained the main service pistol for the U.S. Military, before a movement for standardization to a NATO cartridge saw the adoption of the M9 (Beretta M92F) in 9mm, an older cartridge that the US military had rejected in 1903.
Currently, there is a resurgence of demand within our military for the 1911s, and several units are receiving them, though the main service pistol remains the M9.
It is good and proper that we celebrate this anniversary, even though it is yet 3 years shy of its century mark. For there are still people living who were alive then. A few might even remember back to that time, when a peacetime military made a good decision.
posted by Matt G @ 11:48 PM
4 Comments:
Yep. I had to qualify with one at my first USAF duty assignment. It was a thrill for me..a young Okie cowboy who was fair with a wheel gun but I had never shot an auto loader..
problem was I couldn't hit a damn thing with it out over 30 feet..but seeing as how all I had to do was hit the paper at 20 feet I was okay.
I would like to have one now..I have a .45acp and have practiced enough where I am dangerous at sixty feet and semi-dangerous at 100 feet. And this is with a cheap Hi Point..I may pick up a Springfield later this summer..supposed to be a much better weapon but I figure accuracy is as much the shooter as the weapon.
I have the same birthday as the Model of 1911? I should go get a GI model!
I'm only 30, though.
Thank You Matt! There is no telling how many lives that one little ol' pistol has saved over the years, both in and out of the Military.
My father has two of these magnificent pistols that he got from his father. They are both in NRA Excellent shape.
Dad won't even let me take them out of the safe with gloves on to take pictures.
I'm adding one to my collection as soon as I find one that isn't a piece of junk that's been re-arsenaled 5 times with crappy parts.
I don't mind paying the price for a decent one that was properly re-arsenaled by the military. The problem is all the ones you see at gun shows have been re-arsenaled by Bubba the shade tree gunsmith and don't have original grips, sights etc and have been refinished with some crappy cold blue. These idiots usually want a premium price for what amounts to a piece of poorly refinished junk.
This gun is a "must have" for my collection and when I find the right one, I'll pay the price even if I have to use plastic to afford it.
Joe
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