Sources Report MARSOC to Purchase Colt 1911A1 Rail Guns. (M1911A1 Bump.)

Soldier Systems ^ | 7/18/2012 | Unknown

[Seamus Mc Gillicuddy]

A very reliable source has informed SSD that MARSOC is purchasing an initial order of 4000 Colt 1911A1 Rail Guns ..........

[Seamus Mc Gillicuddy]

Just goes to show you, that a design of more than 100 years old is still alive and well!!!!

[G Larry]

Love my Series 70 Gold Cup!

[umgud]

Love my Series 80 and now that Colt has reintroduced the Delta Elite 10mm, I’ll have to add one of those to my stock of 1911’s.

[Dogbert41]

Good for the Marines! Good for Colt!

[JRandomFreeper]

I can be drunk, asleep, and in the dark and I can operate a 1911 variant.

I don't need light to take one apart and put it together again.

Glock? Not so much. Depends on what you grow up with.

God bless John Moses Browning.

/johnny

[GenXteacher]

The 1911- an elegant weapon from a more civilized age....

[GenXteacher]

“God bless John Moses Browning.”

Amen!

[JRandomFreeper]

an elegant weapon from a more civilized age....

The 1911 is actually pretty complicated, and some of the newer weapons are simpler and have great engineering.

The problem I have with them is that I've got a lifetime of habits and instincts related to the 1911. Old dog, new tricks, &ct...

Not worth it to change the user interface, for me, anyway.

/johnny

[GenXteacher]

I don’t find it complicated myself, but that’s mostly a function of experience- I mess around a lot with machines and taking guns apart doesn’t faze me much. I find mine does everything I would ask of a pistol, and if it can’t do it, its time for a rifle or shotgun.

[JRandomFreeper]

I may have been unclear... I don't want to learn the Bersa, Sig or Glock because the 1911 is so deeply ingrained in my soul. And so automatic that I'm likely to be able to operate one a few minutes after I'm dead.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ;)

That whole decock lever thing on the sig freaks me out every time I use one.

/johnny

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

That light single action trigger pull does it for me.

[archy]

Sources Report MARSOC to Purchase Colt 1911A1 Rail Guns.

Since they know so much, you'd think they'd know that the Marines have designated the rail-equipped MEUSOC .45 the Marine M45. The ones tested for the Marine Interim Close Quarters Battle developmental program were from Kimber, and it seems they didn't work out as well as hoped. So now it's Colt, again.

RFI, dated 16 JAN 2004 which seems to imply interest in an integral railed frame, but it also gives a good idea of what the Marines were looking for in the MEU(SOC) .45. circa 2009:

1. Must be able to adapt to current and future optical/elector-optical technologies via the Mil Standard 1913 rail.

2. Must be capable of eight (seven in magazine, one in chamber) well-aimed shots before magazine reload.

3. Must be capable of firing military system procured DODIC A475, 230 grain .45 caliber Service Ball ammunition.

4. Must be one-man portable for deployment and employment.

5. Must be easily adaptable for both daytime and nighttime operations.

6. Must allow for rapid removal and installation of optical/electro-optical sighting devices.

7. Must have a non-reflective finish on both the weapon and sighting device.

8. Must be capable of airborne insertion with parachutists and waterborne insertion, after waterproofing, with divers and small boat.

9. Must be impervious to 48 hours exposure to high salt content sea water and resistant to abrasion caused by normal use.

10. Must have an external magazine capacity of seven rounds.

11. Must incorporate a manual safety.

12. Must incorporate failure resistant hardened parts where possible throughout.

13. Must be capable of repair at organizational maintenance with few exceptions.

14. The weapon shall demonstrate the ability to meet or exceed mean rounds between stoppages of 300 rounds threshold , 900 rounds objective.

The Marine Corps System Command (MCSC)intends to issue a solicitation number M67854-09-R-1146 for 1800 M45 .45 cal pistol slides. The Government anticipates a resulting firm fixed price contract for this commercial procurement ...

[Travis McGee]

Back to the future. A 1911 fanboy created the specs. “Must hold 8 rounds?” In 2012? Really? THis is a joke,for soldiers. Why not a really really accurate six-shooter?

[Travis McGee]

It’s completely asinine, in 2012, to issue military troops ANY pistol with a single-digit mag capacity. Asinine.

A 1911 fanboy hijacked the process. Fine pistol, and I’ve owned several, but for soldiers and Marines, history has passed on by the single-digit-mag pistol era.

Leathernecks can wrap their mits around a double stack mag, even in .45. Concealment is not an issue. This is pure 1911 nostalgia by a fanboy. Issuing trooops a pistol that can’t hold at least 17 rounds of 9mm or 14 of .45 is a complete joke.

[Redcitizen]

The XDM .45 Caliber pistol has a 13 round capacity. That’s what would be required, a .45 with that sort of capacity.

[S.O.S121.500]

Psssst.....training yields ACCURACY. Spray, pray, and pay isn’t a U.S.M.C. value. Don’t ‘fix’ what works.

[Travis McGee]

Sure, lets go back to an accurized M1 Garand! Eight shots is enough for a real rifleman, right?

Come on! Marines don’t have tiny paws, they can wrap their hands around 14 rounds of .45, not only 7.

A polymer frame double-stack .45 with 14 rounds, LOADED, weighs as much as a steel 1911, EMPTY.

You don’t think any of that matters?

[Travis McGee]

Exactly.

[Gaffer]

That whole decock lever thing on the sig freaks me out every time I use one.....

Same thing for me on the 92/96FS series Berettas....safety decocks hammer....I know it's safe, but still a little edgy..

[archy]

Come on! Marines don’t have tiny paws, they can wrap their hands around 14 rounds of .45, not only 7.

Female and Hispanic Marines have tinier hands than some; the USMC has already noted pronblems in training with the double-action trigger of the M9 and M9A1 Beretta. They likely do not wish to extend those problems, even if there are not- yet- any female personnel in the MEU-SOC units.

A polymer frame double-stack .45 with 14 rounds, LOADED, weighs as much as a steel 1911, EMPTY.

Correct. What is the service life of the plastic-framed pistol, in decades? For the steel-framed M1911 and M1911A1, it's at least ten decades, maybe more. Neither is there as much certainty about the life of the Glock/XD/XDM pistols after 50,000 rounds of service logged; the Indiana State Police Glock 22s in service circa 2006 failed after circa 1500 rounds, and were replaced with Glock 17s in 9mm, [same holsters and mag pouches could be used] then Gen 4 Glock 22s.

You don’t think any of that matters?

I think a lot more than that matters. So, it seems, do the Marines.