It would also fail to lock back after firing the last round.
Finally got rid of it.
Replaced it with a 4" bbl nickel plated M1917 Smith.
Posted on 04/23/2004 4:21:45 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
April 23, 2004: The U.S. Marine Corps is looking for a new .45 caliber (11.4mm) pistol. While the American military retired the M1911 .45 caliber in 1985, some commando units still prefer it. This is because the 11.4mm (.45 caliber) bullet weighs twice as much as the 9mm one that replaced it and still has an edge in "stopping" someone hit with it. But the 9mm M9 pistol magazine carries 15 rounds, versus seven in the M1911. The commandos (Special Forces, SEALs, Marine Force Recon) counter that their operations are the type where every round counts, and the fewer you have to fire the better. For the regular troops, the M9 has been popular, and successful. The 9mm weapon is lighter, has less recoil and has the extra ammo for users who are not sharpshooters.
The Marines want to buy 1,100 new .45 caliber pistols and are having a competition to determine which of several models available will get the $1.9 million contract. The Marines have been using M1911s rebuilt from the many old ones turned in when everyone switched to the M9. But even this supply is running out, and it is known that there are newer .45 caliber designs out there that are more reliable, lighter, easier to repair and more accurate. Some Marines (and other troops) buy these newer .45 caliber weapons with their own money. Most American combat units tolerate troops bringing in some additional weapons, especially pistols. Some troops have been buying 10mm pistols, seeing this as a nice cross between the lighter weight of the M9 (2.55 pounds versus three for the .45) and the greater stopping power of the 11.4mm M1911 bullet. But there are new .45 models that weigh as much as the M9, carry more bullets (10) and are easier to repair than the M1911.
Afghanistan also raised the issue of stopping power once more, when individual troops went into caves or other tight places, where only a pistol could be used. In these cases, every shot counted, and the guy firing larger (like 11.4mm instead of 9mm) bullets was more likely to win. But most troops agree that any arguments over pistols is minor compared to issues involving all the other more frequently used weapons and bits of equipment. Nevertheless, there's something about pistols…
The 10mm is an expert's pistol. Still, their are a considerable number of people who could use it well.
The best policy, in my opinion, is to allow individual troops to procure their own weapon, from a choice of allowed calibers. The US military still uses 9mm,.45, and .38 special, for example. Perhaps we could allow others for Special Forces. Britain had this policy for much of its strongest days, and it worked well. Some countries, such as Columbia, I believe, still follow it.
A pistol is a very personal thing, and having your very own, chosen by you, can give an edge in proficiency and confidence.
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/810131/posts
Afghanistan vets criticize M-9 reliability, lethality
Veterans who’ve used this gun have complained to Washington. Retired Col. David Hackworth, an author and vocal critic of military policy, wrote an open letter to Congress in July (2002) calling for more reliable weapons to be issued to the military.
Hackworth said one Afghanistan veteran wrote him that, “I had to pump four rounds into an al-Qaeda who was coming at me before he dropped."
“Our issue M-9 pistol (Beretta M92F) is proving itself unreliable,” another wrote to Hackworth. “They are constantly breaking. To make matters worse, the 9 mm hardball round we use is a joke. It is categorically ineffective as a fight stopper, even at close range."
Some soldiers are coping by packing heftier .45-caliber pistols, similar to those used by generations of soldiers and Marines since before World War II. Such .45s remain in the U.S. military inventory, but the origin of those used in Afghanistan — military issue or privately owned — remains unclear.
What’s not unclear to several of those using the older weapon is its value. “It saved my life,” one Army Ranger told Hackworth. “I hit a number of enemy 30-40 yards away who went down immediately from my .45 rounds. With a Beretta, I wouldn’t have made it because of the far-too-light 9 mm bullet, play in the action and its limited range.”
It would also fail to lock back after firing the last round.
Finally got rid of it.
Replaced it with a 4" bbl nickel plated M1917 Smith.
I heard the term "Man Stopper" used for the Colt .45 Automatiic when I was a kid. I had a BB gun replica of one then. Weren't they also referred to as "The Hardballer"??
Heck, if they want stopping power in pistols, how about .357 revolvers.
Nah - the 44 Mag. The round knocks down one or two bad guys, the sound takes out a few more.
If I do two quick shots at the indoor range with an M1911, the second round goes in the ceiling.
Ever shoot an M1911 gangsta style -- sideways? Just about break your wrist, and God knows where the round went.
I never had a problem with recoil, and had two years on a combat pistol team.
“Ever shoot an M1911 gangsta style -- sideways?” Why would anyone ever want to? It only works in the movies.
The contract would include everything from the writing of the requirements, building a detailed specification for the design, competing the different designs, selecting the winner, testing the new weapon in operational tests, logistic support packages, training, documents, etc. If we are going for a design that takes new ammo into the system, then we have to buy ammo for everybody.
That's what the $1.9 Mil is for, Big Guy...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.