Sticking to their guns: Marines place $22.5M order for the Colt .45 M1911

Foxnews ^

[Red in Blue PA]

It’s been called the greatest handgun ever made, and it has barely changed sine 1911, when the legendary John Browning designed it especially for the U.S. Military.

And now, the Colt .45 M1911 is making a big comeback, now that the U.S. Marines have placed a $22.5 million order for the Connecticut-made pistols.

The gun, which has been wielded on film by John Wayne and in real life by Sgt. Alvin York and Maj. Audie Murphy, was the standard-issue sidearm in the military for decades, until it was replaced by the Beretta M9 in 1985.

"It just became an iconic part of military and American history." - Gerry Dinkel, CEO and president of Colt Defense

"It just became an iconic part of military and American history," Gerry Dinkel, CEO and president of Colt Defense, told FoxNews.com.

The gun, one of the most successful pistols ever used at Camp Perry's National Matches, a competition known to be the main world event in artillery sports, has barely changed since it's creation. Dinkel says that shows the gun's "elegant design" just can't be improved on. And firearms experts agree.

"You can’t beat a .45 cartridge," Jack Lewis, firearms director for Cowan's Auctions, told FoxNews.com. "Some things are hard to replace," he said.

[Red in Blue PA]

Over 100 years later, nobody has improved on John Moses Browning's design.

[jazusamo]

Good news.

[Caipirabob]

Only the best for our best...

[oh8eleven]

From another source:

"Marine testers placed a high priority on accuracy. The winner had to be capable of putting five-shot groups on target
that "didn't exceed four inches by four inches at 25 yards" from an unsupported firing position ..."

Accuracy, hmmm? I never had to qualify with the M1911 pistol, but the few times I did fire it, I could barely hit the side of a barn.
And I was a good enough to shoot Expert 4 times in 3 years with the M-14.

[donozark]

The problem with most of the .45s from our era is they had their guts shot out of them in the jungles of the Philippines and the frozen fields of Belgium, France, Korea,etal.

Also, by the time they got to the actual troops that would use them (in combat) they had been cherry-picked.

[Mycroft Holmes]

I found the 1911 among the most pleasant of my pistols to shoot. With its fairly high mass and low velocity round I found it much easier to hit the target that with the Glock. Perceived recoil of the Glock was higher and with the changing mass of the gun the recoil increases with each shot.

Now I do have a derringer from Waco Arms in .45 APC that is really not fun to shoot at all, but that’s another story.

[yarddog]

I always thought the Star model P was a slight improvement over the 1911 tho for the most part it is a copy.

[oh8eleven]

The problem with most of the .45s from our era is they had their guts shot out of them in the jungles of the Philippines ...
That makes sense.

[ctdonath2]

So where can I buy one already???

[Sea Parrot]

Post 8 at: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2911860/posts

[ctdonath2]

So where can I buy one already???

[2111USMC]

Amen bro.

They were worn out sloppy examples.

[Elle Bee]

True though some have tried ... not very well

.

[jazusamo]

Haven't any idea if this tan color will be on civilian models but I haven't kept up on firearms. I've got a Colt Government Model (1911) I bought new many years ago and I love it.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“Over 100 years later, nobody has improved on John Moses Browning's design.”
Yeah, if you take the basic off the shelf government model and put about 100 hours of gunsmithing into it, it works just fine.
Out of the box, not so much.

[GATOR NAVY]

I never had to qualify with the M1911 pistol, but the few times I did fire it, I could barely hit the side of a barn.

I'm with you. I never shot better than marksman with the 1911 but shot expert every time after the Navy switched to the M92. And I also shot expert with the M-14.

[Little Bill]

Shot Expert with the damned thing, got to the point where I could keep a beer can in the air, some old guy gave me some pointers.

Last time I shot one, 40 years later, I couldn’t hit a Bull in the butt, I forgot the pointers.

[TXnMA]

That derringer sounds like the Star PD that I shot. Cute little thing, but remove too much mass, and any .45 reaches recoil levels that even those like me, who actually "enjoy" recoil, find unpleasant. And too short a .45 barrel produces muzzle blast that literally slaps you in the face, and muzzle flash that would singe the hair off a hog...

I prefer something shorter than the stock 1911 for carry -- but you can easily go too far. Anyone considering a "concealable" .45 better try it before they buy it.

[Timber Rattler]

Some reports suggest Marines are not happy with their main Beretta M9s for their lack of accuracy and stopping power.

Or in other words, DoD procurement forgot about the lessons learned from the Philippine Insurrection, in which the .38 revolvers could not stop drug-crazed Muslim rebels.

[yarddog]

I don’t particularly like recoil but the Star PD never bothered me.

I have owned two of them and thought they were about the right size for a lightweight .45. I also like the Combat Commander and regular Commander, but I guess the full size standard model is my favorite.

I agree with Jeff Cooper on one thing. The closer a 1911 is to stock, the better. About the only thing they need is some could use a better trigger. Some are fine as is.

The regular sights are OK to me but a lot of people prefer a higher, easier to see one.