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

http://www.foxnews.com/ ^

[jakerobins]

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.

[NVDave]

It depends on the model of “modern pistol.” The model of “modern pistol” chosen by the DOD to replace the 1911... shows that the DOD chose poorly.

You can field strip a 1911 with no tools. That’s the requirement, IMO, for any service pistol.

But the 1911 goes well beyond that. You can *detail* strip a 1911 with no tools, only a round of .45 ACP ammo for a screwdriver (you use the rim). You pull apart the slide first, and use the firing pin as a pin punch to remove pins on the frame.

Now, let’s compare that to a detail strip on a M9, which has a takedown lever.

You need the following tools:

1. Pin punches in 1.5, 2 and 3mm
2. A “spring positioning tool,” which you can make from a #4 crochet hook,
3. You’d better have a big zip-lock bag to catch the pins, detents and springs that come flying off a M9.

Field strip M9. Put slide in big zip-loc bag, detail strip that. Get another gallon zip-loc, put frame in and detail strip that.

Now there’s a reasonable chance you’ve retained all the little springs and plungers that come flying off a M9 or Model 92 Beretta.

There’s no such problem with a 1911.

Now a Glock... that’s an easy pistol to field or detail strip.

[2111USMC]

No, it's not “semantics”.

A lot of us that enjoy firearms are kind of anal in that respect. We like to use the correct terminology.

[NVDave]

You have to consider that a double-stack .45 ACP results in a grip that is too large for some of the females that the DOD brass and political hacks desperately want to see serve in the military.

[colorado tanker]

My platoon sergeant taught me how to aim and fire it and I qualified expert that same day. You actually have to aim it, quite simple, just look/site down your arm at your target and squeeze. most soldiers just waved the .45 in the general direction and shot, thus the inaccuracy.

Same thing happened to me. Turned out Sarge really did know a thing or two!

[UnwashedPeasant]

"a $22.5 million order for the Connecticut-made pistols"

Was this a political decision, or is this really the best gun for the job?

[PubliusMM]

Couldn’t agree more, SailormanCGA72.
My arsenal of choice includes the 1911A1 fueled from Chip McCormick 8-round mags, a sound and basic AR15 (20” A2), and the ALWAYS effective Mossberg 500 18.5” barrel with 8-shot mag tube and Pachmyr Vindicator kit. Been set up this way for over 20 years.

Toss a few boxes, mags, and bandoliers in the jeep and we are ready for just about anything...