The M1911 was introduced in the late 1980s when well-known designer John M. Browning developed a design of the Colt M1911 pistol for Colt Company to replace the variety of revolvers in service. The M1911 is a single action, recoil-operated, magazine fed semi-automatic, chambered for the .45 ACP calibers.
In 1906, the U.S. Army announced trials to replace service revolvers with semi-automatic pistols. After extensive testing, the new firearm M1911, designed by Browning and produced by Colt, was officially adopted for U. S military service in 1911. It was in use as the standard-issue sidearm from 1911 to 1985.
It served as the standard-issue U.S military sidearm for almost 80 years (1911- 1986). This firearm has been produced in quantity not just in U.S, but also in Argentina and Norway. This weapon was used within the major conflicts during the 1900s and 2000s worldwide.
The M1911 has been very famous because of well-functioning and almost complete indestructibility. Among the areas of success was a test, where more than 6000 rounds were fired from a single pistol over two days with no reported malfunctions.
The original design of the M1911 was improved within the inter-war period (1926) led to some small external changes where the new gun version of the M1911A1 was created. Interestingly, as there were no significant internal changes made, parts between the M1911 and the M1911A1 remained interchangeable. It might be difficult to tell the difference between the gun versions at a first glance, especially for uninitiated user. The new M1911A1 was given an anti-corrosion metal finish and the original wood grip panels were replaced by brown plastic grips.
There were more than 2.7 million of the M1911 and the M1911 A1 purchased within the military contracts only in the United States.
Throughout the history, the M1911 family was manufactured by countless numbers of U.S companies and in modified forms also overseas by Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Norway, Brazil, Chinese, Spain, and others. Most common M1911 variants have been produced by: Colt, Springfield Armory, Kimber, Sig Sauer, Wilson, STI, Para Ordnance and others.
The Colt M1911 series of pistols belongs to the most successful small handguns design and biggest commercial success ever. The legendary design has been brought into the 21st century with small adaptations to actual shooters’ demand. After more than a century, the M1911 still belongs to one of the most favorite firearm among professionals in sporting, service duty, security or self-defense the world over.
