Marines place $22.5M order for M1911

4

416rigby

New member
Great to the the ol' warhorse serving her country again in good numbers! I'm a huge fan...I own two of them.
From Fox news...


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.

Colt Defense, based in Hartford, Conn., will supply as many as 12,000 of the 200,000 U.S. Marines with semi-automatic, tan-colored M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistols, and they will include spare parts and logistical support. The gun has long been the weapon of choice for special operations agents, thanks to its reliability and the stopping power of its massive bullets.

"I'm really glad that they're keeping it in the American economy," Lewis, who used the gun while he was in the armed forces, said. "I was quite upset when they went to the Beretta," Lewis said.

Some reports suggest Marines are not happy with their main Beretta M9s for their lack of accuracy and stopping power. With M1911's now supplying Special Ops, growing interest may lead to a better solution.

"To have the 1911 selected again for U. S. Forces 101 years after its initial introduction is just an incredible testament to the timeless design and effectiveness of the Colt 1911," Dinkel said. "This is truly a gratifying contract award."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/28/ma ... r-pistols/
 
I, too, have a M1911. Not an A1, a real 1911. Carried in WWI by my step grandfather, in WWII by my father, and by me on my CCW. What a wonderful piece of living history...

Cheers!

John
 
And more bad news from the Miles and Miles the anchor man for the your all gonna die news channel. :lol: You really need to stop taking all those downers man. I'll keep an eye out for the drones. I see you life is getting much better. I would guess the majority of the people on this forum believe you last post does not belong here. That sort of leaves you as odd man out. You already knew that. It would seem you came here to this forum get away from the gloom and doom channel. That's reason the rest us try to keep politics out of this forum. It's not that we have our heads in the sand it's because there is a time and place for everything. It's why you need to get a grip. :wink: Have a nice day :D
 
Since I am the original poster, I can safely say there was nothing political about it. It was simply a nice story about my favorite pistol being brought back into service. Nothing more. I posted the source as Fox because that's where I read it. I don't understand how it can possibly be spun into "No doubt to be used right here at home against the American people" or any other DHS or TSA paranoia comments.

It's sad when you can't even make a simple post that has no point other than to share something nice with the many active and former servicemen on this forum who used this iconic piece of working art to defend this great country of ours. And one wonders why many of us "old timers" around here rarely post much anymore. I certainly am not the only one to notice that fact.

Da Nag, please either lock or delete this entire thread. I really don't care which.

Rick
 
I carried a M1911 A1 when I went into the Staff NCO ranks. I think mine had been around a while, as it was pretty sloppy. The secret was to shake while firing, and it would offset the wear :roll: . I did fire expert with the old beast.
 
Thanks Bill! My dad had an original 1911 he brought home from WW2. It was the first real gun I ever fired. As I recall, the first round went in the general direction I aimed and the next two went straight up. :shock: I think I was ten or so. That thing had quite a kick..

Unfortunately, my bride convinced me to get rid of it when we were at Hunters Pt Naval Shipyard in about '67 or so. I think I sold it to a USMC Maj next door for about $25... :cry

Someday I hope to have another. Till then I'll have to be content with my Taraus 45.

Charlie
 
Captains Cat":19n2gleo said:
My dad had an original 1911 he brought home from WW2.
Click to expand...

Heh...same here, but I still have it. It sits in the safe and hasn't been fired in years. Keeping it more for sentimental reasons than practical.

I've been intrigued by newer 45's for years, but am woefully ignorant about them. For the most part, I'm a wheel gun and Glock kind of guy...love the simplicity and reliability of both, but on the auto side - I really prefer the feel of a single stack over the Glock.

My buddy who started this thread keeps yapping about going shooting 'round here, but given my history of impulse buying - I keep finding excuses to do other things. Sure as sheeeet, he'd place one of those fine pieces in my hand and my bank account would be significantly lighter within days...
 
This comment is from one who has shot thousands of rounds of 45 ball through rack grade 1911 Colt pistols in military competition.

I have also fired hundreds or rounds of 9mm rounds through M-9 pistols. The M-9 is junk, plain and simple.

The old 1911s in the system were rebuilt over and over and were at the end of their service life. They served well!!! I still shoot my orignal US Army issued 1911 on a regular basis.

Thank Goodness someone (USMC) has the sense to demand and purchase an adequate round and gun for our Marines...! Hopefully, the rest of the force will follow and it works out for best!

I could write volumes on this subject but will close by saying this is not a political issues, it a practical issue with lives at stake. M
 
I had shot a M 1911 when in ROTC and when on active duty--and as noted the weapons I used even back then were sloppy and less than match grade.
A few years back a friend loaned me his custom rebuilt 1911, when one of my wheel guns was stolen. It was night and day from the issue piece. I don't own a 1911, but one of my carry pieces is a .45 (Kimber) and is a jewel.

I suspect that the new .45 will be improved over the older model and those which might be in service.

I have been in the Sierra for the last week, and had not heard any news--thanks for the information!
 
I was a instructor on the range at Stone bay from 90 to 93. I taught requil for the m16a2 and the 1911a1 than then the M9. I also shoot every day after work and on the weekends for the base teem. I shot between 800 and 1000 rounds a week plus the training of other Marines. I think the love for the 1911 and the hate for the m9 has more to do with the round then the gun. the .45 is a great round but so is the .40 in the Beretta. As for the guns then selves I would take the Beretta every day of the week. It fits my hand better, has more rounds( in either caliber), is easier to take apart, simple to clean and most important to me has a fair better safety. I never had one fire from being dropped or tossed or from ware. I have had many .45s go off for any one of those reasons and several that went full auto from old worn parts.

Either gun is great in a fight in .45 or .40 and many the 9mm round has killed more people then any round in history ( pistol)

As for the inherent accuracy of the guns? its a toss up. I really get tired when people compare their custom built $4000 1911 to a stock Marine issue M9. its just not a fair comparison. That said the only bad gun in a gun fight is the one you left at home. :wink: I will always choose a gun that will fit my hand and still carry the most rounds. And before the .45 fatefully start in with "you only need 8 rounds" that is assuming you only have 8 attackers and you hit everyone with one round :roll:
 
Tom-

Although I have no direct opinion on this matter, I always enjoy your independent thinking!

Makes me appreciate your opinions even more, since I know you're not just reinterating the mainstream buzz!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Since my wife occasionally reads my posts on C-Brats I will not go into the exact number of 1911s I have collected over the years. I inherited my dads from WWII, which I first shot when I was 12. Could not hit a thing with it. Still can't, but I love holding it with it's memories. These are really too valuable to shoot much these days.

Today my favorite 1911s are Les Baer models. My fighting guns are guaranteed to shoot 3 inches at 50 yards. My target 1911s are guaranteed to shoot in under 1.5 inches at 50 Yards. I am not guaranteed to do either. However, with the Les Baer guns I can hit quarters every time at 10 yards, which is good enough for most purposes. My Browning safe holds these, which seems very fitting. That is except for the one I travel with, sleep with, eat with, and use for security patrols around the ranch.

I also have some Springfield armory and S&W 1911s but don't shoot them much as trigger pull, fit, etc. are just not the same. Also have a few plastic guns like S&W M&P and Glock, reliable, cheap (relatively), but no soul to them and hate their creapy trigger pull, plastic feel, poor balance etc. However, I do grab one of them, or the Stailess Springfield Armory model for C-Dory sea duty.

Browning designed it in 1910/1911 and no one has designed a better one in the 100 years since! Yes, it fits large hands best but I find the recoil of the .45 pleasant (kind of a long slow push) compared to my plastic .40s which sting a bit and start to hurt after a hundred rounds or my .357 mag at around 50 rounds.

So far have not been attacked by more than eight people at once but Sargent York did manage to shoot and stop 6 Germans with his Colt 1911 in a bayonett attack after his rifle was emptied. In all, he killed 28 men and captured over 130. No bad for a days work with a bolt action rifle and an old fashioned single stack 1911.

And, yes I do think the Baretta is an excellent firearm and except for being limited by only being able to use ball ammo in military applications would be adequate in 9mm with a good expansion round. trouble is the U.S. military discovered the hardball 9mm/.38 was an inadequate man stopper in the Phillipines and hence commissioned John to come up with a .45. Somehow they forgot.

Ron
 
excellent post. Thank you. Love the 45 but as more of our military are females with much smaller hands the 9 is more comfortable for them to use.
 
.45 cal. Good round. Lots of kinetic energy aka, stopping power.

But...slower fpm, more difficult for smaller/weaker shooters to control and hold and yep...less rounds per magazine too.

Like anything else in life; there is a pro and a con...a plus and a minus.

I prefer the .40 caliber since it has the best of both worlds. But to each his own. I'm sure there were reasons the USMC is reverting. It will be interesting to see what other branches do.
 
Love the 45 but as more of our military are females with much smaller hands the 9 is more comfortable for them to use.
Click to expand...

I just want to clarify something here. the m9 is a LARGER weapon that shoots a smaller round. It fits my hand better because I got big hands that over lay the 1911. Please do not get the physical size of the gun mixed up with the size of the round. the 1911 has a singe stack mag there fore a smaller narrower frame. the m9 has a 15 round double stacked, well really off center from the round above not sided be side, so its a much wider frame and the gun as a whole weights more.

if anyone has one of each please feel free to post a pic of them laying side by side and you will see what I mean.

I will never knock the .45 ROUND but I prefer something better , and safer then a colt 1911 to throw it. Just one opinion for a Marine.
 
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