Length: 216 mm (8,5")

Weight: 1,1 kg (39 oz)

Barrel: 127 mm (5")

Caliber: .45 ACP

Rifling: 6 groove, l/hand

Capacity: seven

Date of birth: 1911

Constructor: J. M. Browning

Made in USA by the Colt

The M 1911 A1 (introduced in June, 1926) is differ from the M 1911 by:

- a longer horn on the grip safety

- a slightly shorter hammer

- the chamfering away of arc shaped grooves behind the trigger

- the barrel grooves are deeper

- locked breech (the barrel with its twin lugs which engage the slots in the upper part of the slide)

- manual and grip safety

The classic M1911 pistol has now served the U.S. military for 88 years, but first came into its own during the Great War.

The Model 1911 and its progeny are perhaps the most successfully designed semi-automatic pistols in history. The brainchild of noted designer John Moses Browning, this legendary pistol has been widely copied both in the United States and abroad. A favorite of competitors and recreational shooters, the M1911 first established its reputation as a military arm, serving as the U.S. Army's standard sidearm for nearly 75 years and seeing action in every American conflict from the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916 through Operation Desert Storm. It has also served various law enforcement agencies and continues in that role today, having recently been selected for use by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's elite Hostage Rescue Team.

Despite how famous the M1911 has become, its service life began modestly. On April 24, 1911, the Army placed an initial order with Colt for 31,344 pistols. By early 1917, more than 100,000 had been manufactured both by Colt and by Springfield Armory under a licensing agreement. Most of these were issued to commissioned and noncommissioned officers, cavalrymen, and members of machine gun, artillery, and other crew-served weapons units. In addtion, about 18,000 were procured by the Navy and Marine Corps. Thousands more were purchased by various foreign governments, while others were sold to U.S. military officers and government officials, or on commercial markets. Among the M1911s sold during the prewar years were a group of approximately 100 pistols purchased through Springfield Armory by National Rifle Association (NRA) Life Members and members of NRA-affiliated clubs. Both Colt- and Springfield Armory-produced examples were included in this program. These pistols carried a purchase price of $16 each and were stamped with the letters "NRA" on the right side of the frame below the serial number.

Earlier government purchases had been sufficient for a peacetime army, but were woefully inadequate for a world at war. As the possibility loomed of American involvement in the European conflict, the War Department increased its orders for all types of military arms and supplies. Officials reported that approximately 70,000 M1911s were avilable for issue to U.S. troops when Congress declared war against the Central Powers on April 6, 1917, and the Army's Ordnance Department soon ordered an additional 500,000 pistols from Colt at a price of $14.50 each. To supplement this purchase, the Army also placed orders with both Colt and Smith & Wesson for 100,000 Model 1917 .45 caliber double-action revolvers. By the end of the war, more than 250,000 revolvers had been acquired by the government, and most were issued to officers and troops in rear areas.

Pistols became a much sought-after commodity among American soldiers as they took their places with the Allied forces in France. Patrols and trench raids frequently resulted in close-in or even hand-to-hand fighting between opposing troops. Excelling in both offensive and defensive roles, the rugged, hard-hitting Browning-Colt .45s quickly proved their worth. In one of the most famous incidents of the war, Sergeant Alvin C. York successfully engaged and silenced multiple German machine gun crews while armed only with a rifle and an M1911. Less than a week later, First Lieutenant Samuel Woodfill performed a similar feat. Both were awarded the Medal of Honor for their gallantry in action.