Designed by John Moses Browning, the Colt Government was the pistol of the US Army for 74 years under the designation M1911 from 1911 to 1985.
Particularly robust and reliable from its first version, it was modernized in 1926 becoming the M1911A1. Argentina was the first foreign user of the M1911A1 in the form of the Colt 1927. The differences between the M1911 and 1911A1 concern among other things the shape of the hammer. Colt despite strong military demand granted only two manufacturing licenses. Thus Norway produced the M1911 in a slightly modified form (angled breech stopper for shooting with gloves) which became the Koensberg M1914 Auto Pistol cal 11.25mm (diameter taken from the flat of the stripes). This M1914 will be produced under constraint for the Wehrmacht between 1940 and 1945. Similarly, the FMAP (Fabrique militaire d'armes portables) in Rosario produced the M1927A1 (M1911A1) cal. 11.25mm after 1945 to arm the Argentine police and military. Many Spanish manufacturers (Llama Gabilondo y Cia SA, Star) made simplified copies of the M1911 and M1911A1, absorbed mainly by Latin America.
The original weapon is exclusively chambered in .45 ACP, a high caliber ammunition (11.43mm), and operates in single action. The ammunition he employs is a heavy, slow-moving, high-caliber bullet that develops high recoil for reduced energy while limiting the weapon's capacity to 7 rounds. The .45ACP and the Colt M1911 are, however, an American tradition that has fervent supporters across the Atlantic. In the late 1920s, Colt chambered its pistol in the .38 Super Auto (9mm) highly prized in South America (the Colt 38 Super Auto had long been fitted to the Mexican police).
The adoption in 1985 of the M9 chambered in 9mm Parabellum to replace the Colt 1911 gave rise to numerous quarrels. Widespread on the American civilian market, it has a large number of clones and custom versions such as the P14-45 or the Coonan .357 Magnum.
Still very widespread within the police or special units and even more so on the civilian market, the Colt 1911 will easily exceed a century of use.
Features
* Ammunition:.45 ACP (11.43x23mm), .38 Super Auto (9x23mm)
* Length:21.9cm
* Barrel length:12, 8cm
* Unloaded weight:1.049kg
* Loaded weight:1.271kg
* Capacity:7 rounds (.45) , 9 strokes (.38). There are South American handcrafted models from 10 to 30 rounds.
The MEU(SOC)
The MEU(SOC) is a model based on the M1911, intended and produced almost exclusively for Force Recon battalions.
Military distribution of 1911/1911A1[edit]
Apart from the United States armed forces, the PA Colt M1911/M1911A1 armed many soldiers abroad.
The M1911
The Colt M1911 was exported to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France (in 1915-1916 for tankers), Great Britain (mainly for the Royal Flight Club in .45 ACP and .455 Eley), Guatemala, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, Philippines and Russia.
The M1911A1 (1924-1942)
During this period, Washington authorized the delivery of Colt .45 to the following countries:Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, Egypt, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Haiti, Peru, Puerto Rico, Norway, Philippines and Dominican Republic.