Colt M1911

Colt M1911
general information
Civil name:	Colt M1911 / M1911A1, Government
Military designation:	Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic: M1911 / M1911A1
Developer / Manufacturer:	John Moses Browning , Colt's Patent Firearms Mfg. Co. see also manufacturer
Development year:	1906 to 1910
Manufacturer country:	United States Norway
Production time:	since 1911
Model variants:	1911, 1911A1
Weapon Category:	gun
Furnishing
Overall length:	219 mm
Total height:	137 mm
Total width:	31.5 mm
Weight: (unloaded)	1.14 kg
Barrel length :	127.8 mm
Technical specifications
Caliber :	.45 ACP (11.43 x 23 mm), .380ACP, .22lr
Possible magazine fillings :	7 or 8 .45ACP cartridges
Ammunition supply :	Bar magazine
Fire types:	Semi-automatic
Number of trains :	6th
Twist :	Left
Visor :	Open sights
Closure :	Browning system
Charging principle:	Recoil loader
Lists on the subject

The gun Colt M1911 (US Pistol, Caliber .45 Model of 1911 - also known as "Colt Government") is a self-loading pistol . It was commissioned by the company Colt from John Browning (1855-1926) on the basis of which he developed Browning system made ready for production. In 1911 it was introduced as an orderly pistol for the US armed forces and was not replaced by the Beretta M9 until 1985 . It is offered in different versions by Colt and other manufacturers.

history

After the US Army revolver Colt Single Action Army M1873 in caliber .45 Colt (11.4 mm) by the Colt M1892 caliber .38 Long Colt had replaced (9.6 mm), was during the American War Philippine- found that the man-stopping effect of the newly used ammunition in caliber .38 was insufficient. As a first measure, the old Colt M1873 were returned to the troops. For the future equipment of the army, the development of handguns in caliber .45, preferably self-loading pistols, was put out to tender, whereupon various companies set about developing such weapons.

Before 1900, Browning had developed a semi-automatic pistol with a 6- inch barrel in .38 caliber for use with the .38 ACP cartridge (9 × 23 mm, Automatic Colt Pistol - later known as the .38 Super with a stronger charge ), which was known under named "Model of 1900" by Colt. When Browning learned of the US Army's interest in a .45 caliber weapon, he designed his predecessor based on the Model 1900, the Colt Model 1905 - pistol with a 5-inch barrel in .45 ACP .

The order of the December 28, 1906 the War Department of the United States initiated excretion tests the Army the gun went along with a pistol the company Savage Arms lead. After further testing, the Colt model won the elimination tests. The Colt model was now subjected to intensive tests by the US Army, introduced for test purposes in 1907 with two cavalry units of the US Army and, after some changes and improvements compared to the model from 1905, finally became the provisional winner of the tender in March 1911 official US service weapon declared. The changes essentially related to the following points: In the 1905 model, the barrel was still connected to the frame with two chain links - one at the front and one at the rear end; the barrel was pulled down in parallel as it returned. In the 1911 model, the front chain link was replaced by a sleeve. The weak firing pin spring, which is connected to the cock via a movably mounted cock spur, has been replaced by a helical compression spring. The shape of the hammer ("cock"), which was previously rounded and from which you could slide off when clamping, has been improved. The grip safety device only allowed the weapon to be fired with a firm hand position. The handle, which was originally pointed straight down, got a flatter angle.

Other tests undertaken in 1911 included a. a series of 6,000 rounds. The pistol was cleaned after every 1000 rounds, tested after the 6000 rounds with defective ammunition, dipped in acid, soiled with sand and mud and fired again. After the weapon had passed all tests, it was introduced on March 29, 1911 as the orderly weapon "US Pistol, Caliber .45 of 1911".

The predecessor, the Colt pistol model 1905 in .45 ACP caliber

Model 1911 in caliber .455

MEUSOCM45 pistol manufactured by PWS, Quantico , Virginia

Cartridge .455 Webley Automatic

Magazine bottom model 1911 - stamped .455 Eley

From July 1915 to April 1919, more than 15,000 M1911s in calibers .45 ACP and .455 Webley Automatic were delivered to the British War Department , mainly for use in the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps . In 1942, the majority of these weapons were issued to the Royal Air Force , they bore the hand-stamped "RAF" insignia on the handle and the stamp "COLT AUTOMATIC CALIBER 455" on the right side of the breech. The stamp “.455 Eley” can be found on the magazine next to the weapons. Different sources give different ammunition designations for these models, the stamping of the weapon itself does not provide precise information, and that of the magazine may be a controversial one. The frequently mentioned cartridge in caliber .455 Webley is in fact a revolver cartridge that was used in the British Webley revolver . The .455 Eley cartridge, which is also often mentioned and attested in the magazine stamp, is a Colt revolver cartridge. Both cartridges have so-called “rim cartridges”. Although there are modified models of the M1911 / M1911A1 that fire revolver cartridges, the ".455 Webley Automatic" cartridge with a "semi-rimmed cartridge" was used for the British models. This cartridge was originally used for the "Webley & Scott Pistol Selfloading" pistol developed in 1913. The confusion about the .455 caliber used and their designations can be explained by the vague naming of the different types of ammunition and the resulting caution when stamping - before using the wrong ammunition.

In 1923 the pistol was modernized and received as model M1911A1 u. a. a domed mainspring case, a rounder front sight, a shorter hammer spur, a shorter trigger and a longer handle safety horn (to prevent the hand from being pinched by the hammer, "hammer bite"). The A1 version differs only slightly from the basic model. Until it was withdrawn from the US Army in 1985, the weapon was still used as an orderly weapon.

In 1985 the M1911A1 was replaced by the Beretta 92 FS. 1911 derivatives (e.g. Safari Arms Matchmaster ) are popular with sport shooters worldwide .

Model chronology

• 1905 Browning-Colt .45 Automatic Pistol
• 1911 Colt Pistol model 1911
• 1923 Colt Pistol Model 1911A1
• 1933 Colt First National Match
• 1949 Colt Commander
• 1957 Colt Gold Cup National Match ( Fig. )
• 1970 Colt Mark IV 70 Series
• 1971 Colt Combat Commander
• 1983 Colt Mark IV 80 Series
• 1985 Colt Government Stainless Steel

technology

Partially disassembled model M1911A1.

The pistols of the 1911 series are semi-automatic recoil loaders with the locked Browning breech named after the inventor. As early as 1895, Browning presented the Vice President of Colt, John Hall, with a self-loading pistol that worked on the principle of the Colt-Browning Mod 1895 machine gun , a gas-pressure loader . At the same time, Browning worked on the development of recoil loaders with a mass lock , which were later manufactured in Belgium as the FN Browning Model 1900 in caliber 7.65 mm .

John Hall, who foresaw the future of the self-loading pistol, suggested to Browning to further develop his system for pistols in military-grade calibers, and as early as mid-1896 Browning presented a parallel ruler in the Caliber 38 ACP Rimless Smokeless , a ready-to-fire prototype with a barrel on the front and back rear end is connected to the frame with a chain link and is pulled parallel downwards to unlock when reversing. Above the chamber there are two locking combs that grip into recesses on the inside of the bolt and thus connect it to the barrel. The first parallel ruler to be mass-produced was the Colt Model 1900 , the last was the Military Model 1905 in .45 caliber.

Locking, running end, bearing block with guide curve and chain link

Since the system with two chain links was not suitable for the powerful .45 cartridge, Browning deviated from this system when developing the American army pistol. In the 1908 prototype and the subsequent development stages up to the M1911, the barrel was stored in a sleeve at the front and only the rear chain link connected it to the frame. The chain link was hinged to a massive bearing block at the rear of the barrel. In addition, the bearing block was provided with a guide curve at the front which, together with the chain link, brought the barrel end up again for locking and held the barrel in the locked position when fired.

The function of the MODEL OF 1911 US ARMY is as follows: After the shot, the chain link pulls the end of the barrel downwards as it moves backwards. The locking combs attached to the top of the barrel are pulled out of the grooves milled in the slide and the lock is unlocked. The barrel hits with the rear surface of the bearing block on the abutment in the handle and is thus stopped in the loading position. The slide continues to move backwards, cocks the recoil spring and the hammer, is brought forward again by the recoil spring and pushes the next cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. In the last phase of the return movement, the barrel is brought forward again and up through the chain link and the guide curve and locked, the weapon is ready to fire.

In later developments, Browning replaced the chain link with a link that tilted the barrel and locked it up again. But he did not experience the use of this improvement in the FN Browning HP Mod. 1935 , since he died in 1926. Today, the vast majority of modern large bore pistols use this locking system.

The MODEL OF 1911 US ARMY has a single-action trigger and four fuses. A manual safety device that is operated with the thumb is located on the rear left of the handle and blocks the slide and hammer. The rifle can only be secured with the manual safety when cocked. The second safety device is the grip safety device, which only allows a shot to be fired when the pistol grip is firmly gripped. The third safety device is the half-position notch of the hammer. To use the half-position notch, it is necessary to pull the trigger carefully while holding the hammer while the weapon is cocked. The hammer is slowly moved forward into its half-position notch. The gun remains cocked, the hammer must be pulled back into its rear position before the shot can be fired. The fourth fuse is the separator, which ensures that the weapon is not opened or closed. unlocked lock, can be operated. Firing a shot with a hard "attached barrel" is also not possible.

The trigger group contains a "disconnector" so that the tap remains cocked after the carriage has moved forward and does not immediately fall again. During the reloading process, this is pressed down via a nose on the underside of the slide and thus releases the connection between the trigger and the hammer ("sear"). The connection is only re-established when the trigger is released and the weapon is again ready to fire. Without this device malfunctions would be the result ("hammer-follow") or the weapon could under certain circumstances switch to continuous fire .

The firing pin is kept completely hidden in the breech by a spring, even when the weapon is decocked. As this prevents it from resting on the cartridge's primer, accidents are very unlikely: the firing pin would have to be accelerated from its rest position against the spring by impact or fall of the weapon in such a way that it could hit the primer with sufficient momentum through inertia alone .

The magazine of the M1911 and M1911A1 holds seven .45 ACP cartridges.

Manufacturer

• In addition to Colt, the following companies manufactured M1911 and M1911A1 pistols to equip the US armed forces and their allies:
  • Remington UMC ( First World War )
  • Springfield Armory, Massachusetts (World War I)
  • North American Arms Company, Quebec, Canada (World War One)
  • Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, NJ ( World War II )
  • Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale , PA (World War II)
  • Remington Rand Inc. (World War II)
  • Ithaca Gun Company Inc. (World War II)

• After 1945 the weapon was copied by various companies under license, but also illegally. Derivatives have been or will be a. manufactured by the following manufacturers:
  • Arcadia Machine and Tool (AMT abbreviation)
  • Dan Wesson
  • Kimber
  • Les Baer
  • Norinco
  • Para-Ordnance
  • Peter's steel
  • HCG
  • KPS
  • Rock Island Arms
  • SIG GSR
  • Safari Arms / Olympic Arms
  • Springfield Armory, Inc. , Geneseo, Illinois,
  • STP Sport Target Pistol Germany

Others

• The M1911 pistol was trend-setting in many ways. As mentioned earlier, their breech type is used by most large-caliber pistols with a locked breech. In its pure form this system finds u. a. Used in the Russian Tokarew TT-33 pistol , in a modified form, for example, in the Bundeswehr pistol HK P8 and the Swiss SIG P210 . Many modern large-caliber sport pistols are basically detailed versions of the Colt 1911.
• During the entire service life of the M1911, shooting instructors for the US armed forces complained that it was impossible to train inexperienced recruits to be sufficiently safe shooters with the powerful .45 weapon with the given effort. These problems were one of the reasons for the introduction of the M1 Carbine light rifle.
• For the model M1911A1 there are different conversion units ( exchange systems ) to different calibers (e.g. .22 lfB , .40 S&W , 10 mm Auto and others, including rifle calibers , in order to use them as contender pistols for steel plate shooting can).
• Another type of conversion (modification) was to turn the semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic one. One of the first M1911s modified into a fully automatic weapon is said to have belonged to J. Edgar Hoover - former head of the FBI.
• Due to the manual locking, the Colt M1911 can be carried "cocked and locked", i. H. the cock is cocked, the gun is loaded but locked.
• In 2011, the US state of Utah declared the weapon one of its more than 20 official state symbols.

literature

• Dave M. Lauck: Tactical 1911. The Street Cop's and SWAT Operator's Guide to Employment and Maintenance . Paladin Press, Boulder CO 1998, ISBN 0-87364-985-0 .
• Edward Scott Meadows: US Military Automatic Pistols . Volume 1: 1894-1920. Richard Ellis Publications, Moline IL 1993.
• Patrick Sweeney: Gun Digest Book of the 1911. A Complete Look at the Use, Care and Repair of the 1911 Pistol . 2 volumes. Krause Publications, Iola WI 2001-2006, ISBN 0-87349-281-1 (vol. 1), ISBN 0-89689-269-7 (vol. 2).
• RL Wilson: The Book of Colt Firearms . 2nd edition. Blue Book Publications, Minneapolis MN 1993, ISBN 0-9625943-7-7 .
• William Goddard: The development of the Colt Model of 1911 . Andrew Mowbray Pub 1988, ISBN 0-917218-24-8 .
• Full auto conversion for Colt .45 or similar pistols by CJ Michal JR - US Patent no. 2,056,975 - 1936
• US-War Department, FM 23-35, (Basic Field Manual - Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45 M1911 and M1911A1) , April 1940 at ibiblio.org (PDF; 4.3 MB)
• Leroy Thompson: The Colt 1911 Pistol , Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84908-836-7 . (81 pages online PDF) ( Memento from May 15, 2018 in the Internet Archive )

Web links

Commons : M1911  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Colt M1911 . In: SALW Guide (technical data, distribution, images).
• Animated cutaway model of a 1911 model (to visualize the functional principle; Flash ; 13 kB)
• Detailed report on the testing and introduction (Engl.)

Original Colt model 1911

• Colt Manufacturing Company
• The M-1911 Pistols Home Page
• Colt Model 1911 at WaffenHQ.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Donald B. Bady: Colt Automatic Pistols . Borden Publishing
2. ^ William H. Goddard: The Government Models: The Development of the Colt Model 1911 . Andrew Mowbray Pub., ISBN 0-917218-24-8
3. ↑ The Confusing .455s International Ammunition Association
4. ^ Department of the Army Technical Manual, TM 9-1005-211-35, Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic: M1911A1
5. ↑ US state of Utah: Law declares firearm a landmark . In: Spiegel Online