Colt 1911A1 - History, technical details and picture

History of the Colt 1911A1 pistol

The Colt pistol was conceived and designed by the American engineer John Moses Browning. It responds to a rising demand from U.S. forces engaged in the jungle, and who wishes to have a handy, compact and solid gun.

The choice of the ammunition fired by the pistol has been subject of much debate and the decision was finally taken to adopt a .45 caliber (11.43 mm) rather than a .38 caliber (9.65 mm), because American soldiers have preferred to have a handgun with a higher caliber.

The Colt 1911 was commissioned in the U.S. Army on March 29, 1911, and was also adopted two years later by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

During the First World War this pistol revealed some defects that were repaired in 1926. Thus, the 1911A1 was emerging: it was more compact, the trigger was also shorter, the sights was simplified ... The new model has been produced at such a large quantity than in 1945 the U.S. Government stopped its production and decided to draw on reserves, more than enough.

Widely used during the Korea and Vietnam wars, the 1911A1 Colt was used by the French and Norwegian armored forces. It is still USED in some U.S. military units and some other organizations such as the FBI or the SWAT.