Happy Anniversary to an American icon…

Updated on March 29, 2011 By Ken Begg 12 Comments

Adopted by the U.S. Army 100 years ago today.

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  • Ericb

    They still use it? Considering all the technology that’s evolved since then that’s a pretty impressive feat. Has there been any other device that’s fared as well?

  • Actually, I think the Army switched over a while ago to a Beretta, so that the ammo would be NATO standard. But the M1911A1, which was the last major modification back in 1924, is still being made as far as I know, and the basic design has inspired a seemingly endless number of contemporary pistols from other companies, including S&W and Springfield Armory.

  • roger h

    “God made man, but Samuel Colt made them equal”

    IIRC some of the special ops types still carry their 1911s.

    .45 auto stopping extremist fanatics for 100 years.

  • P Stroud

    The services went to double action autoloaders years ago. They’ve experienced fewer accidents than they had with the single-action Colt. While the 9mm Beretta is the standard issue some more specialized units like the Seals use .45 auto pistols like the HK because they want a more reliable pistol with more knockdown power.

    But don’t ever believe that the 9mm is a weak cartridge. All firearms are extremely deadly, including the often maligned 22LR.

  • Gamera

    Makes me think of the episode of ‘Mail Call’ where some guy wrote in about a German pistol, either the Luger or Mauser, I don’t remember. R. Lee Ermy pulled one out and put a fair sized hole in a hanging melon. Then he pulled out an American .45 and fired into another melon, completly shattering it into about a dozen pieces with one shot.

  • Yeah Ken. I remember many an old time sergeant in my unit complaining about the new Barettas and how they didn’t pack the punch of a good ol’ 45. Of course I still wouldn’t want to be shot by either.

  • Rock Baker

    In many ways, the almost perfect sidearm. And, helping me no end, it’s a nice simple design and easy to draw at various angles.

  • pistol technology hasn’t really evolved that far. I guess they reached their peak at the time of the Colt .45 revolver. There were two ill-judged attempts to improve pistol effectiveness.

    One was a spate of European full-auto pistols which jammed and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Really the only thing they’d be good at would be point-blank assassinations. Perhaps that’s what they were for.

    Because we’re used to technology advancing in some fields, we get the idea that it advances in EVERY field equally, but it’s really not true. A guy with an old Krag-Jorgenson might not be quite as effective as someone armed with an M4 Carbine, but he’s far from helpless. Once repeating rifles appeared, the advance of hand weapons technology slowed dramatically. Unless you count rocket launchers and flamethrowers, which you probably don’t want to issue to every single soldier in your army.

    The other was the Gyrojet, and less said about that, the better. Its major function was evidently to start drybrush fires.

  • Rock Baker

    Was that the ‘rocket gun’ developed in the 60s? The one that can be used underwater or in space? The ones that turn up briefly in You Only Live Twice? Guns that were more neat than useful (unless you’re in space).

  • Kirk

    The 1911 is still being manufactured in a wide variety of configurations. Mine is actually a Chinese copy, one of the last ones to get in before Clinton’s executive order stopped firearms imports from China.

    I think the FBI’s HRT is still using the 1911.

    Most of the advances in handgun technology have been related to sighting and capacity. A Glock 17 with two spare magazines gives you 51 rounds on tap.

  • Petoht

    Well, there has been one significant advance in hand weaponry: the XM25, otherwise known as the “smart” grenade launcher. It’s seen limited use in Afghanistan, and is well loved by the soldiers who have gotten to use it.

    http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-12-01/news/27082924_1_grenade-launcher-insurgents-weapon

  • P Stroud

    “Once repeating rifles appeared, the advance of hand weapons technology slowed dramatically.”

    Absolutely. Notice also that despite all the fancy semi-auto rifles available the services still use bolt action Win 300mags for snipers. One man with a bolt action rifle could hold up an entire regiment of opposing troops for hours from time to time in WWII.