Maxim had designed a self-loading rifle in the 1880s, but was preoccupied with machine guns. The next decade would see a similar pace, including the adoption of several more revolvers and an intensive search for a self-loading pistol that would culminate in the official adoption of the M1911 after the turn of the decade. The United States was adopting new firearms at a phenomenal rate several new pistols and two all-new service rifles (the M8 Krag and M1895 Navy Lee), as well as a series of revolvers by Colt and Smith & Wesson for the Army and Navy, were adopted just in that decade. The M1911 pistol originated in the late 1890s as the result of a search for a suitable self-loading (or semi-automatic) pistol to replace the variety of revolvers then in service. Modernized derivative variants of the M1911 are still in use by some units of the U.S. Army did not replace the M1911A1 with the Beretta M9 until October 1986, and due to the M1911's popularity among users has not been completely phased out. The M1911A1 was replaced by the adoption of the 9 mm Beretta M9 pistol as the standard U.S.

It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The pistol served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985. military procured around 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols during its service life. because of the design's relatively slim width and the stopping power of the. Compact variants are popular civilian concealed carry weapons in the U.S. It is popular with civilian shooters in competitive events such as USPSA, IDPA, International Practical Shooting Confederation, and bullseye shooting.

The pistol was widely copied, and this operating system rose to become the preeminent type of the 20th century and of nearly all modern centerfire pistols.

ĭesigned by John Browning, the M1911 is the best-known of his designs to use the short recoil principle in its basic design. 45, Automatic, M1911A1 in the Vietnam War era. The designation changed to Pistol, Caliber. 45, M1911 for the original model of 1911 or Automatic Pistol, Caliber. The pistol's formal designation as of 1940 was Automatic Pistol, Caliber. The M1911, also known as Colt 1911, or Colt Government, is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated pistol chambered for the. 7-round or 8-round (.45 ACP) box magazine

Colt 1911 a1 barrel