This was my issue sidearm prior to MARSOC as it is today. WONDERFUL gun!!! After 40+ years as a Marine, LEO, instructor, etc.. I am PERFECTLY fine with this gun as an EDC. Full disclosure. I have carried nearly everything depending on mission. All were fine. But THIS is my all time fave.
@@defconcreativeI’m definitely an FDE type of guy but this is a stunning looking 1911. I would love to build one myself in the future and shoot it on special occasions.
Thanks for the great video !! This month, I have been carrying my Colt 1911 45 acp for 40 years and will continue to carry it. I had no idea the military had a program for the 1911's. Thanks again and keep the videos rolling out !!
@TheRealZJM377 ya, that's not the gun's fault. That's Colt. Their quality control started goin to shit during this time. Since they weren't in the civilian AR market anymore and the DoD wasn't renewing their contract, the USMC contract was really the last hope they had to stay relevant. They failed n now they're owned by CZ.
Hey from France, i own an Ithaca from 1943 (OSS one, yes, i get lucky) and a M45A1 ion bond. Man, you make me want to have a m45, i really miss the part of chain of evolution. I really love your work and videos. Thank you so much 👍
Back in the early 80's we sent our out of the box colt government models to pachmayr and had them do the combat special package on them. It looked a lot like that one. 425.00 for the gun and another 1,200.00 for the up grades. Very nice pistol.
Heck yeah! Didnt know you had a channel! So stoked that you do! Subscribed! Uncle had a MEUSOC. Dope gun. Great shooters! Nice. Enjoyable watch! Thanks!
Back in 1993 on a shooting Times Magazine, I saw for the first time a MEUSOC M45... Ever since, I wanted to build one. Fast forward to around 1998, I started looking for parts that looked similar to the original and finally around 2004, I think, I was able to put it all together. Mine is a mixture of Variants 1,2,3 and 4 parts with some "poetical liberty" that had me use stainless Steel for the Beavertail, main spring housing, grip screws, hammer, slide stop,barrel bushing and safety....is my personal opinion, the MEUSOC is what a fighting 1911 should be.
I'm 65. I was trained by my Dad to fire a 1911 as a kid. I spent 28yrs in the Army. I experienced the change over. I never liked the M9 at all. Yes, I made myself shoot it well, but after retiring, no way would I want an M9 like pistol. I now have many 1911s. I still carry one. Nothing ever fit my hand so nicely and I shoot it well.
@@AnthonyBolognese710 My hands are not bear mitts. I have handled / looked at 2011 guns. They are rather bulky. I want a better purchase on the gun. I know they are made well, that is not the issue. They do not fit my hand right.
@ yeah I l have big hands but I get your point. Nothing will ever feel like a 1911 in your hands. It just won’t and we both know that. But the trigger pull abs the ignition system are the same, and that’s where the beauty lies. I wish I could share with you a picture of the TRP operator I just upgraded. I think you’d appreciate it. None of my friends are really 45 fans.
@@AnthonyBolognese710 The TRP is a very nice gun. My most fancy 1911 is a Gold Cup I got decades ago slightly used. My daily driver is one of the new Springfield Garison 5" guns. It is solid and works like a champ. I like 45ACP. I carry it from sun up to sun down in south Texas at the ranch. It is 60 miles from Mexico. We have quite the illegal invader traffic here. Nobody down here is unarmed any longer. Nobody. I have an AR in the ranch truck when out working or checking stock, body armor, ballistic helmet, medic bag, etc. I keep a radio on me as well to reach my wife back at the house. Cell coverage is poor to none. Many of the "coyotes" leading the illegals are armed up as well as our Army soldiers. It is a dangerous area. My wife calls it the Alamo. Many have left, sold out. I'm happy with a 1911. Using it is reflexive, second nature. The rifle is the real tool to keep close. I updated all manner of security here. Four rescue pits for inside the fence around the house, cameras, alarms, extra lighting. Installed a siren and whoopy light on top of the house. Hit the switch and at night they run through the cactus, black brush, cat claw and get torn up. Funny. I find it odd the number of folks that get upset if you are not carrying what they like. My motto is find what you like, get good with it, and keep it running.
My brother was with the 24th and 26 MEU. He even competed with the IDF and never used this pistol. He used a Beretta M9. He competed against all their top units and took first place. He never carried this pistol, maybe it came along later ?
What this work represents is a singular Model having been in use for 70 years being reworked with 70 years of use data. The variable hardening of the slide is deep, and reveals the detail of the use data. Not a large frame guy here. Not a mag minimalist. A Glock 30 with 30rd backup mags keeps me in the 45 running, and I trade Model weight for ammo weight.
First of all: very informative and interesting video; and of course, amazingly well crafted and beautiful 1911 by Alchemy. I have a question, though. Around the 18:30 mark in the video, you mention a frame used in these MEUSOC 1911s might have seen combat in WWII Europe, etc.; and I thought that Marines were deployed to the Pacific Theater in WWII (though I'm not an american, and my country did not participate in WWII, so I may very well be wrong about that). But that got me thinking if maybe these marine armorers had access to 1911s from all the branches of the US Armed Forces to choose from... Do you happen to know that?
The M1911A1s that the Quantico Marines built M45s from pretty much came from storage after having been issued and returned by all four branches and probably even a few foreign customers. So it's easy to see how one 1911 might have seen Europe with the Army in the 1940s and ended up with, say, the Marines in Iraq in the 90s.
How did the 45 auto ammunition change from the original 1911 loading to what was supplied by Israeli Military Industries (IMI) during twilight years of the M45A1?.
Apparently, it changed quite a bit, the powder being used burnt quite a bit faster, which creates more force. People don’t realize that recoil isn’t just a factor of bullet weight and muzzle velocity, what’s more important is how quickly the powder burns to get that bullet up to the muzzle velocity. Faster burn equals more recoil.
70+ yrs of service from WWII to GWOT, and battle proven in the hands of the worlds most elite operators. Sir, your Les Baer is irrelevant in comparison.
For me.. the 'coolest' 1911 I have ever owned was one made for the army in 1936 that had been nickel plated some time later... or.. it was done for the army as a ceremonial gun? not sure. The nickel was in 'decent' but not perfect shape. Small hard to see sights. utterly reliable no matter what I fed it. And surprisingly great accuracy... meaning easy 2"+ groups from a rest with my handloads. For me.. a 1911 without the government hammer and two piece guide rod is a nonstarter. Not... cool
my last qual witha rack issue 1911 could not hit the paper. I'm a 1911 shooter. coach said it was me. Left range. cleaned gun and saw a tit on a land. fhowed to unit aromer. he pulled ot a rat tail file (NOT TO&E issue. don't know why he had one in tool box) ran it down the muzze a few times and tried to give it back to me. then when i refused to accept it and he would not taht my dissembled 1911 I took it bact to team house. Team chief called SgtMaj. Team commander called XO. things got bad...
Yes I like hammer bite , never wear gloves.i said the coolest 1911 is the original simple because it is. I didn't say it's the best shooting experience.
If you are doing a reproduction, please minimize your brand roll marks. You are taking a great repo into something tacky. Maybe there is an option to remove it.
The M45 is proof of how great Colt(and other WW2 mfg) were at making 1911s. The M45A1 is proof that Colt fell off completely and screwed up their own century old recipe. Hopefully CZ does a better job running Colt. Colt managed to lose the M16 contract and screw up a 1911 contract so badly the Corps canceled it and moved to Glock 19s for MARSOC.
This was my issue sidearm prior to MARSOC as it is today. WONDERFUL gun!!! After 40+ years as a Marine, LEO, instructor, etc.. I am PERFECTLY fine with this gun as an EDC. Full disclosure. I have carried nearly everything depending on mission. All were fine. But THIS is my all time fave.
This is THE 1911 to have IMHO…. It is absolutely perfect
@@defconcreativeI’m definitely an FDE type of guy but this is a stunning looking 1911. I would love to build one myself in the future and shoot it on special occasions.
COOOOOL! Semper Fi brother 😎
Thanks for the great video !! This month, I have been carrying my Colt 1911 45 acp for 40 years and will continue to carry it. I had no idea the military had a program for the 1911's. Thanks again and keep the videos rolling out !!
You got it!
The Colt M45A1 is one of the holy grail pistols for me... that I'll never have lol. Great presentation.
What!!!! That is junk didn't you see al the problems the military had with that junk colt M45A1?
Right on…. But you may not want to watch my video next week…
@TheRealZJM377 ya, that's not the gun's fault. That's Colt. Their quality control started goin to shit during this time. Since they weren't in the civilian AR market anymore and the DoD wasn't renewing their contract, the USMC contract was really the last hope they had to stay relevant. They failed n now they're owned by CZ.
Just buy the Tisas offering. Better materials than the >$1000 Colt
Hey from France, i own an Ithaca from 1943 (OSS one, yes, i get lucky) and a M45A1 ion bond.
Man, you make me want to have a m45, i really miss the part of chain of evolution.
I really love your work and videos.
Thank you so much 👍
Glad to see we have 1911 fans in France!!
delta also has a cool history with 1911's would love to see videos covering some of the early years and history of 1911 in the unit.
Yeah I want to do a Delta Clone as well….
Back in the early 80's we sent our out of the box colt government models to pachmayr and had them do the combat special package on them. It looked a lot like that one. 425.00 for the gun and another 1,200.00 for the up grades. Very nice pistol.
Heck yeah! Didnt know you had a channel! So stoked that you do! Subscribed! Uncle had a MEUSOC. Dope gun. Great shooters! Nice. Enjoyable watch! Thanks!
Thank you and that’s a lucky uncle
Back in 1993 on a shooting Times Magazine, I saw for the first time a MEUSOC M45... Ever since, I wanted to build one. Fast forward to around 1998, I started looking for parts that looked similar to the original and finally around 2004, I think, I was able to put it all together. Mine is a mixture of Variants 1,2,3 and 4 parts with some "poetical liberty" that had me use stainless Steel for the Beavertail, main spring housing, grip screws, hammer, slide stop,barrel bushing and safety....is my personal opinion, the MEUSOC is what a fighting 1911 should be.
Agree 100%
Thank you for the awesome video. Great history on a great 1911.
Glad you enjoyed it
I'm 65. I was trained by my Dad to fire a 1911 as a kid. I spent 28yrs in the Army. I experienced the change over. I never liked the M9 at all. Yes, I made myself shoot it well, but after retiring, no way would I want an M9 like pistol. I now have many 1911s. I still carry one. Nothing ever fit my hand so nicely and I shoot it well.
If you can afford one, a 2011 is the greatest respect someone can throw on the 1911…literally the best of both worlds.
@@AnthonyBolognese710 My hands are not bear mitts. I have handled / looked at 2011 guns. They are rather bulky. I want a better purchase on the gun. I know they are made well, that is not the issue. They do not fit my hand right.
@ yeah I l have big hands but I get your point. Nothing will ever feel like a 1911 in your hands. It just won’t and we both know that. But the trigger pull abs the ignition system are the same, and that’s where the beauty lies.
I wish I could share with you a picture of the TRP operator I just upgraded. I think you’d appreciate it. None of my friends are really 45 fans.
@@AnthonyBolognese710 The TRP is a very nice gun. My most fancy 1911 is a Gold Cup I got decades ago slightly used. My daily driver is one of the new Springfield Garison 5" guns. It is solid and works like a champ. I like 45ACP. I carry it from sun up to sun down in south Texas at the ranch. It is 60 miles from Mexico. We have quite the illegal invader traffic here. Nobody down here is unarmed any longer. Nobody. I have an AR in the ranch truck when out working or checking stock, body armor, ballistic helmet, medic bag, etc. I keep a radio on me as well to reach my wife back at the house. Cell coverage is poor to none. Many of the "coyotes" leading the illegals are armed up as well as our Army soldiers. It is a dangerous area. My wife calls it the Alamo. Many have left, sold out. I'm happy with a 1911. Using it is reflexive, second nature. The rifle is the real tool to keep close. I updated all manner of security here. Four rescue pits for inside the fence around the house, cameras, alarms, extra lighting. Installed a siren and whoopy light on top of the house. Hit the switch and at night they run through the cactus, black brush, cat claw and get torn up. Funny. I find it odd the number of folks that get upset if you are not carrying what they like. My motto is find what you like, get good with it, and keep it running.
My brother was with the 24th and 26 MEU. He even competed with the IDF and never used this pistol. He used a Beretta M9. He competed against all their top units and took first place. He never carried this pistol, maybe it came along later ?
Very interesting video, good and great information.
Thank you for sharing it.
Regards from the Swiss Alps.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Incredible history. Love it. A1 all the way.
Correction. M45. The A1 is a rattle trap.
Agreed!
I know I'm late to the game here but the ACW MEUSOC would be a nice carry piece for an old retired LEO.
Hahaha well who knows what the future holds!
@@defconcreative Yeah, I'm an Addicts guy so I've had my eye on these... Keep safe!
What this work represents is a singular Model having been in use for 70 years being reworked with 70 years of use data.
The variable hardening of the slide is deep, and reveals the detail of the use data.
Not a large frame guy here. Not a mag minimalist.
A Glock 30 with 30rd backup mags keeps me in the 45 running, and I trade Model weight for ammo weight.
Please do review of the M45 from start, inc change to finishes, X out returns, civilin v issue, markings , ect....
The MEUSOC is the M45.... I am doing the M45A1 this week.... but I don't think people will like what I have to say.
How can I get one?
Have a kimber LW. No issues yet after 400 rounds.
First of all: very informative and interesting video; and of course, amazingly well crafted and beautiful 1911 by Alchemy.
I have a question, though. Around the 18:30 mark in the video, you mention a frame used in these MEUSOC 1911s might have seen combat in WWII Europe, etc.; and I thought that Marines were deployed to the Pacific Theater in WWII (though I'm not an american, and my country did not participate in WWII, so I may very well be wrong about that). But that got me thinking if maybe these marine armorers had access to 1911s from all the branches of the US Armed Forces to choose from... Do you happen to know that?
The M1911A1s that the Quantico Marines built M45s from pretty much came from storage after having been issued and returned by all four branches and probably even a few foreign customers. So it's easy to see how one 1911 might have seen Europe with the Army in the 1940s and ended up with, say, the Marines in Iraq in the 90s.
I'll take the original all day long kool story thanks for sharing !!
I would too
M45 is the way
Agree 100%
Glock is the way...
Now they have Manner Waffel Sissy gun in 9mm
How did the 45 auto ammunition change from the original 1911 loading to what was supplied by Israeli Military Industries (IMI) during twilight years of the M45A1?.
Apparently, it changed quite a bit, the powder being used burnt quite a bit faster, which creates more force. People don’t realize that recoil isn’t just a factor of bullet weight and muzzle velocity, what’s more important is how quickly the powder burns to get that bullet up to the muzzle velocity. Faster burn equals more recoil.
Do you know Dugan Ashely?
I dont
Is it as good as my Les Baer
70+ yrs of service from WWII to GWOT, and battle proven in the hands of the worlds most elite operators. Sir, your Les Baer is irrelevant in comparison.
@@whiskeyactual.😂sure
For me.. the 'coolest' 1911 I have ever owned was one made for the army in 1936 that had been nickel plated some time later... or.. it was done for the army as a ceremonial gun? not sure. The nickel was in 'decent' but not perfect shape. Small hard to see sights. utterly reliable no matter what I fed it. And surprisingly great accuracy... meaning easy 2"+ groups from a rest with my handloads. For me.. a 1911 without the government hammer and two piece guide rod is a nonstarter. Not... cool
Old nickel plated guns are rad…. Not a durable coating but still cool
my last qual witha rack issue 1911 could not hit the paper. I'm a 1911 shooter. coach said it was me. Left range. cleaned gun and saw a tit on a land. fhowed to unit aromer. he pulled ot a rat tail file (NOT TO&E issue. don't know why he had one in tool box) ran it down the muzze a few times and tried to give it back to me. then when i refused to accept it and he would not taht my dissembled 1911 I took it bact to team house. Team chief called SgtMaj. Team commander called XO. things got bad...
The coolest 1911 was the original ww1
What!!!!!! U must love Hammer bite and having to wear gloves
Yes I like hammer bite , never wear gloves.i said the coolest 1911 is the original simple because it is. I didn't say it's the best shooting experience.
The coolest 1911 is the Coonan .357 mag.
Until you try to shoot it
@@defconcreative Hickock 45 seemed to enjoy it.
If you are doing a reproduction, please minimize your brand roll marks. You are taking a great repo into something tacky. Maybe there is an option to remove it.
What are you smoking…The roll on the MEUSOC marks mimic the original ones.
@@defconcreative In your video it shows your cursive brand roll marks such as those on your Quantico HiCAP. At least I thought I did.
The M45 is proof of how great Colt(and other WW2 mfg) were at making 1911s. The M45A1 is proof that Colt fell off completely and screwed up their own century old recipe. Hopefully CZ does a better job running Colt. Colt managed to lose the M16 contract and screw up a 1911 contract so badly the Corps canceled it and moved to Glock 19s for MARSOC.
Agreed…
I'll take the Beretta all day.... 1911 suck
That is why no one will remember your name