M1911A1: America's Definitive World War Two Pistol
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- The United States adopted the M1911 pistol just in time for the First World War, and between Colt and Springfield Arsenal some 643,000 of these pistols were made by the end of 1918. During that production and the gun's field service in France, a number of potential improvements were recognized. They were put together in a batch of 10,000 new pistols ordered from Colt in 1924, but not officially designated until years later. A second batch of 10,000 was ordered from Colt in 1938. These were the first guns officially designated M1911A1. The changes were all about improving user handling, with a reshaped mainspring housing, larger sights, longer grip tang, and shorter reach to the trigger.
In 1939 the government put out a tender for M1911A1 education contracts. These contracts were for production of just 500 pistols, and they were intended to pay a company to build the a complete set of production line tooling and then store it in case of future need (similar contracts were also issued for rifles and machine guns). Two companies were granted such contracts - Harrington & Richardson and the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Singer produced a quite satisfactory batch of pistols, but ended up making higher-priority material like artillery sights. H&R was unable to complete its contract, which was cancelled in the spring of 1942.
When the US entered the war, pistols were needed in large number, and three companies were given contracts to produce the M1911A1: Remington-Rand, Ithaca, and Union Switch & Signal. These three new contractors, along with existing production lines at Colt and Springfield, produced 1.9 million new pistols during World War Two, enough to fully supply all branches of the US military until 1985 when the 1911 was replaced by the Beretta 92.
The example we are looking at today is a Remington-Rand, manufactured in April 1945. Remington-Rand received its first contract in May 1942, and delivered its final pistols in July 1945. In total, it made 877,751, in the following serial number blocks:
916405 - 1041404
1279699 - 1441430
1471431 - 1609528
1743847 - 1816641
1890504 - 2075103
2164404 - 2244803
2380014 - 2619013 (the last one made was 2465139)
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Love the irony of the Remington Rand contract "lets split our company apart, one for guns and one for typewriters" then the typewriter side gets a pistol contract 😅
Well, how important was a pistol in WWII?
If you can make a typewriter then making a pistol should be easy , typewriters are far more complicated ... the same with any company that makes sewing machines. The level of engineering and fine tolerances that these companies applied to their products makes them well qualified to make pistols.
It is ironic though...awesome video , you learn allot from this man.
Irony? No.
@geebeaux fighting a worldwide war generates an awful lot of paperwork.
I wonder if they got a contract for 100,000 typewriters. Every unit from company size up would need one. Or more
Unforgettable Weapons
The weapons that forget to be obsolete
Even if you forget, someone will remind you by the end of the business day.
@@phucletran2860 Let it be obsolete. Obsolesence dosent equate to inability to function. It'll still bust a cap in ones ass to sufficiency...
Remembered weapons with Nai Mulloccm
@@Milspecpoptart i think it is really hard to let it be obsolete due to how reliable and strong such a pistol.
In 1972 while at Ft. Ord, CA I was assigned to be the range safety officer for the 6th Army pistol team. I had shot and qualified with the standard issue 1911s that rattled and sprayed round all over the target. The answer most people gave when asked the maximum effective range for one was, "As far as you can throw it." While safety officer I had the opportunity to fire one of the team's "maintained" pistols and it was like the difference between daylight and dark. They were tight so as not to rattle and were much more accurate than I was capable of living up to. It was a real eyeopener to get an idea of what the 1911 was meant to be. It was one of the highlights of my time at Ft. Ord.
They shoot like a dream when maintained, like all mechanical devices. People complain about the handling on old cars, when the bushes and suspension are 50 years old!!!!
No way, Ft. Ord is where my dad did basic in 1969. I have an awesome pic of me as a baby with my dad in uniform and my mom holding me while visiting him when he was there for training.
Been to Fort Ord a few times for quick in and out training around 1981.....looking out from the rifle range to Seaside......If my memory seves me right.
The M1911s my unit in Berlin had in the mid-1980s were really loose/not accurate at all. It you shook it, you could feel everything moving around. If you shot them, it was about the same.
When I was in the National Guard in the late 70's to mid-80's we had 1911's. Most of them were older than the career E7's in the unit, and a couple of the (edit) Remington-made ones were so bad they were single-fire only. If you got a good magazine and clean ammo.
And rattle? My goodness, it was like having a holstered diamondback on your belt.
When grandfather died I cleaned out his basement, including his WWII gear. I had seen and handled the firearms he brought home from the war--an M1 carbine, Arisaka rife, Nambu pistol, and an M1911--but I'd never had much of a chance to look them over in detail. I noticed that the 1911 was in really good shape, even without scratches on the slide or around the safety, so I took it to a local gun shop to have them look it over. I intended to fire it at some point, so I wanted both a valuation and a check to make sure the parts were all in working order, and I told the gun shop guys as much. To make a long story short, the pistol was made by Colt in 1940--which makes sense as my grandfather was commissioned into the regular Army in 1939, much to his delight given the economic conditions at the time--and according to the gun shop guys, his 1940 Colt M1911A is in immaculate condition. Like, the best condition they'd ever seen a WWII-era 1911 in. They told me under no conditions should I fire it; indeed, I should clean it, oil it, and store it in a climate-controlled environment. I guess an old ammo can in a basement in a house in the desert must qualify as "climate controlled, because that where the pistol sat for about 70 years. The gun shop guys also offered me $5500 on the spot for it, but admitted that I shouldn't take it unless I really needed the money because the value of it would only increase with time, and I could almost certainly get more for it if I took the time to sell it to a private collector who didn't have to worry about making a profit reselling it. Not being in any great need of money, and probably not being willing even if I was to sell the gun my grandfather wore on his hip from Fort Ord to the South Pacific by way of the Aleutian Islands, though probably never fired judging by its condition, I did not sell it and have no plans to do so. But it's still cool to know it's a somewhat valuable and collectable piece.
Thanks for sharing
I have several nice collector 1911's. I don't shoot them either .I shoot the modern ones. Colt 1991, and a Rock Island Armory 1911.
That's amazing man! What about the M1 Carbine, the Arisaka and the Nambu? Are they in a good condition? Do you still have them?
Same question as Matador Shifter, we must know about the other guns
I'm a big M1 Carbine fanboy, so I'd love to know more about that in particular at the very least
I have shot two 1911's. Other one was in the army [not a military issued side arm, we used fn high powers (here in scandinavia), but in range still] and the other one was my workmate's remington rand made 1911a1 pistol from early 40's.
My collegue is a master in competing with muzzle loaders. He was the first in this country to shoot 100/100 to 100m.
Anyway we had a range day and he brought his 1911 and it was so smooth! No rattling nothing bad to say. Remembered the recoil being harder but it was such a smooth gun to shoot and to 25 meters even I could group somewhat nicely. He told he bought it with 500€ so about the same in dollars, but had owned it +10 years. .45 acp bullets arent cheap here, but had to go through about 150 shots :D
The ammo (don't remember the brand or stats were just made for that pair.
It had also all it's original markings and property of u.s army + matching numbers everything. The sights could be better for me, but enjoyed that one alot!
I think this was the former owner of the pistol (April 13, 2006) Edmund Kovaleski, of Ashford, formerly of Thomaston, passed on peacefully at his home at the age of 83, surrounded by his wife and son. Edmund was born April 28, 1922, in Thomaston, to the late John and Julia Kovaleski. Edmund enlisted in the U.S. Navy on December 11, 1942. He served on the USS KIDD DD661 and was an original plank owner. He was engaged in seven battles, and was hit by suicide zero, killing 38 men, 11 miles off Japan in the invasion of Okinawa. He received an honorable discharge as Boatswain’s mate second class on October 7, 1945. He worked as an iron worker for 38 years, working for locals 15 and 424. He retired in 1984. Edmund enjoyed his 22 year retirement with family and friends, traveling, gardening, and motorcycle riding. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Mary (Petlak) Kovaleski
A hero of the greatest generation...
Sounds like typical man live....Ah nostalgia for ages that i never see.
I found much the same write up, he's the only one I found who worked/lived in Connecticut. Also his wife Mary passed away 2-1/2 years later in November 2008.
So did Edmund sell the pistol himself? Or did his children sell it after he and his wife died?
Awwww 💕💕💕💕
Funny thing is while the M1911A1 is not a forgotten weapon, the stamped steel 1911 pistol made by General Motors is.
whaat? ive never heard of this.
There is a stamped steel 1911 in the Springfield Armory Museum in Massachusetts if that is the one you are thinking of. It was made by Colt though.
The museum doesn't say anything about General Motors, only colt is mentioned.
@@thecodemachine By Colt? i thought General Motors did it.
@@tommyadkins844Sounds like something that Fisher would try to do
My dad has the one my grandfather carried as a B-25 pilot in New Guinea in 1943-1944. He was issued it when he arrived there, along with a kangaroo leather shoulder holster from an Australian pilot that had been KIA. Equipment was in short supply. During his last sortie, things went a bit wrong on timing of a bomb drop on a Japanese airstrip for the plane ahead of him, and he had to pull up a bit to avoid the bomb blast. That put his plane in an easier position for anti-aircraft fire, and a round hit the bottom of the cockpit. Shrapnel went through the cockpit, and one piece hit my grandfather on the left side of his chest. He survived, barely, flew the plane back to base, contracted malaria at a field hospital, but managed to make it home. The piece of shrapnel ended up so close to his spinal column that surgeons advised they leave it be rather than risk the surgery to remove it. A lifetime of complications and pain pills ensued, but he made the best of it and played damn good golf into his 80s. He won the Silver Star for his action that day and is commemorated in the Soldiers and Sailors Hall in Pittsburgh, along with burial at Arlington in 2005. We have the shoulder holster to match the pistol, and there's a small hole in the strap where the shrapnel hit him.
As an Australian, and as someone who has worked in Papua New Guinea a fair bit, the Pacific war is something I find interesting, and heartbreaking. I understand from seeing numerous interviews with pilots and aircrew that it was a hell-hole. It seems like basically everyone should have been bedridden from the collective illnesses they had, be it dysentery , malaria, and god knows what else, but they fought on regardless. I cannot imagine the conditions, and the sacrifices. It really puts things in perspective, and I have so much admiration and respect for the people who put their lives on the line to defeat the Japanese.
I saw TikTok last night of a veteran talking about how his mom tried to buy a colt 1911 but the dealer said it was $200 and all she had was $75. He said as his mom was leaving the store, the salesman came out and said "hey why do you want to buy this gun? It's a big and heavy gun and you're just a little woman" and she told him that her son would be shipping out from San Diego in the next few weeks. So the the gun dealer came up with a payment plan and she rode the bus from Odessa Texas all the way to San Diego, 36 hours to deliver the gun to her son before he went to Iwo Jima.
The full interview is on RUclips originally, not the Tok. "Voices of History" is the channel I believe.
$200 back then? Sheesh
holy fuck
$200 in 1945 = $3,446.58 in 2024 ($75 = $1,292.47) Quite the sum for a pistol in those days, im sure it was quite hard to find them by 1945 given many people probably did the same thing as this woman. Supply and demand. Hard to imagine paying $3500 for a pistol though, even now thats an incredible sum for handgun.
@@johnqpublic2718 I appreciate you highlighting the original! I really wanted to see more.
I was a die hard 1911 guy in the 1980’s when I was a street cop. My department only let us carry revolvers so I carried a S&W 357 mag. They would let us carry a 1911 off duty or as a second weapon. So I had a custom Colt officers model. I remember the senior guys carrying both but they would pull out their 1911’s first so the city said we could only carry the 1911 off duty.
One of the coolest things about switching to a different MOS (0251) in the early 1980s USMC was that I got to qualify with the 1911! However, it was a lot harder than I expected, and I barely qualified. When I got back to Camp LeJeune from my MOS school I was issued a different pistol to qualify with, and this one was "brand new." The first thing I noticed was how much tighter everything was, not sloppy like the first one. The second thing I found out, to my relief, was that I guess I wasn't such a horrible shot after all; I qualified Sharpshooter or Expert from then on out.
In the early 1980's my T/O weapon in the USMC was a 1911A1 from WW2, my mortar was made for the Korean War, and my flak jacket and steel pot were Vietnam War vintage.
Fortunately the C-rats were of newer manufacture😁
I have the Colt 1911A1 my grandfather carried in WW2. He took it off his Lt. when he was killed. According to the serial number it was made in 43. It has the original leather holster with the Lt's name scratched on the back, original mag pouch and a couple original mags. It'll never leave the family. And wow is it a shooter. I very carefully had to drift the rear sight and that pistol is as accurate as any pistol I've ever shot. I'd sell every other gun I own before I even thought of selling it. It's part of my grandfather, my father and now me.
Wow. If my dad was killed in WWII and I knew his gun and holster with his name on it was recovered I’d sure be interested to know about it.
@@xxmrrickxxfinders keepers I suppose...
@@xxmrrickxx I suppose it was difficult to track the whereabouts of a small piece of equipment like a pistol. It was still an issued item for officers to be returned at some point, so I doubt that the family asked questions about it.
Weird way to spin “I still own a pistol my grandfather stole off of a dead guy”.
Dude your grandfather sounds really cool. Did he loot any other valuables off his dead comrades?
I remember when 100% authentic WW2 "GI clunkers" were about $100-200. I should have grabbed them all.
Retirement fund
Important to remember that just cuz the M1911a1 was "replaced" by the M9. It doesn't mean that the 1911 was magically swapped. Many National Guard and Active units didn't see the pistols replaced for many years. I carried a Remington Rand M1911a1 in Berlin in 1990.
They must have kept on issuing 1911s far on into the 90s right? And judging by the production figures Gun Jesus cites here, they must still be sitting on a sizeable stockpile of old 1911s, don't you think?
@@ShiceSquad The Army has been selling surplus M1911A1s to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (the successor to the DCM mentioned in the video) for a handful of years now. If I remember correctly, the CMP is authorized to sell up to 10k pistols per year (they have to get approved each year for another shipment). Last time I knew, they were up to around 45k sold so far.
@@Ashcrash82 Marvelous 🥰
WRONG
These were already issued to the unit
During the GWOT, the Marines bought 100k Springfeild 1911s. Just because the Corps said they wanted a .45.
Heads up for headphone users, the first 1:44 the sound only comes from the left side. It become normal after that. otherwise, good episode as always.
I love the 1911 as a service pistol during my time in the US Army as a side arm as an M-60 machine gunner in the late 1980s and always qualified expert with it. I loved the pistol very much that I own 5 of them from Springfield Armory to 2 Colts as the Colt 1991A1 full size and Commander. My Springfield Armory 1911 saved my own life at work one night on my first shift. Never forget the power of the .45 ACP just shooting one round of a Glaser Safety Slug 185 Grain one time center mass at point blank range. It saved my life and have no questions about the M1911. Bottom line it saved my life.
My Remington Rand was made in August 1943 and the action is as smooth as glass on this beauty.
My Dad served on the U.S.S. Forrestal in the mail room. He said everyone was paid in cash back then. They would strap a M1911 to him and hand him a huge bag of envelopes full of cash and he would make his rounds delivering pay day.
What year was your Dad on the Forrestal? My Dad also served in disbursement, on the Forrestal. He also served on the Franklin Roosevelt. He was in the Navy from '55-'59.
@@je862 I believe my Dad was on Forrestal in '58-'59. I have his Mediterranean Tour book (like a yearbook) so I will look it up and let you know. I believe that book has a photo of him in the mail room.
@@markschwartz576 Looking forward to your reply! I'll have to do the same, ask my Dad which one he served on first. He's told me over the years a few times, but I can't remember. If he was on at the same time as your Dad, it's possible they might have known each other. My Dad also has the tour book.
@@je862 Okay yes I have his Mediterranean Cruise book and it was in 1958-1959. The pages are not numbered, but there is a photo of my Dad in the book. In the "Executive" chapter, about more than half way through the book, 6 pages into the chapter is a photo of the post office on the top right. My Dad is 2nd from the left with a darker colored sweatshirt. On the 5th page at the bottom is the whole group and it lists by last names. My dad is "Schwartz, R. L" on the second row from bottom, third from the right.
@@markschwartz576 Ok, I will contact my Dad and see if he can dig out his book. So, you say that you have the Cruise book in your possession? If you do, my Dad is 'McCann D.G.'
Gosh this could very well be, because he did take a Mediterranean Cruise, went to Great Lakes boot camp in December 1955 and discharged November 1959. I just cannot remember if he was on the Forrestal first or the Franklin Roosevelt first.
Well, if the book is in your possession, then see if his name is in there. In the meantime I will get hold of my Dad to ask. Thanks for the info!
Edmund Kovaleski passed in 2006. He served as a Boatswain's Mate aboard USS Kidd (DD-661), participating in seven battles during WW-2, including Okinawa where the Kidd was struck by a kamikazi.
My dad serving at the division HQ level in WW II Europe said that the M1911A1 was a highly sought-after "fashion accessory" for the US Army officers to wear while in the confines of HQ, as it had a 'status symbol' quality to it.
My dad was issued an M1 Carbine while in Europe, which he never fired, nor became familiar with its operation. In other words, he had no idea if it would fire when pulling the trigger.
Great stuff, Ian! I think it would be fun to have a Union Switch & Signal. I’m a retired Hydroelectric Operator, and have operated union Switch & Signal 240,000 volt disconnects in the switchyard; they didn’t just make railroad switches. I like old International Harvester trucks, and I have a nice IH Garand. I’m old enough to use manual typewriters, used to have a Smith Corona 1903A3. It’s amazing the way American industry retooled for war, then outproduced the rest of the world.
Easy to do, since the North American continent was the only one that didn't have its industrial infrastructure bombed to rubble.
M1911 is one of the icon of US. Even now the modernized or sportline 1911 still in use. Tbh, it's still working while having emergency situation. Love it
They may have been officially replaced in 85 but they were still in armories as late as the Gulf War.
They are still in armories, but will never be issued again.
I suppose it's more accurate to say they are in stockpiles and reserves, but so are M9s and the new SIGs.
@@sigmasquadleader The SIGs and all other polymer guns probably wont last that long in storage though.
Some numbers of that pistols actually was sent to Ukraine in 2022. I saw unboxing video on twitter and also once saw a combat footage where ukrainian army soldier dumped a whole 1911 magazine into russian who decided to throw HE grenade while his comrades was surrendering after being ambushed. But can't remember any other appearance of this pistols since first half of 2022. And it seems old makarovs still a main service pistol in ukrainian army, so probably not much of them was transferred.
They were definitely still in service in 1991. My dad carried one. I don't think they fully replaced them until the early-mid 90s.
Didn't the marines let them go a little later?
I honestly wish more people hated the 1911.... then I would actually be able to afford a original military issued one. The prices these are going for now are insane...
*in Dave Chapelle voice* modern problems require modern solutions
Now that's good thinking right there.
It is interesting… I bought a Springfield Model 1881 Trapdoor 45-70 Government…. It was about half the price of a 1911 they had. Not sure of the exact numbers, but I could assume that there are at least twice as many 1911’s made when compared to the 1881’s.
@@thomaswashburn3513not to mention a significantly higher number of the 1911s that were made are probably still around
The CMP currently has the fourth tranche of 1911s for sale. I got a lovely Colt last year. Frame dated 11942. That was toward the end of the third tranche. Nowhere close to 2k.
Having the documentatio is such a neat addition. Some people may find it boring extra paper, but I think it's great for telling more of the story.
The original documentation probably makes up a third of the price. Sounds strange, but that's what real collectors are after: something complete with everything. Even if it's just a piece of paper.
As a Syracuse resident it’s very cool Remington Rand set up some tooling for the M1911A1 in my city but simultaneously hilarious the building they used had been empty for years. Syracuse stays economically depressed 😭
it's so sad but the local connection is still cool. I love having WW2 firearms that were made in the city I was born in. I've got a Remington Rand 1911A1 and a Smith-Corona 1903A3 that were made here.
I still have my Remington rifle made in Ilion that I will never part with. Growing up in Utica we would pass the factory while it was still running in the '70's & '80's.
John Moses Browning created one of man's finest mechanical creations.
Minor Correction: JMB made many of the finest mechanical creations. He also made many cartridges. He basically made everything.
The high power is great, but this is a video about the 1911A1
You must mean the semi-automatic pistol in general, right? According to Gun Jesus here, Browning patented the *slide* - implying that virtually every modern pistol of any make is effectively a spin-off of the Browning design.
@@jongreen5638 You are thinking of Dieudonne Saive of FN, also the designer of the FAL. JMB's last schematics of what would become the Hi Power were for a single stack magazine striker fired pistol with an odd silhouette before Saive made it into what it is today.
@@SlavicCeleryexactly what I was going to say. JMB designed everything from falling block, single shot rifles, to lever actions, to shotguns (pump action and semiauto), to machine guns, to cartridges - most notably the .45 ACP and the .50 BMG. Oh, and the 1911.
The feeding ramp is polished to a mirror sheen. It's not going to have any feeding problems. The slide's been replaced with a reinforced version, and it meshes perfectly with the frame. The frame itself has been iron-welded and scraped down multiple times for maximum precision. The front strap part of the frame has been checkered to make it dig into the hand. That prevents any slipping. The sight system's original too. It's a 3-dot type. It's got an enlarged front sight, giving it superior target sighting capability. The regular hammer's been replaced with a ring hammer. That enhances the cocking control and increases the hammer-down speed. They also reworked the grip safety to accommodate the ring hammer. It looks like they eliminated it altogether. This is a tool for pros. The thumb safety and slide stop are extended for precise handling. The base of the trigger guard is whittled down so you can use a high grip, and the trigger itself is a long type for easy finger access. The trigger pull is about 3.5 pounds. that's about a pound and a half lighter than normal. The magazine well has been widened to make it easier to put in a new magazine. The magazine catch button has been filed down low to make it harder to hit it by mistake. The mainspring housing has been changed to a flat type to increase grip, and it's even been fitted with stepping so that it won't slip from the recoil when firing. On top of that, they added cocking serrations to the top part of the slide. That lets you load and eject cartridges faster in an emergency. Whoever did this is a professional, no question. This thing could shoot a one-hole at 25 yards in a machine rest.
Did you have to look it up or did you remember all of that from the scene, I could see the scene in my head as I was reading it
@@justaguy5770 i got to admit i just copypasted it. But this is not the first time :D
Metal Gear Solid 3?
"Well I'll be damned. That's some gun."
I was looking for this comment. You're pretty good.
Only you could find something to say about a pistol that's been talked to death that still captivates me to the point that I get nothing done for a solid 30 minutes. Well done.
I learned the 1911 during army pfficers training in 1980. Was still handed the 1911 when i had to pull installation security in 1983-1986. Love the pistol. My first privately owned semi was a used POS AMT Harballer. Would choke on anything besides hardball. Sonce then, I've owned Colt, Springfield, Sig, Les Baer, and Ed Brown. Always gone back to the 1911. Had one on my hip during the Rodney King Riots in LA in '92. Had one behind my pillow during my years in LA. Still have 5 now.
Ian explaining the M1911...wonder if this could top Snake describing the custom m1911..
Wow, never heard of it! Good thing we have the Forgotten Weapons channel ;)
without this video, I'm sure this weapon would have been lost to time
I really just don't know how he find such obscure guns like this
Once, 30 years ago, in a gun store off a Louisiana bayou, I heard a grizzled old veteran make a brief mention of this gun, in a guarded whisper. It's great to hear of it again.
The fact that the last government made 1911 was in 1945 is quite a surprise. In another BTW, the Purple Heart medal is in the same category. With the incipient invasion of the Japanese home islands it was anticipated that the casualties and wounded would be enormous so the medals were stamped out in huge quantities. As with the pistol, all Purple Heart medals issued to this date were made in 1945. The answer for those who have earned this award in Desert Storm, Afghanistan and other 21st century combat, yes, it is your grandfathers medal.
I was skeptical but...yes, that's true! Damn...my grandfather had orders from Europe to the Pacific. Glad he didn't need to "win" one of those medals.
i have my great grandpa's M1911A1 that he used to kill Nazis during WWII. its a prized family heirloom that everyone fights over whenever it gets passed down lol. the only rule is no one can ever sell it. My great grandpa was shot out of his plane over Ukraine during the war, manage to deploy his parachute before he smashed into the ground, and then he spent about a week crawling around killing Nazis before he made it to an Allied position. i also have his e-tool that he carried with him
Nice
The other definitive American WW2 pistol was the Luger
(98% of which were allegedly brought back by someone's Uncle after he defeated a German officer).
My dad had one of each. I got the 1911, my brother got the P08.
Incredibly interesting. Dad was issued his 1911 just before crossing the English Channel for the Normandy Invasion. While crossing, he cleaned the cosmoline from the gun. Sure would like to have that specific 1911.
Any 1911s that made it back to the US must have been smuggled by the servicemen. This must've been easier if the gun found it's way to the user through unofficial ways like a battlefield pickup.
I inherited a 1911 from my father (post WWII service). Research of serial number put it into a batch that were given Parkerized slides and re-issued for WWII. I was given the option of a P08 or the 1911. I like 9mm, but for some reason I chose the 1911. It just felt good in my hand. Only afterward did I find out it was a 1911 and not a 1911A1. Still impressed that I own a gun that is over 100 years old.
@@Tony.795 My dad became an armourer at one point and I would not have put it past him to report it inoperable and destroyed or parted out.
I've been told that my grandfather's entire job during the war was cleaning packing grease (I'm assuming cosmoline) from newly shipped guns in the south pacific.
I owned a M1911A1 a good 20+ years ago. The example my dad managed to acquire then, he bought off the sailor that it was originally issued to. The example I owned had a Colt slide with a frame made by Ithaca (it was manufactured that way), and manufactured mid-1943. It was issued to the gentleman in England in August of 1943, and he was on a ship that participated in the Philippines in 1944. After the war ended, he purchased his sidearm, took it home, and left it in its original holster, complete with belt, magazine pouch, 2 spare magazines, and ammunition. Only flaw on the entire pistol was some pitting on the serrations of the slide from being in the holster. Still wish I had that pistol.
My Uncle was a MP at Los Alamos when they built the A-bomb. He didn't get to keep his 1911a1 but he purchased one from an officer who liberated a few when they were tasked with dumping crates of them in the water off the Philippines. It's an IIthaca and shoots extremely well, has a 5 lb trigger pull but I changed it to 3 dot sights . Original sights just too narrow. Still carry it cocked and locked. It's narrow and concealable.
Had 2 versions years ago.
Beautiful 1911 from WW1 dated 1918
The second was a 1911A1 that was a Lend Lease with British Proof....paid $450....even had original Barrel with British Crowns stamped on it dated 1944.
Bought a 1917 Luger(Frankenstein) from that Dealer that day $375
That is really cool
Thank God the gun genius John Moses Browning had the foresight to design this great pistol. Some say it’s outdated or irrelevant but then there’s the 2011 which has the best of everything including the best automatic pistol trigger ever designed. I think this weapon we be around long after the striker fired pistols are long gone.
I truly appreciate the craftsmanship and historical significance of the M1911A1
There were a lot of 1911s still in service during the Gulf War in spite of the Beretta being adopted in '85
The 1911 served in the navy for far longer and the marine corps had the M45 which is a 1911 that only got retired two years ago.
1911 even then is still used by some special operations guys today in the US military.
In some A.D. Army units to at least mid 90s.
My uncle was issued a M3 grease gun during the Gulf War lol
CMP is selling surplus .45 right now with 2015 headstamps.
@chubbycatfish4573 yeah, I was in an artillery battalion in the gulf War. Some of our vehicle mechanics were issued M3s
Never Forgotten. And still carried by many soldiers today.
US Marines: *angry noises
@@paleoph6168 If US Marines don't make angry noises something has gone horribly wrong somewhere... It's, like, their defining characteristic, and what makes them useful in the first place.
Thanks Ian, great video. I have my dad’s service M1911A1, relatively unused, from his service days. It’s a Colt with matching serial numbers from 1944. When I inherited it I looked up the numbers on Colts archive to get the information on it. Also has both original magazines. I shoot it from time to time but mainly keep it as an heirloom.
I am very knowledgeable about firearms and their history. I can't hold a candle to Ian. His depth of knowledge is impressive on every level.
The one I was issued in 85 was WWII, manufactured. The lowest ranking guy issued a pistol who wasnt a medic, mine was a badly worn dog with no front sight.
My dad found an old Remington typewriter in Nepal in the 1980s. He typed his first book on it. Quality machine, it worked well despite being decades old, and I as a small child was fascinated by the keys and the return cylinder.
I hope the Remington pistols were as reliable.
It’s interesting that they looked at the P38 as a replacement. The M9 has the same kind of locking block design as the P38. Lots of similarities between the two pistols.
The P-38 is still being used by law-enforcement officers in Germany to this day. Both the 1911 and the P-38 remain very good guns to this day.
I recently aquired a p38, and was quite suprised how "modern" it feels to shoot. Probably a better shooter than my 1911 imo.
Yes but the big difference is the 1911 trigger is much better than the p-38. And I won’t mention the fact that one’s 45 and the other 9mm, no comparison. In my opinion the Luger is a much better German pistol.
This is certainly not a forgotten weapon
You know it's not a forgotten weapon when I have one in my own collection.
Only one?
Yea only 1 ?? I own 13 and I’m anti gun. 😅
I am reminded of the story of Sargent Thomas Baker. It's a long story , but the end is he was badly wounded and did not want to risk any of his comrades to carry him to the rear. He said prop me up against a tree and give me a pistol. When the Americans retook the hill, they found him with eight dead Japanese around him. One for each round in the gun. He was awarded the MOH, and is buried in the Gerald BH Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.
There were a few of these still floating around in 2002 when I went into the Navy. They were loose as a goose, and usually mix-masters. But they still felt good.
The history surrounding those guns is extremely important because nothing else about them would make them worth $4000.
Especially not when you can buy an exact copy for $375. But collectors items are collectors items.
My father was a pilot in the US Army Airforce in WWII and the US Air Force in Korea. His personal sidearm was M1911 made by Remington Rand. However, it is several steps above the standard issue M1911. His has a deep, highly polished, blued finish with heavy scrolled engraving on the slide and frame. It also has ivory grips. I remember those grips being white when I was a kid. They've now yellowed with age. It's still a very beautiful example.
US Army: Here's your pistol.
Soldier: You'll give me plenty of time to get trained on it?
US Army:
Soldier: You'll give me plenty of time to get trained on it, right?
U.S. Govt. : They got a training film and a Field Manual. What more do they need.
“I hate sand. It’s coarse and irritating and it gets everywhere”
1911A1 Slide
@@tuzu1758 Soldier: Range time?
US Govt: That costs too much money *They say while giving billions of dollars to contractors to do pisspoor jobs*
@@Matt-xc6sp US Army: Congratulations boi, you're getting shipped out to the Pacific tomorrah. All the sand you can have.
Same in the Marine Corps.
Pretty cool. I've got a Colt in the same condition with the DCM paperwork, serial number shows ( according to Colt) 1945 production. The trigger is really good and fitment is excellent, surprisingly as good as alot of current production pistols of today. Nice to have a piece of history.
To those commenting about GI 1911s having excessive "play," etc., you might be surprised how little affect that has on practical accuracy. While in the Army ('75 - '78), I handled and shot MANY standard issue 1911s, ALL of which were of course made before 1946. I never found a single one that wouldn't group 4" or better at 25 yards, and quite a few that did significantly better than that. While in the 101st, I competed in the Division matches and won the "new" shooter category with an arms room 1911 (not an A1) that was made in 1918, making it 58 years old at that time. And this was traditional bullseye target competition, at 25 and 50 yards, not the field fire silhouette courses used for qualification.
The flip side of the coin when it comes to "play" is functional reliability. Of the several dozen arms room 1911s that I shot while in the service, and many more "surplus" models after that, it's hard to remember any failures that weren't due to faulty magazines.
These are always some of my favorite videos, where you get to see the evolution of a gun.
When we were TRULY free and they would mail you your pistol straight to your home!
I was an armor crewman in the US Army late 70s and the 1911A1 was my personal weapon. Learned to shoot expert with it. Later in life I prefer the "Springfield" XD .45. Double stack magazine and less parts to field strip! Said "Made in Croatia" on the side. Darn shame that I lost it in a boating accident on Lake Superior! Was a very nice gun!
I wonder how high on the strategic list typewriters were placed. I'd think that a military as large as that of the US would have been utterly dependent on them.
even Singer's sewing machines probably had more impact on the war than whatever amount of pistols they could've made tbh
armies need vast amounts of cloth items after all
Flashed back to the scene in Saving Private Ryan with Upham being told to get his gear together by Capt Miller. Upham picks up his helmet and his typewriter.
In the 1980s the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the US Army had 5,000 clerk typists assigned to it.
I would think the typewriters were pretty low during the war. Most typewriters weren't on the front line, and you could write by hand if needed. Pistols were needed for Officers, machine gunners, and tank crews for individual weapons.
@@PassiveDestroyer Support troops outnumbered combat troops 4 to 1.
There is a heck of a lot of paper that gets pushed to make supply chains move.
A family member who was a WW2 pilot had a Colt. 45. He loved it.
I have an Ithaca from 1945 my dad's older brother brought back from Europe and my dad got and I now have.
Resist the urge to yell 2 world wars challenge: impossible
Erm actually the M1911A1 was not used during WW1
Two won wars, what's one more?
"TER WERLD WURZ!"
@@ElNinoLegoM1911 was used during World War 1
M1911A1 was used during World War 2
@@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401 true
thanks for doing this video Ian, i know it must've been incredibly difficult to get your hands on an M1911A1 and the information concerning it
Serving in the USN in the 80's, I can attest to the fact that production of military issued 1911's ended decades earlier and all units manufactured then were used, and used heavily, until replacement with the Beretta M9. Of course sailors on ocean-going vessels didn't have much use for pistols, nonetheless, the 1911's I used (mostly for qualification and security watch) were bona fide rattle boxes that had clearly been rode hard and put away wet. Pretty tough to group shots and would have been a noisy giveaway if used in the field. An awesome firearm, however, but it appeared the mil got every single penny out of the inventory they bought.
Thanks for posting the video. Zk
The Finest Combat Pistol ever designed
Soldiers from 1911-1985
Nice to see you here Jeff Cooper!
Iconic sidearm pistol
It's been long enough, we can start saying it for real now:
Humanity's Handgun
If you look in the Army Archives, the Army started looking for a replacement before the end of WWI. It was already loathed by troops & deemed ineffective by ordnance officers in 1918.
@@donwyoming1936 That's just entirely uncompelling, or even borderline irrelevant. They didn't replace it for quite a while, and there are babies not yet born who will grow up loving the 1911.
I am a loyal accolyte of Saint John Browning, got my Colt M1991A1 about 1995. It may be the starter model, but it's been very reliable all these years - just don't use Speer Lawman brand ammo - the only brand it chokes on. 🤔
I can definitely see how "Singer's facilities were too good to waste on pistols" (the factory is capable of producing much more complex and necessary materiel) could become "Singer's pistols were too good"
Probably started by someone at Singer's PR department. Singer's sewing machines where the original "Apple products". People would accept nothing less unless they were absolutely broke and couldn't even afford a mistreated second hand one.
@@andersjjensen Could be. If so it reminds me of what Willys did with the Jeep, taking credit for work done by other companies and the government in their ads, creating a myth that is still widespread.
never have i wished harder for some spare cash to enter. if i got my hands on that gun itd go straight to my dad, who was one of the last batches of army to use that thing as the sidearm, he served in the mid eighties. its his and my favorite gun.
@forgottenweapons
quick heads up, not sure if y'all noticed or not, but all the audio in the beginning is panned to the left
The Remington typewriter company got its start at the very beginning of the typewriter development, producing the Scholes & Glidden typewriting machine because they understood production. (This was one of the units that Twain played around with for a while, finding it quite promising for accelerating writing.) After a while, they spun off and began producing the typewriters directly under the Remington name. Remington, as you might expect, became one of the biggest names in the typewriter industry and produced some quite high quality machines but at a good price.
Getting into WWII, Remington Rand produced weapons, in part, because they were not ALLOWED to make typewriters by government act (in late 1942) until after the war--the exception being the Woodstock typewriter company--because it was felt that one company was enough and that beyond that, production would be superfluous. Also because anyone with any mechanical manufacturing acumen was drafted to produce military supplies, including Remington Rand and, just like their original parent organization, they immediately proved that they knew exactly what they were doing, saving for the usual snags during tooling and getting the line up and running.
Demonstrating the continual shortsightedness of government actions, the war department failed to anticipate just how much paperwork the coming conflict was going to generate and had to actually beg the public to donate typewriters for use during the war, to the point where typewriters were not allowed to be sold, leased, or even rented on any short term basis to the public without government approval.
Remington 1911s have a particular reputation around them and even their own mythos. As such, I consider them one of the more desirable makes. To the grip, I don't argue back and forth. I simply state that, for me personally, I find the original grip more comfortable (I wear "Medium" gloves and find that many guns are meant for those who wear "Large" and "Grizzly Bear" sizes) and I also find them more aesthetically pleasing. So, I'd love to have a chance at getting this pistol, but I'm not shelling out $60 every time Ian produces a video so I can buy a mug or something that I really don't want and don't have use for just to get entered into a drawing I have almost zero chance of winning anyway.
"This week on 'Forgotten Weapons' - one of the single most identifiable and well remembered weapons in history..."
That was very interesting, thanks for bringing it to us. I love the 1911a1. I carried it when I was in the service in 1982-85
I love the 1911 and cant wait to own my own. That being said it was outdated about 20 years after it came out and got a highly embelished track record because it was messed with far less than the standard infantry rifle throughout the years and was typically the only gun on a GI even close to being suited for the environment it was in at any given time
Yup. A good service weapon and a good enthusiast weapon are not worlds, but galaxies, apart.
@@andersjjensenIt IS a good service weapon. It wouldn't be a favorite of Green Berets, MARSOC, Delta, FBI SWAT and the LAPD if it wasn't. It's just as deadly today as it was 100 years ago.
Old. Not outdated.
@@NorthernNorthdude91749 What makes you think I said it wasn't?
Didn’t know the US considered the Walther P38. That’s a pretty interesting anecdote since the pistol that did eventually replace the 1911 was the Beretta M9, whose core operating mechanism is very much based on the Walther P38.
I shot expert with a 1911 in US Navy boot camp in 1975 having never shot a handgun before that day. I had shot rifle and shotgun before, but not a handgun.
You disassembled the M1911A1 much more easily and quickly than I was ever able to. It was my less than pleasant memory that influenced my decision of a Ruger American Pistol when I bought a .45 ACP.
Watching the disassembly/reassembly portion of these videos is my favorite part along with the history of each item reviewed.
Imagine this video in an alternate timeline where the M1911 was a Luger
That raises the question of whether the US Army would have continued to call it a Luger, if they had adopted it.
The Luger was at the same famous test trials where the 1911 had a ridiculous amount of rounds put through it without malfunctioning once, so if things played out differently the Luger could’ve been the US service pistol. Crazy
@@AshleyPomeroy I'd guess not, just like it's rare to hear anybody call the 1911 "the Browning", and the alternate pistol would still officially be designed as M1911
Very nice pistol.
In the 1980s I was a unit armorer before the 1911's were replaced.
Our TOE table had the price of the equipment.
M1911A1s were bought for $54.00.
Equivalent to $940 today.
Mu Two WorldWars, Mu Stoppen Power, 45acp God’s Round, Carry a 45 because they don’t make a 46, [insert Fud Line Here]
You sound like you have wimpy lil’ wrists and have terrible marksmanship.
When I hear the official end of service date of 1985 for these pistols, I'm reminded I was issued one on active duty in the regular army artillery in the Persian Gulf in 1991. They remained in the arms room for some time afterward as well.
Hello there,how are you doing today!God bless you!!!
Happy Father’s Day ❤
Legendary pistol especially now in today's urban combat where the .45 ACP hits quite a fair bit harder than the 9x19mm, great for close quarter combat even in today's context.
Much preferable to a molotiv cocktail or a 2-barrel break action shotgun (the most available civilian firearm here in Ukraine). Russians being generally quite sturdily built, the .45 might give some advantages. If only the US would mass produce arms as they did back then...
@@michaelwarenycia7588 The .45 has greater lethality against unarmoured personel, but 9mm penetrates flak vests better. But generally speaking the point is moot at "street or building width" distances. If you make a torso hit with either, you'll have time enough for a more accurate follow up hit, as both sends anyone reeling, even if they hit a solid chest plate.
@@andersjjensen neither one will probably make it through hard armour... allegedly the tokarev is making a minor come back for it's armour piercing ability...but unarmored, I see the benefits of 45. Also discourages wasting ammo....that's a real problem. Americans think bullets are costly in the US? Here, maybe, (last I checked in a shop a couple months ago), up to 3 or 4 dollars or more for many rifle rounds. I only saw 45 ACP in one store. No idea who buys it, for what (perhaps foreign volunteers with 1911 variant, who knows?). Anything spray and pray is not advisable. ***Edit, prices of course are in UAH, but I give my rough mental conversions.
@@michaelwarenycia7588 I thought I saw videos of AK-74's being widely distributed to civilians in UKR back in 2022?
@@richardjames1812 a bit misleading. It was to ex police, registered reservists/veterans of the 2014 war etc and I'm sure for propaganda also. Believe me I would have loved to get one, but I don't know a single person who did. The government in general still has a very Soviet attitude to civilian firearms ownership although nationalists call for a 2nd amendment style law.
I have a type 1 (first run before the factory shut down to handle quality control in May 1943, type 2's were after the re-opened for production shortly after and started using parkerizing) Remington Rand Durablued (a bluing that was done over a rougher surface to reduce the shine on a blued pistol but not parkerized) 1911A1 and love it. The person who sold it to me believed it was a GI take home since it does not appear to have been refurbished. I fired it and it works great. The stamp on the slide says REMINGTON RAND INC. SYRACUSE, NEW YORK (not N.Y. like type 2's and type 3's).
There were a number of firearms that were simply destined to become "Iconic" such as the Colt "Peacemaker" the M1911 A1, the Mauser C96, The Luger P08, the M1 Carbine, the Browning P-35 Hi Power etc, I wonder how many of the 20th/21st century designs will stand the test of time into the 22nd century
The perfect large handgun. The only thing they got wrong on the 1911A1 was the sights being so small.
I am not certain that precision “aiming” was such a high priority on older U.S. military handguns. On a Colt Model of 1873 single action revolver you pretty much look down the barrel and align the front sight (in a general sense) with a groove in the top of the frame. German pistols, starting with the Mauser C-96, had far more ambitious sighting systems. So did the Browning Hi Power produced in Belgium. By the 1930s, Smith & Wesson and Colt both produced “target” variants of their revolvers with improved and adjustable sights. However, those were the exceptions not the rule.
@@chipsterb4946 thats true, but precision accuracy on a combat pistol is of very little practical value, anyway
This is not STEN mk. V >:(
Can't fool me!
The veteran. I'm glad you covered this iconic piece of history. The pistol that surved many wars
$23.92 for a pistol or $49 for a coffee cup. I'll take the pistol.
That company is so sleazy. It's effectively a lottery with a Dollar General mug and an MS Paint job attached to it so it's "technically not a lottery". I wouldn't be shocked if RUclips management gets wise to this scam and punishes the channels that push this sponsorship.
To what are you guys referring to?
@TheBradyrulez People have been doing this since the early days of RUclips, it's nothing new. Doesn't make it any less lame but I doubt RUclips has any interest in doing something about it. It's a loophole in US law, not RUclips policy
@tylerwilliams6022 To get entered, you have to buy a cheap coffee cup for $49. The link is pinned in the comments.
@@sam__304 I always figured you bought a $5 sticker or something.
On January 3rd 1991 my unit was at Ft. Bragg preparing to deploy to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield/Storm. I was asked to T.I. some pistols belonging to the 304th Psyop company. They had 24 Model 1911s......(not Model 1911A1s!) My unit only had one authorized pistol, a Model 1911A1 and I was issued 21 rounds of ammo for it! We also had 18 M-16 rifles, three of them being XM-16E1s....mine was a single shot only relic older than any of my soldiers.
Somebody needs to AI voice this episode to Keith Szarabajka as Joshua Graham.
_Instructions unclear, Harbinger _*_ASSUMED DIRECT CONTROL._*
@@HeIsAnAli "This hurts you." - Harbinger every time you get hammer bite from the earlier 1911's.
Syracuse, NY was where I grew up, I remember my dad showing me where the factory used to be on Dickerson Street.
something, something, two world wars
Many of these were reworked numerous times by numerous locations. When I visited MCLB Albany on an inspection tour in the mid 1980s they were reworking 1911A1s by the hundreds if not thousands. Walking through the shop with piles of frames, slides and all the parts everywhere made me as a gun collector just in awe.
Hello there,how are you doing today!God bless you!!!
Happy Father’s Day ❤
19:06 Whelp time to revoke the Federal Governments FFL for that paperwork error, like they've done to so many FFLs.
I was thinking something similar.
A beauty. My favourite pistol for the sheer excellent design and stopping power.
Audio on this video is only coming through the left channel. I thought my headphones were broken for a moment there.
Indeed, I too was worried about my speakers for a moment 😅
This pistol is a definition will NEVER forgotten
Audio is off - only coming from the left.
The only thing *forgotten* in this video for sure was the right audio channel.
I own a Remington Rand also approximately that vintage! (And I'm sure many others do as well)
I also have the clear plastic "grips" the serviceman had fashioned for it.
Edit: serial 1014142 circa 1943 😊
Obligatory "Two World Wars" comment. But seriously though, the M1911 is just a good looking firearm. John Moses Browning had struck gold when making this absolute beauty.