For those of you who have read my blogs before, I am sure you might be wondering about the 1911 style pistols. The 1911 pistol, or Colt 1911 pistol, was created in the year 1911 by John Browning in the year 1911. The 1911 pistol was a modified version of the earlier 1905 pistol which fired a 45 ACP cartridge, which is known for its stopping power. It is known that the reason for the creation of the pistol was because the Colt 38 revolvers used by the US Military in the Philippines lacked stopping power, when the Americans were fighting with the Moro Filipino warriors armed with blades in the early 1900s. For this reason, the US Military began using 45 Colt revolvers until a more suitable modern day pistol was introduced, that being the Colt 1911 pistol in 45 ACP which was a shorter version of the 45 Colt Cartridge. The biggest improvement over the Colt 45 Revolver was that the 1911 was a single action semi-automatic pistol which was fed by a 7 shot detachable magazine, which meant more firepower. In 1911 the Colt 1911 was adopted by the US military and served until being replaced, for better or worse, by the Beretta M92 in the 1980's.
The 1911 pistol, originally manufactured by Colt, has been made by many different companies from many different countries including Sig (Austria), Springfield, Kimber, Rock Island,(Philippines), Taurus (Brazil), STI, Smith and Wesson, and many more. Although the original 1911 was chambered to fire the 45 ACP, you can purchase them in many different cartridges, including 9mm, 10mm, 40 S&W, 50 GI, 22 LR, 38 super, and a few more. I had owned 2 1911 pistols, one was a Rock Island, and the other was a Springfield. For those looking for a cheaper pistol, with high quality, the Rock Island is an excellent choice, I had owned one and it worked perfectly. If you wish to own one for self-defense purposes, I would suggest purchasing the Kimber, which is the same one that is used by the LAPD SWAT, it is very high quality, and very accurate. For those interested in Professional Target Shooting, STI is one of the best, although a bit pricey. Other high quality choices include the SIG, and Smith and Wesson. Personally, I like the double-action pistols for self-defense, but I still find a sense of Nostalgia in the 1911 style pistols, as it was used in both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam.
Today, many Law Enforcement agencies, and some groups in the military still use the 1911 pistol. Ask a relative of yours who fought in World War II, or Korea, and I am sure they can tell you many stories about the 1911 pistol. Without a doubt, we can say that the 1911 pistol is "America's Handgun", and many veterans are here today because this pistol saved their life. Ironically, in the Philippines today, most Filipino firearm owners, police officers, and those in the military have great respect for the 1911 pistol. All of the relatives of my wifes family in the Philippines who own a firearm, own a 1911 pistol. So if you want to own a piece of history, or like target shooting, or want a pistol for self-defense, there is a 1911 pistol for you.