1911 by JM Browning

1911 John Browning's Masterpiece The John Browning design was chosen on March 29th, 1911 the official sidearm of the Armed Forces of USA. Colt manuafacturing produce this .45 automatice pistol, along with other companies for our Armed Forces. The report of the evaluation committee (taken from 'The .45 Automatic, An American Rifleman Reprint', published by the National Rifle Association of America) released on the 20th of March 1911 stated : "Of the two pistols, the board was of the opinion that the Colt is superior, because it is more reliable, more enduring, more easily disassembled when there are broken parts to be replaced, and more accurate."

The History of the 1911 Pistol The Model 1911 .45 Automatic Pistol is the world’s most respected handgun and has been designated by many authorities as the finest service pistol design of all time. The Browning 1911 was yet another revolutionary gun by one of the greatest gun designers of all time, John Moses Browning, the founder of today’s Browning Arms Company. John Moses Browning, a legendary firearms designer, designed the Browning pistol in the early 1900s. The US Army adopted the design on March 29, 1911, and it became known as the Model 1911. The US Navy and US Marine Corps adopted the pistol in 1913. The M1911 was the standard-issue sidearm for the US Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985, and was used in combat in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1911A1 version was replaced by the 9mm Beretta M9 pistol in 1985, but the M1911A1 has never been completely phased out. The M1911 is a .45 ACP caliber pistol, which was developed because of the need for a more effective cartridge. The M1911 is now the most copied pistol design in the world. Based on the short recoil principle of operation, the John M. Browning design for the US Military pistol trials was a magazine-fed, single-action semi-automatic pistol with both manual and grip safeties that demonstrated a level of durability, simplicity and reliability that no other pistol design of the era could match. In fact, during a 6,000-round test-fired over two days in 1910 that was personally supervised by John M. Browning, his sample pistol became so hot that it was simply dunked in a pail of water to cool it for further firing. Browning’s sample reportedly passed the test with no malfunctions.

U.S. Army Officer training with a 1911 pistol circa 1918 in France.

1911 Pistol Training

Browning also designed the Browning 1911-22, which is 85% the size of the original 1911.

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FOREIGN-MADE 1911 PISTOLS

Key Foreign 1911 Manufacturers & Models:

Tisas (Turkey): Respected for durable, budget-friendly, and faithful reproductions of the classic 1911 design. They offer models ranging from authentic G.I.-spec reproductions like the Tisas 1911A1 US Army to modern "Tanker" models.

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Rock Island Armory (Philippines): Produced by Armscor, offering affordable 1911s in a wide range of options, including various frame sizes (Officer, Commander, Government) and multiple calibers (such as .45 ACP, 9mm, 10mm, and .38 Super).

Bul Ltd (Israel): Produces a diverse range, from classic models to high-end, custom race guns for competition. Their competition models, such as the SAS II, have been praised by experts for being "unbelievable" and easy to shoot accurately.

Charles Daly (Italy/Turkey) Charles Daly 1911s are imported and made by an Italian gun company. Featuring a good fit and finish, a solid trigger, and features like beavertail grip safeties, commander hammers, and skeleton triggers on their models.

MAC (Military Armament Corp.) (Turkey) Offers various 1911 models, including the M 1911 U.S. Army,

GSG (Germany): Manufactures a popular .22 LR rimfire 1911 that replicates the ergonomics of the M1911A1.

Historical Foreign-Made 1911s:

Kongsberg Colt (Norway): Licensed-produced 1911s, with some manufactured under German occupation during WWII.

North American Arms Co. (Canada): A rare WWI-era manufacturer.