I think most of you saw this coming long ago. I think is good news.
Sticking to their guns: Marines place $22.5M order for the Colt .45 M1911 | Fox News

Cheezywan

The Marines never stopped using the 1911 and now they have ordered more


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Sticking to their guns: Marines place $22.5M order for the Colt .45 M1911 | Fox News


Sticking to their guns: Marines place $22.5M order for the Colt .45 M1911

By Maegan Vazquez
Published July 28, 2012
FoxNews.com




The M1911 Colt .45

The Colt .45 M1911 is making a big comeback, now that the U.S. Marines have placed a $22.5 million order for the Connecticut-made pistols.



It’s been called the greatest handgun ever made, and it has barely changed sine 1911, when the legendary John Browning designed it especially for the U.S. Military.
And now, the Colt .45 M1911 is making a big comeback, now that the U.S. Marines have placed a $22.5 million order for the Connecticut-made pistols.
The gun, which has been wielded on film by John Wayne and in real life by Sgt. Alvin York and Maj. Audie Murphy, was the standard-issue sidearm in the military for decades, until it was replaced by the Beretta M9 in 1985.

"It just became an iconic part of military and American history."

- Gerry Dinkel, CEO and president of Colt Defense


"It just became an iconic part of military and American history," Gerry Dinkel, CEO and president of Colt Defense, told FoxNews.com.
The gun, one of the most successful pistols ever used at Camp Perry's National Matches, a competition known to be the main world event in artillery sports, has barely changed since it's creation. Dinkel says that shows the gun's "elegant design" just can't be improved on. And firearms experts agree.
"You can’t beat a .45 cartridge," Jack Lewis, firearms director for Cowan's Auctions, told FoxNews.com. "Some things are hard to replace," he said.
Colt Defense, based in Hartford, Conn., will supply as many as 12,000 of the 200,000 U.S. Marines with semi-automatic, tan-colored M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistols, and they will include spare parts and logistical support. The gun has long been the weapon of choice for special operations agents, thanks to its reliability and the stopping power of its massive bullets.
"I'm really glad that they're keeping it in the American economy," Lewis, who used the gun while he was in the armed forces, said. "I was quite upset when they went to the Beretta," Lewis said.
Some reports suggest Marines are not happy with their main Beretta M9s for their lack of accuracy and stopping power. With M1911's now supplying Special Ops, growing interest may lead to a better solution.
"To have the 1911 selected again for U. S. Forces 101 years after its initial introduction is just an incredible testament to the timeless design and effectiveness of the Colt 1911," Dinkel said. "This is truly a gratifying contract award."

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A 9mm may expand to a larger diamenter, but a 45 sure ain't going to shrink

Meh. While I'm happy to see them using a Colt, which should help keep Colt in business, since the military's trying to get away from the M4 and M16, it's a little sad to see them using something with so little averse-conditions reliability.

When the Army said it wanted to replace the M9, and they put up specs for a replacement for it, they wanted a .45 ACP. There were plenty of options better than a 1911 for reliability that were designed to meet those specs. Why didn't they pick one of those?

I worry they'll have that same sand problem with the 1911 that they were having with the M9s.

I have to disagree, the 1911 is an extremely reliable weapon and easy to maintain in the field

I carried this one daily and at times had to shake the dust and dirt off and it never failed to operate perfectly

Yes that is rust on a stainless steel pistol


The Marines never stopped using 1911's and now have ordered more

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A 9mm may expand to a larger diamenter, but a 45 sure ain't going to shrink

I'll have to disagree their is a reason the 1911 has been around so long

I remember the day the pulled our 1911's and gave us M9's it was a sad day. But to say the 1911 is not as reliable is pure b.s., I still think the only reason they switched is because some bean counter figured out they might be able to save money shooting the 9mm vs the .45. I have nothing against the 9, but from my experience if I had the choice between picking a rack grade 1911 out of a mud hole or an m9 out of a mud hole to save my bacon, I would reach for the 1911.

As much as it pains me to say it good for the marines.

GF

If someone says that a 1911 isn't reliable, my guess it's hear-say being passed on and not from experience.

I've often heard the M-9 was selected because of policical reasons rather than from an effectiveness standpoint. While I enjoy shooting the M-92, if my life hinged on the performance of a pistol I'd rather have the 1911.

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Still Learnin' as I go!

NRA Life Member

They must mean 45acp's right?

The only reason the military switched to the Beretta was because of round count and recoil. Their tests showed that most inexperienced shooters could control and stay on target better with the 9mm and having 8+ more rounds meant that you needed fewer reloads. Once stopping ability was tested, this was obviously flawed reasoning. Many police units ran into the same thing, but with military they must use ball ammo per the Geneva convention, so it punches small straight wounds. The .45 acp with it's larger diameter still does more damage at lower velocity as it has greater Hydrostatic shock. Thus more and more police agencies and millitary units are going back to .45 acp as it's a proven man stopper.

Cheezywan, jwp475, I've merged your two threads together.

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NRA Endowment Member
SCI Member

The 45 is a basic back up weapon. That said, I would go with the 45
acp hands down. The 9mm is a POS IMO in close quarters. Have owned three Smiths over the years in 9mm and sold them all. If my life is on the line at close quarters I would go for the 45. I do think that there are better versions of the 1911 than what Colt has to offer. Give me a break, I do like Colt products. Just got a MP 15.

Hahahahaha... that's so funny!

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USN Retired
Member;
LCSA
USSVI
IAA

My memory of the reason for them switching to 9mm was to be more uniform with NATO, but it was still a bad idea.

Well, my experience is this:
I had a Springfield XD-45. It was totally flawless. Any ammunition, any conditions, it fed, fired, and ejected without a fail. I sold it to "upgrade" to a 1911. That Loaded Springfield 1911 would feed one, and only one kind of ammunition: 230gr FMJ. Everything else, with four different magazines, resulted in chronic misfeeding. Two coworkers let me try their 1911s with the same factory ammunition, and same problem.
I have a Taurus PT145. That POS feeds everything without a hickup.
I later sold off the 1911 and got another Springfield XD, which has also been flawless.

If the design, as standard, is that much of a primadonna on ammunition, I can't see it being any better about how clean it is.

I have three 1911s, none had exhibited that problem. Also have a Combat Commander that would hic-up with a certain brand of ammo but I can't recall what it was. After polishing the feed ramp it will chamber anything including empty cases fed from the magazine

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Still Learnin' as I go!

NRA Life Member

I'm sure the Marines don't care what commerical ammo the 1911 will or will not run on. Their concern reliabity is there with the issue 230 grain RN.

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Still Learnin' as I go!

NRA Life Member

1911 -- both thumbs up. I have had one magazine on a 45 that needed to have the lips bent to make it feed 100%. Other than that no problems. I have not seen a 9 mm that will shoot as well as a well tuned 1911.
I feel that the miss placed belief that the 45 kicks too much and the 9 mm is easier to shoot is a very poor excuse for lack of training. The military could just as well issued 22rf's. Save even more money and allow more ammo to be carried and would even kick less.

The fact that the person who is badmouthing the 1911 then goes on to instead praise his TAURUS... say no more sir, really, please... do yourself a favor and hold on to any last shred of credibility you may have. PLEASE!


HL

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Chaser of webfooted swampmonsters!

Actually, that acronym, "POS" indicates I'm anything but praising it. I'm pointing out that even a Taurus works better than the 1911s I've had experience with.

1911 should never be mentioned in the same paragraph with Taurus or XD or Highpoint.