The 1911 is a pistol that we should all know about. It was the standard pistol of the U.S. military for several decades and is one of the most popular handguns on the civilian market even to this day.
It’s one of the most enduring and classic pistol designs ever created, and despite its enormous popularity and widespread usage, it’s also a pistol that is surrounded by a wide range of misconceptions.
So how well do you think you know the 1911 pistol? You’re about to find out.
Here are the top 16 things about the 1911 pistol you might not have known:
1 – The 1911 as we know it was actually released in 1910
The misconception that the 1911 pistol was released in 1911 naturally comes from its name. But in reality, the 1911 pistol was formally released for the military trials in the year 1910, and it was initially referred to as the 1910 too! It just wasn’t formally adopted by the U.S. military until the spring of 1911, and it was given the designation of 1911 pistol at that time.
2 – The 1911 was not designed by Colt
Thanks to the terms ‘Colt 1911’ or ‘Colt .45 pistol,’ it’s a big misconception that Colt was the original designer of the 1911. In reality, Colt was the original manufacturer of the 1911, but the man who designed this venerable pistol was the famous gun inventor John Moses Browning. His first iteration of the 1911 was also a bit different from the final product, as you’ll see in the photo above.
3 – Colt was not the only manufacturer who supplied 1911s to the military
It’s another major misconception that Colt was the only supplier of the 1911 pistol to the U.S. military. Simply put, Colt couldn’t make enough 1911 pistols to meet the demands of the military for both World Wars. As a result, the U.S. government awarded contracts to produce the M1911 or M1911A1 pistol to many other manufacturers, including the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Ithaca, the National Cash Register Company, Remington Rand (not to be confused with Remington), Springfield Armory, Union Switch & Signal, and Winchester. The example in the above photo was produced by Remington Rand.
4 – It was not the U.S. Army’s only sidearm in the World Wars
The M1911 (and later the M1911A1) were the standard issue U.S. military sidearms for both World Wars. But since not enough 1911 pistols could be produced to meet demand, even from multiple manufacturers, the military was forced to turn to additional handguns to help supplement the 1911. In World War I, the military placed an order for .45 ACP revolvers from Colt and Smith & Wesson, both of which were given the designation of M1917 (the one in the above example is a S&W). These revolvers utilized moon clips so they could easily load and eject the .45 ACP rounds, and they continued to be issued into World War II and even Korea and Vietnam. Additionally, the U.S. military also relied on a number of .38 Special revolvers from Colt and Smith & Wesson for both World Wars as well.
5 – The 1911 is not only offered in .45 ACP
The .45 ACP was the original caliber for the 1911 and it easily remains its most common chambering. But it’s far from the only caliber the 1911 is designed for as well. 1911s were or are also available in common calibers such as .22 LR, .380 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, and 10mm Auto, as well as more obscure ones like .30 Luger, .357 SIG Sauer, .357 Magnum, .38 Super and .460 Rowland. Name a caliber, and chances are good the 1911 was chambered for it at one time or another. The above example is a Springfield Armory 1911 in 9mm.
6 – The 1911 originally didn’t have the grip safety
Perhaps the 1911’s most distinctive feature is the grip safety on the rear of the frame that must be depressed in order for the trigger to be pulled. John Browning’s original design did not incorporate this feature, and he only added it at the request of the United States cavalry. This was so the pistol wouldn’t accidentally discharge and shoot their horses while it was holstered.
7 – The M1911 has never been truly phased out by the military
The story goes that the M1911A1 was phased out in the mid-1980s in favor of the Beretta M9. While it is true that the Beretta replaced the M1911A1 as the military’s standard issue handgun, the 1911 continued to be used by select units and is still seeing limited service to this day. At least tens of thousands of 1911s remain in the military’s inventory as well.
8 – The 1911 is the official firearm of a U.S. state
Did you know that the 1911 is the official firearm of the U.S. state of Utah? Not every state even has an ‘official firearm’ but Utah is one of ten exceptions (the others being Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia). The 1911 was selected because of John Browning’s Utah heritage.
9 – The double stacked version of the 1911 is called the 2011
2011 pistols are essentially 1911s with wider grips and double stacked magazines that were designed primarily for the competition shooting community. It’s a good choice for those who enjoy shooting the 1911 but who desire a higher magazine capacity.
10 – The 1911 is arguably the most influential semi-automatic pistol ever made
The 1911 is not just one of the most popular semi-automatic pistols ever made, it’s also perhaps the most influential. The 1911 was the first successful pistol to use the short recoil action, which has since been used by almost all semi-automatic pistols that chamber and fire the 9mm round or higher. That’s why almost all pistols made today can find their heritage in the 1911, which essentially makes the 1911 the ‘grandfather’ of all modern day pistols.
11 – The Germans carried the 1911 in World War II too
The most common (and famous) of the German sidearms in the Second World War were the Walther P38 and the Luger pistols, but the Wehrmacht used a variety of other handguns as well. When they conquered Norway in 1940, the Germans took possession of the Norwegian military’s stockpile of .45 ACP 1911 pistols that they were producing under license (designated as the Kongsberg Colts, an example of which you’ll see in the above photo). Several of these pistols ended up being carried in the holsters of German officers and soldiers during the war.
12 – The 1911 was only adopted after it fired 6,000 rounds without a malfunction
When the 1911 was first adopted by the U.S. military it was required to go 6,000 rounds without a stoppage. When the pistol got too hot, it was merely placed into water to cool down and then required to keep firing. It was the only pistol in these trials that succeeded, which is why it was adopted.
13 – Most 1911 ‘.45s’ you see in films and TV shows are 9mm
Most 1911 pistols used as props in Hollywood movies and shows are in 9mm. This is because 9mm blanks are easier and cheaper to find, and they also usually cycle more reliably than .45 ACP blanks. The 1911 carried by Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I., for instance, is referred to as a ‘.45’ throughout the show but the gun actually used was a Colt 1911 in 9mm Parabellum.
14 – The Navy and Marine Corps didn’t adopt the 1911 until 1913
The Army was the first branch to adopt the 1911 in, well, 1911. But it took a couple of years for the Marine Corps and the Navy to follow suit; until then, they continued to use the Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers that were standard issue.
15 – The ‘Commander’ 1911 Didn’t Arrive Until 1949
Most people are familiar with the Commander variant of the 1911, which is basically a 1911 with a 4.25 inch barrel and shorter slide in contrast to the standard 1911’s 5-inch barrel. The Commander first made its appearance in 1949; it was developed by Colt as a lighter sidearm for military officers. Colt then put the Commander into regular production for the civilian market, and countless other manufacturers have likewise followed suit with their own Commander-style 1911s.
16 – Several other countries issue or have issued the 1911
Even though the 1911 is rightfully considered an American pistol, it was adopted as a sidearm by the militaries of numerous other countries as well. These include (but are not limited to) Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Greece, Mexico, Norway, and Spain.
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