As they became available to the American military, 1911 pistols were sent to the Philippines, where fighting with native tribes continued. The new .45s were also used in the1916 Punitive Expedition, led by General John J. Pershing, that went into Mexico after Pancho Villa.
Colt made all the early 1911 pistols. However, the U. S. Government, previously content to manufacture only long guns (and to purchase handguns from commercial manufacturers), reconsidered. The Ordnance Department wanted an arrangement by which it could manufacture the 1911 at Springfield Armory if it so desired. After some negotiation, Colt conferred the right to manufacture the pistol to the government for a royalty of $2.00 each. After a contract for 50,000 Colt-made pistols, the government could manufacture pistols at the rate of one pistol for every two ordered from Colt.
The Springfield pistols were essentially identical to the Colt-made pistols except for markings. Visually, they could be recognized by the sharper (less-gradual) termination of the scallop at the front of the slide.
World War I had broken out in Europe in 1914. In hindsight, it was only a matter of time until the United States was drawn into the war. America entered on the side of the Allies on April 6, 1917. At that time, apparently without any actual analysis, Ordnance believed that Colt “…would be able to take care of the entire pistol program….” However, the new conditions of trench warfare caused military planners to increase the distribution of sidearms. At first, 10% were to be armed with the 1911, then, up to 60%. Eventually, up to 72% of front-line troops were authorized to carry pistols as well as rifles.
The United States was not prepared to achieve this kind of pistol production. Because of the need for more rifles, Springfield Armory stopped pistol production during 1916 and 1917. (It did resume Model 1911 production in 1918, after the use of the 1917 Enfield had eased the need for 1903 Springfield rifles.)
In 1917, Colt delivered pistols at a monthly rate of about 9000 guns. In 1918, production increased from about 11,000 to a monthly peak of over 45,000 by the end of the war. This was not enough.
Even by the winter of 1917, it had become obvious that Colt production alone could not supply enough pistols. A new source was found in Remington-UMC. Remington had been manufacturing 3-line Mosin-Nagant rifles for Russia, but the contract ended when Russia withdrew from the war in 1917. By mid-1918, with full cooperation from Colt, Remington-UMC began production of the 1911. By September, completed pistols were being shipped. By the end of 1918, Remington-UMC was up to 4500 pistols a month. The total made was 21,676. Except for markings, they were the same as the Colt pistols.
Even with the Remington pistols (and with .45 ACP-caliber 1917 Colt and S&W revolvers), there were still just not enough handguns. Orders were placed with a number of other firms. However, the end of the war came in November 1918 before any additional production was established. One instance of actual pistols being made took place in Canada. The North American Arms Co. (in the Ross rifle plant) made some finished 1911 pistols, although probably fewer than 100 were made.
The 1911 pistol proved itself in combat during World War I. Many instances of excellent performance of the 45 were reported. The exploits of Corporal Alvin York are probably the most memorable use of both rifle and pistol. York almost single-handedly captured 132 German soldiers. His actions stopped a German counterattack in France’s Argonne Forest. (And, yes, I know - the Gary Cooper movie depicted York as using a captured German Luger. However, that was only because the moviemakers could not get the 1911 to work with blanks! York used a 1911.)
Taurus, a 1911 manufacturer since 2005, makes a variety of 1911 pistols, including this rail-equipped variant.
Kimber, one of the major forces in the 1911 world, recently introduced the SIS variant, in several different sizes.
BETWEEN THE WARS
After any war, military development generally slows down. Pistol development during the decades of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression was relatively minor.
Use in the World War had pointed out a few minor complaints concerning the 1911. Soldiers with small hands had experienced some trouble gripping the pistol and controlling the trigger properly. The hammer spur sometimes pinched the fleshy web of a shooter’s hand against the tang of the grip safety. The fine sights were difficult to see under conditions of low light. It tended to point low during instinct shooting.
Accordingly, subtle changes were made to the pistol to answer these situations. The trigger was shortened, and the frame was recessed on the sides near the trigger to provide better access. The tang of the grip safety was lengthened. The sights, although still small by today’s standards, were made with a larger square notch at the rear and a wider square front sight. The flat mainspring housing was replaced by an arched housing. Subtle changes were also made to the rifling.
These changes were approved in 1923, and by 1925, Colt had put them into production. In June 1926, the nomenclature was changed to Model 1911A1.
With the adoption of the 1911A1, much of the 1911 tooling at Springfield became obsolete. No more 45-caliber pistols were made at Springfield. Only that tooling able to produce spare parts common to 1911 and 1911A1 pistols was retained.
Colt, of course, changed its commercial offering as soon as the military specifications were implemented. The military pistols were marked Model 1911A1, but the commercial pistols were, for the first time, marked “Government Model.”
Mexico had adopted the 1911 after WWI and had purchased pistols directly from Colt. After about 1926, pistols with the 1911A1 modifications were supplied.
Argentina, as noted previously, had adopted the 1911 as their Modelo 1916. After 1927, Colt supplied 1911A1 pistols. Markings on the Argentine Colts remained the same, except that the modified pistol became known as the Modelo 1927. In the early 1930s, Colt agreed to license manufacture by the Argentine government. The Argentine-made Colts were made at Fabrica Militar de Armas Portatiles (FMAP) in Rosario, Argentina. Unlicensed modified pistols, the Ballester-Rigaud and Ballester-Molina, were also made in Argentina.
During the 1920s, the automobile had become common, and had become widely used by criminals. Law Enforcement found that bullets from the traditional .38 Special revolver, and even the big .45 automatic, would not reliably penetrate car bodies. In 1929, Colt introduced its Super 38 pistol. The Super 38 was a Government Model modified to use a high-powered version of the old .38 ACP cartridge introduced in 1900. With a velocity of almost 1300 feet per second (fps), the new Super 38’s 130-grain jacketed bullet earned a good reputation for penetration.
A 22-caliber pistol based on the 1911 design would be a good training and target pistol. In 1931, Colt introduced a .22 Long rifle blowback pistol, the Ace. Later, about 1937, Colt incorporated the floating chamber designed by David Marshall Williams (“Carbine Williams”), and the new pistol became the Service Model Ace. The Ace was discontinued in 1941, but the Service Model Ace was used for training during World War II.
Target shooting with handguns, previously a sport for single-shot pistols and revolvers, saw the use of semiautomatic pistols becoming more common. At the 1930 National Matches, Colt introduced its National Match 45-caliber pistol. Based on the Government Model, it had a match-grade barrel, honed action, and could be supplied with fixed sights or with Stevens adjustable sights. Barrels and slides were fitted and numbered to each other. The National Match pistol was well-received, and Colt put it into their catalog as a regular production item in 1932. About 3000 were made before production stopped in 1941. A similar pistol was subsequently available in .38 Super, as the Super Match.
World War II Model 1911A1 pistols, like this Ithaca-made specimen, were standardized with parkerized finish, plastic grips and flat hammers. (This pistol, bought through the DCM, was the author’s first 45 automatic.) Ithaca, now located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, is once