World War II began officially on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. The success of the German blitzkrieg surprised even the Nazis. The Germans needed additional arms to supply their occupation troops, and began a program of producing and utilizing the suitable firearms of captured countries
Norway had been neutral during WWI, and reaffirmed neutrality during WWII. However, Nazi Germany viewed Norway as a base of operations against the Allied blockade, and as a possible staging area for an attack on Great Britain. German forces attacked Norway on April 9, 1940, and the country fell within two months. When production of the 1914 Norwegian Colt resumed, it was under German, not Norwegian, control. Apparently issued only in Norway to occupation troops or subservient Norwegian troops, about 10,000 additional Norwegian 45s were produced before the German surrender in May of 1945.
When the United States was forced into World War II by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, we were again poorly prepared for war. However, many of the production problems experienced during WWI were avoided. It had been realized that manufacturers other than those making firearms could be utilized for pistol production. About two million 1911A1 pistols were made during the war. Colt, involved with other war production, was not the largest producer of the WWII .45. That honor went to Remington-Rand, the typewriter and business-machine manufacturer.
About 1,032,000 pistols were made by Remington-Rand. This amounted to almost 55% of production. In the year of 1944 alone, the company produced over one-half million pistols. Historian Donald Bady called this “the largest annual production by a single manufacturer in the history of firearms.”
Colt produced about 480,000 pistols, over 22% of the total production. Ithaca Gun Company, a shotgun maker, manufactured about 369,000, amounting to almost 20%. Union Switch & Signal Co. made 55,000 guns. The Singer (sewing machine) Manufacturing Co. was given an “educational order” of 500 pistols.
Production was aided by the early determination of a “standard” pistol to be made by all companies. Essentially all WWII 1911A1 pistols were “Parkerized” (a rust-resistant phosphate finish), had brown plastic grip panels, and had flat-sided hammers. The trigger/stirrup unit was made from stamped components, and grooving replaced checkering on some parts. Colt worked with the other manufacturers, and this cooperation assisted production.
In addition to production of new 45s, a number of old Model 1911 pistols that had been placed in storage were refurbished for WWII use. They were parker-ized, and if parts were needed, 1911A1 parts were installed. Work was done at Augusta Arsenal, and such pistols were stamped with the letters “AA.”
Again, the Colt/Browning 45 pistol proved itself as a reliable, powerful sidearm. It stood apart from other handguns used during the Second World War.
POST-WAR, THROUGH THE 1950S
The basic 1911 handgun had gone through its second world war with an exemplary record. Essentially every American serviceman held the pistol in high regard. This feeling was well-represented in the 1959 novel, The Pistol, by James Jones. The novel follows the movement of a 45-caliber pistol among U. S. servicemen after Pearl Harbor, in which every man who has any contact with the pistol wants it for his own personal protection.
Still, after 1946, for the first time in almost four decades, U. S. military planners considered the possibility of a lighter pistol, and also began to consider a change to the 9mm Parabellum (9mm Luger) ammunition used by both wartime adversaries and allies.
Colt investigated the possibilities of a lighter Government Model, and developed an association with ALCOA Aluminum. A number of frames were made of aluminum alloy, and test pistols were made. To further reduce weight, the barrel length was shortened to 4-1/4 inches, and the slide shortened accordingly. A rounded “burr” hammer was used, which also allowed use of a shorter-tang grip safety. The test pistols were made in the by-then traditional .45 ACP and .38 Super, and — with an eye to possible military tests — also in 9mm Luger chambering.
Eventually the military reconsidered, realizing that plenty of 45-caliber 1911A1 pistols were on hand. In June 1950, the United States became involved in a “police action” in Korea (it was not called the Korean War until later). The 45-caliber pistols, along with the rest of America’s WWII armament, went back into service. Consideration of a 9mm pistol was dropped, at least for the time being.
Colt had already made a decision to market the shorter, lighter version of the Government Model. In early 1950, it was introduced as the Commander Model. Calibers were .45, .38 Super and 9mm. The Colt Commander was a landmark pistol. At 26-1/2 ounces, it was our first big-bore aluminum frame pistol. Often overlooked is the fact that the Commander was the first pistol ever commercially produced in America in the 9mm chambering.
By the end of the 1950s, the position of the 1911 had evolved. Now, almost half a century old, from being a splendid military pistol, it was becoming everyman’s pistol.
After the end of WWII, all shooting sports increased in popularity. A joke of the time was that returning servicemen were only interested in two things — and the second one was shooting.
Bullseye pistol shooting benefited from this renewed interest and became very popular. The National Match Course had sections for 22-caliber, Centerfire and 45-caliber pistols. Everyone wanted a .45.
The National Matches, closed during WWII and Korea, resumed in 1953. Military “National Match” pistols were made from .45s on hand beginning in 1955. Most were made at Springfield Armory (thus getting the facility back into providing pistols, if not actually manufacturing them), and were stamped NM. Originally fitted with high fixed sights, they were made with adjustable sights in 1961. Colt furnished parts for such work.
However, the maker of the first, the original pre-war National Match pistol, could hardly have been satisfied without a match pistol of its own. Colt, in 1957, brought out an improved version of its early National Match 45, called the Gold Cup National Match. It was a highly-developed pistol for competition shooting. It became the standard by which .45 target pistols were judged.
Surprisingly, it was not the only newly-made target-oriented .45 autoloader available. The Spanish Llama pistols (copies of the 1911, but not part-for-part copies), were imported by A. F. Stoeger since 1951. In 1957, the Llama line also introduced a target version in .45 caliber. Before that time, a number of gunsmith shops had begun specializing in “accurizing” .45s for target competition.
As the 1950s went on, then began what has been called “the Golden Age of Surplus.” As countries around the world updated their military equipment, they cleaned out their armories. Military equipment, including firearms, was sold on the world market. A large portion of the guns came to the country with the greatest degree of personal freedom — the United States. Some of the pistols that came in as surplus were 1916 and 1927 Argentine .45s. Many were “accurized” and used for target shooting. Norwegian 1914 .45s also made their appearance. Also coming in were a smaller number of the British 455-caliber Colt 1911s. To make the .455s more salable, they were advertised, “Will shoot .45 ACP.” (Yes, they would, but not very accurately.)
Traditional Bullseye shooting was not the only pistol sport to gain popularity. A new handgun sport was developing in California. Popularized by the writing of Col. Jeff Cooper, the two-handed action-style pistol shooting was called “practical” shooting. Shooters found it to be fun as well as practical, and the new sport grew. These informal matches grew into the alphabet soup of IPSC, USPSA, PPC and NRA Action shooting of today. Based on the concepts of Accuracy, Power and Speed, the pistol that fit Cooper’s ideas best? The 45-caliber Government Model.
THE 1960S
The 1960s started as a continuation of the 1950s, but by the end of that decade, things had changed dramatically in the United States firearms scene.
Military National Match pistols used at Camp Perry had the trigger weighed and a tape placed on the trigger guard to show it met specifications. This gun was fired at Camp Perry in 1967 by the author, and still has the 1967