Ww2german armycolt 1911luftwaffewarsaw uprising germany ww2military. Differences between the wwi m1911 and wwii 1911a1 the uppermost pistol is a 1919 production colt m1911. On march 29th, 1911 colt was notified that the colt automatic pistol was adopted for use by the united states government. May 25, 2014 thought this memorial day weekend would be an appropriate time to bring out my old wwii colt usgi 1911 treasure.
Owen john baggett august 29, 1920 july 27, 2006 was a second lieutenant in the united states 7th bomb group based at pandaveswar, in india, during the second world war baggett was born in graham, texas in 1920. Nov 04, 2011 the history of the 1911 pistols design and the nature of its many uses and specialpurpose modifications are far too broad to be effectively addressed in a single book chapter or, indeed, in a single book. Mar 22, 2011 collecting the military 1911 and 1911a1. Original russian soviet tt 33 tulskiy tokarev leather holster. A 1911 built to the tolerances of the milspec 1911a1, properly broken in and lubricated, is a highly reliable weapon system. After 6,000 rounds, the pistols were tested with deformed cartridges, some with bullets seated too deeply. New listing 1911 colt model o armorers pistol manual very detailed 51 pages of information. A look back at 105 years of excellence the model 1905 in. Father, a marine, carried this weapon while visiting the islands in the south pacific during wwii.
It was widely used in world war i, world war ii, the korean war, and the vietnam. Enter the serial number, without spaces or dashes, to search the database. The model 1911 and model 1911a1 military and commercial. Identifying a early colt magazine the firearms forum the.
The colt 1911 pistol is an osprey weapon series book, authored by leroy thompson, with illustrations by peter dennis and alan gilliland. It was developed in response to an army requirement issued in 1949, for a lighter replacement for the m1911 pistol, for issue to officers. Colt pistols commemorative for sale guns international. Thought this memorial day weekend would be an appropriate time to bring out my old wwii colt usgi 1911 treasure. Wwii us army m1 helmet cover cotton camouflage net of war reenactments. Scott is a competitive pistol shooter himself and a lifelong admirer of the greatest firearms inventor the world has ever known. The 1911 pistol was also used by british commandos in wwii and has been used. The 1911 proved a powerful and effective handgun in the hands of the american expeditionary forces. The invention of smokeless powder and hugo borchardts first semiautomatic pistol caused the worlds armies to reexamine their sidearms.
Start reading the colt 1911 pistol weapon book 9 on your kindle in under a minute. Sometimes its turned out to be surprisingly valuable. Air force f16 fighting falcon fighter aircraft assigned to the 18th aggressor squadron takes off from eielson air force base, alaska, oct. An added bonus is the story of the american expeditionary forces and the 1911. There is a world war ii asiatic pacific theater commemorative metal plate. The m1911, also known as the colt government or government, is a singleaction, semiautomatic, magazinefed, recoiloperated pistol chambered for the. The united states house of representatives has passed a bill mandating the release of all m1911m1911a1 handguns currently stored by the army. A hundred years later, other handguns are being made in. Ww2german armycolt 1911luftwaffewarsaw uprisinggermany ww2military. The united states house of representatives has passed a new version of the 2018 national. Holiday party discover 45 unbelievable behindthescenes stories from. Alvin cullum york december, 1887 september 2, 1964, also known as sergeant york, was one of the most decorated united states army soldiers of world war i.
John brownings 1911 is the most popular, and arguably the best handgun design of all time. By beetle the turn of the century into the 1900s was an interesting time in firearm development. This special historical tribute to john brownings incomparable model 1911 pistol was written by browning employee scott engen. He was slightly above the doomed critter and shot down from about 25 yards and hit the spine.
The colt national match and its descendants gun digest. March 29, 1911, the us army adopts the m1911 pistol. My friend actually shot this huge elk with his 1911. The rampant colt the story of a trademark by rl wilson hc dj book. My stepdad gave me his colt 1911 auto and told me the history of it. During ww2 how many manufactured the 1911s for the usa. A good chance for us collectors and shooters to own an original ww2 colt 1911 pistol. Over one century ago the us army adopted the m1911 pistol. January the journal ay qap begins monthly publication in arabic script in troitsk, to promote modern kazakh literature and progressive thought februarymarch antisemitic riots break out in paris over the staging of henri bernsteins apres moi by the comediefrancaise, instigated by the farright action francaise led by writer charles maurras, but in conjunction with the. Tell us what else you do know and the antiques appraiser will be able to better assist you. The story behind it is that my colleagues grandfather was walking around a hill one day when he saw the body of a us officer, sat by the side of him was a north korean soldier. We know that the united states choose john moses brownings colt 1911. While the resemblance is unmistakable, colt and browning had not yet developed a thumb safety or a framemounted magazine release.
After each 1,000 rounds the pistols would be cleaned and oiled. Another excellent book on the model 1911 is scott meadows u. It has been used by the us army from the punitive raid in mexico through wwi, wwii, korea, vietnam and into oef in afghanistan. Owen john baggett was born on august 29, 1920, in graham, texas. I always love having an appraiser look at my stuff.
These days its no secret that authentic us militaryissue 1911type pistols are hot collectors items, especially among gun enthusiasts or those interested in collecting militaria. It includes 84 tables detailing parts and markings and 678 photos and drawings. Colt 1911 came into service in the us army on march 29, 1911, and was later adopted two years later by the us navy and the us marine corps. The narrative includes a quick introduction, an extended discussion of the development of the colt. The original autoordnance never built or licensed m1911 or m1911a1 pistols during or prior to world war ii. Living outside usa, makes such an endeavor quite cumbersome though.
If multiple models appear for your serial number simply match the date with the appropriate model, as certain vintage firearms can share serial numbers between different models. With that said, the 1911 was designed with the 230 grain fmj hardball cartridge in mind, and you will get the best performance out of a 1911 with a cartridge which is close to the original in shape. Jan 01, 2011 first used in combat during the punitive expedition into mexico and then extensively during both world war i 19141918 and world war ii 19391945, the colt government model 1911 pistol remained the standard issue handgun in the us armed forces for nearly 80 years and has continued in service with some units to this day. The 1911 pistol was also used by british commandos in wwii and has been. Powerful, durable and highly reliable, it is magazinefed, firing one round each time the trigger is squeezed, once the hammer is cocked by prior action of the slide or thumb. It is very desirable, even with the minor pitting and finish problem. Fm 2335 1940 basic field manual automatic pistol caliber. I 19141918 and world war ii 19391945, the colt government model 1911 pistol remained the standard issue handgun in the. The most popular being the victory model revolvers, colt pythons, and colt model 1903 pistols. World war ii, the korean war, the vietnam war, and the global war on.
The colt 1911 pistol by leroy thompson, peter dennis, alan. Colt vintage hunting books and manuals for sale ebay. In the book titled the colt 1911 pistol leroy thompson explains, in the usa many men who served in world war i, world war ii, the korean war or the vietnam. It had never been fired and went through the south pacific and north atlantic during wwii. Colt 1911 series assemblydisassembly instructions download. After graduating from college in 1941, he moved to new york city to work in wall street with an investment securities firm. I typed it up and had him sign and notorize the document. Please consider becoming a patron at our patreon page. The downside is that demand for it is high and so are the prices. Feb 28, 2014 republished from rockisland when america decided to enter world war ii after the japanese surprise attack on pearl harbor it was all hands on deck.
I actually stumbled upon this about seven or eight years ago, but i reread it occasionally, and since i couldnt find that it had ever been posted here, i figured i would. He carried a colt government model and i was shooting the big colt when i was 10. Many others report the same and its one reason why colt is still regarded as being one of the best manufacturers of 1911s on the. The colt 1911 pistol m14 rifle was developed for in the early 1900s to replace the revolver. It is about a man who successfully shot down a plane. There are numerous stories of gis returning from world war ii complaining about the inaccuracy of the 1911a1, and since the 1911 can be one. M1911, serial number 118461, front was issued to pfc jack agnew of the 101st airborne division during world war ii. Jan 24, 2011 any complete history of the model 1911 must start a decade or more before that legendary year, and half a world away in the philippines. You have experts on that forumm who can tell what the weather was like on the. Ww2 saw another huge expansion in demand for the 1911. Org, so ive got involved in an effort to collect information about publications dealing with this pistol. Before world war ii, 500 m1911s were produced under license by. A kind visitor noted the absence of such a reference in the m1911.
He parachuted out of his crippled b24 then killed the enemy. Colt was actually losing money toward the end of the war and with thousands of veterans returning home with guns, they didnt have as many people looking to buy. The gun is in a bamboo like case with an asian design. The colt 1911 pistol goodreads meet your next favorite book. I was a very good shot with both pistol and rifle very early in life and took my first deer when i was 11. For collectors only series of books on collectors and antique firearms. The 1911 was designed with a new handgun cartridge. Does anyone have a recommendation for a basic, wwii style 1911 that wont break the bank. It served as the standardissue sidearm for the united states armed forces from 1911 to 1986. The nook book ebook of the the colt 1911 pistol by leroy thompson. The current autordnance company now owned by kahr i believe is purely post wwii and purely built commercial 1911 types.
The model 1911 and model 1911a1 military and commercial pistols, 3rd edition, totals 566 pages. We offer both ww1 era 1911s, transitional and government model 1911s, as well as the ww2 model 1911a1 made by colt, remington, ithaca, and more. It is indeed a colt 1911, army issue, and it could have very well been used in wwi. Please visit the website and check out what the great. The general consensus is that the 1911 needs a breakin period of 100 to 200 rounds in order to start functioning properly, but in my experience colt 1911s have always functioned just fine right out of the box. Read this before you buy your first 1911 military times. In his hand, the soldier held the officers 1911 which had the slide locked back and the empty magazine still in place. During the first world war, a pistol revealed some defects that were repaired in 1926. Clawson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Autoordnance licensed colt to build the thompson submachine gun in early 1920s. It the magazine had the lanyard loop as shown, and it was a beautiful, uniform heat blue from the floorplate to the feed lips.
Everyone in the nation was contributing through whatever means necessary. Ww2 colt 1911 for sale colt pistols from ww2 legacy. There is nothing unusual about that happens in a war. The model 1911 is the most iconic us military pistol in history. The colt 1911 pistol weapon book 9 kindle edition by thompson, leroy, dennis, peter. The history of the colts patented firearms manufacturing companys involvement with the m1911 and m1911a1 is far too large a subject to be seriously covered here.
Author leroy thompson tells us the story of the model 1911 from its. I must thank my father, who was the sheriff of san patricio county, texas during world war ii. It has all of the information that the prospective wwii 1911 buyer needs. A substantial section of a firearms library could be devoted to 1911 books by donald bady, dave lauck, tim mullin, james serven. Go to the culvers shooting page forums and post the same question under the 1911 forum. A short history of the beloved colt 1911 pistol small wars journal. Back in the early 70s in helena, montana, i saw an elk shot with a 1911, one shot. The adventures of caleb the colt book 1 the 1911 colt. The 1911, despite being firmly entrenched in the hearts of american collectors, suffered after world war ii. Each pistol would be fired 100 times, then allowed to cool for five minutes.
The amazing story of a little colt with a big purpose. Several people have been trying to buy it for some time now. If you want a reference book to put on the shelf and refer to when a gun comes along, it is still the best book because clawsons earlier, thicker, and much more detailed book colt. In fact, no m1911 or m1911a1 pistols have been produced after 1945. He graduated from hardinsimmons university in 1941, where he was the bands drum major. There are more books written about the m1911 pistol than any other firearm in the world. Get the best deals on colt vintage hunting books and manuals when you shop the largest online selection at. After graduation, he found employment on wall street. Fortunately for the collector several superb books have. Comes with presentation case, cloth gun cover, whitte gloves and original papers. Does anyone have a recommendation for a basic, wwiistyle 1911 that wont break the bank. Soldier training with colt pistol digital history 511.
He parachuted out of his crippled b24 then killed the. The second world war contained plenty of oddities that are left out of most history books. The following story may or may not be true, but the us army air force usaaf believes it is. Exotic hardwood grips with rampant colt medallions adorn the. Collectors guide to colt 45 service pistols by clawson. Value of 1911 colt 44, chrome plated, have no more info. Whilst what you say about the c and w serial numbers of colt government models is quite right, there were no british miltary contracts to colt for. It has a nickelplated finish with commemorative legend.