Classic Handguns of the 20th Century. David Arnold

changes occurred after World War I in the revised 1911A1 model. The changes consisted of a revised grip safety with alonger tang and an arched mainspring housing. The new thumb safety shown here was only made after World War II.

       FINISHES AND MATERIALS

      The first 1911s had Colt’s brightly polished fire-blue finish but later military pistols had a matte non-glare Parkerized finish. Civilian models with bright blue finishes continued to be made.

      Grips began with checkered-wood side panels. Military models later had panels made of a brown plastic material. For a time, Colt used a special synthetic material with a wood-like appearance called “Coltwood” for most of their handgun grips, including the 1911.

      While carbon steel has been the material used for most 1911s, an aluminum alloy called “Coltaloy” was substituted for lightweight versions like the Commander and Officers ACP. During the 1980s, Colt offered a stainless steel Government model and this material is now used throughout the 1911 line.

       THE COLT 1911 TODAY

      As already mentioned, the 1911 continues to be made by Colt in several versions. Even though Colt’s future is uncertain, the 1911 continues to thrive in the form of a variety of clones and copies made by other companies.

       FIELD STRIPPING PROCEDURES

      The following is the field strip procedure for the standard Government model. Customized pistols and those with full-length guide rods have a slightly different procedure.

      First remove the magazine and check that the chamber is empty. Then rotate the barrel bushing clockwise so the recoil spring and plug can be removed. Next, rotate the barrel bushing counter-clockwise so it can be removed from the slide.

      With the recoil spring removed, pull back the slide until the smaller detent on the left side is aligned with the rear of the slide stop. When in this position, the slide stop can be removed from the frame.

      The slide and barrel assembly can then be pulled forward off the frame. The final step is to remove the barrel from the front of the slide. The pistol is assembled in reverse order. With Series 80 models that have the firing pin lock, the levers operating the same need to be pushed back in the frame when refitting the slide.

       SHOOTING AND HANDLING THE GOVERNMENT MODEL 1911

      In spite of its continuing popularity, not everyone has praised the pistol as a shooting arm. Many a GI has cussed it for its lack of accuracy and heavy recoil. This is in sharp contrast to those who extol it as one of the best combat handguns ever made. The simple fact is the pistol would never have survived as long as it has if it did not have many virtues and few faults.

      Its strength, reliability and great hitting power are at the top of its many attributes. In spite of the pistol’s great strength, prolonged shooting of high-performance ammunition can result in accelerated wear and even frame and slide cracking. Regular maintenance and recoil spring replacement can go a long way towards preventing this.

      The pistol’s large components and generous tolerances enable it to continue functioning in the most arduous of circumstances. Nevertheless, like other pistols of the period, it is designed for shooting full metal case ammunition. Problems therefore may be experienced with modern hollowpoint ammunition, although some 1911s handle them as well as hardball.

      In my experience, malfunctions often occur with pistols that have been tricked up, accurized or otherwise customized for high performance. To avoid this, use only the services of a gunsmith who is well acquainted with the 1911. Such gunsmiths can also improve the reliability of 1911s with functioning problems.

      In terms of shooting performance, the Government model has many excellent qualities. Its controls are all well placed for easy operation with the thumb of the shooting hand. The thumb and other safeties enable a well-trained shooter to carry it “cocked and locked” (chamber loaded, hammer cocked and safety applied).

      The pistol’s grip provides a very comfortable hold. Recoil is surprisingly mild, especially when a two-handed grip is used. The only problem that can occur, depending on how the pistol is gripped, is failure to completely push in the grip safety. This may happen if a very high thumb position is taken.

      Taking a high thumb position with a Model 1911 also may result in hammer bite (the fleshy part of the web of the hand being pinched between the hammer and the grip safety spur). This is less likely to occur with a 1911A1 because of its longer grip safety tang. The problem can be resolved either by taking a different hold or having a custom Beavertail grip safety fitted.

      Except for 1911s of later than 1990 vintage, the fixed sights tend to be on the small side and trigger pulls on the heavy side. The former can be vastly improved by fitting a set of one of the many excellent aftermarket sights while the services of a good gunsmith can provide a trigger equal to that of any target pistol.

      Most Government Models have accuracy that is adequate for service and defense purposes, although it is possible to get a pistol that has superior accuracy. My first Government Model, a 1911 of fairly early vintage delivered excellent accuracy. The fact is the 1911 and the 45 ACP have great accuracy potential.

      There are gunsmiths specializing in 1911 custom work who can create a match-grade target arm out of a military GI 45. Accuracy can be improved by simply fitting tighter barrel bushings and longer barrel links. A device called a Group-Gripper that is relatively simple to install can produce remarkable improvements in accuracy.

      No other handgun has been subjected to such extensive gunsmithing. Such pistols dominate the target and action shooting ranges. The things that can be done to improve the pistol’s performance are one of its most endearing qualities.

       COLLECTOR INTEREST

      Model 1911s of early vintage have high collector value as do some of the later models. Customizing can destroy their value and there is also the question of whether to shoot such a pistol. It is, therefore, important to know exactly what type of 1911 you have.

       In the 1930s, Colt offered a slide 22 barrel and magazine conversion unit to allow the 1911 to shoot 22 LR cartridges.

       The Series 80 also introduced new fixed sights that were a vast improvement over those of the earlier models.

       A trigger-activated lever in the rear of the frame disengages the firing pin lock in the slide.

      John Moses Browning

      John Browning is generally recognized as one of the greatest firearms designers. His designs extend not just to handguns, but encompass rifles, shotguns and machineguns. He is best known for his many contributions to the design of self-loading firearms.

      Browning was born in 1855 in Utah. His father was a gunsmith by trade and his son showed an aptitude for firearms as a young boy and worked in his father’s shop. At the age of 14, he made his first rifle from scrap he found in the shop.

      In 1878, he received his first patent. By the time he was married and a father, he was a full-time gun maker. His career as a firearms designer was ensured when T.G. Bennett, vice president of Winchester, purchased one of Browning’s single-shot rifles. This spawned a partnership with the company that lasted for some 19 years. During that time, the company purchased Browning’s Models 1886, 1894 and 1895 lever-action rifles as well as his 1887 lever-action and 1897 slide-action shotguns.

      After returning from