View source for M1911 pistol

{{Short description|Semi-automatic pistol}}
{{Use American English |date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates |date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox weapon
| image              = M1911 and M1911A1 pistols.JPG
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = M1911 and a M1911A1, both manufactured by Colt
| name               = Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911
| origin             = United States
| type               = [[Semi-automatic pistol]]
| is_ranged          = yes
| service            = 1911–present
| used_by            = See ''[[#Users|Users]]''
| wars               = As standard U.S. [[service pistol]]:{{plainlist|
*[[World War I]]
*[[Banana Wars]]{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=38}}
*[[World War II]]
*[[Korean War]]
*[[Vietnam War]]}}
In non-US standard use:{{plainlist|
*[[Finnish Civil War]]
*[[Chaco War]]<ref name="Chaco">{{cite book|author=Alejandro de Quesada|title=The Chaco War 1932-35: South America's greatest modern conflict|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dTm3CwAAQBAJ|date=20 November 2011|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84908-901-2|page=23|access-date=20 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705232859/https://books.google.fr/books/about/The_Chaco_War_1932_35.html?id=dTm3CwAAQBAJ|archive-date=5 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Constitutionalist Revolution]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Douglas de Souza Aguiar Junior|url=https://armasonline.org/armas-on-line/o-museu-da-pm-de-sao-paulo/|title=O Museu de Polícia Militar de São Paulo|website=Armas On-Line|date=11 September 2022|language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/handguns-of-a-forgotten-ally/| title=Handguns Of A Forgotten Ally|first1=Douglas|last1=de Souza Aguiar, Jr. |first2=Luke|last2=Mercaldo|first3=Anthony|last3=Vanderlinden|date=16 May 2022|website=American Rifleman}}</ref>
*[[Chinese Civil War]]
*[[Spanish Civil War]]
*[[First Indochina War]]
*[[Indonesian National Revolution]]
*[[Algerian War]]<ref>{{cite magazine|language=fr|magazine=Gazette des Armes|issue=220|date=March 1992|title=L'armement français en A.F.N.|pages=12–16|url=http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/gazette-des-armes/numero-220-mars-1992/page-12-13-texte-integral|access-date=2018-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008174853/http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/gazette-des-armes/numero-220-mars-1992/page-12-13-texte-integral|archive-date=2018-10-08|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Laotian Civil War]]
*[[Cuban Revolution]]
*[[Bay of Pigs Invasion]]<ref name="Pigs">{{cite book|title=The Bay of Pigs: Cuba 1961|series=Elite 166|first=Alejandro|last= de Quesada |date=10 Jan 2009|isbn=9781846033230 |publisher=Osprey Publishing|page=60}}</ref>
*[[The Troubles]]
*[[Basque conflict]]
*[[Rhodesian Bush War]]
*[[Cambodian Civil War]]
*[[Cambodian–Vietnamese War]]
*[[Sino-Vietnamese War]]
*[[Iran–Iraq War]]
*[[Falklands War]]{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=65}}
*[[Lebanese Civil War]]
*[[Salvadoran Civil War]]
*[[Gulf War]]
*[[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]]{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|pp=56-58}}
*[[Iraq War]]
*[[Syrian Civil War]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads%2Fm1911-spotted-in-free-syrian-armys-arsenal.680588%2F | title=M1911 Spotted in Free Syrian Army's Arsenal | date=9 October 2012 | access-date=1 December 2024 | archive-date=20 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120052255/https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/m1911-spotted-in-free-syrian-armys-arsenal.680588/ | url-status=live|website=The High Road}}{{self-published source|date=May 2025}}</ref>
*[[Russo-Ukrainian War]]
}}
| designer           = [[John Browning]]
| design_date        = {{plainlist|
* 1911 (Model 1911)<ref name="Manual" />
* 1924 (Model 1911A1) }}
| manufacturer       = [[Colt Manufacturing Company]], [[Smith & Wesson]], [[Norinco]], other companies
| unit_cost          = $26.38 (1938),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CFguAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA404|title = Second Deficiency Appropriation Bill for 1939|year = 1939}}</ref> equal to ${{Inflation|US|26.38|1938}} now
| production_date    = 1911–present
| variants           = {{plainlist|
*M1911A1<ref name="Manual" />
*M1911A2<ref name="AMU" />
*[[FN Grand Browning]]
*[[M15 pistol|RIA Officers]]
*[[Kongsberg Colt]]
*[[MEU(SOC) pistol]]}}
| number             = 2,734,345 (produced by Colt) <br />4,294,345 (total including licensed copies)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kuhnhasen |first1=Jerry |title=The U.S. M1911 M1911A1 Pistols and Commercial M1911 Type Pistols: A Shop Manual |date=1997 |publisher=VSP Publishers |page=9}}</ref>
| part_length        = {{plainlist|
*Government model: 5.03 in (127 mm)<ref name="Manual" />
*Commander model: 4.25 in (108 mm)
*Officer model: 3.5 in (89 mm)}}
| cartridge          = [[.45 ACP]], [[.455 Webley]] Auto (British Contract), [[.38 Super]], [[9x19mm Parabellum]], [[7.65mm Parabellum]], [[9mm Steyr]], [[.400 Corbon]], others
| feed               = 7-, 8-, 9-, 10- or 12-round box magazines<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gunmagwarehouse.com/all-magazines/handguns/magazines-183/1911-magazines |title= 1911: Magazines}}</ref>
| action             = [[Recoil operation#Short recoil|Short recoil operation]]<ref name="Manual" />
| velocity           = {{convert|830|ft/s|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="Manual" />
| range              = {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| weight             = {{convert|39|oz|g|abbr=on|lk=on}} empty, with magazine<ref name="Manual" /><ref>FM 23-35, 1940</ref>
| length             = 8.5 in (216 mm)<ref name="Manual" />
}}

The '''Colt M1911''' (also known as '''1911''', '''Colt 1911''', '''Colt .45''', or '''Colt Government''' in the case of [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]]-produced models) is a [[single-action]], [[recoil-operated]], [[semi-automatic pistol]] chambered primarily for the [[.45 ACP]] [[cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]].<ref name="Manual">{{cite book |title=Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911 Technical Manual TM 9-1005-211-34 1964 edition |publisher=Pentagon Publishing |orig-year=1964 |year=2018|isbn=978-1-60170-013-1}}</ref>

==History==

===Early history and adaptations===
The M1911 pistol originated in the late 1890s as the result of a search for a suitable self-loading (or semi-automatic) pistol to replace the variety of revolvers in service at the time.<ref name="Taylor">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Chuck |title=Complete Book Of Combat Handgunning |publisher=Paladin Press |year=1981 |location=Boulder, CO |page=200 |isbn=978-0-87364-327-6}}</ref> The United States was adopting new firearms at a phenomenal rate; several new pistols and two all-new service rifles ([[Springfield Model 1892-99|M1892/96/98 Krag]] and [[M1895 Navy Lee]]), as well as a series of revolvers by [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]] and [[Smith & Wesson]] for the Army and Navy, were adopted just in that decade.

The next decade would see a similar pace, including the adoption of several more revolvers and an intensive search for a self-loading pistol that would culminate in the official adoption of the M1911 after the turn of the decade. [[Hiram Stevens Maxim|Hiram S. Maxim]] had designed a self-loading [[rifle]] in the 1880s, but was preoccupied with [[machine gun]]s. Nevertheless, the application of his principle of using recoil energy to reload led to several self-loading pistols in 1896. The designs caught the attention of various militaries, each of which began programs to find a suitable one for their forces. In the U.S., such a program would lead to a formal test at the turn of the 20th century.{{sfn|Hogg|Walter|2004|p=225}}

[[File:JOHN M. BROWNING.jpg|thumb|left|upright|M1911 designer [[John Browning]]]]
During the end of 1899 and into 1900, a test of self-loading pistols was conducted, including entries from [[Mauser]] ([[Mauser C96|C96 "Broomhandle"]]), Mannlicher ([[Mannlicher M1894]]), and Colt ([[Colt M1900]]).<ref name="Taylor"/> This led to a purchase of 1,000 [[Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken|DWM]] [[Luger pistol]]s, chambered in [[7.65mm Luger]].  During field trials, these ran into some problems, especially with [[stopping power]]. Other governments had made similar complaints.  Consequently, DWM produced an enlarged version of the round, the [[9×19mm Parabellum]] with fifty weapons chambered for it tested by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] in 1903.{{sfn|Hogg|Walter|2004|p=98}}

American units fighting [[Tausūg people|Tausūg]] guerrillas in the [[Moro Rebellion]] in Sulu during the [[Philippine–American War]] using the then-standard [[Colt M1892]] revolver, [[.38 Long Colt]], found it to be unsuitable for the rigors of [[jungle warfare]], particularly in terms of [[stopping power]], as the Moros had high battle morale and often used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain.<ref>[[Brian McAllister Linn|Linn, Brian McAllister]]. ''The Philippine War, 1899–1902'' (Modern War Studies (Paperback)). University Press of Kansas. {{ISBN|978-0-7006-1225-3}}.</ref>

The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the [[Colt Single Action Army|M1873 single-action revolver]] in [[.45 Colt]] caliber, which had been standard during the late 19th century; the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen.<ref name="Poyer">{{cite book |last=Poyer|first=Joseph |author2=Craig Riesch|author3=Karl Karash|title=The Model 1911 and Model 1911A1 Military and Commercial Pistols |year=2008|publisher=North Cape Publications|page=544|isbn=978-1-882391-46-2}}</ref> Problems prompted General [[William Crozier (artillerist)|William Crozier]], the [[Chief of Ordnance]], to authorize further testing for a new service pistol.<ref name="Poyer" />

Following the 1904 [[Thompson-LaGarde Tests|Thompson-LaGarde]] pistol round effectiveness tests, Colonel [[John T. Thompson]] stated that the new pistol "should not be of less than .45 caliber" and would preferably be semi-automatic in operation.<ref name="Poyer" /> This led to the 1906 trials of pistols from six firearms manufacturing companies (namely, [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]], [[Theodor Bergmann|Bergmann]], [[Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken]] (DWM), [[Savage Arms]], Knoble, [[Webley & Scott|Webley]], and White-Merrill).<ref name="Poyer" />

Of the six designs submitted, three were eliminated early on, leaving only the [[Savage Model 1907|Savage]], Colt, and [[Luger P08 pistol|DWM]] designs chambered in the new [[.45 ACP]] (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge.<ref name="Poyer" />  These three still had issues that needed correction, but only Colt and Savage resubmitted their designs.

There is some debate over the reasons for DWM's withdrawal—some say they felt there was bias and that the DWM design was being used primarily as a "[[whipping boy]]" for the Savage and Colt pistols,<ref name="dmwwithdrawal">Hallock, Kenneth R. (1980), ''Hallock's .45 Auto Handbook''.</ref> though this does not fit well with the earlier 1900 purchase of the DWM design over the Colt and Steyr entries. In any case, a series of field tests from 1907 to 1911 were held to decide between the Savage and Colt designs.<ref name="Poyer" />  Both designs were improved between each round of testing, leading up to the final test before adoption.<ref name="Poyer" />

Among the areas of success for the Colt was a test at the end of 1910 attended by its designer, John Browning. Six thousand rounds were fired from a single pistol over the course of two days. When the gun began to grow hot, it was simply immersed in water to cool it. The Colt gun passed with no reported malfunctions, while the Savage designs had 37.<ref name="Poyer" />

===Service history===
Following its success in trials, the Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, when it was designated "Model of 1911", later changed in 1917 to "Model 1911", and then "M1911" in the mid-1920s.

The [[Director of Civilian Marksmanship]] began manufacture of M1911 pistols for members of the [[National Rifle Association of America]] in August 1912. Approximately 100 pistols stamped "N.R.A." below the serial number were manufactured at Springfield Armory and by Colt.<ref>Ness, Mark ''[[American Rifleman]]'' June 1983 p. 58</ref>

The M1911 was formally adopted by the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] in 1913. The .45 ACP "Model of 1911 U.S. Army" was used by both U.S. Army Cavalry troops and infantry soldiers during the United States' [[Pancho Villa Expedition|Punitive Expedition]] into Mexico against Pancho Villa in 1916.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Canfield |first=Bruce |date=October 2016 |title= 1916: Guns On The Border |magazine=[[American Rifleman]] |publisher=National Rifle Association of America |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/guns-on-the-border-the-1916-punitive-expedition-to-mexico/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707070626/https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/guns-on-the-border-the-1916-punitive-expedition-to-mexico/ |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The M1911 officially replaced a range of revolvers and pistols across branches of the U.S. armed forces, though a number of other designs have seen use in certain niches.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hogg |first=Ian V. |author-link=Ian V. Hogg |title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century |author2=John S. Weeks |publisher=Krause Publication |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-87341-824-9 |location=Iola, Wisconsin |pages=85–86}}</ref>

==== Designation changes ====
The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for the original model adopted in March 1911, and ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1'' for the improved '''M1911A1''' model which entered service in 1926.

The designation changed to ''Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1'' in the Vietnam War era.<ref name="Manual" />

====Replacement====
{{Main|Joint Service Small Arms Program}}
At the end of hostilities, the government cancelled all contracts for further production and made use of existing stocks of weapons to equip personnel. Many of these weapons had seen service use, and had to be rebuilt and refinished prior to being issued.

From the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s thousands of 1911s and 1911A1s were refurbished at U.S. arsenals and service depots. These rebuilds consisted of anything from minor inspections to major overhauls.

Pistols that were refurbished at government arsenals will usually be marked on the frame/receiver with the arsenal's initials, such as RIA for Rock Island Armory or SA for Springfield Armory.

By the late 1970s, the M1911A1 was acknowledged to be showing its age.

Under political pressure from Congress to standardize on a single modern pistol design, the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] ran a [[Joint Service Small Arms Program]] to select a new semi-automatic pistol using the [[NATO]]-standard 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge.

After trials, the [[Beretta 92|Beretta 92S-1]] was chosen. The Army contested this result and subsequently ran its own competition in 1981, the [[Beretta M9|XM9]] trials, eventually leading to the official adoption of the [[Beretta 92#Evolution|Beretta 92F]] on January 14, 1985.<ref name="New York Times Biddle">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/15/us/around-the-nation-italian-9-mm-chosen-to-replace-army-s-.45.html|title=AROUND THE NATION; Italian 9-mm. Chosen To Replace Army's .45|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 15, 1985|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802095400/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/15/us/around-the-nation-italian-9-mm-chosen-to-replace-army-s-.45.html|archive-date=August 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="New York Times UPI">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/20/weekinreview/colt-.45-goes-to-the-trophy-room.html|title=COLT .45 GOES TO THE TROPHY ROOM|first1=Wayne|last1=Biddle|date=January 20, 1985|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802081901/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/20/weekinreview/colt-.45-goes-to-the-trophy-room.html|archive-date=August 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="New York Times AP">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/11/business/army-signs-pact-for-beretta-guns.html|title=Army Signs Pact For Beretta Guns|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 11, 1985|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802085139/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/11/business/army-signs-pact-for-beretta-guns.html|archive-date=August 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="gd2011">{{cite book|last=Malloy|first=John|title=Gun Digest 2011|editor=Dan Shiedler|publisher=Krause|year=2011 |chapter=The Colt 1911: The First Century|isbn=978-1-4402-1337-3|pages=108–117}}</ref>

Despite that, the M1911A1 has never been completely phased out. Modernized derivative variants of the M1911, such as the [[MEU(SOC) pistol|M45 MEU(SOC)]] and the M45A1 CQBP, as are still in use by some units of the [[United States Armed Forces|US Armed Forces]].<ref name="Campbell">{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Robert K. |title=The Shooter's Guide to the 1911: A Guide to the Greatest Pistol of All Time |publisher=Gun Digest Books |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4402-1434-9 |page=99}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-01-28 |title=Corps considers 2 guns for new MARSOC .45 - Marine Corps News {{!}} News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times |url=http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/01/marine-marsoc-pistol-45cal-012511w/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128211947/http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/01/marine-marsoc-pistol-45cal-012511w/ |archive-date=2011-01-28 |access-date=2022-05-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 November 2016 |title=Colt M45A1 CQBP: the MARSOC pistol |url=https://www.gunsweek.com/en/pistols/articles/colt-m45a1-cqbp-marsoc-pistol |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=GUNSweek.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Design==
[[File:Colt M1911 cross-section diagram.jpg|thumb|right|Cross-section diagram, with labeled parts, of original Model 1911 pistol, from official Army description as published in 1917.]]
[[File:COLT M1911A1 fieldstrip noBG 2.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Mil Spec field stripped]]

Browning's basic M1911 design has seen very little change throughout its production life.<ref name="Manual" />

=== Operation ===
The basic principle of the pistol is recoil operation.<ref name="Manual" />

As the expanding combustion gases force the bullet down the barrel, they give reverse momentum to the slide and barrel which are locked together during this portion of the firing cycle. After the bullet has left the barrel, the slide and barrel continue rearward a short distance.<ref name="Manual" />{{page needed|date=March 2021}}

At this point, a link pivots the rear of the barrel down, out of locking recesses in the slide, and the barrel is stopped by making contact with the lower barrel lugs against the frame.

As the slide continues rearward, a claw extractor pulls the spent casing from the firing chamber and an ejector strikes the rear of the case, pivoting the casing out and away from the pistol through the ejection port.

The slide stops its rearward motion then, and is propelled forward again by the recoil spring to strip a fresh cartridge from the magazine and feed it into the firing chamber.

At the forward end of its travel, the slide locks into the barrel and is ready to fire again.

However, if the fired round was the last in the magazine, the slide will lock in the rearward position, which notifies the shooter to reload by ejecting the empty magazine and inserting a loaded magazine, and facilitates (by being rearwards) reloading the chamber, which is accomplished by either pulling the slide back slightly and releasing, or by pushing down on the slide stop, which releases the slide to move forward under spring pressure, strip a fresh cartridge from the magazine, and feed it into the firing chamber.<ref name="Manual" />

=== Composition ===
Other than grip screws there are no fasteners of any type in the 1911 design.

The main components of the gun are held in place by the force of the main spring. The pistol can be "field stripped" by partially retracting the slide, removing the slide stop, and removing the barrel bushing.

Full disassembly (and subsequent reassembly) of the pistol to its component parts can be accomplished using several manually removed components as tools to complete the disassembly.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Safety ===
The military mandated a [[grip safety]] and a [[manual safety]].<ref name="Manual" /> A grip safety, [[sear (firearm)|sear]] disconnect, slide stop, half cock position, and manual safety (located on the left rear of the frame) are on all standard M1911A1s.<ref name="Manual" />

Several companies have developed a [[safety (firearms)|firing pin block safety]]. Colt's 80 series uses a trigger-operated one, and several other manufacturers, including Kimber and Smith & Wesson, use a Swartz firing-pin safety, which is operated by the grip safety.<ref>U.S. Patent 2,169,084 (1939)</ref><ref name="Davis">Davis and Raynor(1976), ''Safe Pistols Made Even Safer'', American Rifleman, Jan. 1976</ref>

Language cautioning against pulling the trigger with the second finger was included in the initial M1911 manual<ref>{{Google books |id=hs9BAAAAIAAJ |page=16 |title=Description of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911, with Rules for Management, Memoranda of Trajectory, and Description of Ammunition}} (published in 1917)</ref> and later manuals up to the 1940s.

=== Calibres ===
In addition to the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), M1911 models chambered for [[.455 Webley|.455 Webley Auto]], [[.38 Super]], [[9×19mm Parabellum]], [[7.65mm Parabellum]], [[9mm Steyr]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Wiley Clapp |title=The 1911: Not Just a .45 |url=http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/the-1911-not-just-a-45/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811021831/http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/the-1911-not-just-a-45 |archive-date=2013-08-11 |access-date=2013-08-25 |work=American Rifleman}}</ref> [[.400 Corbon]], and other cartridges were offered.

The M1911 was developed from earlier [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]] semi-automatic designs, firing rounds such as [[.38 ACP]].

=== Interwar changes ===
Battlefield experience in World War I led to some more small external changes to the M1911, completed in 1924.

The new version received a modified type classification, M1911A1, in 1926 with a stipulation that M1911A1s should have serial numbers higher than 700,000 with lower serial numbers designated M1911.<ref>Canfield, Bruce N. ''[[American Rifleman]]'' June 2005, p. 26</ref>

The M1911A1 changes to the original design consisted of a shorter trigger, cutouts in the frame behind the trigger, an arched mainspring housing, a longer grip safety spur (to prevent [[hammer bite]]), a wider front sight, a shortened hammer spur, and simplified grip checkering (eliminating the "Double Diamond" reliefs).<ref name="Poyer" />

These changes were subtle and largely intended to make the pistol easier to shoot for those with smaller hands. No significant internal changes were made, and parts remained interchangeable between the M1911 and the M1911A1.<ref name="Poyer" />

==Versions==

=== Wartime production ===

==== World War I ====
The need to greatly expand U.S. military forces and the resultant surge in demand for the firearm in [[World War I]] saw the expansion of manufacture to other contractors besides Colt and Springfield Armory, including Remington-[[Union Metallic Cartridge Company|UMC]] and [[North American Arms]] Co. of Quebec.{{sfn|Hogg|Walter|2004|p=83}}

Several other manufacturers were awarded contracts to produce the M1911, including the: 
# [[NCR Corporation|National Cash Register Company]]
# [[Savage Arms]]
# Caron Brothers Manufacturing of Montreal
# [[Burroughs Corporation|Burroughs Adding Machine Co.]]
# [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company]]
# [[Lanston Monotype Company]]

However, the signing of the Armistice resulted in the cancellation of the contracts before any pistols had been produced.{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=26}}

==== World War II ====
The M1911A1 pistol was produced in very large quantities during the war. About 1.9 million units were procured by the U.S. Government for all forces, production being undertaken by several manufacturers, including: 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Manufacturer
!Quantity
|-
|[[Remington Rand]] 
|900,000 
|-
|[[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt]]
|400,000
|-
|[[Ithaca Gun Company]]
|400,000
|-
|[[Union Switch & Signal]]
|50,000
|-
|[[Singer Corporation|Singer]] 
|500
|}
M1911A1 pistols produced during WWII were given a [[parkerize]]d metal finish instead of bluing, and the wood grip panels were replaced with panels made of brown plastic.

Among collectors today, the Singer-produced pistols in particular are highly prized, commanding high prices even in poor condition.

=== General Officer's Model ===
{{See also|M15 pistol}}

===M45 MEU(SOC)===
{{Main|MEU(SOC) pistol}}

In 1986, the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) at [[Marine Corps Base Quantico]] began customizing M1911A1s for reconnaissance units. The units served in a new Marine Corps program [[Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable)]] (MEU(SOC)).<ref>{{cite press release |author1=Monique Randolph, MCSC Corporate Communications |title=MSCS trains Marines on new Close Quarters Battle Pistol |url=https://www.marcorsyscom.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/509539/mcsc-trains-marines-on-new-close-quarters-battle-pistol/ |website=United States Marines Corps |access-date=25 August 2022 |date=19 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="Marine">{{cite book |last=Clancy |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Clancy |title=Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit |year=1996 |publisher=Berkeley Trade |location=Berkeley, California |pages=[https://archive.org/details/marineguidedtour00clan/page/64 64, 79–80] |isbn=978-0-425-15454-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/marineguidedtour00clan/page/64 }}</ref>{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|pp=55,58}} The pistol was designated the M45 MEU(SOC).<ref name="USMC2013" />

Hand-selected Colt M1911A1 frames were gutted, deburred and were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, ambidextrous thumb safeties, triggers, improved high-visibility sights, accurized barrels, grips, and improved Wilson magazines.<ref name="Marine" /><ref name="SemperFi">{{Cite journal |last=Hopkins |first=Cameron |title=Semper FI 1911 – Industry Insider |journal=American Handgunner |issue=March–April, 2002 |date=March 1, 2002 |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_156_26/ai_82533214 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050103095502/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_156_26/ai_82533214 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 3, 2005}}</ref> These hand-made pistols were tuned to specifications and preferences of end users.<ref name="SOF">Johnston, Gary Paul.(2004)"One Good Pistol", ''Soldier of Fortune Magazine'', December 2004, 62–67</ref>

In the late 1980s, the Marines laid out a series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st-century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs, but design and supply time was limited.<ref name="SOF" />

The Los Angeles Police Department was pleased with their special [[Kimber Manufacturing|Kimber]] M1911 pistols, a single source request was issued to Kimber for just such a pistol despite the imminent release of their [[Kimber Custom|TLE/RLII]] models.<ref name="swat">Rogers, Patrick A.(2003)"Marines New SOCOM Pistol", ''SWAT Magazine'', December 2003, 52–57</ref>

Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol ([[Kimber Custom|ICQB]]).

Maintaining the simple recoil assembly, 5-inch barrel (though using a stainless steel match grade barrel), and internal extractor, the ICQB is not much different from Browning's original design.<ref name="swat" />

=== M1911-A2 ===
Due to an increased demand for M1911 pistols among Army Special Operations units, who are known to field a variety of M1911 pistols, the [[U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit]] began looking to develop a new generation of M1911s and launched the M1911-A2 project in late 2004.<ref name="AMU">{{cite news |last=Garrett |first=Rob |title=Army Marksmanship Unit: The Pipeline for Spec Ops Weapons |periodical=Tactical Weapons Magazine |publisher=Harris Publications, Inc. |volume=1 |issue=1}}</ref>

The goal was to produce a minimum of seven variants with various sights, internal and external extractors, flat and arched mainspring housings, integral and add-on magazine wells, a variety of finishes and other options, with the idea of providing the end-user a selection from which to select the features that best fit their missions.<ref name="AMU" />

The AMU performed a well-received demonstration of the first group of pistols to the Marine Corps at Quantico and various Special Operations units at Ft. Bragg and other locations.<ref name="AMU" /> The project provided a feasibility study with insight into future projects.<ref name="AMU" />

Models were loaned to various Special Operations units, the results of which are classified. An RFP was issued for a Joint Combat Pistol but it was ultimately canceled.<ref name="AMU" />

Ultimately, the M1911A2 project provided a testbed for improving existing M1911s. An improved M1911 variant becoming available in the future is a possibility.<ref name="AMU" />

===M45A1===
In July 2012, the USMC awarded Colt a $22.5 million contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols to replace the M45 MEU(SOC) pistol.<ref name="Marines_order_M1911">{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/sticking-to-their-guns-marines-place-22-5m-order-for-the-colt-45-m1911 |title=Sticking to their guns: Marines place $22.5M order for the Colt .45 M1911 |first=Maegan |last=Vasquez |publisher=Fox News |date=28 July 2012 |access-date=20 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809144416/http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/28/marines-pay-22m-to-go-back-to-their-old-guns-colt-45-caliber-pistols/ |archive-date=9 August 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Colt Defense LLC Announces Award of Marine Corps M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) Contract |url=http://www.colt.com/ColtMilitary/News/tabid/84/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/54/Colt-Defense-LLC-Announces-Award-of-Marine-Corps-M45-Close-Quarter-Battle-Pistol-CQBP-Contract.aspx |website=Colt Defense LLC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829131746/http://www.colt.com/ColtMilitary/News/tabid/84/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/54/Colt-Defense-LLC-Announces-Award-of-Marine-Corps-M45-Close-Quarter-Battle-Pistol-CQBP-Contract.aspx |archive-date=29 August 2012 |date=20 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Marine Corps issued the M45A1 to Force Reconnaissance companies, [[United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command|Marine Corps Special Operations Command]] (MARSOC) and [[Special Reaction Team]]s from the Provost Marshal’s Office.<ref name="USMC2013">{{cite press release |author1=Cpl. Mark W. Stroud |title=Reconnaissance Marines train with Close-Quarters Battle Pistol |url=https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/532208/reconnaissance-marines-train-with-close-quarters-battle-pistol/ |website=United States Marine Corps |access-date=25 August 2022 |date=18 July 2013}}</ref>

The new 1911 was designated M45A1 or "Close Quarters Battle Pistol" CQBP. The M45A1 features a dual recoil spring assembly, Picatinny rails and is cerakoted tan in color.

In 2019, the USMC selected the [[SIG Sauer M18]] to replace the M45A1.<ref>{{cite press release |title=U.S. Marine Corps Adoption of M18 Underscores Success of SIG SAUER Modular Handgun System Program |url=https://www.sigsauer.com/blog/u-s-marine-corps-adoption-of-m18-underscores-success-of-sig-sauer-modular-handgun-system-program |website=SIG SAUER |access-date=27 August 2022 |date=17 June 2019}}</ref> The Marines began the roll out of the M18 in 2020.<ref>{{cite press release |author1=Matt Gonzales, Marine Corps Systems Command |title=Marine Corps fields first new service pistol In 35 years |url=https://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/2358194/marine-corps-fields-first-new-service-pistol-in-35-years/ |website=United States Marine Corps |access-date=27 August 2022 |date=23 September 2020}}</ref> The replacement was completed by October 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trevithick |first1=Joseph |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/iconic-1911-pistols-are-finally-gone-from-marine-corps-service |title=Iconic 1911 Pistols Have Finally Been Retired From Marine Corps Service |website=thedrive.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008020638/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/iconic-1911-pistols-are-finally-gone-from-marine-corps-service |archive-date=8 October 2023 |access-date=24 October 2023 |date=21 June 2023}}</ref>

===Colt-produced models===
[[File:Colt1991A1ORM-01.JPG|thumb|right|A Colt M1991A1 Compact ORM pistol]]
[[File:Colt1991A1ORM-02.JPG|thumb|right|A Colt M1991A1 Compact ORM pistol with slide locked back to expose bull barrel]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Model
!Era
!Description
!References
|-
|Colt Commander
|1949–present
|In 1949 Colt began production of the Colt Commander, an aluminum-framed 1911 with a {{Frac|4|1|4}} inch barrel and a rounded hammer. 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 Combat Commander
|1970–present
|In 1970, Colt introduced the all-steel "Colt Combat Commander", with an optional model in satin nickel. To differentiate between the two models, the aluminum-framed model was renamed the "Lightweight Commander".
|
|-
|Colt Government Mk. IV Series 70
|1970–1983
|Introduced the accurized Split Barrel Bushing (collet bushing). The first 1000 prototypes in the serial number range 35800NM–37025NM were marked BB on the barrel and the slide. Commander-sized pistols retained the solid bushing.
|
|-
|Colt Government Mk. IV Series 80
|1983–present
|Introduced an internal firing pin safety and a new half-cock notch on the sear; pulling the trigger on these models while at half-cock will cause the hammer to drop. Models after 1988 returned to the solid barrel bushing due to concerns about breakages of collet bushings.
|
|-
|Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911/Mk. IV Series 70/Mk. IV Series 80
| rowspan="2" |1983–1996
|MKIV/Series 70 Gold Cup 75th Anniversary National Match/Camp Perry 1978. Limited to 200 pistols. 
|
|-
|Gold Cup MKIV Series 80 National Match
|Colt-Elliason adjustable rear sight, fully adjustable Bomar-Style rear sight, target post front sight, spur hammer, wide target trigger, lowered and flared ejection port, National Match barrel, beveled top slide, wrap-around rubber stocks with nickel medallion.
|<ref>{{cite web |date=28 July 2011 |title=The National Match .45 ACP Pistols |url=http://sightm1911.com/lib/history/nm.htm |website=sightm1911.com}}</ref>
|-
|Colt 1991 Series 
|1991–2001 (ORM); 2001–present (NRM)
|A hybrid of the M1911A1 military model redesigned to use the slide of the Mk. IV Series 80; these models aimed at providing a more "[[Military grade|mil-spec]]" pistol to be sold at a lower price than Colt's other 1911 models in order to compete with imported pistols from manufacturers such as Springfield Armory and Norinco. The 1991–2001 model used a large "M1991A1" roll mark engraved on the slide. The 2001 model introduced a new "Colt's Government Model" roll mark engraving. The 1991 series incorporates full-sized blued and stainless models in either .45 ACP or .38 Super, as well as blued and stainless Commander models in .45 ACP.
|
|}

=== Other models ===
Working for the U.S. Ordnance Office, [[David Marshall Williams]] developed a [[Sub-caliber training|.22 training]] version of the M1911 using a [[Floating chamber (firearms)|floating chamber]] to give the .22 long rifle rimfire recoil similar to the .45 version.<ref name="Poyer2">{{cite book |last=Poyer |first=Joseph |title=The Model 1911 and Model 1911A1 Military and Commercial Pistols |author2=Craig Riesch |author3=Karl Karash |publisher=North Cape Publications |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-882391-46-2 |page=544}}</ref>

As the [[Colt Service Ace]], this was available both as a pistol and as a conversion kit for .45 M1911 pistols.<ref name="Poyer2" />

===Custom models===
Since its inception, the M1911 has lent itself to easy customization. Replacement sights, grips, and other aftermarket accessories are the most commonly offered parts, more so since the 1950s and the rise of competitive pistol shooting.

Price ranges from a low end of around $400 for basic models imported from Turkey ([[TİSAŞ]] and [[GİRSAN]]) and the Philippines             ([[Armscor (Philippines)|Armscor]], Metro Arms, and SAM Inc.) to more than $4,000 for the best competition or tactical versions ([[Dan Wesson Firearms|Dan Wesson]], [[Les Baer]], [[Nighthawk Custom]], [[Springfield Armory, Inc.|Springfield Custom Shop]], and [[Wilson Combat]]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Sweeney |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Sweeney (gunsmith) |title=1911: The First 100 Years |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4402-1115-7 |location=Iola, Wisconsin |page=4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1911 Customization|url=https://www.wilsoncombat.com/1911-customization/|access-date=2021-04-05|website=Wilson Combat|language=en-US}}</ref>

These modifications can range from changing the external finish, checkering the frame, to hand fitting custom hammers, triggers, and sears. Some modifications include installing compensators and the addition of accessories such as [[tactical light]]s and even scopes.<ref name="Thompson">{{cite book |author-last1=Thompson|author-first1=Leroy|author-first2=Rene|author-last2=Smeets |title=Great Combat Handguns: A Guide to Using, Collecting and Training With Handguns |publisher=Arms & Armour Publication |date=October 1, 1993 |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/greatcombathandg0000thom/page/256 256] |isbn=978-1-85409-168-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatcombathandg0000thom/page/256}}</ref>

A common modification of John Browning's design is to use a full-length guide rod that runs the full length of the recoil spring.

This adds weight to the front of the pistol, but does not increase accuracy, and does make the pistol slightly more difficult to disassemble.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_165_27/ai_105698456/|title=Full length guide rods – myth or magic?|work=American Handgunner|edition=September–October 2003|author=Charles E. Petty|access-date=2011-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017004433/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_165_27/ai_105698456/|archive-date=2015-10-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of 2002, custom guns could cost over and are built from scratch or on existing base models.<ref name="Rauch">{{cite book |last=Rauch |first=Walt |title=Practically Speaking: An Illustrated Guide; the Game, Guns and Gear of the International Defensive Pistol Association |publisher=Rauch & Company, Ltd. |year=2002 |page=80 |isbn=978-0-9663260-1-7}}</ref>

===Rechambered versions===
M1911 pistols that were captured/taken from the Korean War were rechambered to use [[7.62×25mm Tokarev|7.62x25mm]] ammunition.<ref>https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/02/15/7-62x25mm-conversion-for-1911-pistol/</ref>

Modern conversion kits are manufactured/sold for a user to convert a M1911-type pistol to fire 7.62x25mm from [[9×19mm Parabellum]] and [[.38 Super]] calibers.<ref>https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/converting-a-1911-to-7-62x25-tokarev/99440</ref>

=== International variants ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Model
!Origin
!Calibre
!References
|-
|[[IMBEL]] M973
|{{Flag|Brazil}}
|[[9 mm caliber|9mm]]
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Exército Brasileiro – Braço Forte, Mão Amiga |url=http://www.exercito.gov.br/01inst/armtmuni/pistola.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405085747/http://www.exercito.gov.br/01inst/armtmuni/pistola.htm |archive-date=2010-04-05 |access-date=2009-11-05 |publisher=Exercito.gov.br}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil – Pistola 9 M973 |url=http://www.imbel.gov.br/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=113 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051222041929/http://www.geeky.net/geeky.css |archive-date=December 22, 2005 |access-date=2009-11-05 |publisher=IMBEL}}</ref>
|-
|[[Norinco]] 1911
| rowspan="4" |{{Flag|China}}
| rowspan="2" |[[.45 ACP]]
| rowspan="4" |<ref name="Small Arms Illustrated, 2010">'' Small Arms Illustrated'', 2010.{{full citation needed|date=April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|[[Norinco]] NP-30
|-
|[[Norinco]] NP-28
| rowspan="2" |[[9 mm caliber|9mm]]
|-
|[[Norinco]] NP-29
|-
|[[Kongsberg Colt]] 
|{{Flag|Norway}}
|[[.45 ACP]]
|{{Sfn|Thompson|2011a|pp=64-65}}
|-
|[[STAR Model B]]
| rowspan="3" |{{Flag|Spain}}
| rowspan="3" |[[9mm Parabellum]]
| rowspan="3" |<ref>{{cite web |title=Firearm Review, June 2000 |url=http://www.cruffler.com/review-june-00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002171945/http://www.cruffler.com/review-june-00.html |archive-date=2008-10-02 |access-date=2008-09-08 |publisher=Cruffler.com}}</ref>
|-
|[[Astra-Unceta y Cia SA|ASTRA 1911PL]]
|-
|[[Llama Firearms|Llama Model IX]]
|-
|Model 1927 Sistema Colt
| rowspan="2" |{{Flag|Argentina}}
| rowspan="2" |[[.45 ACP]]
|
|-
|[[Ballester–Molina]]
|{{sfn|Thompson|2004|p=65}}{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=65}}
|-
|[[Rock Island Armory 1911 series]]
|{{Flag|Philippines}}
|Various
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-04 |title=Armscor to supply 50,000 .45 ACP pistols to Philippine military (PHOTOS) |url=https://www.guns.com/news/2018/12/04/armscor-to-supply-50000-45-acp-pistols-to-philippine-military-photos |access-date=2025-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204153917/https://www.guns.com/news/2018/12/04/armscor-to-supply-50000-45-acp-pistols-to-philippine-military-photos |archive-date=4 December 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Corrales |first=Nestor |date=2017-07-18 |title=Duterte distributes 3,000 pistols to AFP |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/914852/duterte-distributes-3000-pistols-to-afp |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|T51 pistol
|{{Flag|Republic of China}}
| rowspan="6" |[[.45 ACP]]
|<ref>https://www.litenews.hk/news/14481-%E3%80%90%E8%BB%8D%E7%B4%80%E5%BB%A2%E5%BC%9B%E3%80%91%E5%8F%B0%E5%AA%92%EF%BC%9A%E9%99%B8%E6%88%B0%E9%9A%8A%E6%95%99%E5%8F%AC%E6%9C%9F%E9%96%93%E4%B8%9F%E5%A4%B1%E6%89%8B%E6%A7%8D-%E7%87%9F%E9%95%B7%E8%B2%B7%E6%A8%A1%E5%9E%8B%E6%A7%8D%E5%85%85%E6%95%B8</ref>
|-
|Type 86
|{{Flag|Thailand}}
|<ref name="Small Arms Illustrated, 2010" />
|-
|MC 1911
|{{Flag|Turkey}}
|<ref>{{cite web |date=26 April 2012 |title=MC 1911 - Girsan |url=http://www.girsan.com.tr/tr/mc1911/mc1911-siyah |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426120506/http://www.girsan.com.tr/tr/mc1911/mc1911-siyah |archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xrmt_KlkvcC&pg=PA323 |title=Standard Catalog of Military Firearms |isbn=978-0-87349-902-6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126222505/https://books.google.com/books?id=9xrmt_KlkvcC&pg=PA323 |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |last1=Schwing |first1=Ned |date=5 November 2005 |publisher=Krause Publications |access-date=March 19, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Obregón pistol]]
|{{Flag|Mexico}}
|
|-
|[[Arsenal Firearms AF2011A1]]
|{{Flag|Italy}}
|
|-
|Busanjin Colt
|{{Flag|South Korea}}
|<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyrE8JNbFxI |title=[온라인최초공개] 콜트 권총..니가 왜 부산에서 나와?! |date=2020-09-24 |last=전쟁기념사업회 |access-date=2025-03-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
|}

== Usage ==
The M1911 design has been offered commercially and has been used by other militaries.

The M1911 was likewise widely copied, and their localized variants remain in use worldwide to date.

=== During wartime ===
====World War I====
By the beginning of 1917, a total of 68,533 M1911 pistols had been delivered to U.S. armed forces by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and the U.S. government's [[Springfield Armory]]. The M1911 and M1911A1 pistols were also ordered from Colt or produced domestically in modified form by several other nations, including [[Brazil]], [[Mexico]], [[Argentina]]{{sfn|Thompson|2004|p=27}}{{sfn|Thompson|2004|p=39}} and [[Spain]].

Britain ordered approximately 13,000 1911s in [[.455 Webley]] Auto during the First World War, with examples known to go to the [[Royal Air Force]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2020-10-27 |title=WW1 British Contract M1911 in .455 Webley Self-Loading - Forgotten Weapons |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/ww1-british-contract-m1911-in-455-webley-self-loading/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website= forgottenweapons.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Some remained in service during the Second World War.

====World War II====
The M1911A1 was a favored small arm of both U.S. and allied military personnel during the war. In particular, the pistol was prized by some British commando units and Britain's highly covert [[Special Operations Executive]], as well as South African Commonwealth forces.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bishop |first=Chris |title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II |publisher=Orbis Publishing Ltd. |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7607-1022-7 |place=New York}}</ref><ref>Dunlap, Roy. ''Ordnance Went Up Front'', Samworth Press (1948), p. 160.</ref>{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=48}}<ref name="Poyer" />

Numbers of Colt M1911s were used by the [[Royal Navy]] as sidearms during World War I in [[.455 Webley|.455 Webley Automatic]] caliber.<ref name="Poyer" />

The pistols were then transferred to the [[Royal Air Force]] where they saw use in limited numbers up until the end of World War II as sidearms for aircrew in event of bailing out in enemy territory.

The German ''[[Volkssturm]]'' also used captured M1911s at the end of World War II under the weapon code P.660(a), in which the letter 'a' refers to "Amerika", the weapon's country of origin.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scarlata |first=Paul |date=February 20, 2011 |title=Small Arms of the Deutscher Volkssturm |publisher=Shotgun News |page=24}}</ref>

==Users==
<!--READ FIRST: This section is for cited entries only. Please do not add entries into this list without a citation from a reliable source. All entries without a citation will be removed. Thank you.-->

===Current===
{{Div col |colwidth=20em}}
* {{Flag|Brazil}}{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=64}}
* {{Flag|Bolivia}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Latin American Light Weapons National Inventories |url=https://fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/lainven.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414043014/https://fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/lainven.html |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=fas.org |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Chile}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=InfoDefensa |first=Revista Defensa |title=La Infantería de Marina de Chile licita equipamiento para unidades de seguridad |url=https://www.infodefensa.com/texto-diario/mostrar/3126407/infanteria-marina-chile-licita-equipamiento-unidades-seguridad |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa |language=es}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Colombia}}<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |title=Infantry Weaponry/Weapons |url=https://doi.org/10.1163/2352-3786_dlws1_beww1_en_0304 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Brill’s Digital Library of World War I|doi=10.1163/2352-3786_dlws1_beww1_en_0304 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|Costa Rica}}<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|Dominican Republic}}<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|Greece}}<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|East Timor}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-24 |title=wiw_as_easttimor - worldinventory |url=https://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_as_easttimor |access-date=2025-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124203732/https://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_as_easttimor |archive-date=24 November 2016 }}{{better source needed|date=November 2025}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Ecuador}}<ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|Egypt}}<ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|Fiji}}<ref name=":3"/>
* {{Flag|Georgia}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-09 |title=Armament of the Georgian Army |url=http://geo-army.ge/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9&lang=en |access-date=2025-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309192408/http://geo-army.ge/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9&lang=en |archive-date=9 March 2012 }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Guatemala}}<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3"/>
* {{Flag|Haiti}}<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3"/>
* {{Flag|Indonesia}}<ref name=":3"/>
* {{Flag|Iran}}<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":3" />
* {{Flag|Liberia}}<ref name=":0" />
* {{Flag|Lithuania}}<ref>{{harvnb|Thompson|2011a}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Malaysia}}<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://doi.org/10.21236/ada325763 |title=Weapon Systems United States Army 1995. |last=DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON DC |date=1995-01-01 |publisher=Defense Technical Information Center |location=Fort Belvoir, VA|doi=10.21236/ada325763 |url-access=subscription |hdl=2027/pst.000011322696 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Mexico}}<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3"/>
* {{Flag|Nicaragua}}<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3"/>
* {{Flag|North Korea}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=군사세계 |first=유용원의 |title=북괴군 특작부대, 무장공비 사용화기, 장비 |url=https://bemil.chosun.com/nbrd/gallery/view.html?b_bbs_id=10044&pn=1&num=177361 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=유용원의 군사세계 |language=ko |archive-date=February 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225000314/https://bemil.chosun.com/nbrd/gallery/view.html?b_bbs_id=10044&pn=1&num=177361 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Philippines}}{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=53}}
* {{Flag|Papua New Guinea}}
* {{Flag|Republic of China}}{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=47}}
* {{Flag|South Korea}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=국방일보 |url=https://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/newsWeb/20181127/1/BBSMSTR_000000100007/view.do |access-date=2025-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116042009/https://kookbang.dema.mil.kr/newsWeb/20181127/1/BBSMSTR_000000100007/view.do |archive-date=16 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=선임 |first=권홍우 논설위원 겸 |title=[권홍우 기자의 군사·무기 이야기] 특전사 58년 만에 권총 전량교체 |url=https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/011/0002805065?sid=110 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=n.news.naver.com |language=ko}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Thailand}}
* {{Flag|Ukraine}}<ref>{{cite tech report |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=2024-08-20 |title=Colt M1911 — легендарний самозарядний пістолет виробництва американської компанії Кольт. |url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3268930199905823 |trans-title=Colt M1911 is a legendary semi-automatic pistol made by the Colt company |work= A video report|language=uk-UA |access-date=2025-09-10}}</ref>
* {{Flag|United States}}<ref>https://armyhistory.org/m1911-45-caliber-pistol/</ref>
* {{Flag|Vietnam}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2012-10-31 |title=Viet Cong 1911 Copy |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/viet-cong-1911-copy/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=www.forgottenweapons.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Zimbabwe}}{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=64}}
{{Div col end}}

===Former===
{{Div col |colwidth=20em}}
* {{Flag|Argentina}}: Manufactured M1911 pistols under license from 1945 to 1966 by Dirección General de Fabricaciones Militares{{sfn |Thompson |2011b }}
* {{Flag|Austria}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Schmidl |first1=Erwin A. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm78914894 |title=The Hungarian Revolution, 1956 |last2=Ritter |first2=László |last3=Dennis |first3=Peter |date=2006 |publisher=Osprey |isbn=978-1-84603-079-6 |series=Elite |location=Oxford |oclc=ocm78914894}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Belgium}}
* {{Flag|Canada}}: [[First Special Service Force]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=www.canadiansoldiers.com |url=http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/weapons/pistols.htm |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.canadiansoldiers.com}}</ref>
* {{Flag|ROC|name=China}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Smith |first1=W. H. B. |title=Small arms of the world: a basic manual of small arms |last2=Smith |first2=Joseph Edward |date=1969 |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=978-0-8117-1566-9 |edition=9th ed. completely rev |location=Harrisburg, Pa}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Cuba}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=De Quesada |first1=A. M. |title=The Bay of Pigs: Cuba, 1961 |last2=Walsh |first2=Stephen |date=2009 |publisher=Osprey Pub |isbn=978-1-84603-323-0 |series=Elite |location=Oxford ; New York}}</ref>
* {{Flag|El Salvador}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Alley |first=Roderic |date=2019-03-04 |title=Small arms and light weapons: the disjunction problem |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2019.1570722 |journal=Conflict, Security & Development |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=143–172 |doi=10.1080/14678802.2019.1570722 |issn=1467-8802|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Estonia}}: Replaced by the [[Heckler & Koch USP]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaitsevägi |first=Eesti |title=Kaitsevägi hävitas vanu püstoleid - Kaitsevägi |url=http://www.mil.ee/et/arhiiv/5365 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122005737/http://www.mil.ee/et/arhiiv/5365 |archive-date=November 22, 2018 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.mil.ee |language=et |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Finland}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: REVOLVERS & PISTOLS PART 4 |url=http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/PISTOLS4.htm |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.jaegerplatoon.net}}</ref>
* {{Flag|France}}: Used as the "Automatic pistol 11.4mm (calibre .45)" ({{Langx|fr|Pistolet automatique 11 mm 4 (C.45)}})<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6556416w |title=Manuel du chef de section d'infanterie... |date=1918 |language=EN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Toulemonde |first=Bernard |date=2020-01-17 |title=Propos iconoclastes sur le système éducatif français, Alain Bouvier , Berger-Levrault, coll. Au fil du débat , 2019, 257 pages, 19 euros |url=https://doi.org/10.3917/admed.164.0135a |journal=Administration & Éducation |volume= 164 |issue=4 |pages=I |doi=10.3917/admed.164.0135a |issn=0222-674X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* {{Flag|Democratic Republic of Georgia}}
* {{Flag|Kingdom of Laos}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Conboy |first1=Kenneth J. |title=The war in Laos 1960 - 75 |last2=McCouaig |first2=Simon |date=1989 |publisher=Osprey |isbn=978-0-85045-938-8 |series=Osprey military Men-at-arms series |location=London}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Luxembourg}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roland |first=Gaul |title=Virtual Museum Tour |url=http://www.mnhm.lu/pageshtml/virtualmuseumtour.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126105021/http://www.mnhm.lu/pageshtml/virtualmuseumtour.php |archive-date=2011-01-26 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.mnhm.lu}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Nazi Germany}}: Used captured American/Norwegian M1911s.{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|p=64}}
* {{Flag|Netherlands}}
* {{Flag|New Zealand}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Stack |first1=Wayne |title=The New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War II |last2=O'Sullivan |first2=Barry |last3=Chappell |first3=Mike |date=2013 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-78096-111-8 |series=Men at Arms |location=Botley, Oxford}}</ref>
* {{Flag|Norway}}: [[Kongsberg Colt]].<ref>https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/this-old-gun-norwegian-model-1914-pistol/</ref>
* {{Flag|Japan}}
** [[Japan Self-Defense Forces]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redakcja |date=2020-05-17 |title=Premiera karabinka typ 20 |url=https://milmag.pl/premiera-karabinka-typ-20/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=MILMAG |language=pl-PL}}</ref>
** [[Law enforcement in Japan]]: Used to replace [[M1917 revolver|M1917s]] and [[Smith & Wesson Model 10|Model 10s]] before the M1911s were replaced due to concerns that a Japanese person can't handle the recoil and grip properly.<ref>https://armsweb.jp/report/5294.html</ref><ref>https://armsweb.jp/gunpro/articles/309.html</ref>
* {{Flag|Panama}}{{sfnp|Weeks|1980|p=676}}
* {{Flag|Poland}}: [[Polish Armed Forces in the West]] 
* {{Flag|Russian Empire}}
* {{Flag|South Vietnam}}<ref>https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/the-model-1911-in-vietnam/</ref>
* {{Flag|Soviet Union}}
* {{Flag|Ukrainian People's Republic}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shtyk |first=Taras |date=1998 |title=Українська спадщина |url=https://heritage.com.ua/spadshina/nauka/index.php?id=513 |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=heritage.com.ua |language=uk-UA}}</ref>
* {{Flag|United Kingdom}}<ref>https://www.forgottenweapons.com/ww1-british-contract-m1911-in-455-webley-self-loading/</ref>{{sfn|Thompson|2011a|pp=47-48}}
{{Div col end}}

=== Non-state actors ===
{{Div col |colwidth=20em}}
* {{Flag|Free French Forces}}
* {{Flag|Shanghai International Settlement}}: [[Shanghai Municipal Police]]<ref>https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/fairbairn-birth-of-modern-gunfighting/452036</ref>
* {{Flag|Viet Cong}}: Crude copies<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2012-10-31 |title=Viet Cong 1911 Copy |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/viet-cong-1911-copy/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=www.forgottenweapons.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and captured pistols used.
{{Div col end}}

{{Gallery
|align=centre
|width=347
|height=160
|mode=packed
|noborder=yes

|File:M1911 Pistol Users.png
|A map with M1911 users in blue and former users in red

|File:Smith&WessonSW1911.JPG
|A basic version of Smith & Wesson's SW1911 with user-installed Pachmayr grips

|File:Fm rosarina.JPG
|An Argentine Model 1927 pistol
}}

== Legacy ==
The M1911A1 is popular among the general public in the U.S. for practical and recreational purposes.

=== Civilian use ===
The M1911 is commonly used for [[concealed carry in the United States|concealed carry]] thanks in part to a single-stack magazine (which makes for a thinner pistol that is, therefore, easier to conceal), personal defense, target shooting, and competition as well as collections.

There are a growing number of manufacturers of M1911-style pistols and the model continues to be quite popular for its reliability, simplicity, and patriotic appeal.

The M1911 is popular with civilian shooters in competitive events such as the [[International Defensive Pistol Association]] and [[International Practical Shooting Confederation]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Ayoob |first=Massad |author-link=Massad Ayoob |title=The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery |publisher=Gun Digest Books |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-89689-525-6 |page=7}}</ref> showing no signs of decreasing popularity.<ref name="AMU" />

=== State firearm ===
On March 18, 2011, the U.S. state of [[Utah]]—as a way of honoring M1911 designer [[John Browning]], who was born and raised in the state—adopted the Browning M1911 as the "[[List of U.S. state firearms|official firearm]] of Utah".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/18/utah.state.firearm/index.html |first=Michael |last=Martinez |publisher=CNN |title=Add this to Utah's list of state symbols: an official firearm |date=2011-03-19 |access-date=2011-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024024354/http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/18/utah.state.firearm/index.html |archive-date=2012-10-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Military and law enforcement ===
The M1911 served as the standard-issue [[Sidearm (weapon)|sidearm]] for the [[United States Armed Forces]] from 1911 to 1985.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vickersguide.com/purchase/1911-2nd-vol-1 | title=Vickers Guide: 1911, Volume 1 (Standard Edition) }}</ref> It was widely used in [[World War I]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guns.com/news/2015/09/14/5-experimental-1911s-youve-probably-never-heard-of | title=5 Experimental 1911s you've probably never heard of |author-last1=Eger|author-first1=Chris|date=14 September 2015}}</ref> [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]] and the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Model 1911 in Vietnam |url=https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/9/11/the-model-1911-in-vietnam |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916055142/https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/9/11/the-model-1911-in-vietnam |archive-date=September 16, 2020 |access-date=2021-05-15 |website=[[American Rifleman]] |language=en}}</ref> It also has seen service in the [[Desert Storm]], [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] and [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], albeit to a different extent.<ref name="Campbell" />

Many military and law enforcement organizations in the U.S. and other countries continue to use (often modified) M1911A1 pistols, notably [[Los Angeles Police Department]] [[SWAT]]., the [[FBI Hostage Rescue Team]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Us FBI Academy Handbook |publisher=International Business Publications |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7397-3185-7 |page=17}}</ref> and [[Delta Force]].

==Similar pistols==
{{Div col |colwidth=20em}}
* [[AMT Hardballer]]
* [[Ballester–Molina]]
* [[Browning Hi-Power]]
* [[FB Vis]]
* [[FN Model 1903]]
* [[Kimber Custom]]
* [[Kongsberg Colt]]
* [[M15 pistol]]
* [[Obregón pistol]]
* [[Rock Island Armory 1911 series|Rock Island Armory 1911]]
* [[Ruger SR1911]]
* [[SIG Sauer 1911]]
* [[Smith & Wesson SW1911]]
* [[Springfield Armory 911]]
* [[Springfield Armory EMP]]
* [[Star Model BM]]
* [[Taurus PT1911]]
* [[TT pistol]]
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of the United States Army weapons by supply catalog designation]] (SNL B-6)
* {{annotated link|Solid Concepts 1911 DMLS}}
* {{annotated link|Table of handgun and rifle cartridges}}

==References==
{{Reflist |30em}}

==Sources==
{{Refbegin |30em |indent=yes}}
* {{cite book |title=Pistols of the World |first1=Ian V. |last1=Hogg |first2=John |last2=Walter |author-link=Ian V. Hogg |edition=4 |publisher=David & Charles |year=2004 |page=225 |isbn=978-0-87349-460-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Leroy |title=Combat Handguns |date=2004 |publisher=Greenhill |isbn=9781853675768 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p8GQAAAACAAJ&q=:%22Leroy+Thompson%22+2004 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Thompson |first= Leroy |date=20 May 2011a |title=The Colt 1911 Pistol |series=Weapon 9 |publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]] |isbn=9781849084338 }}
* {{cite book |last=Thompson |first=Leroy |title=The Colt 1911 Pistol |year=2011b |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |others=Peter Dennis, Alan Gilliland |isbn=978-1-84908-433-8 |series=Weapon Ser |location=London }}
* {{cite book| last = Weeks| first = John| author-link = Col. John Weeks| title = Jane's Infantry Weapons 1980-1981| publisher = Jane's Publishing Company| volume = Sixth| edition = | date = 1980|isbn = 0710607024}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin |30em}}
*Meadows, Edward S. ''U.S. Military Automatic Pistols: 1894–1920''. Richard Ellis Publications, 1993.
* ''The Bluejackets' Manual'', 12th edition. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute, 1944.
* {{cite book |author1=U.S. Army Ordnance Department |author-link1=United States Army Ordnance Corps |title=Description of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911, with Rules for Management, Memoranda of Trajectory, and Description of Ammunition |date=1917 |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|U.S. Government Printing Office]] |location=Washington |url=https://archive.org/details/descriptionofaut00unitrich}} Official U.S. Army description of the original Model 1911 pistol and its [[.45 ACP]] ammunition.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|M1911|M1911 pistol}}
* [http://www.coltautos.com/1911.htm Colt Model 1911 page on Sam Lisker's Colt Automatic Pistols site (coltautos.com)]
* [http://www.rawles.to/M1911_Mag_FAQ.html The M1911 Magazine FAQ]
* [http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/history/background.htm#test The Thompson-LaGarde Cadaver Tests of 1904]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19981205090423/http://www.m1911.org/ M1911 Pistols Organization main page], [http://www.m1911.org/loader.swf Detailed animated drawing of all operational parts] and [http://www.m1911.org/notebook.pdf Syd's 1911 Notebook on M1911.org]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101203123428/http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=1620&cid=27 Exploded-View Diagram of an M1911 from American Rifleman]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130313023520/http://www.shootingtimes.com/2011/03/30/handgun_reviews_black_army_colt_1911_033011/ Black Army Colt 1911]
* [http://hlebooks.com/pinterest/1911a1.jpg Colt Model 1911A1 pistol (infographic tech. drawing)]

{{John Browning}}
{{Colt's Manufacturing Company}}
{{WWIUSInfWeaponsNav}}
{{WWIIUSInfWeaponsNav}}
{{ModernUSInfWeaponsNav}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:M1911 Pistol}}
[[Category:1911 platform]]
[[Category:.45 ACP semi-automatic pistols]]
[[Category:Colt semi-automatic pistols]]
[[Category:Semi-automatic pistols of the United States]]
[[Category:World War I infantry weapons of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War firearms of the United States]]
[[Category:Firearms by John Browning]]
[[Category:Weapons of the Philippine Army]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1911]]
[[Category:Springfield firearms]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of Brazil]]