Пистолет M1911: История и Модификации

Semi automatic pistol
In non US standard use:plainlist|
Finnish Civil War
Chaco War
Constitutionalist Revolution
Chinese Civil War
First Indochina War
Indonesian National Revolution
Algerian War
Laotian Civil War
Cuban Revolution
Bay of Pigs Invasion equal to $26.38 in 1938 is equivalent to about <calculated amount> in recent years now
| production date = 1911–present
| variants = plainlist|
M1911A1
| part length = plainlist|
Government model: 5.03 in (127 mm)
| action = Short recoil operation
| length = 8.5 in (216 mm) 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. The U. S. military procured around 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols during its service life. The pistol served as the standard issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985. It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1911A1 was replaced by the adoption of the 9mm Beretta M9 pistol as the standard U. S. military sidearm in 1985. However, the U. S. Army did not officially replace the M1911A1 with the Beretta M9 until October 1986, but shortages in production and procurement kept the 1911A1 in service with some units past 1989. The 1911A1 has never been completely phased out. Modernized derivative variants of the M1911 are still in use by some units of the U. S. Army Special Forces, U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. Navy.

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. The United States was adopting new firearms at a phenomenal rate; several new pistols and two all new service rifles (M1892/96/98 Krag and M1895 Navy Lee), as well as a series of revolvers by 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 S. Maxim had designed a self loading rifle in the 1880s, but was preoccupied with machine guns. Nevertheless, the application of his principle of using cartridge 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. During the end of 1899 and into 1900, a test of self loading pistols, including entries from Mauser (C96 "Broomhandle"), Mannlicher (Mannlicher M1894), and Colt (Colt M1900), was conducted. The U. S. Army briefly reverted to using the 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. The problems prompted the Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier, to authorize further testing for a new service pistol. 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. The M1911 was formally adopted by the U. S. Navy and 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' Punitive Expedition into Mexico against Pancho Villa in 1916.

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. However, 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 UMC and North American Arms Co. of Quebec. Several other manufacturers were awarded contracts to produce the M1911, including the National Cash Register Company, the Savage Arms Company, the Caron Brothers Manufacturing of Montreal, the Burroughs Adding Machine Co., Winchester Repeating Arms Company, and the Lanston Monotype Company, but the signing of the Armistice resulted in the cancellation of the contracts before any pistols had been produced.

Battlefield experience in World War I led to some more small external changes, 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. 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). The M1911A1 pistol was produced in very large quantities during the war. 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. Among collectors today, the Singer produced pistols in particular are highly prized, commanding high prices even in poor condition.

From 1943 to 1945 a fine grade russet leather M1916 pistol belt set was issued to some generals in the U. S. Army. It was composed of a leather belt, leather enclosed flap holster with braided leather tie down leg strap, leather two pocket magazine pouch, and a rope lanyard. The metal buckle and fittings were in gilded brass. The buckle had the seal of the U. S. on the center (or "male") piece and a laurel wreath on the circular (or "female") piece. The pistol was a standard issue M1911A1 that came with a cleaning kit and three magazines. From 1972 to 1981 a modified M1911A1 called the RIA M15 General Officer's Model was issued to general officers in the U. S. Army and U. S. Air Force. From 1982 to 1986 the regular M1911A1 was issued. Both came with a black leather belt, open holster with retaining strap, and a two pocket magazine pouch. The metal buckle and fittings were similar to the M1916 General Officer's Model except it came in gold metal for the Army and in silver metal for the Air Force.

After World War II, the M1911 continued to be a mainstay of the U. S. Armed Forces in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, where it was used extensively by tunnel rats. It was used during Desert Storm in specialized U. S. Army units and U. S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalions (Seabees), and has seen service in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, with U. S. Army Special Forces Groups and Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Companies. However, 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 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 92S 1 was chosen. The Army contested this result and subsequently ran its own competition in 1981, the XM9 trials, eventually leading to the official adoption of the Beretta 92F on January 14, 1985. By the late 1980s production was ramping up despite a controversial XM9 retrial and a separate XM10 reconfirmation that was boycotted by some entrants of the original trials, cracks in the frames of some pre M9 Beretta produced pistols, and despite a problem with slide separation using higher than specified pressure rounds that resulted in injuries to some U. S. Navy special operations operatives. This last issue resulted in an updated model that includes additional protection for the user, the 92FS, and updates to the ammunition used. During the Gulf War of 1990–1991, M1911A1s were deployed with reserve component U. S. Army units sent to participate in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. By the early 1990s, most M1911A1s had been replaced by the Beretta M9, though a limited number remain in use by special units. The U. S. Marine Corps (USMC) in particular were noted for continuing the use of M1911 pistols for selected personnel in MEU(SOC) and reconnaissance units (though the USMC also purchased over 50,000 M9 pistols.) For its part, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a requirement for a .45 ACP pistol in the Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) trials. This resulted in the Heckler & Koch OHWS becoming the MK23 Mod 0 Offensive Handgun Weapon System (itself being heavily based on the 1911's basic field strip), beating the Colt OHWS, a much modified M1911. Dissatisfaction with the stopping power of the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge used in the Beretta M9 has actually promoted re adoption of pistols based on the .45 ACP cartridge such as the M1911 design, along with other pistols, among USSOCOM units in recent years, though the M9 has been predominant both within SOCOM and in the U. S. military in general.

Browning's basic M1911 design has seen very little change throughout its production life. Language cautioning against pulling the trigger with the second finger was included in the initial M1911 manual and later manuals up to the 1940s. The same basic design has been offered commercially and has been used by other militaries. In addition to the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), models chambered for .38 Super, 9×19mm Parabellum, 7.65mm Parabellum, 9mm Steyr, .400 Corbon, and other cartridges were offered. The M1911 was developed from earlier Colt semi automatic designs, firing rounds such as .38 ACP. The design beat out many other contenders during the government's selection period, during the late 1890s and early 1900s, up to the pistol's adoption. 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. Despite being challenged by newer and lighter weight pistol designs in .45 caliber, such as the Glock 21, the SIG Sauer P220, the Springfield XD and the Heckler & Koch USP, the M1911 shows no signs of decreasing popularity and continues to be widely present in various competitive matches such as those of USPSA, IDPA, IPSC, and Bullseye.

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)). The pistol was designated the M45 MEU(SOC). These hand made pistols were tuned to specifications and preferences of end users. 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. Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (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. The Marine Corps issued the M45A1 to Force Reconnaissance companies, Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) and Special Reaction Teams from the Provost Marshal’s Office. 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. The Marines began the roll out of the M18 in 2020. The replacement was completed by October 2022.

Colt Commander: In 1949 Colt began production of the Colt Commander, an aluminum framed 1911 with a 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. 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 MKIV/Series 70 Gold Cup 75th Anniversary National Match/Camp Perry 1978. Limited to 200 pistols. (1983–1996) Gold Cup MKIV Series 80 National Match: .45 ACP, 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. 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 "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.

Since its inception, the M1911 has lent itself to easy customization. Replacement sights, grips, and other aftermarket accessories are the most commonly offered parts. Since the 1950s and the rise of competitive pistol shooting, many companies have been offering the M1911 as a base model for major customization. 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 lights and even scopes. 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. As of 2002, custom guns could cost over and are built from scratch or on existing base models. Some notable companies offering custom M1911s include Dan Wesson Firearms, Les Baer, Nighthawk Custom, Springfield Custom Shop, and Wilson Combat. IPSC models are offered by BUL Armory, Strayer Voigt Inc (Infinity Firearms).

Many military and law enforcement organizations in the U. S. and other countries continue to use (often modified) M1911A1 pistols including Los Angeles Police Department SWAT and S. I. S., the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, FBI regional SWAT teams, and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment—Delta (Delta Force). The M1911A1 is popular among the general public in the U. S. for practical and recreational purposes. The pistol is commonly used for 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. Numerous aftermarket accessories allow users to customize the pistol to their liking. 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. Various tactical, target and compact models are available. Price ranges from a low end of around $400 for basic models imported from Turkey (TİSAŞ and GİRSAN) and the Philippines (Armscor, Metro Arms, and SAM Inc.) to more than $4,000 for the best competition or tactical versions (Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk Custom, and Staccato). 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. This pistol is made in batches on a regular basis by the Springfield Custom Shop, and a few examples from most runs are made available for sale to the general public at a selling price of approximately US$2,700 each.