Here is a timeline of the commercial introductions of the Colt M1911, its variants, and numerous clones.
Category Archives: Historical
Unertl Instruction Sheet
Retaining the M1911A1 – The Final DOD Holdouts
After the adoption of the 9mm M9 in 1985, some special units within the DOD were loath to give up their .45 M1911A1 pistols.
History: Bill Brophy
A follow up post on a man I have talked about in the past a bit. The most significant man at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in 1941, was General Julian Hatcher. Hatcher was one of the most prominent members of the nation’s shooting fraternity. He was also the Commanding General of the Ordnance Training Center. PerhapsContinue reading “History: Bill Brophy”
Colt Law Enforcement Pistol
For Missed Opportunity Monday, we have yet another abandoned Colt design: the .40 caliber Law Enforcement Pistol. It also served as the platform for their Smart Gun tech. Here are some of the Smart Gun patents, which show bits of the pistol’s design as well. While the exterior profile looks a bit like the “AllContinue reading “Colt Law Enforcement Pistol”
A Short History of Peter Paul Mauser and His Rifles
From the long gone rifleman’s journal Like the uncounted numbers before and the uncounted numbers who would follow, the twenty-one year army conscript stood rigidly at attention. The rough wool collar of his newly issued tunic chaffed his neck raw and his feet were clamped in heavy high boots. His hands tightly gripped the woodContinue reading “A Short History of Peter Paul Mauser and His Rifles”
Ross Seyfried’s Swenson Combat Commander
In 1981, Ross Seyfried was the last man to win the IPSC World Shoot using a non-compensated pistol in open competition. While that feat was accomplished with a Pachmayr Combat Special built on a full-sized Colt Government Model, Seyfried cut his teeth in IPSC shooting with today’s featured pistol. This is the pistol he usedContinue reading “Ross Seyfried’s Swenson Combat Commander”
Silent Weapon System – Alpha
Here’s a data dump on the Silent Weapon System – Alpha and related captive piston cartridges. Sadly there is more known about the ammunition than the actual firearms designed to use them. First, we have the patent for the Alpha cartridge’s predecessor, the Cal. .30 XM76. The XM76 was intended for legacy .30-06 firearms. However,Continue reading “Silent Weapon System – Alpha”
The Long Road to the M9 Pistol
It took roughly forty years, dozens of competitors, a variety of tests, and a ton of bureaucratic wrangling to replace the M1911A1 after WW2.
M16A1 Still In The Jungle Fighting
I ran across these photos of a Hmong fighter in Laos. Still with the M16A1 the US gave him. Still killing commies after all these years. With considerable less finish than it left the factory with. Funny how only the much overrated AK47/Type56 is supposedly the only rifle that could hold up under tropical jungleContinue reading “M16A1 Still In The Jungle Fighting”
Scattered Shots 