A leather shoulder holster for the .45 pistol, designated as the “M3,” was adopted in 1942 for use by aviators, tankers and others who preferred carrying the pistol over the hip holster. An improved shoulder holster design was standardized in 1944 as the M7. The pistol was secured in the shoulder holster by means of leather strap with a snap fastener. The shoulder holsters were also embossed with a large “U.S” on the front, with the identity of the manufacturer and year of production on the back.

Extra seven-round magazines were typically carried in a two-pocket canvas pouch. The first pattern was coincidentally the Model 1912, which was made and issued in large numbers during World War I. It was characterized by having two “lift-the-dot” fasteners on the cover flap. The date of production, most commonly 1918, was marked inside the flap. Prior to World War II, the Model 1923 pouch was standardized, which differed from its predecessor in having only a single snap fastener on the cover flap. A large “US” was stenciled in black on front of the flap. Both types had a snap on the back of the pouch that mated with a corresponding fastener on the standard pistol belt to keep the pouch from shifting while attached. Few of these later pouches were made prior to World War II, but large numbers were procured from 1941 to 1945. Both M1912 and M1923 magazine pouches were widely issued during World War II.

While the M1 Carbine was developed in 1941 primarily as a replacement for the M1911 and M1911A1, the carbine never totally replaced the handgun in service. It was not uncommon for soldiers and Marines to be armed with both carbines and .45 pistols. Nevertheless, the desire to replace the pistol with the carbine continued throughout the war. This was evidenced in a Jan. 26, 1943, Marine Corps document stating: “That a policy be established of gradually replacing all .45 caliber pistols … in the Fleet Marine Force with M1 carbines or M1 rifles in that order of preference and with priority to new organizations … .” The report continued with the blunt statement, “Practically all officers seem to be in favor of getting rid of the pistol … .” and concluded with the recommendation that “… additional pistols be procured only to meet current needs if and when sufficient pistols are not released by the issue of carbines to fill requirements.”

Despite this official stance, pistols were issued in ever-increasing numbers during the war. As an example, the U.S. Marine Corps’ TOE in 1942 authorized 798 .45 pistols for a Division but, by 1945, the authorized figure had been increased to 1,707. So much for efforts to get rid of the pistol. The situation was much the same in the U.S. Army where the carbines and .45s were procured and issued side by side in large numbers. The total number of M1911A1 pistols manufactured during World War II was 1,878,742. Clearly, the .45 was an integral part of America’s World War II infantry small arms arsenal.