During the early part of the 20th century, Springfield Armory military arsenal was asked to supplement Colt’s pistol supply line to the U.S. Army by building M1911 pistols. The U.S. Model of 1911 is a single-action, recoil-operated self-loading pistol chambered for .45 ACP as designed by John M. Browning. Improvements on its design lead to the widely popular M1911A1; resulting in a relatively short lived pistol, even though 700,000 were made. For those looking to find this first rendition, take note of the features that differentiate it from the M1911A1—double-diamond grips, flat mainspring housing, hammer spur with checkering and its long trigger. Springfield Armory’s production run yielded a little less than 26,000 pistols, making this week’s gun relatively rare. Learn more about this vintage pistol from American Rifleman's Mark Keefe as he hosts this week's "NRA Gun of the Week" video.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
Model: U.S. Model of 1911
Chambering: .45 ACP
Action Type: single-action, recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol
Magazine: detachable box; seven-round capacity
Barrel Length: 5”
Overall Length: 8.62”
Weight: 39 ozs.
Year of Manufacture: 1916
For additional Information:
"Non-Colt" 1911s
The U.S. “.45 Automatics”
The U.S. M1911 & The Medal of Honor
