Preview: The .45 Caliber M1911 Automatic Pistol

by
posted on January 7, 2024
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
The .45 Caliber M1911 Automatic Pistol

Longtime American Rifleman contributor Tom Laemlein has amassed an incredible array of period images illustrating the use of American military arms in war, peacetime and training.

Portrayal Press is now printing a selection of these images in a revised edition of Laemlein’s “American Firepower” series, beginning with The .45 Caliber M1911 Automatic Pistol.

“Compiling this book was by far the most difficult project I have ever taken on,” Laemlein said. “The difficulty arose from an overall lack of good quality photos of the pistol in action. In most combat situations, if you have to rely on your pistol, the time is long past for taking photographs!”

The comprehensive study, which contains more than 200 pictures across 167 pages, illustrates the remarkable longevity of the M1911 from its early combat use in 1914 until the end of its military service in the 1980s.

Other titles in the “American Firepower” series are also being revised, including The M1 Carbine, U.S. Bolt Action Rifles, The Browning Automatic Rifle and The M1 Garand.

MSRP is $30. For more information, visit portrayalpress.com.

Latest

Armed Citizen Podcast John Commerford F
Armed Citizen Podcast John Commerford F

NRA-ILA’s John Commerford on What’s to Come for America’s Rifle

When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases—Grant v. Higgins and Viramontes v. Cook County, Illinois—that challenge bans on popular semi-automatic rifles in its next term, fear and trepidation ran like tremors through the public statements of anti-gun groups and the politicians they support.

Gun of the Week: GForce Arms LVR410

When it comes to the lever-action platforms, rifles abound, but the concept has been rarely applied to shotguns. Today, only a few makers offer lever-action shotguns, and one of those is GForce Arms and its LVR410.

The Armed Citizen® July 10, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

The Fire Control Sequence: 3 Steps to Perfect Round Placement

If you want to hit your target, you need three things: a gun, a target and a method by which to hit that target with that gun. Shooting well is the result of a specific process.

Why Does the .44 Special Keep Hanging On?

What is it about the .44 Special cartridge that makes it, well, special?

CAA USA Under New Ownership, Consolidation of Manufacturing

CAA USA has been acquired by Plastimold Products, owners of META Tactical, unifying all three brands and their manufacturing capabilities.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.