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

Nra Logo Blue
Nra Logo Blue

ATF Ends Enforcement of NFA Registration & Approval Requirements for Suppressors, SBRs, and SBSs Following NRA Victory in Jensen v. ATF

Today, the ATF confirmed it will no longer enforce National Firearms Act (NFA) registration, application and tax-stamp requirements for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors and certain other concealable firearms.

Gun of the Week: H&K VP9CC

Hot on the heels of its CC9 micro-compact, Heckler & Koch introduced a micro companion to its popular VP9 lineup that includes some noteworthy features.

A Raven at 50: Five Days at Gunsite Academy

In Gunsite Academy's 50th year, NRA Director Jerry Kraus made his inaugural visit to the famed training institute and left a Raven.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 9, 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.

Competition Shooting vs. Combat Training

It's an undeniable fact that competition and combat solve different problems. Mistaking one for the other or rejecting either one is a mistake.

The Truth About DGUs Gun-Control Groups Don’t Want You to Know

Last August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage again posted defensive-gun-use data—essentially, estimates of how many times per year armed citizens in America use guns to defend themselves or others. 

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.