The Manual of the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911

The history of the 1911 is a saga that spans more than a century and combines military, police and civilian use for combat, self-defense and sport. And it begins with this Army manual, printed during World War I and crammed with useful information for the 1911 aficionado. In the early 1900s, the U.S. Army decided to replace its inadequate .38-caliber service revolver with a more efficient "manstopper." John M. Browning submitted his design for a Colt manufactured semiautomatic pistol and a new .45-caliber cartridge to the Army’s selection process. The U.S. Army selected the Colt and designated it the Model of 1911. Accurate, reliable and hard-hitting, John Browning’s magnificent 1911 pistol has been the benchmark by which all combat pistols have been judged ever since.