Title
Soldier Training with Colt Pistol
Subject
Colt Manufacturing; Connecticut Firearm Production in World War I. Soldiers using Colt .45 M1911
Description
The Colt M1911 was the standard military issued handgun that was used for training, combat, and daily life in the trenches, and was widely preferred by United States soldiers.
In the book titled The Colt 1911 Pistol Leroy Thompson explains, "In the USA many men who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War used the Colt Government Model and felt comfortable with it" (Thompson). Since many soldiers trained with or owned a personal model of the Colt 1911, it was a reliable weapon, and Colt had the manufacturing capabilities to mass produce, it was a logical choice for the United States government to issue to it’s soldiers.
The Colt M1911 was well known for its power, reliability, and extremely infrequent reports of jamming. Colt claimed that the pistol would average at least six-thousand shots fired without jamming. It did, however, garner a reputation for being somewhat inaccurate, claims which the Colt Company tested and refuted. World War I soldiers, like the one shown in this photograph, often complained during training that the sights were off, prompting Colt to make changes to the M1911 model prior to World War II. Still, the Colt M1911 is often regarded as the most innovative, safe, and reliable pistols ever manufactured, and are still replicated for gun enthusiasts in the twenty-first century.
In the book titled The Colt 1911 Pistol Leroy Thompson explains, "In the USA many men who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War used the Colt Government Model and felt comfortable with it" (Thompson). Since many soldiers trained with or owned a personal model of the Colt 1911, it was a reliable weapon, and Colt had the manufacturing capabilities to mass produce, it was a logical choice for the United States government to issue to it’s soldiers.
The Colt M1911 was well known for its power, reliability, and extremely infrequent reports of jamming. Colt claimed that the pistol would average at least six-thousand shots fired without jamming. It did, however, garner a reputation for being somewhat inaccurate, claims which the Colt Company tested and refuted. World War I soldiers, like the one shown in this photograph, often complained during training that the sights were off, prompting Colt to make changes to the M1911 model prior to World War II. Still, the Colt M1911 is often regarded as the most innovative, safe, and reliable pistols ever manufactured, and are still replicated for gun enthusiasts in the twenty-first century.
Publisher
MilitaryHistoryNow
Date
1914-1918
Contributor
James Annunziato
Rights
Public Domain/Fair Use
Format
Photograph
.jpg
.jpg
Language
English
Original Format
Photograph