Saturday, November 7, 2015

The Colt 1911 in FMA History...


Two major events that occurred in 1911 had significant long-term impact on Sulu blade culture:

1.  US Gen. John Joseph "Blackjack" Pershing banned the carrying of weapons, and;

2.  The US Army adopted the Colt M1911 .45 ACP Pistol as its standard-issue sidearm.

"American units fighting Moro guerrillas during the Philippine-American War using the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver, in .38 Long Colt, found it to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power, as the Moros had very high battle morale and frequently used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain.  The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt caliber, which had been standard during the late 19th century; the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen.  The problems prompted the then - Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier to authorize further testing for a new service pistol.

Of the six designs submitted, three were eliminated early on, leaving only the Savage, Colt, and DWM designs chambered in the new .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge...

These three still had issues that needed correction, but only Colt and Savage resubmitted their designs. 
 
...a series of field tests from 1907 to 1911 were held to decide between the Savage and Colt designs. 
 
Among the areas of success for the Colt was a test at the end of 1910 attended by its designer, John Browning.  Six thousand rounds were fired from a single pistol over the course of two days. When the gun began to grow hot, it was simply immersed in water to cool it. The Colt gun passed with no reported malfunctions, while the Savage designs had 37...
 
Following its success in trials, the Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, thus gaining its designation, M1911 (Model 1911)..."
(Wikipedia)


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