The Colt 1911 Automatic Pistol
What is it?
The 1911 is a box magazine-fed, closed-breech, single action pistol. It is originally made alongside the Colt .45 ACP ammo, but I've read about companies making pistols chambered for the 9mm ammo.
Who makes it?
As mentioned by Jhrulith, the 1911 is made by John M. Browning (1855-1926). First it was made by Colt, then it was made by was made by Colt, Remington, and a few more companies... And then...
Springfield Armory, Les Baer, Smith & Wesson, Para Ordinance, and a whole lotta gunsmiths!
Is it still used?
The U.S. Military does not use it as an official sidearm, but its simplicity led to its longevity by gun owners. If I've ever the chance to learn to use a pistol, I want to use a 1911-based pistol because it has a lot of companies making replacement parts and so on.
What are the statistics?
- Barrel length: Government model -- 5 inches. Commander model -- 4.75 inches. Officer's Model -- 3.5 inches.
- Ammunition capacity: 8 rounds and 1 chambered in the Government and Commander models, and 7 + 1 in the Officer's Model.
And everything else depends on the manufacturer, the material, and so on...
Where have I seen it?
A computer programmer and competition shooter by the name of Eric S. Raymond uses the succssor model, the M1991, as written in My Shooting Rig (http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/guns/rig.html). He uses the compact "Officer's Model" with the 3.5" barrel
Sources:
- Caradimas, John.' M-1911 Pistols Home Page http://www.m1911.org
- The Sight's M1911-A1 .45 ACP Page http://www.sightm1911.com
- Raymond, Eric S.My Shooting Rig (Part of Eric's Gun Nut Page) http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/guns/rig.html