The All Important 1911 Functions Test

The 1911 Functions Check

I was browsing youtube the other day, trying to find some 1911 related videos. I was searching for some about 1911 grips, disassembly, and cleaning. Then I came across this useful video on the 1911 functions check. Being a military man myself, doing a functions check with your own weapon frequently has been drilled into my brain. But not every gun owner conducts regular function checks with their own weapons. Remember to do this regularly, you don't want to be in a life and death situation and have your weapon malfunction.

Thanks to youtube user Shadowdog500 for making this video.

What is the best holster for your 1911 pistol?

A pistol holster is very important to a 1911 pistol owner and getting your hands a good holster is a good investment. Good holsters make sure that your pistol is safe, secure and also protects the pistol. If you are a owner of 1911, then one of the best holsters the Blackhawk SERPA 1911 holster .  These holsters will fit most any full size 1911 with or without a railed frame. It can also fit the full size KWA M945 and some compact 1911 pistols.

The 1911 SERPA holster and the Blackhawk SERPA holster are designed by the people who live and breathe shooting and understand the very importance of having a holster that is safe and quick in getting your sidearm out. The 1911 SERPA  holster is currently used by law enforcement officers and military personnel both in America and international countries.

With these holsters, owners of a 1911 pistol can be guaranteed that they will be able to draw and securely re-holster their pistol faster than normal old-fashioned holsters.

Old-fashioned holsters have one major big flaw- its clumsy retention straps. These straps always get in the way when you want to re-holster or draw your pistol. With the SERPA active retention system, pistol owners do not have to be worried about that since the SERPA series comes equipped with an active retention system that has a spring loaded catch which locks the pistol trigger guard as you holster it. The lock enables the pistol to be locked in securely and the pistol will not come out until the release button is pressed. No matter what you do, the pistol will not budge from is safety holster unless the release is pressed.

The release is located as the side of the holster, exactly at the position of where the trigger finger naturally comes to rest as you grab the pistols grip. This is an ingenious location for the release as it makes it easier for re-holstering your pistol without taking too much time. All you would need is one fluid motion of your sidearm when you want to draw your pistol.

The holsters are designed with durable carbon fiber and are molded to match the specific gun types it is designed for, such as the 1911 pistols. The holsters also come with a belt loop and a paddle platform as well as multiple-angle locks mechanism that can use either platform for a more comfortable cant.

The paddle platform is designed in such a way to enable it to slide overtop the waistline of your pants and has special claws to grip the material so the holster is held safely and securely. The belt loop platform can take up to a 2.25 inch belt and has locking adjustments to fit to smaller belts without unwanted play. This holster is a good investment for anyone that is looking to buy the best holsters for their 1911 pistols.

How to clean your 1911 pistol

Cleaning a 1911 pistol can be difficult but if you want to make sure that your gun looks squeaky clean then there are a few simple rules to follow. Knowing the best way to clean your 1911 pistols is the way to make sure you do it right. Different types of pistols have different cleaning methods, assembly as well as cleaning products to efficiently clean grime, dust and dirt from your pistol. A well kept and cleaned pistol ensures better performance of your pistol.

First you would need to take your pistol apart such as removing the 1911 pistol grips from the pistol. It is possible to clean the pistols without taking anything apart but by taking it apart, you can ensure a thorough clean. You can get inside and get into every nook and cranny of the pistol to clean it. Consistent cleaning of the pistol ensures that you prolong the life of your pistol and makes sure it doesn’t jam up or gets faulty.

When you are attempting to take off the pistol grips, all you need to do is to find the screw that holds the grips into place. Once this is done, you can easily remove the grips from the gun. If you are cleaning your pistol for the first time, make sure to take your time in taking the parts of and not rush into de-assembling as you might get the parts mixed up. Simply unscrew, being careful to not fracture or scratch the current grips, keeping them in perfect condition.

How to clean a 1911 pt 1

When cleaning you 1911 pistol, you can choose to use basic gun lube and wipes to clean them or you could use specific products catered to clean a 1911 pistol from its metal to the treated wood. It is up to your personal preferences to clean your pistol. When cleaning your pistol, it goes beyond cleaning and drying them. You would also need to provide protective coating by using some of the top lube products like Mil-tech for the 1911 pistol.

Invest in a good set of cleaning and lube supplies as well as pistol cleaning brushes. After cleaning your pistol, you should also keep the cleaning equipment clean for future use. After you are done cleaning the pistol, its time to put it all back together. Assembling the pistol together is as easy as taking them apart.

As mentioned before, do not rush in assembling the parts together. Line each separate piece carefully and start with fixing them together. Screw each part back in carefully. You should be careful when screwing the parts in, as you will want to make sure that you do not scratch the pistol grips as you are putting them back onto the pistol itself.

Some people will fail to understand why they need to clean their 1911 pistol. Some people have never cleaned their pistols which is a big no-no. The importance of pistol cleaning is numerous as it affects the performance of the pistol. Those who are serious about the look of the pistol will want to make sure that they clean the pistol frequently. Knowing the best way to clean the pistol is essential to doing it right the first time.

How to clean a 1911 pt 2

The Enduring 1911 Pistol

Being the most popular of all James Browning’s designs, the 1911 pistol better known as the M1911, has been in use from World War I till the mid-eighties. It is so popular that even now the pistol is used by armed forces of the United States. Its design has been the benchmark for pistols made by other nations while the original M1911 went on to become a must have for the US armed forces.

The 1911 pistol was used in action in all the major wars fought by the US after WWI. It was used in WWII, the Korean and the Vietnam wars as its name got changed over several battlefields. From an automatic pistol, caliber.45, it has got its present M1911 name. In all the wars fought by the US last century and where the pistol was used by servicemen, sales of the M1911 have totaled nearly 3 million.

After the trial run the colt became a US army weapon in 1911 from when it carried its present name, the M1911. Later in 1913, the marines adopted it too. As demand shot up during the First World War some of the manufacturing had to be gotten done by the government to keep pace with the war requirement.

The pistol got a makeover after the war after inputs came in for further developments like a shortened trigger and a comfortable grip leaving the interior intact. Production of these pistols under license from US was carried out in Norway before WWII intervened and the Germans occupied the country. Even they could not resist using them, but changed the model name. During their occupation production of the pistols continued.

As their quality and finish was of a very high standard, gun collector even now hunt for the models produced in pre-war Norway. From that time the model was replicated with some changes by gun manufacturers in Spain and Argentina.

M1911 developed with the two wars fought by the US and in the run up to WWII and during the years of the war nearly 2 million pistols were sold by various manufacturers who pitched in for the war demand. Companies like the Rock Island Arsenal, Springfield Armory, the sewing machine company Singer, Union Switch and Signal, Ithaca Gun Company and even the typewriter maker Remington Rand produced the gun for the forces doing battle in far off places in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Military personnel across all services of the US armed forces found the M1911 to be a hot favorite. Left with huge stocks after the war, the US government ceased ordering further only to periodically send some of them for re-conditioning when necessary. Popularity among US military personnel for the pistol can be judged by its continued use much later for the war in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Why the 1911 pistol is popular

One of the most popular pistols in the world is the 1911 pistol. Since its invention and use, the 1911 pistol have seen a good amount of conflict and competition and have been used in a number of government agencies both in America and abroad. The 1911 pistols have received praise by those who have used it as early as in World War I. The U.S. Army adopted the Browning-designed 1911 Colt prior to World War I and since then, the 1911has remained popular for nearly a century in military and civilian hands.

One of the pioneers who has seen and manufactured the development of the 1911 series of pistols is Robert Campbell. Campbell is a firearms expert and has been deeply involved with developments of the 1911. Using the pistols for competition, hunting and when he was a police officer, Campbell is truly found of the American made 1911 and fondly tells the story of story of John Moses Browning, who's considered the father of the 1911 pistols.

Shooters love the 1911 because of many reasons and these reasons encompass the 1911 parts, grips and its custom tools. The popularity of these pistols have enabled many companies to set of manufacturing of 1911 and a shooter is bound to find a 1911 pistol that meets their budget and application preferences.

The 1911 till today continues to enjoy a level of popularity even with more advanced armed applications in the foray. The reasons for this are multitude, not just that it is chambered for the powerful .45 ACP cartridge, as many believe. The primary reason for the1911’s popularity lies in the number of calibers it possesses. This includes .45, .40 S&W and 9mm. The 1911 continues to be popular among many shooters as well as the armed forces. Contrary to believe, all of these loads are still popular in police circles, and all are available in a variety of 1911 frame sizes and styles, including several that fit snugly in the palm of an adult-size hand. Some even purchase the 1911 and keep for collection sake, consistently cleaning them and keeping these 1911 pistols in pristine shape.

1911-style pistols can be purchased with a specially designed holster at any manufacturing outlet. The solid all-steel frame of the 1911 makes them quite pleasant to shoot even with the most powerful loads or space-age featherweights that incorporate space-age alloys and polymers. The 1911 has stood the test of time even when technologically advanced firearms offer better and more specific shooting capabilities. The gun can be purchased in the traditional single-stack configuration or as a fat-gripped double column that can offer as many as 14 rounds in the magazine.

Small, large, light, heavy, fixed sights, target sights, blue or stainless steel, slim line or high capacity--even "plastic" models--the 1911 offers many of the same features and advancements found in the new generation of double-action pistols. Because of its centuries old history, the 1911 requires more effort and hand manipulation to shoot.

History of the 1911 pistol

The 1911 semi-automatic pistol was designed by John M. Browning for the US armed forces from 1911 to 1985. This gun was popular during the World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and the Korean War.  The 1911 pistol

was designed to replace .38 revolvers which were not suitable to stop attackers during one of its war campaign against the Moros in Philippines.  The creation for this gun started after the Ordinance Board concluded they need a .45” caliber cartridge for a better stopping power.

J. Browning re-engineered the design of an autoloader pistol that has a .38 cartridge to suit the .45” diameter cartridge with the 230gr. FMJ bullet and submitted his design for evaluation after the Army officially announced their interest for a new handgun.  There were a few firearms submitted for evaluation and the 1911 was selected after the Ordinance Department prepared a series of further tests.

Browning even went to Hartford so that he can supervise the gun’s production personally. He cooperated with Fred Moore to make sure every part used for test gun was perfect.  Torture test was conducted on 3rd March, 1911 after the guns were submitted again for evaluation. One of the tests requires each gun to fire 6000 rounds. The pistol would be allowed to cool for 5 minutes after every 100 rounds. The pistol were cleaned and oiled after every 1000 rounds.

After the initial 6000 rounds, they tested it with deformed cartridges. And then the gun were submerged in sand and mud or rusted in acid to test its durability.  The pistols designed by Browning passed the test series excellently. In fact, it was the first firearm to go through a test firing 6000 cartridges continuously. The record was only broken in 1917 after another of Browning’s invention; the recoil operated machine gun went through a 40000 rounds test.

The .45 Automatic pistols were named as model 1911 and were chosen as the official sidearm for the Armed Forces of USA on 29th March, 1911.  This gun model was the most popular design done by John Browning. The short recoil principle system became popular during the 20th century almost all modern centerfire pistols that we have today are designed according to 1911.

The pistols that we have today look similar to the original 1911 model. The only obvious difference was the missing crescent-shaped cuts at the back of the trigger for contemporary pistols.  There were some slight changes being made to the Colt Model 1911 in early 1920 to improve the gun. The changes include replacement of the flat mainspring with an arched one, short trigger was made standard, the grip safety were made longer. This model was named as the 1911 A1 Government Model. Another 1911 model was created in 1929 based on the .38 Super cartridge.

A .22 LR version was produced in 1931 and named as Colt Ace. There were about 2.7 million units of the 1911 pistol were procured in the United States during its service life.