The pistol was first put into service in 1911 and remained in service through World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the War in Vietnam. The old war-horse proved to be particularly useful in the tunnel fighting that went on in Vietnam.
The enduring reliability of the Browning-Colt .45 military model is reflected in the fact that about 50,000 pistols "disappeared" from the 380,000 made between April 1917 and November 1918. Including pre-war production, about 100,000 of the 520,000 pistols bought by the Government disappeared in the total six-years between the first orders and the conclusion of the war. A good thief knows a good thing when he sees it.
So it served America's military with distinction and an unmatched reputation for reliability for over 60 years until International politics caused a change to 9 mm.
Exactly NONE of the other pistols mentioned here have been around that long and many of them never will be. It's already been correctly said that some people ought not own one and you have to wonder if the 1911 is as bad as they say, why in hell do they?
Last edited by BobWills; 07/12/16.
