I do not remember ever standing a watch without strapping on a 1911 45 with two 7 round magazines and accounting for every bullet when I accepted the watch and when I was relieved. Watch meant quarterdeck watch in port and prior to E4 it meant walking a post guarding a facility of some sort.
Not that the 45 was going to save my ass. I fired dozens of them and most were less precise than flinging rocks. For most of my time my standard plan of action should I need to use that thing was to get as close as possible and then shoot until I was out of bullets and lastly to fling the damn 45 as hard as I could at the person I was shooting at and then run for help.
