Replica Colt M1911 .45 Pistol by Denix

 

The famous M1911 Colt Government pistol, designed by John Browning in 1911,  served faithfully and reliably with US Armed Forces from 1911 to 1986 making it one of most popular military pistols of all time.

 

Over the course of its service life the US purchased over 2.7 million of these classic pistols and it was only replaced in 1986 by the Beretta 92F 9mm pistol. Even then some specialised units still prefer the harder hitting and reliable M1911 Colt 45 and so modernized versions still get use with Special Forces Army and Navy units.

 

In the beginning of its service life after successful trials and adoption with the US Army, it went on the serve in 1917 as the standard sidearm for US Forces in WW1.  In addition to being made by Colt it was also made under license to meet war time production needs by other manufacturers such as Springfield Armoury, Remington and North American Arms.

 

In WW2 the pistol became associated as a characteristic weapon on the hips and under the shoulders of some of America’s most famous combat units. Over 1.9 million were ordered by the US Government during WW2.  They were made under license during WW2 by a range of manufacturers including Remington, Ithaca and Singer with a wide variety if grips ranging from timber to plastic.

 

Post WW2 the classic 1911 (eventually to become known in the military as the M1911A1) saw active use in all conflicts that involved the US including Korea, Vietnam, and Operation Desert Storm / The Gulf War.  

 

To this day many law enforcement and also US special Forces units use this hard-working gun as their sidearm of choice.

 

The Denix Replica Colt 1911 pistol is a wonderful non-firing reproduction of this classic handgun and it will look great in displays to represent a wide range of eras from military history.