1918 Colt 1911 “Black Army” .45 Caliber Service Pistol – SN: 585048 (C&R)

The M1911 pistol is a remarkable piece of firearms history and has a storied past as one of the most influential handguns of the modern era. Designed by John M. Browning and developed by Colt, the Model 1911 was the self-loading solution to the U.S. military’s need for a reliable sidearm at the turn of the 20th century. The military had set out to find a new standard issue pistol that was self-loading, reliable, and a minimum of .45 caliber. In 1906, six designs were submitted for consideration and three were eliminated quickly. Re-designs of the remaining three pistols, from Savage, Colt, and DMW, were requested, but only Savage and Colt submitted new weapons for consideration. Testing and refinement of the weapons continued from 1907 to 1911, during which a pivotal test was conducted in 1910 to determine the pistol’s reliability. The M1911 emerged as the clear winner when 6,000 rounds were fired through it without a single defect. It is said that during the test, when the Colt firearm became hot, it was simply immersed in water to cool, while the Savage was reported to have 37 defects coming out of the firing test. On March 29, 1911, the Colt design was officially adopted as the U.S. Army’s service weapon, and in 1913 the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps followed suit. The M1911’s adoption couldn’t have come at a better time, as it provided military troops with a self-loading and reliable sidearm just in time for two important conflicts – the Punitive Expedition in 1916 and World War I. While the Punitive Expedition failed in its task of capturing Pancho Villa, it did introduce many future military leaders, such as George S. Patton, to the use of the M1911 in combat. The pistol’s effectiveness was further demonstrated during World War I, where it proved its superiority in short-range stopping power in the trenches.