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Specifications on the Remington M1911A1

Still used today by some branches of the U.S. military, the M1911A1 is a semi-automatic handgun designed by John M. Browning, and was originally manufactured by Colt. First introduced in 1911, the single action pistol saw duty in both World Wars and Korea. It had an effective short recoil design often duplicated by other manufacturers, and was eventually adopted in several centerfire gun designs in the late 20th century. It also became a favorite of civilians who use them competitively in several classes of marksmanship events.

Design
- The Remington M1911A1 is magazine fed and fires .45 ACP cartridge from a seven-round, detachable magazine. Its low carry weight and high muzzle energy made it a mainstay of the US military for many decades. The U.S. military procured 2.7 million units, and the handgun is still being used today, albeit in a lesser capacity.
Firing
- With a muzzle velocity of 830 feet per second, the short recoil M1911A1 can deliver substantial punch, with good accuracy at close range. The rate of twist is 16 inches per turn, and it has a maximum capacity of eight rounds (seven in the clip and one in the chamber).
Production
- By World War II, the need for additional units had become so great that Colt and the US government's Springfield Arsenal couldn't keep up with demand. Production needed to be ramped up significantly; consequently, firearms manufacturer Remington Rand joined the fray, producing an estimated 900,000 units, along with several other manufacturers, including Ithaca Gun Company and Singer. A total of 1.9 millions units were manufactured for the U.S. military during this period. Today a variant of the M1911A1, designated 1911 R1 is still produced by Remington exclusively for the FBI, and commonly used by SWAT teams. These firearms are sometimes modified with scopes and laser sights.
Dimensions
- The M1911A1 has a barrel length of 127 mm and weighs just 1,105 grams. All variations have a relatively narrow width, which adds to its popularity among the armed forces and civilian shooters.

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