My personal choice for immediate self-defense is a Taurus PT1911, a modern adaptation of John Moses Browning’s venerable Colt Model 1911.
The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. It was designed by John Browning, and was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985, and is still carried by some U.S. forces.
It’s a big pistol. It looks big and feels solid. It launches a big 230 grain bullet and delivers over 550 ft.lbs. of energy on impact. The person that receives such a bullet will undoubtedly say, “ouch.”
The M1911A1 design is favored by a large number of police SWAT teams throughout the United States. Many military and law enforcement organizations in the United States and many other countries continue to use (often modified) M1911A1 pistols because they favor the greater stopping power of the .45 cartridge and the superior shootability of the weapon.
Marine Force Recon, Los Angeles Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta (Delta Force) are among them. The Tacoma, WA Police Department made history in 2001 by becoming the first metropolitan police department in nearly 50 years to adopt the 1911 as its official carry weapon. The Tacoma Police Department selected the Kimber Pro Carry II or Pro Carry II HD as optional, department supplied weapons available to its officers.
Despite being challenged by newer and lighter weight pistol designs in .45 caliber, such as the Glock 21, the SIGARMS P220 and the aforementioned Heckler & Koch Mk 23, the 1911 shows no signs of decreasing popularity, and continues to dominate shooting competitions.
The .45 ACP is a proven stopper. The only other handgun cartridge which has demonstrated
stopping power comparable to the .45 ACP is the 125 grain .357 Magnum jacketed hollowpoint. And Browning’s 1911 design is the perfect delivery platform for the .45 ACP bullet.
From American Handgunner:
The Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit (The MEU) is an expeditionary intervention force capable of combat operations in virtually any environment. Each MEU is deployed aboard Navy ships as part of the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and may be a member of a carrier task force. A MEU normally consists of a Battalion Landing Team. the Ground Combat Element (reinforced battalion), a composite aircraft squadron (the Air Combat Element) and a service support group (the Combat Service Support Element). This unit comprises approximately 2,100 Marine force projection personnel. We are talking about the tip of one of America’s swords.
The involved 6-month pre-deployment training process for each MEU culminates in a formal “special operations capable” (SOC) evaluation and qualification test prior to its 6-month sea deployment. Scenarios for special operations capable Marines include, but are not limited to: In-Extremis Hostage Recovery, Seizure/Recovery of Offshore Energy Facilities. Specialized Demolition Operations, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, Seizure/Recovery of Selected Personnel or Material, Counter Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Visit, Board. Search and Seizure of Vessels. Not simple missions and not for those being faint of heart or less than highly motivated, well trained, well equipped and well-lead. But hey, they’re Marines.
The MEU(SOC) 1911 .45 Auto is the pistol these especially qualified SOC Marines carry. Why? Well, the official answer goes like, “The M1911A1 was chosen for this role … because of its inherent reliability and lethality …”
As one seasoned senior enlisted told me, “It’s not a fancy pistol. It’s a weapon you give a Marine to go kill people.”
The 1911 may be the last of the American cowboy guns. The 1911 launches a big, slow bullet. The Europeans, by way of contrast, tended to favor the smaller and faster cartridges such as the .32, .380, and 9mm Luger. But this is a case of the Europeans getting it wrong again, because size does matter.
A pistol is something you use to fight your way back to your rifle, and my rifle of choice is the AK-47 chambered in the heart-stopping 7.62x39mm. My PT1911, chambered in the equally heart-stopping .45 ACP, will give me the time necessary to stop the immediate threat or retreat to safer ground.
PT1911, Colt, 1911, M1911, pistol, 45 ACP, John Browning
