M45A1 - Colt custom shop vs Production version.which should I buy? I headed to the range again with my custom 1911, and while it looked great and shot well, reliability wasnt where it should have been. GUNSweek.com is a new online platform dedicated to the diffusion of technical knowledge in the gun world. Shooting two handed, strong side only and weak side only it functioned flawlessly. Note the X through the USMC marking. for most service pistols. I suspect it will only be worth more as time marches on. My only experience with a military .45 was at AFROTC summer training. Barrel length is 5 inches, dual recoil springs reduce perceived recoil and magazine capacity is seven rounds. These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. Colt Custom Shop M45A1 (NO USMC MARKINGS) "EGA" serial number. I was looking at the first shipment from that contract, and my Marines would be the first to be issued the .45s. great shape, this is not the decom model either. An MEU(SOC) 1911 pistol, built by PWS at Quantico, Virginia. The front slide serrations are perfectly placed and have a noticeably deep depth and width, so much so that you can easily feel them while wearing gloves. In recent months, the auction houses have listed a few with the prices for the pristine unissued handguns estimated around $7,000. The finish is a bit slick which is offset by the rather deep cocking serrations both front and rear on the slide. And yet, a lot of gun enthusiasts andcollectors have been happy to wait to get one. This added weight, in addition to the dual spring slap back, provide for noticeably less recoil. [13] This is the same pistol used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation SWAT and Hostage Rescue Teams; however, it had previously been rejected for adoption as the ICQB. Back in March 2016, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, openly declared to be eyeing the Glock 19 as the next standard service pistol. More importantly, this feature was intended to decrease the battering the pistol takes on recoil. As an avid Glock shooter, digging through my holster box to find one that fit was a chore. The Picatinny-railed 1911s were officially adopted by the elite troops in 2012, and featured all the special touches required by those operating on or behind the front lines in the global war on terrorism. My friend, a 1911 aficionado accompanied me to the range. The pistol functioned well for the first three rounds, but then I couldnt find my front sight- literally- it flew off! The Marine Corps had chosen the tan Colts, official designation M45A1, as a commercial replacement for the legendary, custom, Quantico-built M1911s issued to U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Marine Raiders and the Corps Force Reconnaissance Marines. Solid aluminum grip and hammer (camp). The Colt gobbled up a wide variety of bullet profiles, cycling smoothly and without hesitation, while grouping each in a cluster that fit within the space the front sight covered at any given distance. THIS IS A VERY ARE PISTOL, THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND SELDOM COME UP FOR SALE. Two Wilson Combat magazines. The only difference between this one and the one sold to the Marines was the USMC roll mark which did not exist on the civilian model which was delivered in a blue plastic Colt case. Then sold the entire lot to the company selling them on Gunbroker. I brought it into the dealer. Particularly for specialized 1911 collectors, a pistol with the history and background of the Colt M45A1 CQBP is a must-have. I cleared the pistol, engaged the safety, and couldnt take it off safe. We use cookies on this website, our and third parties, to enhance your user experience. I dont know that any pistols, the old Quantico M45s or the new Colts, were ever truly benched or grouped. COLT MFG CO INC Marine M45-A1 Colt CCS O1070M45 M45-A1 SA 45ACP 5" 7+1 HAS USMC ROLLMARK on slide PRODUCT INFORMATION Slide Material: Stainless Steel Frame Material: Stainless Steel Slide Finish: Cerakote Brown Coating Frame Finish: Cerakote Brown Coating Model Name: GOVERNMENT Left Slide Mark: COLT*** USMC Right Slide Mark: Colt Government Model EU Gun Ban: a new Call to Action from Firearms United! Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. Pistol, Model of 1911 to the Marine Corps. The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns. Colt has not published the quantities of the EGA suffix pistols that were issued, at least not in any list Ive been able to find. The rear sight we ordered [], Weve been using Parabellum Armaments AKARS for 9 months. Two bigthings happened to me when I turned 18, I joined the Marines and I bought my first pistol (in the state I live in, you used to be able to obtain a handgun license at the age of 18). My old unit carried them on special operations missions around the world for a couple of years and then completed the en masse switch to the Glock 19 that had been occurring gradually even before the Colts adoption. The Colt M45A1 CQBP pistol is based on the tried and true Series 80 platform: it comes with a single-action trigger, a skeletonized enhanced hammer, an automatic firing pin safety, an ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, and an improved and crisp trigger pull about two kilos or just under 6 lbs. The quality and engineering on the National Match barrels is exceptional. [16] The Marine Corps issued the M45A1 to Force Reconnaissance companies, MARSOC and Special Reaction Teams from the Provost Marshals Office. Davids Articles at GUNS, American Handgunner & Shooting Industry Magazines. Tan cerakote finish. I was able to lay my hands on one of the decommissioned M45A1s to examine and evaluate it. 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AFTER THE MILITARY RUN COLT STARTED TO PRODUCE THESE FOR THE COMMERICIAL MARKET WITH THE USMC LOGO AND JUST A THOUSAND OR SO WERE MADE WHEN THE MARINE CORPS ASKED THEM TO STOP USING THE USMC ROLL MARK. THIS IS 1913 DATED DWM MADE, In 97% original unmessed with condition, we have an early war high polish Czech made CZ27 pistol. [15] The pistol was redesignated the M45A1 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) and up to 12,000 will be delivered. The Colt M45A1 is the new USMC service pistol. While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. It is either a custom shop gun or an early production gun. That cartridge didnt cycle my gun either. Was it hand held of benched? Among its key improvements over its predecessors is the use of Colt's patented Dual Recoil Spring System, which heavily mitigates the recoil impulse of the powerful .45 ACP caliber allowing faster target re-acquisition and quicker follow-up shots, potentially a key factor in gunfighting and boosts the recoil springs' own service life. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. purchased pistol for combat use by its Special Operations units, including Force Recon. I recently came across a passage from Jeff Cooper written in 1961 that read, the big pistol [1911] has been with us for half a century, and as yet no better sidearmfor serious combat workhas been devised. It is a testament to the enduring nature of the M1911 that a full 50 years later the Corps was issuing the latest version of the design in the M45A1. Colt CR6940. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. The gun ran like a top. Clearly I had no clue. The Colt appeared to be unissued and had probably not been fired since leaving the factory. The rollmark has now changed to "COLT***M45A1" for both Custom Shop and regular production guns. This full-size lower rail adds some of the noticeable heft to the gun,but that heft seems to balance out thepistolso that the gundoesnt feel nose heavy. [11], Discovering that the Los Angeles Police Department was pleased with their special Kimber-made M1911 pistols, a single source request was issued to Kimber Manufacturing for a similarly built pistol, despite the imminent release of their TLE/RLII models. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. One thing is for sure: the M45A1 CQBP is not a handgun for everybody. By far, the most common of the USMC rollmarks is the Custom Shop Pelican cased version, and is very likely to be the one anyone encounters. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. Professional dedicated to training and equipping people to live safely in a dangerous world. MSRP comes in at $1,699. Jun 21, 2013 1911, 45 Auto, Colt .45, Colt 1911, Colt M45, Colt Marine Corps 1911, Colt O1017CQB, feature, Marine Corps pistol. Those should be Novak LoMount sights, according to the official technical specs, but some M45A1 CQBP samples ours included are issued with Trijicon sights. The Custom Shop price list indicates theyll checker the front strap at either 20 or 25 lpi for $260. Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Colt M45A1: A Modernized M1911 For The Marines. [9], The Officer In Command of the Precision Weapons Shop in 2001, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ken Davis, stated that the M1911 is "the only pistol that can stand up to this use". You may have read our first reviewhere, or our second here. which was officially adopted in 1986. (LogOut/ The M45A1 proved exceptionally stable and accurate at the range. sidearm was the Beretta M9 (92FS) chambered in 9mm Luger. Remember me, IN 95% ORIGNAL CONDITION, ALL MATCHING WITH AN EXCELLENT BORE, WE HAVE A NICE SOLID MAUSER C96 BROOMHANDLE IN 9MM, IN 97% VERY CRISP ORIGINAL CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY RARE AND SIGNIFICANT LUGER. As much as its dress may change, this is still John Moses Browning's old reliable battlehorse. Weight of the gun, empty, is listed at 40 ounces. About that time, the Custom Shop was downsized and no more of the Custom Shop M45A1s were made. [17], The original pistols were hand-selected standard government issued Colt M1911A1s that were gutted, deburred, and prepared for additional use by the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) in Quantico, Virginia. Related Products. Sweet! 0. Bill Marr I was able to put five of eight shots onto my 3"-wide truth teller steel targeta task that is normally a tough slog at 25 yds. The finish on the pistol is a brown Decobond designed to hold up through hard use. The Colt M45A1 is the new USMC service pistol. The decommissioned pistols and the custom shop pistols all appear to be in the hands of collectors. A huge proponent of the system, he has been lecturing me about the benefits of the 1911 platform for nearly two decades. The earliest production samples had isolated instances where the application of the tan coating was suspected by the end users to be causing reliability issues. The M45A1 feels heavy compared to other full-size 1911s. If you would like to make an offer for this gun please send an email to southeastgunshots@gmail.com. [8], A Marine operator may shoot as many as 80,000 rounds from this pistol during a training-cycle and subsequent deployment. used but great shape. This particular sample disproved decades worth of gun magazine lore about a combat-grade .45 needing to be loose for reliability and thus incompatible with custom-level accuracy. An identical version coming off the same assembly line was sold to the civilian market. That level of accuracy is truly noteworthy in a randomly selected, government-issue pistol. Similar to the Custom Shop CQB pistol, this is a production line version of the pistol that the Marines bought for the MARSOC units. A close-up of the rear portion of the gun with its hammer cocked. The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. Brand new IonBond blue box can be had for less than $1500. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. It is a Fletch High Rise OWB Holster. It was the kind of day that a gun guy can never forget. FMJ 1.65". News, Handguns, Semi-Auto Handguns. In the hand, that level of precision translated to straightforward hits on tough and distant targets. This is important in a gun meant to endure nearly as many rounds in the weeks-long Marine Raider training regimen as the original M1911 was intended to see throughout its entire service life. I still like my M45A1 (not the Custom Shop or USMC Issue gun) with it's matching knife by Ohio Knife Maker, Mickey Yurco: Dave I use a Galco Model Number FL212. When this holster is brand new it will be a "snug" fit. The decision had been anticipated in February 2015, when the USMC first officially authorized its special operation units to carry Glock pistols in lieu of the 1911, at the operator's will. That was me who snagged. Most of the time standing slow fire at 25 yds. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. While most will instantly recognize that the Officers sized guns arent known for reliability, I didnt know it at the time. Nearly every time weve shot together, he has had some sort of issue that he usually attributes to ammunition, the gun, recoil spring weight, the magazine, the chamber, extractor fit, lubrication, or maintenance. Colt decided to employ a National Match barrel in theM45A1instead of their normal barrel option. Springfield Armory entered a variant of the full-sized Loaded MC Operator M1911A1 pistol with a military-standard 1913 rail, tritium night sights and finished with a two-tone black slide with an olive-drab green frame. It would be hard to improve on this trigger with any kind of upgrade. Collectors and shooters reacted predictably, and the Colts began to flip over on Gunbroker at two-week intervals, each time gaining several hundred dollars in asking price. Colt inspected the M45A1s and issued a letter of authenticity with them and x out the USMC to show they had been demilled. Genuine Marine Corps M45A1 Coltsused by Marine Raiders and Force Reconnaissancewere decommissioned and became available on the civilian market complete with their original packaging and letters of authenticity. Every piece of steel in theM45A1is machined to specific tolerances and tested to the specifications put forth by the United States Marine Corps. Colt added this spring assembly to the M45A1 and some of its commercial models with the intent to decrease the battering the pistol takes on recoil. Model O1070CQB is the Custom Shop version with tuned trigger and oversized fitted barrel, green Pelican case, Otis cleaning kit, test target, and two Wilson 7-round magazines. SWC 1.49" Hornady 200-gr. Colt AR15A4. Sold WALTHER PP REICHS JUSTICE MARKED VERY CRISP! It turns out the rear stake of the safety plunger tube broke off causing the safety lock detent to move over the bottom edge of the factory safety. Based on the classic 1911, which has served the United States since 1911, the M45A1 CQBP continues the tradition of having John Brownings classic pistol filling the holsters of our nations finest weapons.The jacket worn is a Tru-Spec 24/7 softshell available on Amazon or at Gander Mountain.PLEASE SUPPORT MAC ON PATREON: http://www.patreon.com/militaryarms-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-Please watch: \"BCM Mk12 with AEM5 Silencer and some cool winter rigging!\" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf1bGpc0aHo-~-~~-~~~-~~-~- The included factory letter affirms that this is a genuine U.S.M.C. So I headed to the store and purchased a new-in-box lightweight Colt Series 80 Officers ACP. The only other USMC-marked pistols on the market are the real ones that had been returned to Colt and then re-sold to the civilian market. In February 2015, the Marine Corps approved the Glock 19 for MARSOC units. pistols to be offered on the civilian market since the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) stopped handgun sales over 50 years ago. External enhanced hammer, automatic firing pin safety, Ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, extended beavertail grip safety, 127 mm / 5" National Match barrel The Colt incorporates a slightly beveled magazine well to facilitate reloads. That is quite a service legacy for any military firearm. [16] The Colt design is considered an upgrade of the previous pistol, not an entirely new design. NEW IN THE BOX, WE HAVE A COLT USMC CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PISTOL M45A1. The improved M45A1 CQBP features several changes to the original M1911A1 design. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Trying to see if the USMC needs to find a home. SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS AN EXACT SAME AS ISSUED USMC CQB PISTOL THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING THAT IT HAS THE EGA SERIAL NUMBER. Marine Corps Systems Command announced February 17, 2005, that it was going to purchase 150 Springfield Armory Professional Model pistols for use as MEU(SOC) pistols. The frame comes with a machined MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny accessory rail, and also sports highly textured G10 panels that make the grip basically slip-proof, if a bit wide: with a circumference of about 7" (that's almost 18 cm! In Oct. 2016 the U.S. Marine Corps announced Glock 19s would replace the .45 ACP-chambered Colt M45A1s carried by members . Despite the planned purchase of the commercial pistols, Marine Corps Systems Command has continued to solicit parts to build additional MEU(SOC) pistols. I didnt think much on it at the time, but as we received those first tan Colts and issued them out to our Raiders it was just a few months more than 100 years since Colt had delivered its initial shipment of the U.S. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties. Copyright2016-2023 DigitoolmediaSrls VATNo. Many small parts, including the hammer and trigger, are manufactured out of aluminum, but both the slide and frame are machined in solid stainless steel and Decobond-finished in desert tan color. I was at my local gun shop when a Marine was picking up two that he had won. The Marine Colt pistol was designated the M45A1. [9], However, as the U.S. Marine Corps began its process of hand selecting members from its Force Recon to be submitted to USSOCOM as Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One (MCSOCOM Det-1), the selection of a .45 ACP M1911A1-based pistol meant roughly 150 units would be needed, more quickly than the PWS could produce them, as PWS were already backlogged with producing DMRs, USMC SAM-Rs, and updating M40A1s to M40A3s, so DET-1 began the search for COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) surrogates to use. Edit to add: there are some NRA guns in that serial range, see if anything is laser engraved on the gun itself. This Colt Government Model M45A1 is a Colt Custom Shop Model introduced in 2012 as the civilian version of the United States Marine Corps Close Quarters Battle Pistol . A slight bevel at the magazine well enhances reload speed and the thumb safety is ambidextrous. Desert tan Decobond finish, $1,699.00 (MSRP U.S.A.) It was largely (maybe entirely) unannounced and seemed odd, or even suspect, but there was a factory letter from Colt to guarantee authenticity. We ended the session shooting the old FBI pistol qualification course on a counter shaded QIT-99 (you can see the course of fire here). This handgun has never been fired! All three versions have serial numbers ending in the EGA serial suffix (for the Corps iconic eagle, globe and anchor insignia), the U.S. markings, and the small set of numbers and CQBP denoting the official description of Close Quarters Battle Pistol.. Quick view Out of stock. These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. Rogers, Patrick A. The used Glock 19 I bought in 1994, still shoots well. All rights reserved. I have it in quotes for a reason, it kinda looked like a 45 ACP cartridge, only it was bent and weird looking. The MEU(SOC) pistol, ("Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) (MEU(SOC))") officially designated the M45 MEUSOC,[5] is a magazine-fed, recoil-operated, single-action, semiautomatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. [11] Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). Whatever side you're on in the neverending "Metal Vs. Polymer" battle, the facts remain: back in the 1980s, the well known Austrian company paved the way for the future and still leads the market, but nonetheless the 1911 pistol is still a pillar of the firearms industry and given its enduring popularity among law enforcement professionals and civilian shooters worldwide, it's likely to hold its position for decades to come. The USMC-marked pistol is from one of the early runs when Colt was using the same rollmark that they applied to the actual USMC guns. I've picked up used cerakote M45A1 rollmark guns for $1200. The Picatinny rail on the bottom of the frame is a full-size Mil Standard 1913 rail which holds accessories nice and tight as compared to its competitors with smaller lower rails. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? Dec 1, 2014 (Edited) It's kinda tricky, commercial sale frames were pulled right from the contract gun production line. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. Beyond the tan color, forward slide serrations and the section of M1913 Picatinny accessory rail immediately standout and separate the pistol from the typical service M1911. I overlooked the fact that it was a Colt and my awful past with Colt. [2], In 2012, the Marine Corps awarded Colt a contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols. The instructor basically told us the Air Force felt the Army .45 was too much gun for us. While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. Dave I use a Galco Model Number FL212. this isnt your cheapie m45a1 model. Marine HQ requested Colt to stop marking the pistols as such. Head to the range this week with American Rifleman staff as they discuss a trim little repeater from Savage Arms that comes chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge. How big of a ragged hole is the group at 25 yards? The slide is correctly roll marked with the USMC marking that has been factory stuck with an X to signify it as being decommissioned from the U.S.M.C. Scarcely mentioning the soon-be-collectible kept demand low, and availability proportionately high. Unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE, Colt M45A1 USMC Close Quarter Battle Pistol, Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Model 29 S&W CLASSICS 6 1/2 Blue Revolver, Colt AR-15 A2 HBAR Gov Model in .223 Z-COTE Limited Edition of 250 Pre-ban. $ 1,649.00. Hello - I am looking at 2 Colts - one is the Colt M45A1 (custom shop w/ green pelican case) and the other is the Colt M45A1 with the USMC roll marks. USMC Colt Custom Shop, Pelican case - might be as high as 800 made. was not the question, rather, it was how tightly I could group the splatter marks. Stack upon stack of crisp-cornered cardboard boxes weighed down a work bench in the armory of what is now called the Marine Raider Training Center. Some of the early Marine pistols began showing excess wear and 1,000 of these pistols (470 used and 530 unissued) were traded by the Marine Corps under warranty back to Colt in exchange for newer Ionbond finished replacements. You must enable JavaScript to remove this banner. Therefore, almost all of these pistols are marked M45A1 and only a small percentage have the USMC rollmark. In other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. The .45 maintains a traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. The action incorporates the Series 80 mechanism that blocks the firing pin until the trigger is pulled. By clicking the "OK" button, you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. Among those are the MEU(SOC) and the Force Recon the special operation forces of the United States Marine Corps whose sidearm ever since the year 1986 has been the M45 MEUSOC pistol, a custom-grade 1911 variant assembled and tuned by the USMC armorers at the Quantico base, in Virginia. I overlooked that fact that whoever coated it, missed some spots. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. Each time I handle the M45A1, though, I silently bemoan Colts decision to leave the frontstrap untextured, particularly in a .45 that is often fired while wearing gloves. The silence was deafening, though, when they became available and Colt continued to produce a civilian variant. I was able to lay my hands on one of the decommissioned M45A1s to examine and evaluate it, one author for American Rifleman wrote two years ago. There is the EGA serial suffix (for the Corps iconic eagle, globe and anchor insignia), the U.S. markings, and the small set of numbers and CQBP denoting the official description of Close Quarters Battle Pistol. The inboard side of the handgun has a rather large COLT***USMC marking that struck me at the time of issue as gaudy and a blatant attempt by Colt to mark the government-contract pistols in such a way as to facilitate marketing the look-alike commercial version.
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colt m45a1 usmc rollmark