History of the 1911: From Then to Now

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John Browning’s 1911 is arguably the most iconic handgun of all time. A total of 2.7 million 1911s were made during the pistol’s unprecedented 75-year-run as the standard sidearm of the United States military. And that doesn’t take into consideration the massive number of civilian guns made in that same time frame and beyond, including current production. There’s a lot of history packed into the past 114 years, but here’s a good chunk of it.

Development and Adoption

By the spring of 1911, Colt and Savage had emerged as the top two contenders for the next sidearm to be issued to United States soldiers. On March 15, each company submitted a gun for a 6,000-round torture test to be completed at Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. The two guns used were the Colt with serial number 5 fired by E.G. Reising (of later M50 submachine gun fame), and the Savage with serial number 4 fired by Charles Nelson, an arms inventor with numerous patents assigned to Savage.

When the dust settled, Colt appeared to be victorious. The final verdict, though, would not arrive until the end of the month. On March 29, 1911, official notice was sent to Colt by Lt. Col. John T. Thompson (of later “Tommy Gun” fame) that informed them their design had “passed the prescribed tests and has been adopted” as the new military sidearm. Colt was instructed to reply with a quote for an order of 30,262 pistols, along with “spare parts and screwdrivers” to be sent to Springfield Armory ASAP.

Manufacturers

While Colt was the primary company that would make 1911 pistols for the United States military, it soon became clear that they would not be able to meet the military’s demand, especially as war in 1914 loomed large and uncertain. As a result, Springfield Armory (the actual government facility) and Remington-UMC were brought into the fold to make guns that would supplement Colt’s primary production. All told, Remington-UMC made approximately 21,000 pistols and Springfield Armory made approximately 25,000.

M1911A1

For most people, the difference between the nomenclature of “1911” and “1911A1” is of little to no significance. To the untrained eye, the guns still look basically the same. Make no mistake, though, that there are indeed distinct differences between the M1911 pistol and its A1 progeny. After all, if there wasn’t, then there would have been no need to alter the nomenclature in the first place.

There is often a misconception that “1911” refers to everything made before World War II and “1911A1” refers to everything made during and after World War II. This is not the case. The design changes began undergoing testing on November 12, 1920, just two years after World War I ended in 1918. As with most things involving the government, progress was steady, but slow. The pistol design and nomenclature of “1911A1” was officially adopted on May 20, 1926 - some 15 years before the United States got involved in World War II. This major change would  impacted a number of different parts in the 1911 pistol.

For the grips, this included removal of the diamond accent shapes from the checkered walnut grips in 1924 and a ten-year experiment in different materials that began in 1931 and was finalized in 1941 with the use of a material known as Coltwood Plastic. This material was used by all of the manufacturers contracted to produce the 1911A1.

Compared to the 1911A1, the trigger on a 1911 is exponentially longer and the difference is immediately noticed. It protrudes much farther from the frame than the trigger on a 1911A1. The trigger was shortened in the first half of 1922 and the face was knurled in the second half of 1922.

The frame around the trigger was also modified for better reach and grip. This was done by cutting scalloped contours on each side of the frame at the rear of the trigger guard above the magazine release. These scallops on the frame allow the shooter better access to the trigger face, increasing his ability to press straight to the rear rather than putting pressure on one side or the other and pulling the shot. For folks with smaller hands, this can be a big benefit.

A few different changes were made to the 1911’s sights. First was a widening of the front sight to a uniform width instead of tapering up to a thinner shape as was first designed. This was done in 1923. By World War II, the front sight was enlarged again, again to a uniform width overall.

In 1942, the front sight underwent another change; serrations were added on the edge facing the shooter. At the same time, the rear sight changed from a U-notch to a square notch.

The mainspring housing on a 1911 is flat. It was observed that this led to a tendency of new shooters in World War I to aim low. To correct this, a “hump” was recommended in 1921. This new mainspring housing would give “a more desirable angle to the rear of the grip” and “force the soldier to take the correct grip with the hand well up on the stock.”

Changes were also made to the size of the hammer spur and the grip safety that improved both shooter comfort and ease of use.

While the above changes are the general guidelines used to differentiate between a 1911 and a 1911A1, the truth is that the differences are much more nuanced and far less cut and dry. This is due in part to the fact that the changes were not made all at once. Consequently, you’ll see some guns that exhibit some but not all of the changes. Adding to that, the basic design of the 1911 was in service as the official U.S. sidearm from 1911 until 1984. These guns were worked and reworked repeatedly over their 74-year service life. 

Armorers were not concerned if the replacement parts matched the original issue of the gun; they just needed it to work. Most surplus military-issue 1911s and 1911A1s that you come across will exhibit a mix of parts from different eras. As a result, 1911s and 1911A1s that are found in all-original, as-built condition command a premium on the collector market.

Educational Orders

In an effort to test the feasibility of 1911 mass production, the United States Ordnance Department contracted with Singer (the sewing machine company) in 1925 for an engineering study to see how many guns they could produce in a month. After the study was complete, it was determined that Singer could turn out as many as 25,000 1911s in a month.

In 1939, the Ordnance Department awarded a production study to Singer. This allowed them to fine-tune their production methods, come up with standard sizes for raw materials, and research the best production methods. The following year, under Educational Order W-ORD-396, Singer set out to make 500 1911A1 pistols. The goal of the order was a lofty one: eventual achievement of a production rate of 100 guns per hour.

Singer never hit the production rate goal, but they did fulfill their contract for 500 1911A1s. By 1941, Singer had divested themselves of the 1911 business and transferred their tooling and documentation to Remington Rand. Harrington & Richardson were also briefly involved in the Educational Orders, but they never made it into production.

World War II Production

During World War II, the pistol saw its largest production numbers. As was the case in the World War I era, it was necessary for other companies to step up and produce pistols to supplement Colt’s production numbers. These other companies included Remington Rand, Ithaca, and Union Switch & Signal. Remington Rand made 877,000; Ithaca made 340,000; and Union Switch & Signal made 55,000.

Other Military 1911s

Even though the 1911 was officially replaced by the Beretta M9 in 1985, the gun has continued to see use in other capacities. The M45 MEU(SOC) pistol was developed in the mid-1980s using surplus 1911A1 frames from World War II and commercial upgrade parts with the work being done by Marine Corps armorers. In 2012, the Colt 1911 Rail Gun replaced the M45 as the M45A1.

Civilian Sales

Almost immediately, Colt began producing a version of the 1911 for sale to the general public. Identical to the military pistols in every way except for the government property markings, these guns were marketed as the Government Model and were introduced just a year later in 1912. Colt’s Government Model is still in production today and is known as the 1911 Classic.

Series 70 vs 80

Introduced in 1970, the Colt Series 70 marked a pivotal return to civilian-focused production after the wartime boom. The most notable change was the addition of a collet-style barrel bushing, which was an attempt to improve accuracy by ensuring a tighter lockup at the muzzle. This was a factory alternative to match-grade upgrades that typically had to be done by skilled gunsmiths.

What really makes the Series 70 shine in collectors’ and shooters’ eyes is what it doesn’t have: a firing pin safety. This means a cleaner trigger pull, which is an important detail for purists and competitive shooters who prefer the crispness of the original Browning design. The Series 70 guns have that classic feel, but it eventually gave way to a new series. (Spoiler alert: they’ve since gone back to the beloved Series 70.)

Fast-forward to 1983, and Colt rolled out the Series 80. This design introduced a mechanical firing pin safety that’s actuated by the trigger. Colt wasn’t just trying to be cautious. The company was staying ahead of liability concerns and adapting to changing safety expectations, especially for law enforcement markets.

The tradeoff? A slightly more complex mechanism that can affect trigger feel. If you’re a truly nuanced shooter, then you may notice a less pleasant trigger experience in the Series 80 than with the Series 70. For most shooters, the difference is negligible. For high-end collectors or purists, though, it can be a sticking point. Internally, Series 80 pistols have extra levers that interrupt the simplicity of the earlier design. Some custom builders avoid them for this reason, preferring the cleaner geometry of the Series 70. That said, Series 80 models are reliable, safe and still very much “real Colts.”

Competition

Whether in storied competition at the National Matches or local IDPA and IPSC matches, the 1911 has proven itself to be one of the most popular platforms available. As a result, plenty of other companies have begun making 1911s. They include Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory (the commercial one), SIG, Ruger, and even Savage - which is amusing since they lost the government contract to the Colt’s 1911.

Custom Gunsmithing

As an extension of the competition world and a desire for the best options for concealed carry, a number of different custom gunsmithing companies have gained popularity. While there are numerous others, some of the most common names are Clark’s Custom Guns, Ed Brown, Nighthawk Custom, Les Baer, and Wilson Combat. Taking the 1911 to a new level of custom and even into the bespoke territory are companies like Alchemy Custom Weaponry and Cabot Guns.

2011 and Double-Stack 1911

While the 1911 is historically a single-stack pistol design, there have been a number of attempts at modernizing the platform to bring its magazine capacity and modularity in line with today’s other popular pistols. This was most notably done by Staccato with the introduction of their 2011 line of pistols.

While 2011 pistols have a higher magazine capacity due in part to their frame being able to accommodate double-stack magazines, a 2011 and a double-stack 1911 are not the same thing. A 2011 has far greater end-user modification possibilities due to its modular grip frame. A double-stack 1911, on the other hand, does not offer such modularity but still offers the increased magazine capacity. One is not inherently better than the other; it’s just a matter of end-user preference.

Legacy

John Moses Browning was a Utah native, and in 2011 his home state paid him a high honor. Governor Gary Herbert named the 1911 to be the official state firearm. The fact that a 100-year-old gun (at that time) was given such an honor really says something about the 1911’s timeless design.

Countless handguns have been invented since the 1911 hit the world stage, but there’s just something about the 1911 that keeps drawing people in. The fact that I’ve written more than 2,000 words on this gun’s 114-year history here in 2025 without being able to pin down exactly why the model remains so popular is definitive proof of this. The only thing I can say definitively is that John Moses Browning broke the mold with the 1911. It has been imitated and duplicated the world over, and it has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

To read more on Historical Firearms visit Shooting Times 6 Rare Classic Firearms Lost in the Modern Age.

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