I cleared the pistol, engaged the safety, and couldnt take it off safe. Lost your password? When it was first launched, the Colt M45A1 was described as "a highly enhanced version of an already excellent combat weapon" by William F. Keys a retired Lieutenant General of the United States Marine Corps who was also Colt's President and CEO back then. This particular sample earned every bit of the National Match stamping on the barrel hood. When the enemy breaches the position, any of them will do. The ejection port was modified by widening it and flaring it out. As the time went by and the adoption of the M9 pistol depleted the stock of spare parts, making the old M45 MEUSOC pistols unserviceable, a replacement had to be found. I was at my local gun shop when a Marine was picking up two that he had won. The pistol wears bilateral thumb safeties, which have somewhat oversize, though low-profile, ledges designed to be easily disengaged while not interfering with the non-firing hands grasp. I headed to the range with my 1911, a case of Winchester 230 grain ball and a couple hundred rounds of Cor-Bon 185 grain JHP (the gun rags of that day told you to shoot 200 rounds of your defensive load of choice). Comes with the original box, paperwork, and two magazines. I bought a used Generation 2 Glock 19 to shoot the rest of the time I was home, before heading back to my duty station in MCAGCC, 29 Palms, CA, a few thousand miles away. The USMC is about double the price and if I understand correctly, its a production gun from Colt whereas the civilian version goes through the custom shop - is that correct? Most of the time standing slow fire at 25 yds. Get your piece of American history before is gone. We have put a few rounds through the Decomm & it shoots and handles great. They feature Novak three-dot night sights, M1913-spec Picatinny rail and Decabond brown coating with nicely matching Desert Tan G10 grips. The Colt M45A1 is the new USMC service pistol. Desert tan Decobond finish, $1,699.00 (MSRP U.S.A.) I figured I needed some professional intervention so I sent the pistol off to Wayne Novak. At 40 yds. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Following some stop-gap and interim solutions, in 2012 the United States Marine Corps adopted an upgraded variant of the Colt CCU Rail Gun for its special operations capable units aptly dubbed the M45A1 CQBP Close Quarters Battle Pistol. There is a production version or a custom shop version available. If one looks closely at the trigger guard, Colt has the V-shaped proofmark that was present on earlier government handguns, such as the 1909 USMC revolver. GUNSweek.com is a new online platform dedicated to the diffusion of technical knowledge in the gun world. The Marine Colt pistol was designated the M45A1. An identical version coming off the same assembly line was sold to the civilian market. At any given time, one or two may show up on Gunbroker.com with prices that would only appeal to collectors. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. 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. I was at my local gun shop when a Marine was picking up two that he had won. More importantly, this feature was intended to decrease the battering the pistol takes on recoil. That level of accuracy is truly noteworthy in a randomly selected, government-issue pistol. Glocks uses MIM parts and a polymer frame yet are widely considered to be among the most reliable and durable firearms ever created. 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. The Colt M45A1 CQBP semi-automatic pistol is the latest iteration of the .45 caliber 1911 pistol, as adopted in 2012 by the United States Marine Corps, The M45A1 was conceived for the USMC Special Operations Units. Corporal Gravenese demonstrates the power of the pistol as shown as above. The M45A1 CQBP could very well be the 1911 for the 21st Century battles, but deep at heart it's still the same gun engineered by John Moses Browning over one century ago. So, while it costs less than the custom shop version and doesnt have the USMC roll mark; it is more like the pistol the Marines bought, because it is off the production line and not hand fitted (I confirmed this). By clicking the "OK" button, you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. I am very interested in the pricey but very cool looking new Colt 1911 M45A1 Marine Close Quarters Battle Pistol. The decoms will always be worth a premium. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. He refuses to touch a polymer gun, expect for the Springfield XD I sold him around 2000 (I think he sold it within days). At more than 100 years old, theres undeniable attraction to the John Moses Browning design, even brand new ones with elegant upgrades that enhance performance without compromising his vision. These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. Originally the Colt Custom Shop pistols had the Marine USMC roll marks on the slide, but the United States Marine Corps filed a cease & desist letter with Colt Manufacturing regarding the use of USMC on pistols not actually going to the Marines. 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. I believe there was also a run of grey M45s with front strap checkering that were not CS guns.. And for those concerned, I've found that a good set of G10 grips are sufficiently inherently grippy to significantly mitigate against the need for front strap checkering on a 1911 (although it certainly doesn't hurt). We had to shoot the .38 military special (which was horrible). You may have read our first reviewhere, or our second here. Professional dedicated to training and equipping people to live safely in a dangerous world. 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. Builders of 1911s like Rock Island, Springfield, Kimber and Colt use MIM parts extensively in order to produce a competitively priced product. It must have been a special single shot model. 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. XTP 1.47" Nosler 185-gr. Description: COLT USMC MARKED M45A1, Cerakote blue box edition, slide has the very rare USMC rollmark. They were certainly the genuine article, with the exception that Colt had marked through the large USMC on the slide with a laser-etched X to signify the decommissioning. This handgun has never been fired! View all posts by David Freeman. 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. It is hand fit, hand tooled and came with a snazzy green Pelican case and cleaning kit. I was looking at the first shipment from that contract, and my Marines would be the first to be issued the .45s. What started off as sending my officers ACP off for new Lo-Mount sights, turned into over two thousand dollars worth of work. I have it in quotes for a reason, it kinda looked like a 45 ACP cartridge, only it was bent and weird looking. These were going right to work, and they looked promising. I went through the boxes with the armorers, examining a few random Colts to get a sense of the pistols. 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. As of March 2019, Force Recon, and other units still use the M45A1 and some units have the Glock 19 or Beretta M9A1 as an alternative. Quick view Out of stock. $ 6,900 This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. 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. [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 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. Six months later, I was home on leave and my gun was back from Colt. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Under the new contract, Colt was to deliver 4,000 samples initially and up to 12,000 samples in following years. It was the kind of day that a gun guy can never forget. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. ) The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. On July 20, 2012, the Colt 1911 Rail Gun was selected and won a contract to initially deliver 4,000 pistols for MARSOC and Force Recon. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didn't fly off. 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Even more so considering these guns were largely expected to be the last government-issue M1911s and, further, models specific to Marine Raiders and Force Reconnaissance. Marine HQ requested Colt to stop marking the pistols as such. 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. 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. [1][2][7][11], The trigger-pull weight is specified at between 4.5 and 5.0 pounds-force (20 and 22 newtons). I was an active duty Marine from 1992 to 1996, and at that time the standard issue. If youre interested in a unique, firearm with a military history at around $1600, go for it. 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. [12] Buy 2013 Colt Government CQBP .45 ACP Desert Sand *ULTRA RARE USMC ROLLMARK* : GunBroker is the largest seller of Semi Auto Pistols Pistols Guns & Firearms All: 967208438. . The coarse checkering on the multi-colored G10 panels does assist in anchoring the handgun, and the Marine pistol has an undercut trigger guard to allow a high hand hold. The M45A1 has a dual recoil spring assembly which seems to dampen recoil somewhat. Nearly 20 years to the day that I first brought my original Colt 1911 to the range, I prepared to head out with my new M45A1. The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns. 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. The authors example of the M45A1 exhibited tight fit and shot well at the range. Now before you could even buy one you had to sign up for the Gunbroker Gold program. All content Copyright 1998-2018 Rifleshooter.com, FTC disclosure: some links on this site are monetized, Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP Air Rifle Review- Initial Impressions, Project Guns- Gunsmithing articles and posts, 1911 Rear Sight Installation (Novak style cut), Quick rifle bedding tip: Easy removal of bedding material from pillars, Tactical Shotgun Build: Back Boring a Barrel and Lengthening a Forcing Cone to Increase Performance, Back when Sears sold a Mauser: The J.C. Higgins Model 51, Short and Loud: The 16 inch 308 Win Precision Rifle, 224 VALKYRIE- Effect of barrel length on velocity, Bipod rail installation (Atlas bipod adapter). These pistols are the first U.S.G.I. How about that? By clicking anywhere on the page, or scrolling down the content you can temporarily hide this banner. We use cookies on this website, our and third parties, to enhance your user experience. Bill Marr The gun ran like a top. 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 mentioned non-captive, dual recoil spring solves cycling issues that 1911-type pistols usually experience due to spring strengths; a widened and flared ejection window and a polished and coated feeding ramp also address two other key design issues that are known to cause malfunctions on the 1911 pistol platform. The decommissioned pistols and the custom shop pistols all appear to be in the hands of collectors. of weight, with a very short 0.1"/2mm reset. Cleaning kit. [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. [2], The pistol's components are hand-fitted and are not interchangeable. The current M45A1 does not have a USMC rollmark on the slide for either Military or Civilian sales. The venerable Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol a design that's now well over 100 years old has long been replaced in its role as the official sidearm for the United States Armed Forces, so much indeed that its substitute is on its way to replacement itself. The Colt M45A1 is the new USMC service pistol. Despite the planned purchase of the commercial pistols, Marine Corps Systems Command has continued to solicit parts to build additional MEU(SOC) pistols. 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's crown jewel is sold at a little less than 3000 in Europe; and while the current MSRP in the United States is set at $1,699.00, the suggested retail price for the early models was way above the $2,000 threshold. The .45s had a number of features that jumped right out: the light rails, the aggressively checkered G10 stockswhich replaced the Pachmayrs we had used for so longtritium vials in the Novak sights, and unique markings on the frames and slides. IT12346351005. [10], The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with SureFire Integrated Military Pistol Light (IMPL), Dawson Precision rail, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards based upon the jury-rigged telephone cord versions, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, Simonich G-10 Gunner Grips manufactured by Simonich Knives and Strider Knives replaced the original Pachmayr rubber grips, and Wilson Combat's '47D' 8-round magazines. He keeps telling me that there has been at least one time his pistol worked the entire time, but I honestly dont have a recollection of this. I can clearly recall the day that I met up with our Close Quarters Battle instructors to try out the new M45A1s for the first time. 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 feed ramp on theM45A1is polished and coated to make the surface extremely smooth. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. [2] The last four digits of the weapon's serial number are stamped on the top of the barrel, on the right-side of slide assembly, inside of the beavertail grip safety, on each side of the ambidextrous thumb safety, and on the inside face of the mainspring housing group. Normally his 1911 lectures are held during downtime at the range when he is repairing his 1911. Cold-hammer forged, polished stainless steel barrel Was it hand held of benched? Fans of the 1911 expressed their disgust as nearly 4,000 of the handguns were de-commissioned. pistols to be offered on the civilian market since the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) stopped handgun sales over 50 years ago. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. It actually protected the Colt M45A1 on the way too and from the range. A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. A source request was sent out to Springfield Armory and the Springfield Operator, based on the FBI's TRP pistol was built. I brought it into the dealer. The civilian M45A1 is not currently in the Colt catalog, but theres a good chance it will be offered again as Colt tends to rotate model numbers in and out of production from time to time. 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. I was on a short leave when I brought it home. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. Just four short years after the M45A1s were initially issued to the Marines, on September 30th, 2016, the USMC announced that all 1911 type pistols still used by its special operation units would be replaced by the Glock 19. One feature is the dual recoil spring system that spreads out the recoil force of the .45 ACP round by lowering the peak force of the recoil pulse. Years later, my father-in-law bought it from me for about 40% of what I paid for it, to this day I consider it an act of mercy. You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. About that time, the Custom Shop was downsized and no more of the Custom Shop M45A1s were made. The included factory letter affirms that this is a genuine U.S.M.C. NEW IN THE COLT ISSUED BLUE BOX EXACTLY AS WAS SHIPPED TO THE USMC. My pistol is the commercial, non-custom shop version and I wouldnt own it had I not been a gun shop owner who could buy wholesale when these became available. 4. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The letter also confirms the features including Desert Tan Cerakote finish, under barrel accessory rail, National Match grade barrel, forward and rear cocking serrations on the slide, long solid aluminum trigger, extended ambidextrous thumb safety, extended beavertail grip safety, flat serrated mainspring housing with a lanyard loop, Novak 3-dot night sights, and desert camouflage G10 composite grips. 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. great shape, this is not the decom model either. I couldnt say no and bought the gun (Id buy a broken toaster with USMC stamped on it). ), the grip of the M45A1 CQBP is akin to that of a double-stack magazine pistol, and is definitely not made for small hands. [15] The pistol was redesignated the M45A1 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) and up to 12,000 will be delivered. Sweet! The trigger was eminently usable and a good match for a combat pistol intended for highly trained special operations forces. That was me who snagged. 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 The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns.