document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); S&W CSX Is it Really the New ChiefsSpecial? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. ) 3. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? In Oct. 2016 the U.S. Marine Corps announced Glock 19s would replace the .45 ACP-chambered Colt M45A1s carried by members of its Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC) teams. Glocks uses MIM parts and a polymer frame yet are widely considered to be among the most reliable and durable firearms ever created. Out of stock. At any given time, one or two may show up on Gunbroker.com with prices that would only appeal to collectors. 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. 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. [6][7], In 2002, an article in American Handgunner stated that "Marine armorers from the Precision Weapons Section, MCBQ" are making 789 MEU (SOC) 1911's. My opinion is that both of these were likely due to Colt learning the quirks of a new coating process. Hes only had one run away gun and a hand full of hammer follow situations Ive witnessed- normally they dont function well enough to get that worn (keep in mind this is over the course of decades, during which time he has owned scores of 1911 pistols). Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! I was an active duty Marine from 1992 to 1996, and at that time the standard issue. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Six months later, I was home on leave and my gun was back from Colt. Sold WALTHER PP REICHS JUSTICE MARKED VERY CRISP! In an effort to makegunsthat are traditionally built with steel more affordable, gunmanufacturers have created a process to mold low impact gunparts rather than forge or mill each one. I finally got my .45 10 years after I retired. When this holster is brand new it will be a "snug" fit. 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. After a rigorous selection process, the United States Marine Corps selected this Colt Rail Gun as their Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP). [1][2][7][11], The trigger-pull weight is specified at between 4.5 and 5.0 pounds-force (20 and 22 newtons). 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! If you would like to make an offer for this gun please send an email to southeastgunshots@gmail.com. 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. That was me who snagged. The contract was said to be worth $22.5M to Colt. Rogers, Patrick A. 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. Description: COLT USMC MARKED M45A1, Cerakote blue box edition, slide has the very rare USMC rollmark. Comes with the original box, paperwork, and two magazines. You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. The slide of the Colt M45A1 CQBP pistol comes with front and rear serrations, and with dovetailed high-visibility sights with tritium night dots. Edit to add: there are some NRA guns in that serial range, see if anything is laser engraved on the gun itself. My buddy brought his daughters Remington R1 1911 to test out. Davids Articles at GUNS, American Handgunner & Shooting Industry Magazines. In other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. Professional dedicated to training and equipping people to live safely in a dangerous world. The M45A1 CQBP pistol is issued with Wilson black metal single-stack magazines, holding 7+1 rounds. An online platform dedicated to information about guns and shooting activities, as well as technical and cultural knowledge, for a better understanding and responsible approach to the gun world and its rules. Never miss a post! The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns. The decommissioned pistols and the custom shop pistols all appear to be in the hands of collectors. I cleared the pistol, engaged the safety, and couldnt take it off safe. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. 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. 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. [8] Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. Colt. Brand new IonBond blue box can be had for less than $1500. 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. Category: PISTOLS. This handgun has never been fired! 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. Was it hand held of benched? The .45 maintains a traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. These particular pistols only had the USMC rollmark during the early production. Here are the features to watch out for. The M45A1 features durable Decobond brown coating and an M1913-spec Picatinny rail for mounting lights . I ran a series of 6-dot and 5-circle drills with my Colt M45A1. Trying to see if the USMC needs to find a home. (LogOut/ The Colt incorporates a slightly beveled magazine well to facilitate reloads. [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. The gun ran well. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didnt fly off. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didn't fly off. Pelican Storm Case. So I headed to the store and purchased a new-in-box lightweight Colt Series 80 Officers ACP. We are fortunate that they found their way onto the public market. The finish is a bit slick which is offset by the rather deep cocking serrations both front and rear on the slide. which was officially adopted in 1986. The coarse checkering on the multi-colored G10 panels assists in anchoring the handgun, as does an undercut trigger guard which allows a high hand hold. Sweet! Dual Recoil spring system reduces felt . I went through the boxes with the armorers, examining a few random Colts to get a sense of the pistols. [2], In 2012, the Marine Corps awarded Colt a contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols. 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. By clicking the "OK" button, you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. If the highest accuracy and best trigger is your goal, get a custom shop model. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Im thinking having that done would make my pistol less valuable as a collector item, plus its not a gun Ill shoot very often so my front strap will remain smooth. Examples of both are usually exorbitantly-priced and something only a former Marine or hardcore collector of USGI 1911s would want to pursue. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. See also [ edit] The Colt M45A1 CQBP comes with a cold-hammer forged, polished stainless steel 5" National Match barrel and a NM bushing. [14] In 2010, requirements were once more issued for an off-the-shelf system to replace the custom-built 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. [15] The pistol was redesignated the M45A1 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) and up to 12,000 will be delivered. 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. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. He told me the extractor and ammunition were bad. The grip safety features an extended beavertail. Barrel length is 5 inches, dual recoil springs reduce perceived recoil and magazine capacity is seven rounds. External enhanced hammer, automatic firing pin safety, Ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, extended beavertail grip safety, 127 mm / 5" National Match barrel These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. MIM parts are widely accepted as the standard in the industry. Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! COLT M45A1 MARINE PISTOL. I have other Colt 1911s with smooth front straps, so I guess its just not something thats in Colts playbook for their stock pistols. I have a local company that can make a kydex holster but I dont like kydex. The only factory parts Ill typically use are the receiver and bolt assembly, everything else is upgraded. 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 couldnt say no and bought the gun (Id buy a broken toaster with USMC stamped on it). I found a Don Hume 715 MC IWB holster that it fit-good enough. Wayne is one of the premier pistol smiths in the country. The third version was the Colt Custom Shop edition, also known as the Civilian version. Now before you could even buy one you had to sign up for the Gunbroker Gold program. That level of accuracy is truly noteworthy in a randomly selected, government-issue pistol. He refuses to touch a polymer gun, expect for the Springfield XD I sold him around 2000 (I think he sold it within days). [7] They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, a rounded hammer, ambidextrous thumb safeties, lighter triggers made by Videcki, improved high-visibility sights, accurized match-grade barrels made by Bar-Sto, Pachmayr rubber grips, front cocking-serrations, and improved stainless steel magazines made by Wilson Combat. It is big enough - yet snug enough to retain the M45A1 and other railed 5" 1911s. sidearm was the Beretta M9 (92FS) chambered in 9mm Luger. 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. 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. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. Apparently it wasnt staked right at the factory. And after all, the ongoing XM17 MHS (Modular Handgun System) program which is slated to lead to the replacement of the Beretta M9 as the standard service pistol for the U.S. Armed Forces seems to have narrowed down its entrants to a number of strictly striker-fired, polymer frame pistols. Clearly I had no clue. 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. Out of stock. I personally wont sell either but if I did, Id keep the Custom Shop gun simply because its unfired. Under the new contract, Colt was to deliver 4,000 samples initially and up to 12,000 samples in following years. Allrightsreserved. (2003)"Marines New SOCOM Pistol", Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable), "Some MEU's Still Carry Proven M1911 .45's", "10--Parts for M-45, MEUSOC Pistol - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities", "Strong Men Armed: The Marine Corps 1st Force Reconnaissance Company Part III Section 2", "MEU 1911 .45: the Legend Lives in the Hands of Today's Marines", "SNOTE - 10 - MEU(SOC) 45 caliber pistols - 17-Feb-05 - FBO#1179", "SRCSGT - 10 - MEUSOC .45 PISTOL - 09-Nov-08 - FBO#2540", "Corps considers 2 guns for new MARSOC .45", "Colt Defense LLC Announces Award of Marine Corps M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) Contract", Why the Marines adopted the M45 Colt 1911, "Reconnaissance Marines train with Close-Quarters Battle Pistol", M45A1: A New Colt .45 for the 21st Century, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MEU(SOC)_pistol&oldid=1136083215, Trained Weapons Training Battalion armorers, This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 17:30. 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. There is slight movement and a feel of roll through the break, but I wouldnt necessarily call it creep in a negative sense. Marine Corps HQ demanded that Colt stop using the USMC rollmark, so all subsequent pistols were marked M45A1. The used Glock 19 I bought in 1994, still shoots well. He switched over to a Dan Wesson 9mm 1911 with gamer sights on it. Depends on what version of the USMC rollmark. [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. It is $50/year and gives you access supposedly to some good deals. 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. EU Gun Ban: a new Call to Action from Firearms United! If youre interested in a unique, firearm with a military history at around $1600, go for it. purchased pistol for combat use by its Special Operations units, including Force Recon. All M45A1s are currently marked COLT***M45A1 and have a darker, flat dark earth Ion Bond type finish referred to by Colt as Decobond. I dont know that any pistols, the old Quantico M45s or the new Colts, were ever truly benched or grouped. Colt M45A1 (O1070M45) Colt. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. 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. In recent months, the auction houses have listed a few with the prices for the pristine unissued handguns estimated around $7,000. The feed ramp on theM45A1is polished and coated to make the surface extremely smooth. The Colt appeared to be unissued and had probably not been fired since leaving the factory. Copyright2016-2023 DigitoolmediaSrls VATNo. for most service pistols. It is a Fletch High Rise OWB Holster. Handguns, Reviews The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. Fit and finish were OK, but the Marines use it, so that is worth the premium. 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. Passionate Caretakers of Our Historic Military Firearms and Americas Wartime Heritage. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? Smith & Wessons Americas Guardians Program. A round indexed in the chambering position on feeding ramp of the M45A1, The M45A1 skips the mainstream Cerakote finish for a more resistant IonBond Decobond coating. 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 . Colt's Manufacturing Company - firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. The M45A1 pistol is 21,6 cm / 8.5" long overall and weighs 1,7 kilograms / 40 oz. Should you buy one? 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. In a corridor of the Pentagon there is a larger-than-life mural showing a circa-1915 Maj. Smedley Butler leading his men in the recapture of Fort Rivier during the Banana Warsthe newly issued M1911 in hand as he and his Marines engaged the Caco rebels in hand-to-hand combat. 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 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. 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. in the shooters hands was the measure of the pistols accuracy. The ejection port was modified by widening it and flaring it out. An identical version coming off the same assembly line was sold to the civilian market. [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. 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. 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. I have a DECOMM and an unfired NIB Pelican case Custom Shop USMC. 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. Under normal circumstances, yes too much by $400, assuming it is a M45A1 rollmark. VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! [9] The frame is inspected and reused if it is still within military specifications. 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. M45A1 MARINE PISTOL. The M45 serves on with a few specialized Marine Corps units and is expected to for a few more years when most think it will be replaced by a polymer-frame, striker-fired 9 mm, thus ending a long and historic run for the M1911 and its .45 ACP cartridge.
colt m45a1 usmc rollmark