A TRIBUTE TO THE U.S. MARINE CORPS COLT M45A1 1911 CQB PISTOL Article by Nick Jacobellis
In 1904 the Ordnance Department launched the search for a new service handgun that was
chambered to accommodate a .45 caliber bullet. The pistol that was selected was the Colt 1911. The
ammunition that was adopted was a 230 grain .45 ACP cartridge.
The M1911 utilized a seven round metal magazine, a five inch barrel and had low profile fixed steel sights. During testing, the M1911 .45 reliably fired several thousand rounds of .45 ACP
ammunition without experiencing any malfunctions in a relatively short period of time. The Colt 1911
with the slide assembly that accommodated a five inch barrel became known as The Government
Model.
Some 700,000 M1911s were manufactured. The M1911 .45 was initially carried by U.S. Army personnel during The Punitive Expedition into Mexico in 1916. The new caliber (.45 ACP) was also
utilized in the Colt and Smith & Wesson six shot Model 1917 revolvers, that were also pressed into
service for U.S. military personnel during World War 1. As demanding as the operating conditions were
during The Punitive Expedition, the M1911s racked up an even more impressive track record, while
operating under adverse combat conditions, in the trench warfare of World War I.
Starting in 1927, some changes to the 1911 resulted in the pistol’s designation being changed to the Model 1911A1. During World War II, Colt, Remington, Ithaca and Union Switch and Signal
manufactured over 1.8 million M1911A1s with a corrosion resistant Parkerized Finish for use by the
U.S. Armed Forces and certain Allied personnel. This was in addition to the original M1911s that were
still in inventory and were made ready for field use.
The M1911A1 would go on to serve with great distinction until the 9mm Beretta Model 92F and 92FS were adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces. Even after the widespread transition to the 9mm
Beretta M9, that included the issuance of a number of 9mm SIG MK25s (P226s), 9mm SIG M11s
(P228s) and M11A1s (P228s), the U.S. Marines Corps continued utilizing M1911A1s for their
designated special operations personnel. These pistols were maintained and kept in service by USMC
armorers.
THE COLT M45A1 1911 CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PISTOL
In 2012 designated U.S. Marine Corps personnel transitioned to using a Colt M45A1 1911 Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP), that was equipped with a M1913 Picatinny Rail. (An accessory
rail was added to the Colt M1911A1 so (special operations) MARSOC Marines (Marine Raiders
and Force Recon Marines) could use a tactical light on their issued service sidearm.) The new pistol,
that had USMC etched into the slide, was also fitted with Novack style Tritium night sights, G10 desert
tan grip panels, a Decabond brownish tan finish and an 8 round Wilson Combat stainless magazine.
It should also be noted, that the Colt M45A1 CQBP pistols were also entirely manufactured with forged metal parts. This means that no MIM parts were used in the manufacturing of this pistol.
Even though a number of modern premium brand firearms manufacturers are using high quality MIM
parts in their firearms, there is a certain level of increased ruggedness incorporated in the design of
those firearms that are entirely made with forged metal parts.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
My personal experience with the 1911 dates back to the dark ages of the 20th Century, when I purchased a Series 70 Colt Lightweight Commander in .45 ACP caliber that I had Teflon coated. This
was a popular after market finish at that time, that I had applied to this pistol and several Smith &
Wesson and Colt .38 Special revolvers. I carried my Colt Lightweight Commander 1911 .45 when I
was off duty and on occasion as a backup gun, when I worked in uniform in the winter months, in a
high crime neighborhood in the Bronx, NY. I was able to do so, because at that time I served as a New
York State Park Police Officer and did not have to adhere to the restrictions that were imposed on
NYPD personnel, who worked in the same jurisdiction.
After getting hired by the U.S. Customs Service and getting promoted to serve as an Air Officer with the Miami Air Operations Branch, I was issued a brand new (unfired) blued steel Colt Series 70
Government Model 1911 in .45 ACP caliber. I carried my government issued 1911 while flying drug
interdiction missions and while conducting air smuggling investigations during The Miami Vice Era of
the Drug War. When I was promoted and I became a Special Agent assigned to the Miami Air
Smuggling Investigations Group 7, Single Action (S/A) pistols like the 1911 and the 9mm Browning Hi
Power were no longer authorized for on or off duty use.
After I was injured in the line of duty on three occasions, including in the crash landing of an undercover aircraft and I medically retired, I became a free lance writer. While writing for various
magazines, I field tested a number of 1911 pistols chambered in 9mm and .45 ACP caliber, to include
models made by Colt, Kimber, including two different Clackamus Kimber 1911s, Smith & Wesson,
Wilson Combat, Springfield Armory, Ruger and a Turkish company by the name of Tisas. I also
evaluated three different Staccato 2011 pistols that are basically premium brand high capacity Single
Action 9mm 1911s.
The Tisas Model 1911 that I evaluated for Concealed Carry Magazine was the S/A 9mm Lightweight Commander style Aviator Model. Simply put, this pistol impressed me to no end. In fact, I
evaluated this particular 9mm Tisas 1911 with the help of a veteran law enforcement firearms instructor
and armorer, who was also very impressed with the construction, the Cerakote Finish and the flawlessly
reliable performance of the Aviator Model.
It is also important to note, that Tisas has transitioned from using one or two MIM parts, in the production of their 1911s, to only using forged metal parts. Tisas also uses Colt Series 70 quality level
parts in their 1911s. This means, that Tisas 1911s are manufactured using 100% forged metal parts like
the Colt M45A1 Close Quarters Battle Pistol, that was issued to U.S. MARSOC Marines. For all of
these reasons, I added a 9mm Tisas Aviator Model 1911 to my battery of personnel defense weapons.
THE TISAS RAIDER MODELS
After being thoroughly impressed by the 9mm Tisas Aviator Model that I evaluated, I was anxious to field test two additional 1911s made by this Turkish manufacturer. I selected a Raider Model
1911 chambered in .45 ACP, as well as a 9mm Raider Model 1911, for several reasons. One reason
is because I am now a die hard fan of Tisas 1911s. Reason number two, is because I have no problem
carrying a full size all steel 1911 chambered in 9mm and or .45 ACP caliber. I also wanted to evaluate
the Tisas Raider Models, because decommissioned Colt manufactured USMC M45A1s are selling for
a lot more, than the current retail price of $759 for a Raider Model 1911.
The Tisas designed Raider Model 1911 is a tribute to the personnel who were specially trained to serve in the U.S. Marine Special Operations Command, which included the Marine Raider
Regiment. Even though the Raider Model is not an exact duplicate of the Colt M45A1 CQBP, the Tisas
Raider Model/Government Model size 1911 is a rock solid flawlessly reliable performer, that is
available in two popular personal defense calibers.
SHOTS FIRED
The following ammunition was used in my evaluation of the 9mm Raider Model 1911: 124 grain Federal FMJ, 135 grain Federal Personal Defense Hydra-Shok Deep, 124 grain Federal Hydra
Shok HP, 124 grain Magtech FMJ, 147 grain Speer TMJ, 147 grain Winchester Silvertip HP, 124 grain
Hornady XTP HP, 147 grain Hornady XTP HP, 147 grain Winchester Ranger One HP and 147 grain
Speer Gold Dot HP ammunition. The Tisas Raider Model 1911 in .45 ACP was field tested with 230
grain Winchester FMJ, 230 grain Federal FMJ, 185 grain Remington FMJ, 185 grain Hornady Critical
Defense and 230 grain Winchester SXT HP ammunition. *In addition to using the magazines that came
with these pistols, I also included my personal stash of 10 round 9mm MecGar magazines, as well as 8
round Wilson Combat .45 ACP caliber stainless magazines and 8 round Chip Mc Cormic .45 ACP
caliber stainless magazines in my evaluation.
Just like when I field tested the 9mm Tisas Aviator Model 1911, the 9mm Tisas Raider Model 1911 and the Tisas Raider Model 1911 in .45 ACP proved to be flawlessly reliable and as combat
accurate as any other premium brand 1911 that I have tested to date. The all steel construction of the
9mm Raider Model 1911 and the Raider Model 1911 in .45 ACP also aids in absorbing recoil and
makes it possible to deliver fast and accurate followup shots. The iron Novak sights with (three) white
dot inserts also proved to be well regulated and offer an easy to acquire sight picture.
After conducting this field test I decided to purchase a 9mm Raider Model 1911. I am also seriously considering buying a Raider Model 1911 in .45 ACP. After all, you can never own too many.
TISAS RAIDER MODEL SPECIFICATIONS:
Frame:
Forged Carbon Steel, Full-Size w/ Picatinny Rail, Ramped
Slide:
Forged Carbon Steel, Government Length
Caliber:
.45ACP
Barrel:
5″ Forged & Machined Barrel w/ Button Rifling
Internals:
Colt® 70 Series
Sights:
Novak Style 3-Dot
Grips:
Black/FDE G10 Textured
Finish:
FDE Cerakote
Weight:
2lb 4oz
Frame:
Forged Carbon Steel, Full-Size w/ Picatinny Rail
Slide:
Forged Carbon Steel, Government Length
Caliber:
9MM
Barrel:
5″ Forged & Machined Barrel w/ Button Rifling, Clark/Para Ramp
Internals:
Colt® 70 Series
Sights:
Novak Style 3-Dot
Grips:
Black/FDE G10 Textured
Finish:
FDE Cerakote
Weight:
2lb 4oz About the author: Nick Jacobellis is a Medically Retired U.S. Customs Service Senior Special Agent and a former NY police officer who was physically disabled in the line of duty while working undercover as a federal agent. To date the author has published 242 magazine articles in various law enforcement, firearms, survival and military history magazines, as well as 14 action packed non-fiction, historical military and police procedural fiction books of the following titles: Tactical Survival 101, Controlled Delivery Book One and Book Two, The Front Line Fugitives Books I, II, III, and IV, Buck Banderas U.S. Marshal Books One, Two and Three, A Special Kind of Hero, The K9 Academy-The Second Edition and Guns South. A number of 5 Star reviews have been posted on Amazon.com (US) and (UK) as well as on ARGunners.com. The author’s 14th book is a Christmas story titled: Santa’s Christmas Tree Convoy. The author was born and raised in Flatbush section of Brooklyn New York and has an BS Degree in Police Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
1911s.
