Thats because at 40 oz., it is heavy. Professional dedicated to training and equipping people to live safely in a dangerous world. it is in the cerakote finish with "USMC" rollmark, complete with original 2 mags. [8], A Marine operator may shoot as many as 80,000 rounds from this pistol during a training-cycle and subsequent deployment. (camp). At any given time, one or two may show up on Gunbroker.com with prices that would only appeal to collectors. 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). FMJ 1.65". [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. [9] However, it is more common for a Marine to return the pistol to the PWS at Quantico for a rebuild after 10,000 rounds have been fired. Models mustered out of the Marine Corps are scarce today and fetch lofty prices, but factory-fresh models with nearly identical features are still available from Colt. When I sat down to write this story, I did my best to research the quantities of each type of pistol made and to get an idea of what might be available. The Colt incorporates a slightly beveled magazine well to facilitate reloads. The third entry from Karl Lippard Designs, a Colorado Springs-based arms maker, was called the Close Quarter Battle Pistol: an M1911A1-style pistol, built using S7 tool steel and a large number of proprietary components including accessory rail, grip safety, and sights. As an avid Glock shooter, digging through my holster box to find one that fit was a chore. All tests most notably those carried on by civilian and military experts in the U.S. with a wide variety of commercial and service-grade ammunition show an incredible and constant accuracy level, with an average group width of 10 cm at around 20 metres (4" groups at 25 yards). 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). Colt inspected the M45A1s and issued a letter of authenticity with them and x out the USMC to show they had been demilled. Sweet! $ 1,649.00. Pelican Storm Case. [2], In 2012, the Marine Corps awarded Colt a contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. Over the years Ive built quite a few custom rifles on Remington 700 actions. Shooting two handed, strong side only and weak side only it functioned flawlessly. External enhanced hammer, automatic firing pin safety, Ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, extended beavertail grip safety, 127 mm / 5" National Match barrel 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. You must enable JavaScript to remove this banner. [9] The frame is inspected and reused if it is still within military specifications. The slide of the Colt M45A1 CQBP pistol comes with front and rear serrations, and with dovetailed high-visibility sights with tritium night dots. 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. Colt M45A1 Custom Shop (O1070CQB) $2,149.95 Colt Out of stock Quick view Out of stock Colt Government Model With Rail - (O1980RG) $1,154.95 Colt Quick view Add to Cart COLT LE6920 $1,349.95 Sale Out of stock Quick view Out of stock Colt Government Model Stainless With Rail - (O1070RG) $1,198.00 $1,079.95 $1,198.00 Despite the planned purchase of the commercial pistols, Marine Corps Systems Command has continued to solicit parts to build additional MEU(SOC) pistols. 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. purchased pistol for combat use by its Special Operations units, including Force Recon. I suspect it will only be worth more as time marches on. After a rigorous selection process, the United States Marine Corps selected this Colt Rail Gun as their Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP). described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. 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. Tan cerakote finish. which was officially adopted in 1986. The current M45A1 does not have a USMC rollmark on the slide for either Military or Civilian sales. Under the new contract, Colt was to deliver 4,000 samples initially and up to 12,000 samples in following years. Category: PISTOLS. In the mid 1990s he was the go-to 1911 gunsmith and made the best combat style sights around. 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 June 4, 2015 The decoms will always be worth a premium. That is quite a service legacy for any military firearm. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. It must have been a special single shot model. Now before you could even buy one you had to sign up for the Gunbroker Gold program. Change). A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. 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. 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. SWC 1.49" Hornady 200-gr. The one with the intact usmc is a custom is not the same gun as the the decoms. Colt M45A1 (O1070M45) Colt. A huge proponent of the system, he has been lecturing me about the benefits of the 1911 platform for nearly two decades. Colt AR15A4. Here are the features to watch out for. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. The Colt M45A1 CQBP comes with a cold-hammer forged, polished stainless steel 5" National Match barrel and a NM bushing. Dual Recoil spring system reduces felt . These pistols are the first U.S.G.I. Solid aluminum grip and hammer Unlike the CQB pistol, this one does not have USMC roll marked on the slide, but it does have EGA (Eagle Globe and Anchor- the Marines symbol) as a serial number suffix. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. Sold WALTHER PP REICHS JUSTICE MARKED VERY CRISP! While Maj. Butler might be taken aback by the tritium capsules in the M45A1s sights or perhaps a mounted SureFire light, it is likely that he could operate and fieldstrip the new USMC Colt with no difficulty. However, the group all remarked that the pistols certainly seemed to be accurate using the government-issue hardball ammunition. Southeast Guns 2023. Apparently it wasnt staked right at the factory. We use cookies on this website, our and third parties, to enhance your user experience. I overlooked the fact that it was a Colt and my awful past with Colt. I'll be content with mine in Ion Bond marked M45A1 in the blue box. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. The quality and engineering on the National Match barrels is exceptional. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. 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. 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. Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! The Custom Shop price list indicates theyll checker the front strap at either 20 or 25 lpi for $260. The prices seemed to stabilize in the mid-$3,000s, and then the pistols largely stopped moving, presumably occupying prized places in safes across the country. A large number of certified modern U.S. military handguns on the market is mostly unheard of. 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. It was largely (maybe entirely) unannounced and seemed odd, or even suspect, but there was a factory letter from Colt to guarantee authenticity. 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. Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. I was at my local gun shop when a Marine was picking up two that he had won. Support NRA American Rifleman DONATE. Similar to the Custom Shop CQB pistol, this is a production line version of the pistol that the Marines bought for the MARSOC units. My only experience with a military .45 was at AFROTC summer training. A close-up of the rear portion of the gun with its hammer cocked. I ran a series of 6-dot and 5-circle drills with my Colt M45A1. I went through the boxes with the armorers, examining a few random Colts to get a sense of the pistols. Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. Normally his 1911 lectures are held during downtime at the range when he is repairing his 1911. Wayne is one of the premier pistol smiths in the country. I figured I needed some professional intervention so I sent the pistol off to Wayne Novak. 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. 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. You will hear different stories, but the simplest is that the M45A1 was Colts first large-scale run of Cerakoted pistols. The .45 maintains a traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! Colt CR6940. The silence was deafening, though, when they became available and Colt continued to produce a civilian variant. The grip safety features an extended beavertail. The thumb safeties are ambidextrous and slightly larger than the original 1911 thumb safeties. I've been looking for holsters for mine. I have other Colt 1911s with smooth front straps, so I guess its just not something thats in Colts playbook for their stock pistols. 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. Weight of the gun, empty, is listed at 40 ounces. Six right-handed grooves, 1 twist in 16", Novak LoMount or Trijicon high-visibility sights with Tritium dots, Machined stainless steel frame and slide I overlooked that the fit for a gun, that cost me $1,600 plus tax ($1,748 total), was similar to a $800 gun. Colt. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I scored a 92-20X. Colt decided to employ a National Match barrel in theM45A1instead of their normal barrel option. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In July 2012, the United States Marine Corps System Command announced that Colt Defense LLC of Hartford, Connecticut, was the winner of the new CQBP pistol contract. 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 trigger is smooth even by series 80 standards and breaks cleanly at 5 lbs. 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. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The pistol is, IN 92% ORIGINAL CONDITON WHICH IS ALMOST UNHEARD OF IN A RUSSIAN WW2 TOKAREV, WE HAVE A 1942 PRODUCTION TOKAREV, IN 98% ORIGINAL CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY CRISP EXAMPLE OF A RJ MARKED WALTHER PP. Dec 1, 2014 (Edited) It's kinda tricky, commercial sale frames were pulled right from the contract gun production line. Quick view Out of stock. Is it just a collector mentality To have the USMC? Edit to add: there are some NRA guns in that serial range, see if anything is laser engraved on the gun itself. In other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. [11] Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). 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 first post, we field stripped the gun between shots to verify that it []. 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. It is big enough - yet snug enough to retain the M45A1 and other railed 5" 1911s. This announcement no doubt delighted the tried-and-true 1911 supporters in the military. (LogOut/ Manufacturer: Colt Model: M45A1 Marine Government Width: 1.25" Height: 5.5" Accessories: Manual, Lock Action: Single Barrel Finish: Polished Barrel Length: 5" Barrel Twist: 1:16 Barrel Type: Match Caliber: 45 ACP Capacity: 7 # of Magazines: 1 Frame Color: FDE Frame Finish: Decobond Frame Material: Steel Front Sight: Novak Night Sight