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1911 / 1911A1 Page 1 The fact that the basic U. S. Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911, has been the official handgun of our Service for so long (including two World Wars), speaks well for the Colt firm. Composed of four line officers and one Ordnance officer, the selection board was convened by a Special Order of the Secretary of War dated December 28, 1906. Weapons referred to the board were all of .45 caliber and included autoloading pistols of Colt, Luger, Savage, Knoble, Bergmann, Webley-Fosbery and White-Merrill design, and double-action revolvers by Colt and Smith & Wesson.     The evaluation program instituted by the board was designed to simulate rigorous service conditions as much as possible and included endurance, dust, rust, accuracy, functioning, and numerous other tests calculated to reveal design flaws and general service capabilities of the various guns submitted.     By 1907 the board had completed its work and all but the Colt and Savage entries had been eliminated from consideration. A service test of both the Colt and Savage pistols was then authorized with two troops of U.S. Cavalry assigned for this purpose. This initial service test revealed that neither pistol had reached the desired perfection. Accordingly, the Ordnance Department instituted a series of further experiments and informal tests which eventually resulted in the appointment of a new selection board which convened in March of 1911. The first paragraph of their final report is as follows: "Of the two pistols, the board was of the opinion that the Colt is superior, because it is more reliable, more enduring, more easily disassembled when there are broken parts to be replaced, and the more accurate."That, in short, explains why the Browning-Colt .45 Automatic pistol was eventually adopted as an official U.S. Service arm and formally designated as the U.S. Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911.  It is recorded that Colt made up nearly 200 experimental pistols before producing the model finally accepted. Serviceably accurate, readily disassembled without the use of tool's and extremely rugged ill every detail, the model of 1911 has achieved a reputation for combat serviceability unsurpassed by any other military Handgun. It is admittedly a difficult weapon to shoot accurately and during the early 1920's several minor changes were made in an attempt to better its handling qualities. These changes included au arched mainspring housing. shorter hammer spur, Patridge-type sights, short trigger, and longer grip safety horn. These changes eliminated "pinching" of the thumb web, and men with short fingers or small hands welcomed the shorter trigger. The better sights also improved the sight picture for target shooting purposes. This improved model was designated as the Model 191l-A1. Target shooting with the "as issued" Service pistol can be disappointing if the various moving parts are not precisely fitted and adjusted. In racetrack terminology, the .45 Colt pistol is a "mudder" designed to function reliably with a good deal of foreign matter in its mechanism. The necessarily wide clearances between moving parts are desirable in a military but undesirable in a target weapon. Thus, Colt in 1933 introduced their National Match .45, which is the same basic pistol machined to closer tolerances, with specially selected barrel and optional adjustable rear sight, and precisionfitted lock work. It enjoyed considerable popularity, but was discontinued during World War II. It was reinstated in the Colt handgun line in 1957 as the Colt Gold Cup National Match model. Most U. S. marksmen now have their commercial or military .45 's "accurized" by one of the several experienced pistolsmiths specializing in this type of work, Scores obtainable today with such pistols would have been considered fantastic 20 years ago.A modern variation of this basic Browning-Colt pistol is the Colt Commander, featuring frame and slide of lightweight Coltalloy. with a 3/4 inch shorter barrel and weighing 26 1/2 ounces as compared with 39 ounces for the Model 1911, this model was particularly designed for those who prefer lightweight but powerful handguns. Although not at this time an official Service arm, its development by Colt engineers was undoubtedly sparked by the present Service trend towards lightweight and miniature equipment. The demands of modern warfare have stimulated this type of development engineering, and we can be thankful that civilian manufacturers are often independently engaged in such costlv research projects. Their unselfish efforts have helped to give the U.S. Serviceman some of the finest combat weapons available in the world today. Colt 1991