colt m45a1 usmc rollmark colt m45a1 usmc rollmark

The Civilian Model M45A1 Ships in a Colt Blue Plastic Box 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. [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 M45A1 ships with Wilson Combat 47 7 round magazines, and is a production grade weapon, rolling off the same line as the commercial M45A1 with identical markings and parts. Reviews (0) After a rigorous selection process, the United States Marine Corps selected this Colt Rail Gun as their Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP). The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. By far, the most common of the USMC rollmarks is the Custom Shop Pelican cased version, and is very likely to be the one anyone encounters. Edit to add: there are some NRA guns in that serial range, see if anything is laser engraved on the gun itself. 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 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. Similar to the Custom Shop CQB pistol, this is a production line version of the pistol that the Marines bought for the MARSOC units. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. The current M45A1 does not have a USMC rollmark on the slide for either Military or Civilian sales. External enhanced hammer, automatic firing pin safety, Ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, extended beavertail grip safety, 127 mm / 5" National Match barrel We decided to install Heine Ledge sights on our Series 80 Stainless Officers ACP. JHP handload 1.20" Wilson Combat 200-gr. The decommissioned with the X is and will remain to be worth more. Hello - I am looking at 2 Colts - one is the Colt M45A1 (custom shop w/ green pelican case) and the other is the Colt M45A1 with the USMC roll marks. I found a Don Hume 715 MC IWB holster that it fit-good enough. 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. We are fortunate that they found their way onto the public market. It was largely (maybe entirely) unannounced and seemed odd, or even suspect, but there was a factory letter from Colt to guarantee authenticity. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. We use cookies on this website, our and third parties, to enhance your user experience. All rights reserved. The thumb safeties are ambidextrous and slightly larger than the original 1911 thumb safeties. Most of the time standing slow fire at 25 yds. [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. The Colt M45A1 is the new USMC service pistol. While not as corrosion resistant, it is far more durable of a finish. The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? This handgun has never been fired! It is either a custom shop gun or an early production gun. GUNSweek.com is a new online platform dedicated to the diffusion of technical knowledge in the gun world. 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. all 1911 type pistols still used by its special operation units would be replaced by the Glock 19, eyeing the Glock 19 as the next standard service pistol, Extrema Ratio 25 years: Misericordia Desert, IWA OutdoorClassics 2023: highlights on a revolutionary edition, Chiappa Firearms M6 X-Caliber: the survival rifle coming from the sky, Safety recall for Smith & Wesson M&P-9 and M&P-380 Shield EZ pistols, Kel-Tec KSG410, the small-caliber bull-pup pump shotgun. Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Colt M45A1: A Modernized M1911 For The Marines. Many of the issued pistols that came to market have the tells of service life: paint pen or spray paint stenciled rack numbers, holster wear, dings or gouges from rough use. The instructors had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the pistols, the first new military-issue Colt M1911s since 1945. A huge proponent of the system, he has been lecturing me about the benefits of the 1911 platform for nearly two decades. 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. was not the question, rather, it was how tightly I could group the splatter marks. The solid, medium-long trigger broke at 4 lbs., 4 ozs., of pressure after a short bit of take-up to release the hammer. I was looking at the first shipment from that contract, and my Marines would be the first to be issued the .45s. The decoms will always be worth a premium. The Marine Colt pistol was designated the M45A1. The first version is one that went to the military, stamped USMC on the slide and delivered in a cardboard box with two Wilson 7-round magazines. Whether or not Colt had the time to honor the contract, is unknown: on September 30, 2016, the United States Marine Corps announced that all 1911 type pistols still used by its special operation units would be replaced by the Glock 19 and it seemingly included the new Colt M45A1 CQBP. It is assigned NATO Stock Number 1005-01-370-7353. Marine HQ requested Colt to stop marking the pistols as such. Dual Recoil spring system reduces felt . 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. 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. 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. Description: COLT USMC MARKED M45A1, Cerakote blue box edition, slide has the very rare USMC rollmark. Colt Custom Shop M45A1 (NO USMC MARKINGS) "EGA" serial number. great shape, this is not the decom model either. When the change was specified, a substantial number of the early pistols were recalled back to Colt, and it disposed of them, leading to the market frenzy. These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. What started off as sending my officers ACP off for new Lo-Mount sights, turned into over two thousand dollars worth of work. 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). It is big enough - yet snug enough to retain the M45A1 and other railed 5" 1911s. It will still feed from any type of 1911-compatible single stack magazine, as demonstrated by our test through the use of aftermarket MEC-GAR magazines. 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. He told me this happens all the time with Colts and sent it back for repair. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. Having read quite a bit of gun rags (this was the in mid 1990s during the pre internet days), I knew I needed a 1911 chambered in a mans cartridge, 45 ACP. Match 1.60" Winchester 230-gr. 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). The Marine Corps is aware of this yet opted for steel, so consequently the CQBP does not use any MIM parts. When Remington offered a [], 1911 Rear sight installation (Novak style cut) Aftermarket sights are a common upgrade on 1911 pistols. [18] You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. Is it just a collector mentality To have the USMC? A case of 230 grain Winchester ball, and a few cardboard targets and I was ready. It is a Fletch High Rise OWB Holster. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didn't fly off. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Colt AR15A4. Should you buy one? The action incorporates the Series 80 mechanism that blocks the firing pin until the trigger is pulled. [2], The pistol's components are hand-fitted and are not interchangeable. 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. And if you are looking for a 1911 derivative that can reasonably be called "the best 1911 on the market" at least when it comes to non-luxury, field-ready variants then look no further. Marine Corps HQ demanded that Colt stop using the USMC rollmark, so all subsequent pistols were marked M45A1. 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. $ 6,900 This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. The dual springs have a noticeable slap-back during firing, and the flared and lowered ejection port help to eject spent shells out and to the right of thepistoland not back into your face. In addition to the desert tan color, the forward slide serrations and the section of M1913 Picatinny accessory rail immediately stand out and separate the pistol from the typical service M1911. [13] This is the same pistol used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation SWAT and Hostage Rescue Teams; however, it had previously been rejected for adoption as the ICQB. June 4, 2015 As much as its dress may change, this is still John Moses Browning's old reliable battlehorse. The rollmark has now changed to "COLT***M45A1" for both Custom Shop and regular production guns. Maybe they are worried theyll run out of hand grenades? This pistol utilizes the Series 80 fire control system which means it has an internal firing pin safety. Sold WALTHER PP REICHS JUSTICE MARKED VERY CRISP! 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. He told me the extractor and ammunition were bad. JavaScript is disabled. Therefore, almost all of these pistols are marked M45A1 and only a small percentage have the USMC rollmark. MSRP comes in at $1,699. The Colt M45A1 is just as reliable as a perfectly tuned competition-grade custom 1911, except this comes with that level of reliability right out of the factory and rightfully so. Maintaining the simple recoil assembly, 5-inch barrel (though using a stainless steel match grade barrel), and internal extractor, the ICQB is not much different from Browning's original design. This full-size lower rail adds some of the noticeable heft to the gun,but that heft seems to balance out thepistolso that the gundoesnt feel nose heavy. All M45A1s are currently marked COLT***M45A1 and have a darker, flat dark earth Ion Bond type finish referred to by Colt as Decobond. The rollmark changed around 006700EGA as far as I can tell. He refuses to touch a polymer gun, expect for the Springfield XD I sold him around 2000 (I think he sold it within days). [9], The Officer In Command of the Precision Weapons Shop in 2001, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ken Davis, stated that the M1911 is "the only pistol that can stand up to this use". Quick view Out of stock. COLT M45A1 MARINE PISTOL. 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. Description. 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 revised parts list included barrels, bushings, link pins, sear springs, ejectors, firing pin stops, mainspring housings and mainsprings, all from Nowlin Manufacturing. [16] The Colt design is considered an upgrade of the previous pistol, not an entirely new design. [9] The frame is inspected and reused if it is still within military specifications. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. Get your piece of American history before is gone. In recent months, the auction houses have listed a few with the prices for the pristine unissued handguns estimated around $7,000. 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. Beyond the tan color, forward slide serrations and the section of M1913 Picatinny accessory rail immediately standout and separate the pistol from the typical service M1911. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The gun ran well. This makes for an incredibly well-constructedpistol. 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 . I know what you are thinking, why carry a gun that holds twice as many rounds, weighs less, is more compact, more reliable and costs a third as much- I must be nuts? The third version was the Colt Custom Shop edition, also known as the Civilian version. My opinion is that both of these were likely due to Colt learning the quirks of a new coating process. If the highest accuracy and best trigger is your goal, get a custom shop model. A variant of the M1911, it has been the standard-issue side arm for the Force Recon Element of the United States Marine Corps' Marine Expeditionary Units since 1985. Colt also offers a custom shop civilian model to achieve higher accuracy; but the Marine issue model is the production grade pistol. [2], In the late 1980s, USMC Colonel Robert Young laid out a series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs. Category: PISTOLS. Dave I use a Galco Model Number FL212. You will hear different stories, but the simplest is that the M45A1 was Colts first large-scale run of Cerakoted pistols. Jun 21, 2013 1911, 45 Auto, Colt .45, Colt 1911, Colt M45, Colt Marine Corps 1911, Colt O1017CQB, feature, Marine Corps pistol. Not bad- but not great. The improved M45A1 CQBP features several changes to the original M1911A1 design. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. Glocks uses MIM parts and a polymer frame yet are widely considered to be among the most reliable and durable firearms ever created. Builders of 1911s like Rock Island, Springfield, Kimber and Colt use MIM parts extensively in order to produce a competitively priced product. THIS IS 1913 DATED DWM MADE, In 97% original unmessed with condition, we have an early war high polish Czech made CZ27 pistol. At 40 yds. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. 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). It also has 3-dot tritium night sights, a 5-inch national match barrel, ambidextrous safety, picatinny rail, and a desert tan Cerakote finish.[19]. Shooting theM45A1feels different than shooting other 1911s. [2], In 2012, the Marine Corps awarded Colt a contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols. Colt. Fans of the 1911 expressed their disgust as nearly 4,000 of the handguns were de-commissioned. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didnt fly off. Nearly every time weve shot together, he has had some sort of issue that he usually attributes to ammunition, the gun, recoil spring weight, the magazine, the chamber, extractor fit, lubrication, or maintenance. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. 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. Those should be Novak LoMount sights, according to the official technical specs, but some M45A1 CQBP samples ours included are issued with Trijicon sights. Southeast Guns 2023. While most will instantly recognize that the Officers sized guns arent known for reliability, I didnt know it at the time. MIM parts are widely accepted as the standard in the industry. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Among those are the MEU(SOC) and the Force Recon the special operation forces of the United States Marine Corps whose sidearm ever since the year 1986 has been the M45 MEUSOC pistol, a custom-grade 1911 variant assembled and tuned by the USMC armorers at the Quantico base, in Virginia. The silence was deafening, though, when they became available and Colt continued to produce a civilian variant. Was it hand held of benched? 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. One thing that makes this particularpistolso much more than a normal Colt Rail Gunor similarly railed 1911 is the absence of MIM (or Metal Injection Molding) parts anywhere in the gun. 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. Cycling the pistols revealed the fit to be smooth but clearly tighter than a typical commercial M1911. I've picked up used cerakote M45A1 rollmark guns for $1200. Every piece of steel in theM45A1is machined to specific tolerances and tested to the specifications put forth by the United States Marine Corps. Desert tan Decobond finish, $1,699.00 (MSRP U.S.A.) Note the X through the USMC marking. ) Black Hills 200-gr. The FDE Cerakote finish was average at best, but it still looked cool. Since he edits this website, Ill pretend that I was there when one of them worked flawlessly. 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. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. You must enable JavaScript to remove this banner. My buddy brought his daughters Remington R1 1911 to test out. 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. Wayne is one of the premier pistol smiths in the country. in the shooters hands was the measure of the pistols accuracy. 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. 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. Quick view Out of stock. 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. 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. 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. 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. Colt inspected the M45A1s and issued a letter of authenticity with them and x out the USMC to show they had been demilled. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. I ran a series of 6-dot and 5-circle drills with my Colt M45A1. I brought it into the dealer. 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. 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. [16] The Marine Corps issued the M45A1 to Force Reconnaissance companies, MARSOC and Special Reaction Teams from the Provost Marshals Office. NEW IN THE COLT ISSUED BLUE BOX EXACTLY AS WAS SHIPPED TO THE USMC. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties. In Oct. 2016 the U.S. Marine Corps announced Glock 19s would replace the .45 ACP-chambered Colt M45A1s carried by members . The trigger is smooth even by series 80 standards and breaks cleanly at 5 lbs. I finally got my .45 10 years after I retired. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns. (LogOut/ The MEU(SOC) pistol, ("Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) (MEU(SOC))") officially designated the M45 MEUSOC,[5] is a magazine-fed, recoil-operated, single-action, semiautomatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge.