If the highest accuracy and best trigger is your goal, get a custom shop model. The USMC is about double the price and if I understand correctly, its a production gun from Colt whereas the civilian version goes through the custom shop - is that correct? Description: COLT USMC MARKED M45A1, Cerakote blue box edition, slide has the very rare USMC rollmark. Note the X through the USMC marking. 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. Should you buy one? ) Black Hills 200-gr. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties. The only factory parts Ill typically use are the receiver and bolt assembly, everything else is upgraded. IT12346351005. The Colt appeared to be unissued and had probably not been fired since leaving the factory. A large number of certified modern U.S. military handguns on the market is mostly unheard of. Hitting an 8" plate at 50 yds. The M45A1 CQBP could very well be the 1911 for the 21st Century battles, but deep at heart it's still the same gun engineered by John Moses Browning over one century ago. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This particular sample disproved decades worth of gun magazine lore about a combat-grade .45 needing to be loose for reliability and thus incompatible with custom-level accuracy. Not all civilian M45s go through the Custom Shop. How did the pistols get to market? [9] The frame is inspected and reused if it is still within military specifications. 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. NEW IN THE COLT ISSUED BLUE BOX EXACTLY AS WAS SHIPPED TO THE USMC. I had left the Marines as a Sergeant and was starting civilian life as a full time college student and worked part time at a gun dealer. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. 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? I scored a 92-20X. of weight, with a very short 0.1"/2mm reset. of weight, with a very short 0.1"/2mm reset. A huge proponent of the system, he has been lecturing me about the benefits of the 1911 platform for nearly two decades. [11] Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). Davids Articles at GUNS, American Handgunner & Shooting Industry Magazines. The Colt gobbled up a wide variety of bullet profiles, cycling smoothly and without hesitation, while grouping each in a cluster that fit within the space the front sight covered at any given distance. My M45A1 has had hundreds of rounds put through it, both ball and JHP, and has not experienced any type of failure. [9][10] There are frames in the USMC inventory that have had as many as 500,000 rounds fired through them. 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. 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. Fans of the 1911 expressed their disgust as nearly 4,000 of the handguns were de-commissioned. Barrel length is 5 inches, dual recoil springs reduce perceived recoil and magazine capacity is seven rounds. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. 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. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. ) [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. It must have been a special single shot model. When Remington offered a [], 1911 Rear sight installation (Novak style cut) Aftermarket sights are a common upgrade on 1911 pistols. In the mid 1990s he was the go-to 1911 gunsmith and made the best combat style sights around. The action incorporates the Series 80 mechanism that blocks the firing pin until the trigger is pulled. It will fit though. XTP 1.47" Nosler 185-gr. 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. COLT M45A1 MARINE PISTOL. Outside of the mentioned ambidextrous manual safety, the controls configuration is the same as on any other 1911 variant. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. Under the new contract, Colt was to deliver 4,000 samples initially and up to 12,000 samples in following years. [2], The pistol's components are hand-fitted and are not interchangeable. This sample proved that sentiment. A slight bevel at the magazine well enhances reload speed and the thumb safety is ambidextrous. Colt decided to employ a National Match barrel in theM45A1instead of their normal barrel option. In the hand, that level of precision translated to straightforward hits on tough and distant targets. 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. Sold WALTHER PP REICHS JUSTICE MARKED VERY CRISP! The thumb safeties are ambidextrous and slightly larger than the original 1911 thumb safeties. 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. 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. 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 other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. 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 cleared the pistol, engaged the safety, and couldnt take it off safe. We use cookies on this website, our and third parties, to enhance your user experience. Over the years Ive built quite a few custom rifles on Remington 700 actions. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. SWC 1.49" Hornady 200-gr. The M45A1 CQBP pistol is issued with Wilson black metal single-stack magazines, holding 7+1 rounds. The .45 maintains a traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. I was an active duty Marine from 1992 to 1996, and at that time the standard issue. 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. There is slight movement and a feel of roll through the break, but I wouldnt necessarily call it creep in a negative sense. You will hear different stories, but the simplest is that the M45A1 was Colts first large-scale run of Cerakoted pistols. The Picatinny accessories rail is machined on the slide, Colt's M45A1 comes with a 5" National Match barrel, The sample of this pictures mounts Trijicon night sights. Never miss a post! Many small parts, including the hammer and trigger, are manufactured out of aluminum, but both the slide and frame are machined in solid stainless steel and Decobond-finished in desert tan color. CCS M45A1 is really a good deal @ $2k price point (MSRP). Depends on what version of the USMC rollmark. great shape, this is not the decom model either. 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. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. 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. Clearly I had no clue. 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 M45A1 has the traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. Rogers, Patrick A. (LogOut/ This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. I bought a used Generation 2 Glock 19 to shoot the rest of the time I was home, before heading back to my duty station in MCAGCC, 29 Palms, CA, a few thousand miles away. 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. The venerable Colt 1911 semi-automatic pistol a design that's now well over 100 years old has long been replaced in its role as the official sidearm for the United States Armed Forces, so much indeed that its substitute is on its way to replacement itself. The decoms will always be worth a premium. Colt added this spring assembly to the M45A1 and some of its commercial models with the intent to decrease the battering the pistol takes on recoil. Now before you could even buy one you had to sign up for the Gunbroker Gold program. Interestingly, many of these very same pistols recently hit the civilian market in a way that took military enthusiasts and collectors completely by surprise. The only thing I would change about it would be to checker the front strap. EU Gun Ban: a new Call to Action from Firearms United! Apparently it wasnt staked right at the factory. Any assistance is much appreciated. Shooting two handed, strong side only and weak side only it functioned flawlessly. Builders of 1911s like Rock Island, Springfield, Kimber and Colt use MIM parts extensively in order to produce a competitively priced product. [8] Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. 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. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. The third version was the Colt Custom Shop edition, also known as the Civilian version. In the first post, we field stripped the gun between shots to verify that it []. Manufactured by Colt and available for commercial and professional sales alike, the M45A1 CQBP has been available to civilian shooters in the United States for quite some time; nowit is available to European gun enthusiasts as well. I was on a short leave when I brought it home. which was officially adopted in 1986. 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. 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). 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. The grip safety features an extended beavertail. Does anyone know? All content Copyright 1998-2018 Rifleshooter.com, FTC disclosure: some links on this site are monetized, Sig Sauer MCX Virtus PCP Air Rifle Review- Initial Impressions, Project Guns- Gunsmithing articles and posts, 1911 Rear Sight Installation (Novak style cut), Quick rifle bedding tip: Easy removal of bedding material from pillars, Tactical Shotgun Build: Back Boring a Barrel and Lengthening a Forcing Cone to Increase Performance, Back when Sears sold a Mauser: The J.C. Higgins Model 51, Short and Loud: The 16 inch 308 Win Precision Rifle, 224 VALKYRIE- Effect of barrel length on velocity, Bipod rail installation (Atlas bipod adapter). Particularly for specialized 1911 collectors, a pistol with the history and background of the Colt M45A1 CQBP is a must-have. The trigger is smooth even by series 80 standards and breaks cleanly at 5 lbs. Cold-hammer forged, polished stainless steel barrel I found a Don Hume 715 MC IWB holster that it fit-good enough. 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). Weight of the gun, empty, is listed at 40 ounces. 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 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 front slide serrations are perfectly placed and have a noticeably deep depth and width, so much so that you can easily feel them while wearing gloves. [10] A rebuild entails discarding almost all of the gun's parts except for the frame, which prior to 2003 was a U.S. Government frame last manufactured in 1945. The decommissioned pistols and the custom shop pistols all appear to be in the hands of collectors. USMC O1070M45 regular production, blue box - unknown how many released, probably less than the pelican cased version. [18] [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. The authors example of the M45A1 exhibited tight fit and shot well at the range. While not as corrosion resistant, it is far more durable of a finish. These pistols are the first U.S.G.I. 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. It is hand fit, hand tooled and came with a snazzy green Pelican case and cleaning kit. Colt also offers a custom shop civilian model to achieve higher accuracy; but the Marine issue model is the production grade pistol. 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. 3. To make an offer please complete the form below: Minimum price for the offer must be greater than or equal to $0. The one with the intact usmc is a custom is not the same gun as the the decoms. 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. So I headed to the store and purchased a new-in-box lightweight Colt Series 80 Officers ACP. THIS IS A VERY ARE PISTOL, THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND SELDOM COME UP FOR SALE. Here are the features to watch out for. 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 This is the so called blue box Colt pistol, model 01070M45. Passionate Caretakers of Our Historic Military Firearms and Americas Wartime Heritage. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. You may have read our first reviewhere, or our second here. [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. GUNSweek.com is a new online platform dedicated to the diffusion of technical knowledge in the gun world. But if you just want a shooter get the current one with the Ion Bond. The trigger was eminently usable and a good match for a combat pistol intended for highly trained special operations forces. The finish on the pistol is a brown Decobond designed to hold up through hard use. Professional dedicated to training and equipping people to live safely in a dangerous world. My old unit carried them on special operations missions around the world for a couple of years and then completed the en masse switch to the Glock 19 that had been occurring gradually even before the Colts adoption. 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. The one-of-a-kind markings are all there. (camp). The rollmark has now changed to "COLT***M45A1" for both Custom Shop and regular production guns. Handguns, Reviews It is either a custom shop gun or an early production gun. Remember me, IN 95% ORIGNAL CONDITION, ALL MATCHING WITH AN EXCELLENT BORE, WE HAVE A NICE SOLID MAUSER C96 BROOMHANDLE IN 9MM, IN 97% VERY CRISP ORIGINAL CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY RARE AND SIGNIFICANT LUGER. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. It was the kind of day that a gun guy can never forget. Pistol, Model of 1911 to the Marine Corps. 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. 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. 4. [14] In 2010, requirements were once more issued for an off-the-shelf system to replace the custom-built pistols. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. JHP handload 1.20" Wilson Combat 200-gr. Get your piece of American history before is gone. Brand new IonBond blue box can be had for less than $1500. I have it in quotes for a reason, it kinda looked like a 45 ACP cartridge, only it was bent and weird looking. Marine Corps Systems Command announced February 17, 2005, that it was going to purchase 150 Springfield Armory Professional Model pistols for use as MEU(SOC) pistols. If you would like to make an offer for this gun please send an email to southeastgunshots@gmail.com. You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. 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. 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. 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. As much as its dress may change, this is still John Moses Browning's old reliable battlehorse. Despite a host of refinements and enhancements, the new models method of operation and construction remain essentially unchanged from those of the John Browning-designed original. What do you get for spending the extra money for a custom shop version? 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Most of the time standing slow fire at 25 yds. They feature Novak three-dot night sights, M1913-spec Picatinny rail and Decabond brown coating with nicely matching Desert Tan G10 grips. Which do you guys would think would be more desirable down the line.. While most will instantly recognize that the Officers sized guns arent known for reliability, I didnt know it at the time. 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. Colt offered a modified version of their O1980RG (Rail Gun) pistol, which is derived from their existing XSE line of 1911-style pistols with a desert sand-colored surface treatment and Novak night sights. The M45A1 feels heavy compared to other full-size 1911s. sidearm was the Beretta M9 (92FS) chambered in 9mm Luger.