Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Colt M45A1 CQB Marine Pistol. The Colt incorporates the dual recoil spring assembly of the firms recent commercial models, which seemed to dampen recoil somewhat. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. [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. For the pure sake of being worth more money down the line, no question about it. By the time my gun came back from Wayne, years had passed since the original purchase date. All rights reserved. Due to wear and tear of the MEU(SOC) pistols and increasing numbers of Marine personnel in Force Recon and MARSOC, the U.S. Marines are looking commercially for replacements. Any assistance is much appreciated. Pistol, Model of 1911 to the Marine Corps. Apparently it wasnt staked right at the factory. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. What started off as sending my officers ACP off for new Lo-Mount sights, turned into over two thousand dollars worth of work. 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. I've been looking for holsters for mine. 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. Dual Recoil spring system reduces felt . These were going right to work, and they looked promising. The thumb safeties are ambidextrous and slightly larger than the original 1911 thumb safeties. Years later, my father-in-law bought it from me for about 40% of what I paid for it, to this day I consider it an act of mercy. 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. 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. Solid aluminum grip and hammer Davids Articles at GUNS, American Handgunner & Shooting Industry Magazines. The decoms will always be worth a premium. The finish on the pistol is a brown Decobond designed to hold up through hard use. Is it just a collector mentality To have the USMC? Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Which do you guys would think would be more desirable down the line.. [9], However, as the U.S. Marine Corps began its process of hand selecting members from its Force Recon to be submitted to USSOCOM as Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One (MCSOCOM Det-1), the selection of a .45 ACP M1911A1-based pistol meant roughly 150 units would be needed, more quickly than the PWS could produce them, as PWS were already backlogged with producing DMRs, USMC SAM-Rs, and updating M40A1s to M40A3s, so DET-1 began the search for COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) surrogates to use. 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. VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! I overlooked that fact that whoever coated it, missed some spots. It was largely (maybe entirely) unannounced and seemed odd, or even suspect, but there was a factory letter from Colt to guarantee authenticity. Following some stop-gap and interim solutions, in 2012 the United States Marine Corps adopted an upgraded variant of the Colt CCU Rail Gun for its special operations capable units aptly dubbed the M45A1 CQBP Close Quarters Battle Pistol. Does anyone know? Six right-handed grooves, 1 twist in 16", Novak LoMount or Trijicon high-visibility sights with Tritium dots, Machined stainless steel frame and slide 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. 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. Then sold the entire lot to the company selling them on Gunbroker. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); S&W CSX Is it Really the New ChiefsSpecial? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. A large batch, rumored to be nearly 1,000 pistols, hit the Gunbroker auction site (gunbroker.com) described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. Passionate Caretakers of Our Historic Military Firearms and Americas Wartime Heritage. The Marine Corps is aware of this yet opted for steel, so consequently the CQBP does not use any MIM parts. 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. 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. The M45A1 has a dual recoil spring assembly which seems to dampen recoil somewhat. It . 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. Description. I have a few 1911s I dont shoot, some have rails, some dont, but the spec rail of the Colt made fit difficult. While most will instantly recognize that the Officers sized guns arent known for reliability, I didnt know it at the time. of weight, with a very short 0.1"/2mm reset. This added weight, in addition to the dual spring slap back, provide for noticeably less recoil. The only factory parts Ill typically use are the receiver and bolt assembly, everything else is upgraded. 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. Out of stock. The M45A1 has the traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. I suspect it will only be worth more as time marches on. The instructor basically told us the Air Force felt the Army .45 was too much gun for us. I couldnt say no and bought the gun (Id buy a broken toaster with USMC stamped on it). Dec 1, 2014 (Edited) It's kinda tricky, commercial sale frames were pulled right from the contract gun production line. And despite the price, the M45A1 CQB is definitely going to become a must-have for dedicated collectors and die-hard aficionados of John Moses Browning's quintessential workhorse on this side of the Big Pond. pistols to be offered on the civilian market since the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) stopped handgun sales over 50 years ago. All M45A1s are currently marked COLT***M45A1 and have a darker, flat dark earth Ion Bond type finish referred to by Colt as Decobond. Copyright2016-2023 DigitoolmediaSrls VATNo. Jun 21, 2013 1911, 45 Auto, Colt .45, Colt 1911, Colt M45, Colt Marine Corps 1911, Colt O1017CQB, feature, Marine Corps pistol. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. My friend, a 1911 aficionado accompanied me to the range. M45A1 MARINE PISTOL. Match 1.60" Winchester 230-gr. A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. I scored a 92-20X. All three versions have serial numbers ending in 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.. A slight bevel at the magazine well enhances reload speed and the thumb safety is ambidextrous. 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. We have put a few rounds through the Decomm & it shoots and handles great. The improved M45A1 CQBP features several changes to the original M1911A1 design. In the mid 1990s he was the go-to 1911 gunsmith and made the best combat style sights around. This sample proved that sentiment. The M45A1 features durable Decobond brown coating and an M1913-spec Picatinny rail for mounting lights . [14] In 2010, requirements were once more issued for an off-the-shelf system to replace the custom-built pistols. The revised parts list included barrels, bushings, link pins, sear springs, ejectors, firing pin stops, mainspring housings and mainsprings, all from Nowlin Manufacturing. Smith & Wessons Americas Guardians Program. My buddy brought his daughters Remington R1 1911 to test out. I figured I needed some professional intervention so I sent the pistol off to Wayne Novak. SOLD COLT M45A1 USMC CQB PISTOL WITH RARE USMC MARKED SLIDE NIB $ 3,795.00 Out of stock Add to wishlist SKU: Item #: 07/16/2015-3 Category: Pre98 Classic Sold Description NEW IN THE BOX, WE HAVE A COLT USMC CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PISTOL M45A1. Comes with the original box, paperwork, and two magazines. The Colt incorporates a slightly beveled magazine well to facilitate reloads. [10], The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with SureFire Integrated Military Pistol Light (IMPL), Dawson Precision rail, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards based upon the jury-rigged telephone cord versions, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, Simonich G-10 Gunner Grips manufactured by Simonich Knives and Strider Knives replaced the original Pachmayr rubber grips, and Wilson Combat's '47D' 8-round magazines. 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]. 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. 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 authors example of the M45A1 exhibited tight fit and shot well at the range. 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. A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. 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 . 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? 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. in the shooters hands was the measure of the pistols accuracy. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. I found a Don Hume 715 MC IWB holster that it fit-good enough. 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. It is hand fit, hand tooled and came with a snazzy green Pelican case and cleaning kit. The only thing I would change about it would be to checker the front strap. [8] Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. A source request was sent out to Springfield Armory and the Springfield Operator, based on the FBI's TRP pistol was built. Every piece of steel in theM45A1is machined to specific tolerances and tested to the specifications put forth by the United States Marine Corps. JavaScript is disabled. I still like my M45A1 (not the Custom Shop or USMC Issue gun) with it's matching knife by Ohio Knife Maker, Mickey Yurco: Dave I use a Galco Model Number FL212. Other features include Novak. It is big enough - yet snug enough to retain the M45A1 and other railed 5" 1911s. And yet, it is still to completely abandon the battlefield, being a favourite of many special operation forces. There is slight movement and a feel of roll through the break, but I wouldnt necessarily call it creep in a negative sense. The instructors had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the pistols, the first new military-issue Colt M1911s since 1945. It must have been a special single shot model. The Colt appeared to be unissued and had probably not been fired since leaving the factory. The rear sight we ordered [], Weve been using Parabellum Armaments AKARS for 9 months. A case of 230 grain Winchester ball, and a few cardboard targets and I was ready. The M45A1 feels heavy compared to other full-size 1911s. Tan cerakote finish. From what I can remember, this included a barrel, bushing system, bar dot night sights, memory groove beavertail safety and Birdsong Black-T finish.