The third version was the Colt Custom Shop edition, also known as the Civilian version. The M45A1 has the traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. 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. Shooting two handed, strong side only and weak side only it functioned flawlessly. Under normal circumstances, yes too much by $400, assuming it is a M45A1 rollmark. 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. 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 [15] The pistol was redesignated the M45A1 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) and up to 12,000 will be delivered. That was me who snagged. The M45A1 feels heavy compared to other full-size 1911s. 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. 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. As of March 2019, Force Recon, and other units still use the M45A1 and some units have the Glock 19 or Beretta M9A1 as an alternative. [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 only factory parts Ill typically use are the receiver and bolt assembly, everything else is upgraded. Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. ) The thumb safeties are ambidextrous and slightly larger than the original 1911 thumb safeties. 0. Get your piece of American history before is gone. My buddy brought his daughters Remington R1 1911 to test out. Note the X through the USMC marking. 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. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. Hitting an 8" plate at 50 yds. when unloaded. I brought it into the dealer. Colt also offers a custom shop civilian model to achieve higher accuracy; but the Marine issue model is the production grade pistol. JavaScript is disabled. 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]. Jun 21, 2013 1911, 45 Auto, Colt .45, Colt 1911, Colt M45, Colt Marine Corps 1911, Colt O1017CQB, feature, Marine Corps pistol. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. The frame comes with a machined MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny accessory rail, and also sports highly textured G10 panels that make the grip basically slip-proof, if a bit wide: with a circumference of about 7" (that's almost 18 cm! I am very interested in the pricey but very cool looking new Colt 1911 M45A1 Marine Close Quarters Battle Pistol. The authors example of the M45A1 exhibited tight fit and shot well at the range. Depends on what version of the USMC rollmark. for most service pistols. 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 . Does anyone know? [14] In 2010, requirements were once more issued for an off-the-shelf system to replace the custom-built pistols. I've been looking for holsters for mine. IT12346351005. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. This announcement no doubt delighted the tried-and-true 1911 supporters in the military. 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. THE GUN IS MATHCHING, IN 90% ORIGINAL CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY RARE AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER POLICE EAGLE F MARKED WALTHER PPK WITH, IN 96% ORIGINAL UNMESSED WITH CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY NICE EXAMPLE OF A 1944 PROUDCTION FN HIGH POWER PROUDCUED, IN 90% CONDITION, NICE BLUE BUT ALOT OF PITTING, WE HAVE A FANTASTICALLY RARE WALTHER MODEL 6 PISTOL IN 9MM, Colt General Officer & Rare US Property Pistols, SOLD GERMAN G43 ORIGINAL MOUNT AND ZF4 SCOPE EARLY DUV CODE, SOLD RARE ORIGINAL SIMSON EAGLE 6 LUGER TOOL, sold 1913 DWM LUGER VERY NICE AND HARD TO FIND, Sold RUSSIAN TT 33 TOKAREV 1942 WITH MATCHING MAG. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didn't fly off. What started off as sending my officers ACP off for new Lo-Mount sights, turned into over two thousand dollars worth of work. 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. By clicking the "OK" button, you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. Quantico began exhaustive testing on other finishes to specify a modification to the contract. used but great shape. Similar to the Custom Shop CQB pistol, this is a production line version of the pistol that the Marines bought for the MARSOC units. I overlooked that fact that whoever coated it, missed some spots. I was able to lay my hands on one of the decommissioned M45A1s to examine and evaluate it, one author for American Rifleman wrote two years ago. which was officially adopted in 1986. Therefore, almost all of these pistols are marked M45A1 and only a small percentage have the USMC rollmark. 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 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. The Marine Corps is aware of this yet opted for steel, so consequently the CQBP does not use any MIM parts. The SIG Sauer M18: A Marines Take On The New Military Sidearm | An Official Journal Of The NRA, 150 Years Of The Colt Single Action Army | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Colt Anaconda 4" | An Official Journal Of The NRA, New For 2023: Harrington & Richardson Retro AR-15s, The Model Of 1903 Springfield: A Collector's Perspective, The Keefe Report: True Velocity's Leap | An Official Journal Of The NRA, The Keefe Report: On The Range With An American Hero | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Trust But Verify: Function-Checking Your Guns | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Remington Returns: The Revival Of An Ammunition Giant | An Official Journal Of The NRA, WATCH: 2022 National Sporting Clays Championship | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, WATCH: Colt Python Revolver History | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, I Have This Old Gun: Maynard Carbine | An Official Journal Of The NRA, I Have This Old Gun: Winchester Model 12 Riot Gun | An Official Journal Of The NRA, I Have This Old Gun: Remington Model 51 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Armed Citizen protected by Smith & Wesson, The Armed Citizen March 3, 2023 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | The Armed Citizen March 3, 2023, BEAR Arms: Making The Switch From Gun Owner to Armed Citizen | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | The Armed Citizen February 17, 2023, X-Vision Optics Launches Thermal Impact Scope | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum | Veronica Kosich Receives NRA-Sponsored Diana Award at SCI Convention, Henry Supports Fallen Firefighters Foundation | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum | Freedom Hunters: Giving Back to Americas Veterans through Hunting and the Great Outdoors, Hardware: SIG Sauer P320-XTEN | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson M&P12 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Review: Ruger 10/22 Compact | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Rifleman Review: Taurus G3X | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Video Review: Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP in 10mm Auto | NRA Family, Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP In 10 mm Auto, Video Review: KelTec P15 Semi-Auto Pistol | NRA Family, Video Review: Savage Stance Pistol | NRA Family, Preview: Leupold 2-10X 30 mm Mark 5HD Riflescope | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | New for 2022: 20-Gauge Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Preview: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Double-Stack 9 mm Pistol Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. [11] Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). 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. This makes for an incredibly well-constructedpistol. I headed to the range again with my custom 1911, and while it looked great and shot well, reliability wasnt where it should have been. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? 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. Thats because at 40 oz., it is heavy. 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. The pistol functioned well for the first three rounds, but then I couldnt find my front sight- literally- it flew off! Scarcely mentioning the soon-be-collectible kept demand low, and availability proportionately high. M45A1 MARINE PISTOL. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. Six months later, I was home on leave and my gun was back from Colt. More importantly, this feature was intended to decrease the battering the pistol takes on recoil. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! [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. SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS AN EXACT SAME AS ISSUED USMC CQB PISTOL THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING THAT IT HAS THE EGA SERIAL NUMBER. The early finish problems encountered by the Marines were all fixed by the time the first 1,000 units had been issued. Three pistols were offered to the USMC as a replacement for current M45 Pistols. Dual Recoil spring system reduces felt . Rogers, Patrick A. Some of the early Marine pistols began showing excess wear and 1,000 of these pistols (470 used and 530 unissued) were traded by the Marine Corps under warranty back to Colt in exchange for newer Ionbond finished replacements. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. I overlooked the fact that it was a Colt and my awful past with Colt. Just over 100 years separated the issue of the M1911A1-based Marine M45A1 Colts from the Corps initial shipment of the M1911. These decommissioned Colts will continue to be a hot item among both shooters and collectors for the foreseeable future. You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. 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. Under this point of view, the Colt M45A1 CQBP is definitely the 1911 of the 21st Century. I have a few 1911s I dont shoot, some have rails, some dont, but the spec rail of the Colt made fit difficult. 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. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. this isnt your cheapie m45a1 model. Unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE, Colt M45A1 USMC Close Quarter Battle Pistol, Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Model 29 S&W CLASSICS 6 1/2 Blue Revolver, Colt AR-15 A2 HBAR Gov Model in .223 Z-COTE Limited Edition of 250 Pre-ban. 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. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. Southeast Guns 2023. There is slight movement and a feel of roll through the break, but I wouldnt necessarily call it creep in a negative sense. Sold WALTHER PPK RARE EAGLE F DURALUMINUM, Pre98 Antiques Military Firearms Collecting Outlook for 2020. So, while it costs less than the custom shop version and doesnt have the USMC roll mark; it is more like the pistol the Marines bought, because it is off the production line and not hand fitted (I confirmed this). Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. The rear sight we ordered [], Weve been using Parabellum Armaments AKARS for 9 months. Colt released these original Marine Corps pistols to the public. You will hear different stories, but the simplest is that the M45A1 was Colts first large-scale run of Cerakoted pistols. The only thing I would change about it would be to checker the front strap. A huge proponent of the system, he has been lecturing me about the benefits of the 1911 platform for nearly two decades. He told me the extractor and ammunition were bad. 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. The FDE Cerakote finish was average at best, but it still looked cool. How did the pistols get to market? 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. Add to cart. 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. Two Wilson Combat magazines. The Marine Colt pistol was designated the M45A1. See also [ edit] 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. 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. This handgun has never been fired! I have a local company that can make a kydex holster but I dont like kydex. was not the question, rather, it was how tightly I could group the splatter marks. I personally wont sell either but if I did, Id keep the Custom Shop gun simply because its unfired. A source request was sent out to Springfield Armory and the Springfield Operator, based on the FBI's TRP pistol was built. In other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. I suspect it will only be worth more as time marches on. $ 6,900 This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. 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. Trying to see if the USMC needs to find a home. The M45A1 pistol is 21,6 cm / 8.5" long overall and weighs 1,7 kilograms / 40 oz. Other features include Novak. Quick view Add to Cart. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. I cleared the pistol, engaged the safety, and couldnt take it off safe. An identical version coming off the same assembly line was sold to the civilian market. [8] Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. 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. Not all civilian M45s go through the Custom Shop. The used Glock 19 I bought in 1994, still shoots well. I dont know that any pistols, the old Quantico M45s or the new Colts, were ever truly benched or grouped. in the shooters hands was the measure of the pistols accuracy. The ejection port was modified by widening it and flaring it out. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. How about that? In Oct. 2016 the U.S. Marine Corps announced Glock 19s would replace the .45 ACP-chambered Colt M45A1s carried by members . [18] A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. Here are the features to watch out for. While most will instantly recognize that the Officers sized guns arent known for reliability, I didnt know it at the time. Colt CR6940. Nonetheless, the Marines had been eagerly waiting for the new .45s, and they were going directly into operational use, so there was little patience for a learning curve, and many of the Marines demanded a change. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. These were going right to work, and they looked promising. If youre interested in a unique, firearm with a military history at around $1600, go for it. At 40 yds. Since 2017, Colt has been offering a commercial variant of the M45A1 CQBP with either a Decobond FDE or a two-tone finish over a stainless steel receiver and slide. The silence was deafening, though, when they became available and Colt continued to produce a civilian variant. When the enemy breaches the position, any of them will do. June 4, 2015 (2003)"Marines New SOCOM Pistol", Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable), "Some MEU's Still Carry Proven M1911 .45's", "10--Parts for M-45, MEUSOC Pistol - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities", "Strong Men Armed: The Marine Corps 1st Force Reconnaissance Company Part III Section 2", "MEU 1911 .45: the Legend Lives in the Hands of Today's Marines", "SNOTE - 10 - MEU(SOC) 45 caliber pistols - 17-Feb-05 - FBO#1179", "SRCSGT - 10 - MEUSOC .45 PISTOL - 09-Nov-08 - FBO#2540", "Corps considers 2 guns for new MARSOC .45", "Colt Defense LLC Announces Award of Marine Corps M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) Contract", Why the Marines adopted the M45 Colt 1911, "Reconnaissance Marines train with Close-Quarters Battle Pistol", M45A1: A New Colt .45 for the 21st Century, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MEU(SOC)_pistol&oldid=1136083215, Trained Weapons Training Battalion armorers, This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 17:30. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Brand new IonBond blue box can be had for less than $1500. And yet, it is still to completely abandon the battlefield, being a favourite of many special operation forces. The Colt incorporates a slightly beveled magazine well to facilitate reloads. I'll be content with mine in Ion Bond marked M45A1 in the blue box. Builders of 1911s like Rock Island, Springfield, Kimber and Colt use MIM parts extensively in order to produce a competitively priced product. [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". About that time, the Custom Shop was downsized and no more of the Custom Shop M45A1s were made. 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). The rollmark has now changed to "COLT***M45A1" for both Custom Shop and regular production guns. 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. 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. 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. Now before you could even buy one you had to sign up for the Gunbroker Gold program. I was an active duty Marine from 1992 to 1996, and at that time the standard issue. 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. Not all civilian M45s go through the Custom Shop. The Picatinny-railed 1911s were officially adopted by the elite troops in 2012, and featured all the special touches required by those operating on or behind the front lines in the global war on terrorism. described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. Marine Corps HQ demanded that Colt stop using the USMC rollmark, so all subsequent pistols were marked M45A1. 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. [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. Marine HQ requested Colt to stop marking the pistols as such. 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. Based on the classic 1911, which has served the United States since 1911, the M45A1 CQBP continues the tradition of having John Brownings. For the pure sake of being worth more money down the line, no question about it. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. External enhanced hammer, automatic firing pin safety, Ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, extended beavertail grip safety, 127 mm / 5" National Match barrel In the hand, that level of precision translated to straightforward hits on tough and distant targets. Support NRA American Rifleman DONATE. 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. A large batch, rumored to be nearly 1,000 pistols, hit the Gunbroker auction site (gunbroker.com) described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. I found a Don Hume 715 MC IWB holster that it fit-good enough. The M45A1 has a dual recoil spring assembly which seems to dampen recoil somewhat. MSRP comes in at $1,699. Allrightsreserved. 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. Normally his 1911 lectures are held during downtime at the range when he is repairing his 1911. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties. 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. Which do you guys would think would be more desirable down the line.. [2], The pistol's components are hand-fitted and are not interchangeable. The improved M45A1 CQBP features several changes to the original M1911A1 design. These pistols are the first U.S.G.I. My friend, a 1911 aficionado accompanied me to the range.