Colt Custom Shop M45A1 (NO USMC MARKINGS) "EGA" serial number. 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. 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. About that time, the Custom Shop was downsized and no more of the Custom Shop M45A1s were made. 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. If one looks closely at the trigger guard, Colt has the V-shaped proofmark that was present on earlier government handguns, such as the 1909 USMC revolver. [16] The Colt design is considered an upgrade of the previous pistol, not an entirely new design. 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. I am very interested in the pricey but very cool looking new Colt 1911 M45A1 Marine Close Quarters Battle Pistol. [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. News, Handguns, Semi-Auto Handguns. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. I have other Colt 1911s with smooth front straps, so I guess its just not something thats in Colts playbook for their stock pistols. 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 letter also confirms the features including Desert Tan Cerakote finish, under barrel accessory rail, National Match grade barrel, forward and rear cocking serrations on the slide, long solid aluminum trigger, extended ambidextrous thumb safety, extended beavertail grip safety, flat serrated mainspring housing with a lanyard loop, Novak 3-dot night sights, and desert camouflage G10 composite grips. Smith & Wessons Americas Guardians Program. There is slight movement and a feel of roll through the break, but I wouldnt necessarily call it creep in a negative sense. Minimum price for the offer must be greater than 0% of the Product. The coarse checkering on the multi-colored G10 panels assists in anchoring the handgun, as does an undercut trigger guard which allows a high hand hold. 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. 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 Marine Corps is aware of this yet opted for steel, so consequently the CQBP does not use any MIM parts. By clicking anywhere on the page, or scrolling down the content you can temporarily hide this banner. It is $50/year and gives you access supposedly to some good deals. I've picked up used cerakote M45A1 rollmark guns for $1200. The grip safety features an extended beavertail. Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. However, the group all remarked that the pistols certainly seemed to be accurate using the government-issue hardball ammunition. The instructor basically told us the Air Force felt the Army .45 was too much gun for us. 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! Not all civilian M45s go through the Custom Shop. [18] 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. Examples of both are usually exorbitantly-priced and something only a former Marine or hardcore collector of USGI 1911s would want to pursue. described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. In Oct. 2016 the U.S. Marine Corps announced Glock 19s would replace the .45 ACP-chambered Colt M45A1s carried by members . I have it in quotes for a reason, it kinda looked like a 45 ACP cartridge, only it was bent and weird looking. Support NRA American Rifleman DONATE. 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). 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. Thats because at 40 oz., it is heavy. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. 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. The ejection port was modified by widening it and flaring it out. A huge proponent of the system, he has been lecturing me about the benefits of the 1911 platform for nearly two decades. While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. [11] Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. 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. 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 early finish problems encountered by the Marines were all fixed by the time the first 1,000 units had been issued. Colt decided to employ a National Match barrel in theM45A1instead of their normal barrel option. 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. Reviews (0) After a rigorous selection process, the United States Marine Corps selected this Colt Rail Gun as their Close Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP). ) Black Hills 200-gr. Three pistols were offered to the USMC as a replacement for current M45 Pistols. The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns. As much as its dress may change, this is still John Moses Browning's old reliable battlehorse. 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. 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. pistols to be offered on the civilian market since the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) stopped handgun sales over 50 years ago. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. We are fortunate that they found their way onto the public market.. 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. [9][10] There are frames in the USMC inventory that have had as many as 500,000 rounds fired through them. This added weight, in addition to the dual spring slap back, provide for noticeably less recoil. Manufacturer: Colt Model: M45A1 Marine Government Width: 1.25" Height: 5.5" Accessories: Manual, Lock Action: Single Barrel Finish: Polished Barrel Length: 5" Barrel Twist: 1:16 Barrel Type: Match Caliber: 45 ACP Capacity: 7 # of Magazines: 1 Frame Color: FDE Frame Finish: Decobond Frame Material: Steel Front Sight: Novak Night Sight 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. I scored a 92-20X. JavaScript is disabled. $ 1,649.00. when unloaded. Whatever side you're on in the neverending "Metal Vs. Polymer" battle, the facts remain: back in the 1980s, the well known Austrian company paved the way for the future and still leads the market, but nonetheless the 1911 pistol is still a pillar of the firearms industry and given its enduring popularity among law enforcement professionals and civilian shooters worldwide, it's likely to hold its position for decades to come. [2], The pistol's components are hand-fitted and are not interchangeable. My buddy brought his daughters Remington R1 1911 to test out. The M45A1 feels heavy compared to other full-size 1911s. 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. 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. The M45A1 features durable Decobond brown coating and an M1913-spec Picatinny rail for mounting lights . [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 only thing I would change about it would be to checker the front strap. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. Marine Corps HQ demanded that Colt stop using the USMC rollmark, so all subsequent pistols were marked M45A1. There is a production version or a custom shop version available. 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. 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. In other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. You may have read our first reviewhere, or our second here. That level of accuracy is truly noteworthy in a randomly selected, government-issue pistol. 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. 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. The firearm felt like it had close tolerances, with everything locking up firmly, but without that hand-fitted exactness one can feel in a custom M1911. 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. The authors example of the M45A1 exhibited tight fit and shot well at the range. Cycling the pistols revealed the fit to be smooth but clearly tighter than a typical commercial M1911. Fans of the 1911 expressed their disgust as nearly 4,000 of the handguns were de-commissioned. The silence was deafening, though, when they became available and Colt continued to produce a civilian variant. MIM parts are widely accepted as the standard in the industry. You will hear different stories, but the simplest is that the M45A1 was Colts first large-scale run of Cerakoted pistols. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Passionate Caretakers of Our Historic Military Firearms and Americas Wartime Heritage. The rear sight we ordered [], Weve been using Parabellum Armaments AKARS for 9 months. There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. Quick view Out of stock. The M45A1 has the traditional military lanyard loop in the flat, serrated mainspring housing. It will fit though. Dual Recoil spring system reduces felt . The finish on the pistol is a brown Decobond designed to hold up through hard use. The decoms will always be worth a premium. I'll be content with mine in Ion Bond marked M45A1 in the blue box. I dont know that any pistols, the old Quantico M45s or the new Colts, were ever truly benched or grouped. When Remington offered a [], 1911 Rear sight installation (Novak style cut) Aftermarket sights are a common upgrade on 1911 pistols. in the shooters hands was the measure of the pistols accuracy. [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. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didnt fly off. ), the grip of the M45A1 CQBP is akin to that of a double-stack magazine pistol, and is definitely not made for small hands. [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. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! The M45A1 pistol is 21,6 cm / 8.5" long overall and weighs 1,7 kilograms / 40 oz. Maybe they are worried theyll run out of hand grenades? Under this point of view, the Colt M45A1 CQBP is definitely the 1911 of the 21st Century. I couldnt say no and bought the gun (Id buy a broken toaster with USMC stamped on it). As an avid Glock shooter, digging through my holster box to find one that fit was a chore. (LogOut/ 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. Colt. IT12346351005. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didn't fly off. The M45A1 CQBP pistol is issued with Wilson black metal single-stack magazines, holding 7+1 rounds. The first contract, as published on July 20, 2012, bound Colt to deliver 4,000 samples initially, and up to 12,000 samples in the following years; the contract was said to be worth $22.5 million to Colt. I believe there was also a run of grey M45s with front strap checkering that were not CS guns. He somehow managed to convince me to shoot one of his reloads. Shooting two handed, strong side only and weak side only it functioned flawlessly. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Most of the time standing slow fire at 25 yds. This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. The slide is correctly roll marked with the USMC marking that has been factory stuck with an X to signify it as being decommissioned from the U.S.M.C. 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 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. Wayne is one of the premier pistol smiths in the country. All rights reserved. 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. [8], A Marine operator may shoot as many as 80,000 rounds from this pistol during a training-cycle and subsequent deployment. 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). Is it just a collector mentality To have the USMC? Colt has not published the quantities of the EGA suffix pistols that were issued, at least not in any list Ive been able to find. 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. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. In February 2015, the Marine Corps approved the Glock 19 for MARSOC units. It actually protected the Colt M45A1 on the way too and from the range. He told me the extractor and ammunition were bad. Add to cart. Which do you guys would think would be more desirable down the line.. Any assistance is much appreciated. Other features include Novak. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. What started off as sending my officers ACP off for new Lo-Mount sights, turned into over two thousand dollars worth of work. 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]. 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. Over the years Ive built quite a few custom rifles on Remington 700 actions. He refuses to touch a polymer gun, expect for the Springfield XD I sold him around 2000 (I think he sold it within days). The triggers were uniformly pretty good. It's a carry gun, not a collection piece. 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 slide of the Colt M45A1 CQBP pistol comes with front and rear serrations, and with dovetailed high-visibility sights with tritium night dots. So I headed to the store and purchased a new-in-box lightweight Colt Series 80 Officers ACP. This particular sample earned every bit of the National Match stamping on the barrel hood. for most service pistols. My M45A1 has had hundreds of rounds put through it, both ball and JHP, and has not experienced any type of failure. What do you get for spending the extra money for a custom shop version? The M45 serves on with a few specialized Marine Corps units and is expected to for a few more years when most think it will be replaced by a polymer-frame, striker-fired 9 mm, thus ending a long and historic run for the M1911 and its .45 ACP cartridge. How did the pistols get to market? Colt also offers a custom shop civilian model to achieve higher accuracy; but the Marine issue model is the production grade pistol. 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