When did a 1911 become a 1911?

Commander · Post by **Commander** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:03 pm

I watched "Letters from Iwo Jima" on DVD this past weekend. In a flash back at one point in the movie, a Japanese Officer was presented a new pistol by an American Officer as token of friendship. As he presented the pistol, he refereed to it as "1911". The year was not specifically defined, but it was before WWII, so say around 1939-40. Was a 1911 called "1911" in 1939 or was it called something else?

Dougmyers5 · Post by **Dougmyers5** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:16 pm

The model 1911 as it was commissioned in the year 1911 as the new military hand gun at that time and has been called the 1911 ever sense.
I think it was built around 1908 or so and had to compete with other hand guns before being the winner of the contests in 1911.

Thats what I remember about them anyway?

HEMIzygote · Post by **HEMIzygote** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:22 pm

Interesting read.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1911

MoJo · Post by **MoJo** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:28 pm

Dougmyers5 wrote:The model 1911 as it was commissioned in the year 1911 as the new military hand gun at that time and has been called the 1911 ever sense.
I think it was built around 1908 or so and had to compete with other hand guns before being the winner of the contests in 1911.

Thats what I remember about them anyway?

The Forty Five Automatic's official nomenclature is - - - U. S. Pistol, Caliber .45, Model of 1911. Sometime in the 1920s the system of M1, M2, etc. that is used now became standard and the year of adoption was dropped from the nomenclature.