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Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org
Thursday, August 5, 2010

“After reviewing Ms. Kagan’s record and testimony at her confirmation hearing, the GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA concluded that, ‘The available evidence portrays her as a forceful advocate of restrictive gun laws and driven by political considerations rather than rule of law.'” — Sen. John Thune (R-SD), August 5, 2010

ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE TODAY

Senator Thune quoted GOA accurately. Elena Kagan is going to be a disaster on the Supreme Court.

Our gun rights are hanging by a thread. Prior to the vote in the U.S. Senate today, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama sounded the alarm: “Most Americans are totally unaware [that] the Second Amendment hangs by a mere thread [by] two 5-4 decisions recently….”

He was referring, of course, to the two gun-related decisions over the past couple of years where the Supreme Court narrowly ruled in favor of gun rights.

With this in mind, several Senators spent almost an hour today talking exclusively about the Second Amendment, its importance to all Americans across the country, and the danger that President Obama’s most recent pick to the U.S. Supreme Court poses to our gun rights.

Sadly, the Senate today voted 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. While this is disappointing, you need to realize that we got more votes against Kagan than we have ever gotten against a Supreme Court Justice that we’ve opposed — more than we garnered against Justices Sotomayor or Ginsburg. (Imagine, Justice Gingsburg only received three negative votes!)

Today, we gained tremendous ground. There were Senators who voted against Kagan today who had NEVER before voted against a Supreme Court Justice. And come this November, we plan to gain even more ground when a new batch of candidates take their seats in the U.S. Senate… when we will probably be able to filibuster (and defeat) any future U.S. Supreme Court Justice that President Obama nominates.

So thank you for all your help in fighting this nominee. Now, it is time for us to shift into high gear and hold the turncoats in Congress accountable. But more on that — and on today’s vote — below.

STAND WITH GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA

While today’s loss on the Kagan nomination was disappointing, don’t forget that we won a VERY KEY battle last week against legislation to squelch our voice 60 days prior to a general election — legislation known as the DISCLOSE Act.

This victory means that we will be able to hold accountable those Senators who stabbed gun owners in the back and voted for Elena Kagan today — and we’ll be able to hold them accountable all the way up to Election Day.

So gun owners need to stay engaged in the battle to retain and reclaim our rights. Even though Congress will be out of session this month, you can help us INCREASE our voice in Congress — and INCREASE our ability to reach more gun owners — by renewing your membership with GOA and encouraging others to do the same.

You can go to http://gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm and join Gun Owners of America for the cost of a box of ammunition.

As you already know, GOA will NOT be compromising your rights. We will not compromise on your Second Amendment freedoms… nor will we compromise on your First Amendment freedoms which are necessary to defend those liberties.

During debate over the DISCLOSE Act last month, Senator Mitch McConnell praised GOA’s uncompromising approach on the floor of the Senate when he said that the legislation was “not about the Democrats’ affinity for the Second Amendment. If it were, they would have carved out an exception for the Gun Owners of America as well. As it is, the GOA vehemently opposes this bill. Why? Because they know it restricts First Amendment rights.”

We only have a little less than three months before the election. We need you now more than ever! Please go to http://gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm and renew today.

HOLD YOUR SENATORS’ FEET TO THE FIRE

Many of you have Senators who pride themselves as being independent thinkers. They claim they are “Blue Dog” Democrats who support the Second Amendment.

But guess what: Virtually every single Blue Dog voted IN FAVOR of Kagan today. To see how your Senators voted, please go to: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00229

Senators Harry Reid of Nevada, Jim Webb of Virginia, Max Baucus and John Tester of Montana, and many more… all the Blue Dogs voted for Elena Kagan, with the exception of Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

You need to realize: These so-called Blue Dogs can’t claim they didn’t know Kagan’s record on gun control. Nor can Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and the other four Republicans who voted for Kagan. They can’t claim that Kagan’s record is silent on the gun issue. They can’t claim she might support gun owner rights in the future.

Senator after Senator sounded the alarm on the floor of the Senate. Just take a look at what a dozen Senators had to say about Elena Kagan’s views on Second Amendment rights:

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL): “Ms. Kagan’s record regarding the Second Amendment leaves little doubt that she will be hostile to the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and possess firearms.”

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “Solicitor General Kagan’s record clearly shows she is a supporter of restrictive gun laws and has worked on numerous initiatives to undercut Second Amendment fundamental rights.”

* Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL): “Ms. Kagan has spent her career implementing antigun initiatives and evidence of her antagonistic attitude towards the Second Amendment can be found from the beginning of her legal career.”

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT): “Ms. Kagan also worked in the Clinton administration to weaken and limit other individual rights such as the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. In her hearing, Ms. Kagan refused to acknowledge any real limits on the Federal Government’s power, which the Supreme Court has already expanded far beyond anything America’s Founders intended, to regulate everything imaginable in the name of interstate commerce.”

* Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA): “Documents made available from the Clinton Library show she was a key player in that administration’s gun control efforts. She was a key advocate for multiple gun control proposals and even authored multiple Executive Orders that placed restrictions on gun owner rights.”

* Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS): “General Kagan’s prior work suggests that she would not protect an individual’s constitutional right to bear arms. As a policy advisor to President Clinton, Kagan promoted several gun control proposals, including background checks for all gun purchases in the secondary market, a gun tracing initiative, and giving law enforcement the ability to retain background check information from lawful gun sales. She also drafted executive orders to restrict the importation of semiautomatic rifles and to require all Federal law enforcement officers to install locks on their weapons.”

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): “I was also troubled by her testimony with regard to the Second Amendment — the right to keep and bear arms. She did say the recent decisions in Heller and McDonald are ‘settled law,’ but I worry that her interpretation of settled law means until there are five new Justices who take a look at that settled law and just decide to change it…. Last year, [Justice Sonia Sotomayor] testified that Heller was settled law. But last month, she joined in a dissenting opinion in McDonald urging it be overturned, saying she did not believe the Second Amendment conferred a fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms.”

* Sen. George LeMieux (R-FL): “I am also concerned about Solicitor General Kagan’s views on the right to bear arms enumerated in the Second Amendment. I think she has too little regard for some of our Constitution’s most fundamental protections. As a law clerk, she was dismissive of the Second Amendment, saying she was not sympathetic to the amendment.”

* Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID): “I am convinced [Kagan] does not believe the Second Amendment reserves to all Americans a strong and broad right to bear arms…. Countless law-abiding Americans were denied their constitutional rights to keep and bear arms for way too long. It is imperative that the next Supreme Court Justice fully understand and accept and support these rights. I am not convinced that Ms. Kagan does, and that causes me great concern.”

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX): “[I have] serious concerns about her Second Amendment views and her correlating judicial record on the Second Circuit Court.”

* Sen. John Ensign (R-NV): “When I had the opportunity to ask Ms. Kagan about her views on the Founders’ intent of the Second Amendment, she informed me that although she had read much analysis regarding the Second Amendment, she had never studied its history or origin. Certainly, this statement was surprising to me, especially given her documented history of hostility toward the Second Amendment.”

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): “The conclusion I draw from all this is that Ms. Kagan is, at best, uninterested in the Second Amendment at this point in her career. At worst, she is unsympathetic to the millions of Americans who, similar to this Senator, believe the Second Amendment is one of the most important of our constitutional liberties.”

These statements are just the tip of the iceberg.

Senators who voted for Elena Kagan cannot claim ignorance. They voted anti-gun, and we need to let them know that we, the American people, are coming to take back our government on Election Day.

They need to hear over and over again that “we will remember in November.”

________________________________________

Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Pl, Suite 102
Springfield, VA 22151
http://www.goapvf.org
August 2, 2010

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is having a busy couple of weeks in Washington.

Last week, he attempted to pass the so-called DISCLOSE Act, which is intended to silence organizations like Gun Owners of America because we dare to disclose the voting records of Members of Congress.

Thankfully, that bill was defeated — at least temporarily. Reid and the bill’s sponsor, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have promised to bring DISCLOSE back to the floor for another vote after the August recess.

If this legislation becomes law (it has already passed in the House), it will require groups like GOA to spend up to half of a 30-second ad identifying themselves and disclosing the names of top donors rather than talking about a congressman’s anti-gun votes.

At the same time, the bill exempts “incumbent friendly” groups like labor unions, the AARP, and the NRA.

And Harry Reid, the embattled Senator from Nevada, would like this bill to take effect before the 2010 elections!

Reid and Kagan

This week, Reid will bring to the floor the confirmation of anti-gunner Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court.

Senator Reid claims to support the Second Amendment and likes to tell folks back home that he is not a mere puppet of the community organizer who occupies the White House.

So, will he stand up for Americans’ gun rights and vote against a nominee who quite possibly could become the most anti-gun member of the Supreme Court?

Not likely.

Remember, Reid pushed Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court after assuring Senators that she recognized the Second Amendment as being an individual right.

How did that turn out? In the recent McDonald case, Sotomayor joined the minority dissent that could “find nothing in the Second Amendment’s text, history, or underlying rationale that could warrant characterizing it as ‘fundamental’ insofar as it seeks to protect the keeping and bearing of arms for private self-defense purposes.”

Now comes Elena Kagan offering the same empty promises about respecting the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court’s decisions in Heller and McDonald.

Kagan said nothing in her confirmation hearings that would preclude her from gutting the Second Amendment every chance she gets. In fact, everything that’s known about Kagan paints a portrait of a forceful, politically-driven gun control advocate.

That being the case, there is NO WAY any Senator who claims to support gun rights could vote to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court!

But amazingly, Harry Reid STILL claims to be pro-gun, even though he repeatedly votes against the interests of gun owners.

In fact, GOA has listed over 40 anti-gun votes Reid has cast over the course of his Senate career.

Harry Reid has been playing games with your Second Amendment rights for far too long.

But he cannot continue to claim to be pro-gun and at the same time seek to silence groups like GOA and to confirm judges — like Elena Kagan — who will eviscerate the Second Amendment.

It’s time for a change.

Sharron Angle, who is running against Reid in the November election, is a consistent friend of your gun rights. She does not waver in the face of opposition from anti-gunners in Washington or in the media.

Gun Owners of America is proud to endorse Sharron in the upcoming election. And she can win, but only with the support of like-minded gun owners and sportsmen.

Harry Reid brags that he will raise and spend over $25 million. So if one million Second Amendment supports send Sharron just $25 each, she will match Reid dollar-for-dollar.

And that’s exactly what Gun Owners is urging. Can you help with a contribution of at least $25? If so, please visit www.sharronangle.com to make a donation.

The Nevada Senate race is the most important in the country. Thank you for standing with Gun Owners of America and Sharron Angle for U.S. Senate.

Sincerely,

Tim Macy
Vice-Chairman
________________________________________

The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge.[1] It was designed by John M. Browning, and was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985, and is still carried by some U.S. forces. It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Its formal designation as of 1940 was Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 for the original Model of 1911 or Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 for the M1911A1, adopted in 1924. The designation changed to Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1 in the Vietnam era.[1] In total, the United States procured around 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols in military contracts during its service life.

The M1911 is the most well-known of John Browning’s designs to use the short recoil principle in its basic design. Besides the pistol being widely copied itself, this operating system rose to become the pre-eminent type of the 20th century and of nearly all modern centerfire pistols. It is popular with civilian shooters in competitive events such as IDPA, International Practical Shooting Confederation, and Bullseye shooting. It is also a popular civilian concealed carry option due to its slim width.

History
Early history and adoption

The M1911 pistol originated in the late 1890s, as a search for a suitable self-loading (or semi-automatic) handgun, to replace the variety of revolvers then in service.[2] The United States of America was adopting new firearms at a phenomenal rate; several new handguns and two all-new service rifles (the M1892/96/98 Krag and M1895 Navy Lee), as well as a series of revolvers by Colt and Smith & Wesson for the Army and Navy were adopted just in that decade. The next decade would see a similar pace, including the adoption of several more revolvers and an intensive search for a self-loading pistol that would culminate in official adoption of the M1911 after the turn of the decade.

Hiram S. Maxim had designed a self-loading pistol in the 1880s, but was preoccupied with machine guns. Nevertheless, the application of his principle of using bullet energy to reload led to several self-loading pistols in the 1890s. The designs caught the attention of various militaries, each of which began programs to find a suitable one for their forces. In the U.S., such a program would lead to a formal test at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.

During the end of 1899 and start of 1900, a test of self-loading pistols was conducted, which included entries from Mauser (the C96 “Broomhandle”), Mannlicher (the Steyr Mannlicher M1894), and Colt (the Colt M1900).[2]

This led to a purchase of 1,000 DWM Luger pistols, chambered in 7.65 mm Luger, a bottlenecked cartridge. These would go on field trials but ran into some issues, especially in regard to stopping power. Other governments had also made similar complaints, which resulted in DWM producing an enlarged version of the round, the 9mm Parabellum (known in current military parlance as the 9x19mm NATO), a necked-up version of the 7.65 mm round. Fifty of these were tested as well by the U.S. Army in 1903.
General William Crozier became Chief of Ordnance of the Army in 1901.

In response to problems encountered by American units fighting Moro guerrillas during the Philippine-American War, the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver, in .38 Long Colt, was found to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power, as the Moros had very high battle morale and frequently used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain.[3] The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt caliber, which had been standard during the last decades of the 19th century; the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen.[4] The problems with the .38 Long Colt led to the Army shipping new single action .45 Colt revolvers to the Philippines in 1902. It also prompted the then-Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier, to authorize further testing for a new service pistol.[4]

Following the 1904 Thompson-LaGarde pistol round effectiveness tests, Colonel John T. Thompson stated that the new pistol “should not be of less than .45 caliber” and would preferably be semi-automatic in operation.[4] This led to the 1906 trials of pistols from six firearms manufacturing companies (namely, Colt, Bergmann, Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM), Savage Arms Company, Knoble, Webley, and White-Merril).[4]

Of the six designs submitted, three were eliminated early on, leaving only the Savage, Colt, and DWM designs chambered in the new .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge.[4] These three still had issues that needed correction, but only Colt and Savage resubmitted their designs. There is some debate over the reasons for DWM’s withdrawal—some say they felt there was bias and that the DWM design was being used primarily as a “whipping boy” for the Savage and Colt pistols,[5] though this does not fit well with the earlier 1900 purchase of the DWM design over the Colt and Steyr entries. In any case, a series of field tests from 1907 to 1911 were held to decide between the Savage and Colt designs.[4] Both designs were improved between each testing over their initial entries, leading up to the final test before adoption.[4]

Among the areas of success for the Colt was a test at the end of 1910 attended by its designer, John Browning. 6,000 rounds were fired from a single pistol over the course of two days. When the gun began to grow hot, it was simply dumped in a bucket of water to cool it. The Colt gun passed with flying colors, having no malfunctions, while the Savage designs had 37.[4]

Service history

Comparison of government-issue M1911 and M1911A1 pistols
M15 General Officers adopted by the U.S. Army in the 1970s for issue to Generals.

Following its success in trials, the Colt pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, thus gaining its designation, M1911 (Model of 1911). It was adopted by the Navy and Marine Corps in 1913. Originally manufactured only by Colt, demand for the firearm in World War I saw the expansion of manufacture to the government-owned Springfield Armory.

Battlefield experience in the First World War led to some more small external changes, completed in 1924. The new version received a modified type classification, M1911A1. Changes to the original design were minor and consisted of a shorter trigger, cutouts in the frame behind the trigger, an arched mainspring housing, a longer grip safety spur (to prevent slide bite), a wider front sight, a shorter spur on the hammer, and simplified grip checkering by eliminating the “Double Diamond” reliefs.[4] Those unfamiliar with the design are often unable to tell the difference between the two versions at a glance. No significant internal changes were made, and parts remained interchangeable between the two.

Working for the U.S. Ordnance Office, David Marshall Williams developed a .22 training version of the M1911 using a floating chamber to give the .22 long rifle rimfire recoil similar to the .45 version.[4] As the Colt Service Ace, this was available both as a handgun and as a conversion kit for .45 M1911 pistols.[4]

World War II

World War II and the years leading up to it created a great demand. During the war, about 1.9 million units were procured by the U.S. Government for all forces, production being undertaken by several manufacturers, including Remington Rand (900,000 produced), Colt (400,000), Ithaca Gun Company (400,000), Union Switch & Signal (50,000), and Singer (500). So many were produced that after 1945 the government did not order any new pistols, and simply used existing parts inventories to “arsenal refinish” guns when necessary. This pistol was favored by US military personnel.[6]

Before World War II, a small number of Colts were produced under license at the Norwegian weapon factory Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk (these Colts were known as “Kongsberg Colt”). During the German occupation of Norway the production continued. These pistols are highly regarded by modern collectors, with the 920 examples stamped with Nazi Waffenamt codes being the most sought after. German forces also used captured M1911A1 pistols, using the designation “Pistole 660(a)”.[7] The M1911 pattern also formed the basis for the Argentine Ballester-Molina and certain Spanish Star and Llama pistols made after 1922.

Replacement for most uses

After World War II, the M1911 continued to be a mainstay of the United States Armed Forces in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It was also used during Desert Storm in specialized U.S. Army units and US Navy Mobile Construction Battalions (Seabees), and has seen service in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, with U.S. Army Special Forces Groups and Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Companies.

However, by the late 1970s the M1911A1 was acknowledged to be showing its age. Under political pressure from NATO to conform to the NATO-standard pistol cartridge, the US Air Force ran a Joint Service Small Arms Program to select a new semi-automatic pistol using the NATO-standard 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. After trials, the Beretta 92S-1 was chosen. The Army contested this result and subsequently ran its own competition in 1981, the XM9 trials, eventually leading to the official adoption of the Beretta 92F on January 14, 1985. By the later 1980s production was ramping up despite a controversial XM9 retrial and a separate XM10 reconfirmation that was boycotted by some entrants of the original trials, cracks in the frames of some pre-M9 Beretta-produced pistols, and also despite a problem with slide separation using higher than specified pressure rounds that resulted in injuries to some US Navy special operations operatives. This last issue resulted in an updated model that includes additional protection for the user, the 92FS, and updates to the ammunition used.

By the early 1990s, most M1911A1s had been replaced by the M9, though a limited number remain in use by special units. The United States Marine Corps in particular were noted for continuing the use of M1911 pistols for selected personnel in MEU(SOC) and reconnaissance units (though the USMC also purchased over 50,000 M9 handguns). For its part, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a requirement for a .45 ACP handgun in the Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) trials. This resulted in the Heckler & Koch OHWS becoming the MK23 Mod 0 Offensive Handgun Weapon System, beating the Colt OHWS, a much modified M1911. Dissatisfaction with the stopping power of the 9mm Parabellum cartridge used in the Beretta M9 has actually promoted re-adoption of handguns based on the .45 ACP cartridge such as the M1911 design, along with other handguns, among USSOCOM units in recent years, though the M9 remains predominant both within SOCOM and in the US military in general.

Current users

Some military and law enforcement organizations in the United States and other countries continue to use (often modified) M1911A1 pistols including Marine Force Recon, Los Angeles Police Department S.W.A.T. and L.A.P.D. S.I.S., the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, F.B.I. regional S.W.A.T. teams, and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment—Delta (Delta Force). The Tacoma, Washington Police Department selected the Kimber Pro Carry II or Pro Carry II HD as optional, department supplied weapons available to its officers.[8]
A basic version of Smith & Wesson’s SW1911 with user-installed Pachmayr grips.
M1911A1 by Springfield Armory (contemporary remake of WWII G.I. Model, Parkerized).

The M1911A1 is also extremely popular among the general public in the United States for practical and recreational purposes. The pistol is commonly used for concealed carry thanks in part to a single-stack magazine (which makes for a thinner pistol that is therefore easier to conceal), personal defense, target shooting, and competition. Numerous aftermarket accessories allow users to customize the pistol to their liking. There are a growing number of manufacturers of M1911-type pistols and the model continues to be quite popular for its reliability, simplicity, and patriotic appeal. Various tactical, target, and compact models are available. Price ranges from a low end of $250 for an imported model to more than $4,000 for the best competition or tactical models from such as those by Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer and Nighthawk Custom.

Due to an increased demand for M1911 pistols among Army Special Operations units, who are known to field a variety of M1911 pistols, the Army Marksmanship Unit began looking to develop a new generation of M1911s and launched the M1911-A2 project in late 2004.[9] The goal was to produce a minimum of seven variants with various sights, internal and external extractors, flat and arched mainspring housings, integral and add-on magazine wells, a variety of finishes and other options, with the idea of providing the end-user a selection from which to select the features that best fit their missions.[9] The AMU performed a well received demonstration of the first group of pistols to the Marine Corps at Quantico and various Special Operations units at Ft. Bragg and other locations.[9] The project provided a feasibility study with insight into future projects.[9] Models were loaned to various Special Operations units, the results of which are classified. An RFP was issued for a Joint Combat Pistol but it was ultimately canceled.[9] Currently units are experimenting with an M1911 platform in .40 which will incorporate lessons learned from the M1911 A2 project. Ultimately, the M1911 A2 project provided a test bed for improving existing M1911s. An improved M1911 variant becoming available in the future is a possibility.[9]

The Springfield Custom Professional Model 1911A1 pistol is produced under contract by Springfield Armory for the FBI regional SWAT teams and the Hostage Rescue Team. This pistol is made in batches on a regular basis by the Springfield Custom Shop, and a few examples from most runs are made available for sale to the general public at a selling price of approximately US$2,500 each.

MEU(SOC) pistol
Main article: MEU(SOC) pistol

Marine Expeditionary Units formerly issued M1911s to Force Recon units.[10] Hand-selected Colt M1911A1 frames were gutted, deburred, and prepared for additional use by the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) at Marine Corps Base Quantico.[10] They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, ambidextrous thumb safeties, triggers, improved high-visibility sights, accurized barrels, grips, and improved Wilson magazines.[11] These hand-made pistols were tuned to specifications and preferences of end users.[12]

In the late 1980s, the Marines 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, but design and supply time was limited.[12] Discovering that the Los Angeles Police Department was pleased with their special Kimber M1911 pistols, a single source request was issued to Kimber for just such a pistol despite the imminent release of their TLE/RLII models.[13] Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). 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.

The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with Surefire IMPL (Integrated Military Pistol Light), Dawson Precision Rails, Tritium Novak LoMount sights, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, and Wilson Combat ’47D’ 8 round magazines. They have reportedly been used with over 15,000 rounds apiece.[13]

Other users
Colt 1911 British Service Model, cal .455 Webley Auto

Numbers of Colt M1911s were used by the Royal Navy as sidearms during World War I in .455 Webley Automatic caliber.[4] The handguns were then transferred to the Royal Air Force where they saw use in limited numbers up until the end of World War II as sidearms for air crew in event of bailing out in enemy territory.[4] Some units of the South Korean Air Force still use these original batches as officers’ sidearms.

Norway used the Kongsberg Colt which was a license produced variant and is recognized by the unique slide catch. Many Spanish firearms manufacturers produced pistols derived from the 1911, such as the STAR Model P, the ASTAR 1911PL, and the Llama Model IX-A, just to name a few.[14] Argentina produced a licensed copy, the Model 1927 Sistema Colt, which eventually led to production of the cheaper Ballester-Molina, which is based closely on the 1911.

The Brazilian company IMBEL (Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil) still produces the .45 in several variants for military and law enforcement uses.

The Greek Hellenic Army issues the M1911 as a sidearm. These are WWII production American pistols supplied as military aid in 1946 and afterward as the US aided Greece against Communist expansion.[15]

The Royal Thai Army still uses USGI M1911s that were supplied as military aid during the Vietnam War era.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB Forces), an anti-terrorist tactical team in Bangladesh uses this weapon.[16]

The Armed Forces of the Philippines issues Mil-spec M1911A1 pistols as a sidearm to the special forces, military police and officers. These pistols are produced by Armscor and Colt.

A Chinese Arms manufacturer, Norinco, exports a clone of the M1911A1 for civilian purchase. Importation into the US was blocked by trade rules in 1993. Norinco also manufactured conversion kits to chamber the 7.62x25mm Tokarev round after the Korean war.

Custom models
A Colt M1911 Gold Cup National Match edition with nickel plating.

Since its inception, the M1911 has lent itself to easy customization. Replacement sights, grips, and other aftermarket accessories are the most commonly offered parts. Since the 1950s and the rise of competitive pistol shooting, many companies have been offering the M1911 as a base model for major customization. These modifications can range from changing the external finish, checkering the frame, and hand fitting custom hammers, triggers, and sears. Some modifications include installing compensators and the addition of accessories such as tactical lights and even scopes.[17] These guns can cost over $5000 and are all built from the ground up or on existing base models.[18] The main companies offering custom Colt M1911s are: Springfield Custom Shop, Ed Brown, Nighthawk Custom, Wilson Combat, Kimber, and Les Baer.

Design
Springfield Mil Spec field stripped

Browning’s basic M1911 design has seen very little change throughout its production life.[1] The basic principle of the pistol is recoil operation.[1] As the expanding combustion gases force the bullet down the barrel, they give reverse momentum to the slide and barrel which are locked together during this portion of the firing cycle. After the bullet has left the barrel, the slide and barrel continue rearward a short distance.[1]

At this point, a link pivots the barrel down, out of locking recesses in the slide, and brings the barrel to a stop. As the slide continues rearward, a claw extractor pulls the spent casing from the firing chamber and an ejector strikes the rear of the case pivoting it out and away from the pistol. The slide stops and is then propelled forward by a spring to strip a fresh cartridge from the magazine and feed it into the firing chamber. At the forward end of its travel, the slide locks into the barrel and is ready to fire again.

The military mandated a grip safety and a manual safety.[1] A grip safety, sear disconnect, slide stop, half cock position, and manual safety (located on the left rear of the frame) are on all standard M1911A1s.[1] Several companies have developed a firing pin block safety. Colt’s 80 series uses a trigger operated one and several other manufacturers, including Kimber and Smith & Wesson, use a Swartz firing-pin safety, which is operated by the grip safety.[19][20]

The same basic design has also been offered commercially and has been used by other militaries. In addition to the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), models chambered for .38 Super, 9mm Parabellum, .400 Corbon, and other cartridges were also offered. The M1911 was developed from earlier Colt designs firing rounds such as .38 ACP. The design beat out many other contenders during the government’s selection period, during the late 1890s and 1900s, up to the pistol’s adoption. The M1911 officially replaced a range of revolvers and pistols across branches of the U.S. armed forces, though a number of other designs have seen use in certain niches.

Despite being challenged by newer and lighter weight pistol designs in .45 caliber, such as the Glock 21, the SIG Sauer P220 and the Heckler & Koch USP, the M1911 shows no signs of decreasing popularity and continues to be widely present in various competitive matches such as those of IDPA, IPSC, and Bullseye.[9]

The slide stop pin of the 1911 can be depressed with firing if the index finger is placed along the side of the gun to assist in aiming the gun. That is an effective method of aiming which was known of since the early 1800’s. Cautionary language against using that method of aiming and firing was included in the initial manual on the 1911 which was published in 1912. It also is found in other military manuals on the 1911 up to the 1940’s.[21]

Users

* Argentina[4]
* Brazil: The Brazilian Army uses a version of the M1911 developed by IMBEL chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and designated M973.[22][23]
* Bolivia[24][25]
* Colombia[24][25]
* Costa Rica[24][25]
* Dominican Republic[24][25]
* Ecuador[25]
* Fiji[24]
* Greece[15]
* Guatemala[25][26]
* Haiti[24][25]
* Indonesia[26]
* Iran[24][26]
* Liberia[24]
* Mexico[24][25][26]
* Nazi Germany[4]
* Nicaragua[24][25]
* Norway[4]
* Philippines[24]
* Spain[27]
* South Korea[4]
* South Vietnam[4]
* Soviet Union: Thousands of pistols were received as military assistance during World War II.[27]
* Taiwan[24]
* United Kingdom[4]
* United States: Used by the US Army. A quantity of 5,000 was also purchased by the FBI Hostage Rescue Team.[27]
* Zimbabwe[24]

Specifications

* Cartridge: .45 ACP;
* Other commercial and military derivatives: Other versions offered include .38 Super, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .400 Corbon, .22 LR, .50 GI, .455 Webley, 9×23 mm Winchester, and others. The major ones were 9mm Parabellum (9x19mm), .38 Super, 10mm Auto.
* Barrel: 5 in (127 mm) Government, 4.25 in (108 mm) Commander, and the 3.5 in (89 mm) Officer’s ACP. Some modern “carry” guns have significantly shorter barrels and frames, while others use standard frames and extended slides with 6 in (152 mm) barrels
* Rate of twist: 16 in (406 mm) per turn, or 1:35.5 calibers (.45 ACP)
* Operation: Recoil-operated, closed breech, single action, semi-automatic
* Weight (unloaded): 2 lb 7 oz (1.1 kg) (government model)
* Height: 5.25 in (133 mm)
* Length: 8.25 in (210 mm)
* Capacity: 7+1 rounds (7 in standard-capacity magazine +1 in firing chamber); 8+1 in aftermarket standard-size magazine; 9+1 in extended and high capacity magazines/frames guns chambered in .38 Super and 9mm have a 9+1 capacity. Some models using double-stacked magazines, such as those from Para Ordnance, Strayer Voigt Inc and STI International Inc have significantly larger capacities. Colt makes their own 8 round magazines which they include with their Series 80 XSE models.
* Safeties: A grip safety, sear disconnect, slide stop, a half cock position, and manual safety (located on the left rear of the frame) are on all standard M1911A1s. Several companies have developed a firing pin block. Colt’s 80 series uses a trigger operated one and several other manufacturers (such as Smith & Wesson) use one operated by the grip safety.

On June 29, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (HR 5552) by a vote of 412 to 6. The bill is now pending in the Senate.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms need your help now to get this bill passed in the U.S. Senate.

This legislation corrects a longstanding inequity in the Internal Revenue Code by permitting firearm and ammunition manufacturers to pay the federal excise tax payment on a quarterly basis, like other industries that support conservation through a federal excise tax. Currently, manufacturers pay this tax on a bi-weekly schedule, forcing many manufacturers to borrow money to ensure on-time payment. Industry members spend thousands of man-hours administering the necessary paperwork to successfully complete the bi-weekly tax payments — monies that are due to the federal government long before manufacturers are paid by their customers. This excise tax is the major revenue source of wildlife conservation in the United States. This legislation will not increase the federal deficit, nor does it reduce the excise tax rate — it simply changes the payment schedule.

Call both your U.S.Senators today at 202-224-3121 and ask them to support Senate passage of H.R. 5552 before Congress adjourns for the summer.

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation and a Baltimore County, MD man today sued Maryland authorities in federal court because the man’s handgun permit renewal was turned down on the grounds that he could not demonstrate “a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger.”

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Joining SAF in the lawsuit is Raymond Woollard, who was originally issued a carry permit after a man broke into his home during a family gathering in 2002. Woollard’s permit was renewed in 2005, after the man was released from prison. That man now lives about three miles from Woollard. Defendants in the case are Terrence B. Sheridan is the Secretary and Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, and three members of the Maryland Handgun Permit Review Board, Denis Gallagher, Seymour Goldstein and Charles M. Thomas, Jr.

SAF and Woollard are represented by attorneys Alan Gura of Virginia and Cary J. Hansel of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake of Greenbelt, MD.

The lawsuit alleges that “Individuals cannot be required to demonstrate that carrying a handgun is necessary as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger’ as a prerequisite for exercising their Second Amendment rights.” Plaintiffs are seeking a permanent injunction against enforcement of the Maryland provision that requires permit applicants to “demonstrate cause” for the issuance of a carry permit.

“Laws that empower bureaucrats to deny the exercise of a fundamental civil right because they cannot show good cause to exercise that right can’t possibly stand up under constitutional scrutiny,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “We are supporting Mr. Woollard in this action because constitutional rights trump bureaucratic whims.”

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.

The Model 700 series of firearms are bolt-action hunting rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962.[1][2] All are based on the same centerfire bolt action.[3] They come with a 3, 4 or 5-round internal magazine depending on caliber, which sometimes includes a floor-plate for quick-unloading, and sometimes is “blind,” meaning it has no floor-plate. The Model 700 is available in a great number of different stock, barrel and caliber configurations. It is a development of the Remington 721 and 722 series of rifles, which had been introduced in 1948 [4].

Design Details

The Remington 700 action is designed for mass production [5]. Despite its cost-effective production methods, it is very strong and reliable, and has a large worldwide following. It is a manually-operated bolt action with 2 forward dual-opposed lugs and a rear safety lug formed by the bolt handle lug sitting in a receiver recess. The bolt face is recessed, fully enclosing the base of the cartridge, The extractor is a C-clip sitting within the bolt face. The ejector is a plunger on the bolt face actuated by a coil spring. The bolt is of 3-piece construction, brazed together (head, body and bolt handle). The receiver is milled from round cross-section steel of highest quality.[4]

Models

The Remington 700 comes in a large number of variants, with different stocks, barrel configurations, metal finishes and calibers. In addition there are 3 lengths of action (not including the Model Seven lightweight’s action, which is even shorter than the ‘standard’ short action). There is the short action for .308-length cartridges, the standard for .30-06 length cartridges and the long action for magnum calibers. To these can be added various magazine configurations; a blind magazine which has no floorplate, a conventional magazine with detachable floorplate and a detachable box magazine. There are standard consumer versions as well as versions designed for military and police use. Some variants come with bipods, slings and other accessories.

Model 700 – Public versions

There are several variants of the consumer version of the Model 700, including; Model 700, Model 700 ADL, Model 700 BDL, Model 700 CDL, and Model 700 Safari. Remington also produces the Mountain LSS model with a stainless steel barrel and laminated stock. Heavy barrel versions with laminated stocks like the Model 700 SPS varmint are available for varmint hunting. The Model 700 ADL has also been re-branded as the Model 700 SPS (Special Purpose Synthetic) in newer models.

Model 700P – Police version
Remington Model 700P.

There are two main models of the 700P — the standard 700P with a 26″ heavy barrel and the 700P Light Tactical Rifle (LTR) which has a 20″ fluted heavy barrel. Both rifles also come (optionally) in a Tactical Weapons System (TWS) package, complete with telescopic sights, a bipod, and carrying case. Both rifles are capable of sub MOA accuracy right out of the box using match quality ammunition and a quality scope.

According to Remington Arms, around 90% of the police sharpshooter rifles in the United States are based on Model 700s, specifically the 700PSS model (now known as the 700P). The rifle is also very popular with law-enforcement agencies abroad.

Remington markets the 700 to military forces and civilian law-enforcement agencies under the Remington Law Enforcement and Remington Military banner, with the military/law enforcement 700s being called the Model 700P (“Police”). The 700P series appears to have been influenced by the designs, features, and success of the M24 Sniper Weapon System and the M40 series, with one feature of the Model 700P series being the heavier and thicker barrel for increased accuracy and reduced recoil. The rifle was chambered for .308 Winchester cartridge as well as the .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, 7 mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum. The 700P has a 26″ barrel, an aluminium block bedded in its stock, which is made by HS Precision.

The police version (700P) is also marketed to private citizens and is very popular with shooters and hunters who like the “government issue” appearance as well as the handling and accuracy. Remington also sells the standard, U.S. Army-issue Leupold Mark IV M3 10×40 mm telescopic sight used by the Army’s M24 as an optional feature. A less expensive but similarly-styled version called the Special Purpose Synthetic (or SPS) is similar in most respects to the 700P but has a lighter weight barrel and lacks the H-S Precision stock.

Model 700 – Military version

Both the U.S. Army’s M24 Sniper Weapon System and U.S. Marine Corps’ M40 sniper rifles are built from the Remington Model 700 rifle, in different degrees of modification, the main difference being the custom fitted heavy contour barrel. The M24 uses the long action bolt-face, whereas the M40 uses the short action. The reason for this difference is that the M24 was originally intended to chamber the longer .30-06 round.

I recently attended an IDPA shoot at Livingston county conservation club. This was a regular sanctioned event consisting of 5 stages and a “tactical” stage at the end.

Check out the videos on my videos page

The United Nations is holding secret closed meetings to work out a global arms trade treaty. The agreement, which could be finished by 2012, is a threat to Americans’ Second and First Amendment rights.

“Some type of micro-stamping regulations seems all but inevitable. It is very, very likely,” the Heritage Foundation’s Theodore R. Bromund, who tracks the U.N., told The Washington Times. “Restrictions on trade between private individuals are somewhat less than 50-50, but you surely can’t rule that out. Some kind of gun registration and licensing system is an extremely likely probability.” Registration proposals cover guns as well as individual rounds of ammunition.

The Obama administration strongly supports the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty and no doubt will use the process to push for gun-control regulations that it can’t get through Congress otherwise.

A lot of baloney is floating in Turtle Bay. Gun registration is being promoted despite evidence that the costly bureaucratic system has been a complete failure in solving any crimes or stopping criminals from getting access to guns everywhere it’s been tried. “None of these treaties have a relationship to reality,” Mr. Bromund explains. “Terrorists are still going to have access to guns because governments give them guns, and they are still going to be able to give them guns.” As an example, he pointed out, “The FARC fighting in Colombia get their guns from Venezuela.”

As with everything that goes down at the U.N.’s headquarters on Manhattan’s East River, America will pick up a disproportionate share of the tab to implement the treaty, with all those countries considered most “in need” taking another free ride. This is counterproductive even without the usual fraud and waste that hobble U.N. programs.

Gun rights aren’t the only thing would-be globocops are targeting in the treaty. There is a U.N. discussion paper advancing “the reduction of violence in the media and in video games” as well as “sustained efforts at reeducation and reorientation of [member state] citizens.” Whatever the plan, that can’t be good for the First Amendment.

Any U.N. Arms Trade Treaty will undermine freedom around the world. The right to bear arms is an individual’s protection against oppression anywhere. It took herculean efforts by George W. Bush’s administration to thwart this U.N. power grab a few years ago. Unfortunately, we now have a left-wing White House working to make this dangerous treaty a reality.

© Copyright 2010 The Washington Times, LLC.

The Following is an up to the minute report from Julianne Versnel, Director of Operations