M1911A1 (Colt .45)

Ammunition: .45
Capacity: 7 rounds
Price: $1100

Following its success in trials, this 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.

After the Second World War, the M1911 continued to be a mainstay of the United States Armed Forces in the Korean War and the Vietnam War and was even used during Desert Storm in some U.S. Army units.

However, by the late 1970s the M1911A1 was acknowledged to be showing its age.

By the early 1990s, most M1911A1s had been replaced by the M9, though a limited number remain in use by special units.

Due to its cultural relevance it is a favorite among hobbyists, collectors and the occasional vigilante. Few law enforcement agencies use 1911s, instead preferring the less expensive and higher capacity M9 or Glock.