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 pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. A large batch, rumored to be nearly 1,000 pistols, hit the Gunbroker auction site (gunbroker.com) described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. Colt inspected the M45A1s and issued a letter of authenticity with them and x out the USMC to show they had been demilled. Before word could even circulate in casual conversation, the pistols were snapped up at prices that were lower than comparable commercial Colts. The gun ran well. 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. NEW IN THE COLT ISSUED BLUE BOX EXACTLY AS WAS SHIPPED TO THE USMC. [7] They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, a rounded hammer, ambidextrous thumb safeties, lighter triggers made by Videcki, improved high-visibility sights, accurized match-grade barrels made by Bar-Sto, Pachmayr rubber grips, front cocking-serrations, and improved stainless steel magazines made by Wilson Combat. Sold WALTHER PP REICHS JUSTICE MARKED VERY CRISP! The finish on the pistol is a brown Decobond designed to hold up through hard use. When Remington offered a [], 1911 Rear sight installation (Novak style cut) Aftermarket sights are a common upgrade on 1911 pistols. Every piece of steel in theM45A1is machined to specific tolerances and tested to the specifications put forth by the United States Marine Corps. for most service pistols. Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Colt M45A1: A Modernized M1911 For The Marines. The quality and engineering on the National Match barrels is exceptional. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didnt fly off. How did the pistols get to market? 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). 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. [12] [8] Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. Description. $ 6,900 This is very unique and very rare COLT 1911 USMC ROLLMARK U.S. MARINES M45A1 SEMPER FI FDE. 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. JavaScript is disabled. Other features include Novak. This handgun has never been fired! There were only 20 of these made and this one is the 17th of the series. The USMC is about double the price and if I understand correctly, its a production gun from Colt whereas the civilian version goes through the custom shop - is that correct? 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. 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). Second Media Inc., 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. 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 Colt appeared to be unissued and had probably not been fired since leaving the factory. [9][10] There are frames in the USMC inventory that have had as many as 500,000 rounds fired through them. That is quite a service legacy for any military firearm. I was able to put five of eight shots onto my 3"-wide truth teller steel targeta task that is normally a tough slog at 25 yds. sidearm was the Beretta M9 (92FS) chambered in 9mm Luger. Here are the features to watch out for. The Colt gobbled up a wide variety of bullet profiles, cycling smoothly and without hesitation, while grouping each in a cluster that fit within the space the front sight covered at any given distance. Marine HQ requested Colt to stop marking the pistols as such. 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. I figured I needed some professional intervention so I sent the pistol off to Wayne Novak. I cleared the pistol, engaged the safety, and couldnt take it off safe. I personally wont sell either but if I did, Id keep the Custom Shop gun simply because its unfired. A variant of the M1911, it has been the standard-issue side arm for the Force Recon Element of the United States Marine Corps' Marine Expeditionary Units since 1985. NEW IN THE BOX, WE HAVE A COLT USMC CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PISTOL M45A1. Since he edits this website, Ill pretend that I was there when one of them worked flawlessly. This makes for an incredibly well-constructedpistol. VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! In the hand, that level of precision translated to straightforward hits on tough and distant targets. Out of stock. Scarcely mentioning the soon-be-collectible kept demand low, and availability proportionately high. Smith & Wessons Americas Guardians Program. 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. Add to cart. The decoms will always be worth a premium. Thats because at 40 oz., it is heavy. This pistol utilizes the Series 80 fire control system which means it has an internal firing pin safety. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. The contract was said to be worth $22.5M to Colt. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. That short resurrection of the M45A1 as the primary sidearm for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Marine Raiders and the Corps Force Reconnaissance Marines resulted in some fine hardware becoming available to those of us who appreciate fine shooting gear and others who have the resources and desire to collect unusual and limited issue guns. JHP handload 1.20" Wilson Combat 200-gr. 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. Despite the planned purchase of the commercial pistols, Marine Corps Systems Command has continued to solicit parts to build additional MEU(SOC) pistols. The rollmark has now changed to "COLT***M45A1" for both Custom Shop and regular production guns. AFTER THE MILITARY RUN COLT STARTED TO PRODUCE THESE FOR THE COMMERICIAL MARKET WITH THE USMC LOGO AND JUST A THOUSAND OR SO WERE MADE WHEN THE MARINE CORPS ASKED THEM TO STOP USING THE USMC ROLL MARK. The triggers were uniformly pretty good. Comes with the original box, paperwork, and two magazines. Lost your password? The only factory parts Ill typically use are the receiver and bolt assembly, everything else is upgraded. 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. While Maj. Butler might be taken aback by the tritium capsules in the M45A1s sights or perhaps a mounted SureFire light, it is likely that he could operate and fieldstrip the new USMC Colt with no difficulty. I recently came across a passage from Jeff Cooper written in 1961 that read, the big pistol [1911] has been with us for half a century, and as yet no better sidearmfor serious combat workhas been devised. It is a testament to the enduring nature of the M1911 that a full 50 years later the Corps was issuing the latest version of the design in the M45A1. The FDE Cerakote finish was average at best, but it still looked cool. You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. The M45A1 CQBP pistol is issued with Wilson black metal single-stack magazines, holding 7+1 rounds. Over the years Ive built quite a few custom rifles on Remington 700 actions. An MEU(SOC) 1911 pistol, built by PWS at Quantico, Virginia. If youre interested in a unique, firearm with a military history at around $1600, go for it. The Marine Corps objected to Colt doing that so they had to change the rollmark on commercial pistols to "M45A1" instead. 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. At any given time, one or two may show up on Gunbroker.com with prices that would only appeal to collectors. I have a few 1911s I dont shoot, some have rails, some dont, but the spec rail of the Colt made fit difficult. June 4, 2015 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. 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.