Spring of 1904, nearly 100 years ago, the Frankford Arsenal as well as the civilian Industry were asked by the U.S. Government to develop an .45 caliber pistol round to improve the existing pistol rounds and to compete with the ready available .45 caliber revolver rounds of good fame.
The Arsenal however put it on “wait and see”. Not so for the folks at Winchester Repeating Arms Co., that in conjunction with COLT Mfg. Co. came up, just after a few months, with a new .45 caliber round housed in a modified .38 Colt pistol model 1900, the .45 Automatic Colt.
Cartridge length was .900″ (22,86mm), case was brass and of .470″ (11,938mm) diameter, bullet a 200 grains cylindro-spheric gilding jacketed, extraction area had .085″ (2,159mm) in length and markings were “W.R.A.Co. .45 AC” on the base and a “W” on the primer.
Now, after the official introduction in 1905 by Winchester Repeating Arms Co. & Colt Mfg. Co. of the .45 AC together with the Colt model 1905, the folks at Frankford Arsenal began to activate matters, starting and trying to better up the existing round. They ended up with a slightly modified .45 cartridge with a longer case and heavier copper-nickel jacket bullet of 230 grains, named “Cal. .45 Automatic Pistol Ball Cartridge Model of 1906” (FA M1906) to be on time for the upcoming tests planned by the Government for June 1906. The Government however couldn’t set on both of them and in the spring of 1907 contracted the Union Metal Cartridge Co. to design another .45 cartridge based on the existing one but with a shorter case. After 5 more months, the cartridge named “.45 Automatic Colt Government” (UMC M1907) was ready. Again, other modifications, a larger extraction area, were needed and the Government reordered the Union Metallic Cartridge Co. and Winchester Repeating Arms Co. to redesign it as needed. At the end of 1908, two close to identical cartridges emerged from this request (UMC M1908 & WRA M1908). At the same time, in 1908, the folks at Frankford Arsenal worked on another .45 cartridge (FA M1908), hoping to get the contract for delivering test ammunition to the troops. This contract, however, was issued to UMC, that started delivery of the test ammunition in the year 1909. This round was basically the same as the UMC M1908, but had a cannelure on the bullet just over the case mouth. Markings were ” U.M.C. .45 A.C.P.” (UMC M1909). After the tests, this round was finally and officially adopted, after some slight modifications (drop of the cannelure), by the Government as the ” Cal. .45 Automatic Pistol Ball Cartridge, Model of 1911“. This was August of 1911. The ammunition makers could start their production. The first cartridges, Model of 1911, known to be issued came from the Frankford Arsenal (FA M1911) and had the markings “F A 8 11“( the 8 stands for the production month).
The beginning years of the .45
WRA M1904
FA M1906
UMC M1907
UMC M1908
Total
Lenght
1.259
1.297
1.255
1.256
Case
Lenght
.900
.918
.898
.898
Bullet
weight
200 gr
230 gr
230 gr
230
gr
Bullet
material
gilding
co.-ni.
co.-ni.
co.-ni.
Extraction
.085
.085
.085
.126
1st
Markings
W.R.A.Co. .45 A.C.
F A 4
06
U.M.C. .45
A.C.P.
U.M.C. .45
A.C.P.
Picture
WRA 1904x
FA M1906
UMC M1907
UMC M1908
WRA M1908
FA M1908
UMC M1909
FA M1911
Total
Lenght
1.260
1.300
1.263
1.273
Case
Lenght
.898
.923
.896
.896
Bullet
weight
230 gr
230 gr
230 gr
230
gr
Bullet
material
co.-ni.
co.-ni.
co.-ni.
co.-ni.
Extraction
.126
.085
.126
.126
1st
Markings
W.R.A.Co. .45
A.C.
F A 11
08
U.M.C. .45
A.C.P.
F A 8
11
Picture
WRA M1908
FA M1908
UMC M1909
FA M1911
The specifications of today’s .45 auto cartridge cases are similar to the one finally adopted in 1911. After this adoption in 1911, the .45 automatic cartridge was a playground for all possible tests, changes, types (blank, dummies, high pressure, tracer, high velocity, perforating, sport, etc..) for military, police and civilian use. Today, a multitude of .45 auto cartridges exists and the .45 auto is still in use in many country’s military and police forces. In recent years, the .45 auto cartridge as well as the combining guns has also had a revival in sporting and civilian use. Most of the practical shooting sports are dominated by the .45 auto guns. For personal and protection use, it is as good and sometimes better than any other known cartridge.
The Singer M1911A1 variation is one of the most sought after M1911A models. In recent years, values have increased significantly and as a result, many fakes have emerged. Most specimens are now recognized by serial number and be very cautious when contemplating a purchase. Some collectors unsure of authenticity are now requiring X-ray testing to determine originality (slide restampings, serial number changes, etc.).
In 1925 The Army Ordnance department requested from Singer an engineering study concerning the feasibility of mass production of M1911 pistols. This study was conducted at the Singer Elizabethport facility. The study took a year to complete and included a survey of existing production facilities and methods, and estimates of the additional machinery and production capacity which would be needed to produce 25,000 pistols per month.
As a result of the initial 1925 study Singer was awarded a Production study of the Model 1911A1 pistol, in 1939. On April 17th, 1940 Singer was awarded an educational order of 500 units to manufacture of the Model 1911A1 pistol. The educational study was a comprehensive examination of production processes which included mechanical drawings, photos, time study information and tooling setup for every part and operation required to build the M1911 pistol. The objective of this educational study was an ambitious goal, the production of 100 pistols per hour.
Singer M1911 Pistol Slide Markings
The 100-pistol per hour target was never achieved, nor did Singer ever engage in large-scale production of pistols. Once Singer had completed its 500 pistols specified by the 1940 order, pistol production by Singer was stopped and the Ordnance Department placed no further orders for pistols with Singer. The tooling and study documentation was distributed to Remington Rand and some went to Ithaca. The 500 Singers were delivered to the Ordnance Department and used as models. The Singer pistols represent the highest production values of all of the WWII M1911A1 pistols. Serial numbers for the pistols are S800001-S800500. An unknown number of pistols were produced for Singer employees. These were not given serial numbers or inspector marks.
Original and correct Singer pistols are highly desired by collectors and when sold, bring significantly higher prices than more common 1911A1 pistols. The Krause Publications 2002 “Standard Catalog of Firearms Price Guide” lists (Original) Singer pistols in excellent condition (96%-98%) at $25,000, in very good condition (92%-95%) at $18,000, in good condition (85%-95%) at $12,000, in fair condition (65%-85%) at $7,000, and in poor condition (60%or less) at $3,500.
Several have posted over last couple of months asking how to ID the M1911A1 Govt 45 Auto, as in “I’ve got one, who made the darn thing?” Good question since the frame usually just says “GOVERNMENT MODEL” or “UNITED STATES PROPERTY M 1911 A1 U.S.ARMY”…or some such.
I’m certainly no Govt 45 expert but I dug up some info, maybe it will help, but first a bit of history.
World War I production: Four (4) manufacturers made M1911 pistols that actually saw use during the war years:
* Colt
* Remington-UMC
* Springfield Armory (U.S. Government owned & operated)
* North American Arms Co. of Quebec (just a VERY FEW)
Seven (7) manufacturers were tooling up to produce M1911 pistols but the Armistice stopped it all and program was cancelled:
* National Cash Register Co.
* Savage Arms Co.
* Caron Bros. of Montreal
* Burroughs Adding Machine Co.
* Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
* Lanston Monotype Co.
* Savage Munitions Co.
World War II production: five (5) manufacturers made the M1911A1 pistol:
* Colt
* Ithaca
* Remington-Rand
* Union Switch & Signal
* Singer Sewing Machine Co. (approx. 500)
The problem with ID’ing M1911A1’s is that parts are totally interchange- able, and during the lives of many examples their slides were many times switched or replaced. Since the slide is the only part actually marked with the manufacturer’s name, you can see the problem that arises.
The following taken from an article by Charles W. Karwan in the 3/1/95 issue of Classic Firearms will shed some light.
“All is not lost, however. The guns themselves can help you reveal which company made the pistol’s frame. First, if you encounter an M1911A1 – identified by the finger cutouts and/or the M1911A1 markings on the frame – and it has a slide made by Remington-UMC, Springfield or Savage, you know the slide is not original to the gun since the first two manufacturers only made M1911 pistols during WWI, and the latter only made M1911 slides.
The slide is also not original if it has a drawing number on the side, usually 7790314. These are replacement slides made long after WWII by Colt and SanColMar. The same is true if the slide is marked Drake – the company that built National Match slides for the government.
Looking at the pistol’s frame, here are some rules to help you identify its maker:
1. The presence of VP proofmark in a triangle at the left front of the triggerguard; a GHD inspector marking or an M1911A1 marking without any spaces between the figures indicates an M1911A1 manufactured by Colt.
2. A serial number preceded by an “S” indicates an M1911A1 manufactured by Singer _(not many of these around – an understatement)_
3. A serial number preceded by a “NO” instead of a “No” indicates manufacture by Remington-Rand.
4. An RCD inspector mark or double spacing between the M and 1911A1 indicates manufacture by Union Switch and Signal.
5. A geometric-shape proofmark, like a triangle, arrowhead or such, on the front left of triggerguard indicates an M1911A1 made by Ithaca.
6. An “X” prefix to the serial number indicates a gun that has been re-serial numbered by ordnance, and the maker is neither identifiable or relevant.
These rules will not allow you to identify every single frame you encounter, but the will suffice for 99 percent of them.”
BTW, when M1911A1 pistols were rebuilt a military facility they were rebuilt without any regard to the maker of the frame, slide or other parts…mix ‘n match, first in – last out, whatever was expedient to get the pistol in and out was the rule of thumb. Any such rebuilds will normally be stamped with a code indicating the facility that did the work. It might be any of the following (and there may have been others not shown):
AAA – Anniston Army Depot
AA – Augusta Arsenal
OG – Ogden Arsenal
MR – Mt. Rainier Ordnance Depot
RA – Raritan Arsenal
RR – Red River Arsenal
RIA – Rock Island Arsenal
SAA – San Antonio Arsenal
SA – Springfield Armory
BA – Benecia Arsenal
Anyway, hope some of this is of help to someone out there.
Robert Gibson
M1911 Inspectors Marks
Inspectors’ Marks
These are the commonly seen ordnance inspector marks found on M1911 and M1911A1 pistols.
If you ask Colt auto fans which series is their favorite, many will say the Series 70. A case could be made that the pre-war commercial Colts are more elegant and finely rendered, but surviving examples of these are expensive collector items, often commanding several thousand dollars in like-new condition. The Series 70 Colts, while no longer in production, can still be found in excellent condition at reasonable prices. The Series 70 Colts were produced between 1970 and 1983 in Government Model and Commander sizes.
What is it?
To all outward appearances, the Series 70 is a gussied-up M1911A1. It has the frame, sights, and arched mainspring housing of the M1911A1. The roll stamping, seen at the right, makes clear it’s commercial intention. Inside, there are some refinements. It has been often noted that the G.I. M1911 and M1911A1 pistols were designed for reliability, not pinpoint accuracy. They were deliberately built with liberal tolerance so that they would continue to shoot if they were dirty, or dropped in the mud or sand.
Colt MK IV Series 70 Roll Stamp
On the issue of accuracy, Kuhnhausen says:
“Some hang up on the 50 yard target performance of the G.I. M1911A1 Pistols. Moderately loose G.I. Pistols typically printed 5” to 6” groups with G.I. ammo. Max. spec. (loose) pistols typically fired 8” to 10”+ groups. Keep in mind that personal defense range is typically less than half of 50 yards. Also consider that a 10”/50 yard group would correspondingly reduce to about 5” at 25 yards and to about 2”+ at 10 yards. This tells us that the accuracy of the average G.I. pistol was more than adequate for its intended purpose. From the ordnance development viewpoint, trying for match accuracy was counter productive – in fact, downright silly, in a combat pistol – it was better to opt for a pistol that would shoot, no matter what.
M1911A1 National Match Pistols, on the other hand, were toleranced differently (i.e., with maximum target accuracy in mind), which follows because National Match pistols were intended for use in competition and not in combat where overcoming dirt and grit was a necessity….As an old armorer friend used to say: ‘If the M1911 had been standardized as a match pistol, that’s how it would have been made… Even so, human nature being what it is, our main ambition now would be finding ways to loosen M1911’s to make them shoot better full of dirt.’”
The Collet Barrel Bushing
The Series 70 Collet Barrel Bushing
Human nature, being what it is, will always lead some to search for the best of all possible worlds – match accuracy and 100% combat reliability. It was this quest that led to the most distinctive innovation of the Series 70 pistols: the collet style barrel bushing and it’s accompanying barrel.
Prior to the advent of the Series 70, Colt auto shooters had two basic choices: the very tight, target-tuned National Match or the M1911A1, albeit repackaged and finished nicely. The Series 70 attempted to hit the middle ground between the National Match and the M1911A1 by delivering better accuracy than the M1911A1 and better service reliability than the National Match.
Accuracy in an autoloader comes from a consistent barrel lock-up when the gun cycles and reloads itself. If the front of the barrel is wobbling around, the lock-up will not be consistent. In the M1911A1 this means having a barrel bushing which is closely fitted. Colt engineers were faced with a choice: either they could hand-fit the bushings and thereby create a prohibitively expensive manufacturing process, or they could design a bushing which, in essence, fitted itself by its shape. They chose the latter and the collet bushing was born.
The Series 70 Barrel. The area above the red bracket is the raised part of the barrel which contacts the bushing
The Series 70 Barrel. The area above the red bracket is the raised part of the barrel which contacts the bushing
The collet barrel bushing has four “fingers” rather than the solid tube of the G.I. bushing. The “fingers” exert a sort of spring tension between the barrel and the slide to produce a better lock-up. The Series 70 barrel is raised slightly in the area where the bushing makes contact with it.
The collet bushing, like every other modification of the original Browning design has proven to be controversial. While it does deliver improved accuracy, its design made it prone to breakage. Also, it fits much more tightly than the M1911A1 bushing, making it harder to remove and many gunsmiths advise pulling the slide back about an inch or so to relieve pressure on the bushing before removing it.
“From the beginning, it has been known that M1911 accuracy could be improved by uniformly controlling the closed and locked position of the barrel in the slide. Naturally, this control would start at the muzzle end, with closer bushing to slide and bushing to barrel tolerances. This costly hand work would make production pistols much too expensive. But, nonetheless, the buyer was demanding greater accuracy. This market requirement is probably what influenced Colt in the adoption of the collet type bushing which became standard with the Series 70 Models.”
“Good support at the front and the rear of the barrel is essential to accuracy, but one doesn’t have to fit a match bushing and have the lugs welded and re-cut to do it. If your pistol is a Mark IV Series 70 Colt with a collet bushing, half the battle is won … The collet bushing has four flexible fingers that grip the bell shape of the forward end of the Series 70 barrel under mild spring tension. With continued use, it wears slight grooves into the barrel and, with time, accuracy actually improves rather than deteriorates, which you might not expect.”
Aesthetics
Many of the most eye-catching Colts are Series 70 pistols. These were built prior to the usage of stainless steel and they have rich nickel plate or blued finishes. I have heard nickel plated Colts with mother of pearl grips called “pimp guns” but the do have a way of standing out in a display rack. The blued finish is rich and deep. These guns have the “classic” look and are cherished by their owners.
MKIV/Series 70 Production Information
The Series 70 Government Model Colts were chambered in .45 ACP, .38 Super, 9mm Parabellum and 9mm Steyr (for overseas sales). The Government Model has a 5” barrel with checkered walnut grips adorned with the Colt medallion. They were produced in Blue and Nickel finishes. Series 70 models were manufactured from 1970 until 1983. They were serialized with “SM” prefixes (approximately 3,000), “70G” prefixes from 1970 through 1976, “70L” and “70S” prefixes, “G70” suffixes between 1976 and 1980, “B70” suffixes between 1979 and 1981, and “70B” prefixes between 1981 and 1983.
Rare satin nickel finish Series 70 Combat Commander
Variants
Series 70 Combat Government – .45 ACP bluish-black metal finish, features modifications for combat shooting and is the forerunner to the Combat Elite.
Series 70 Lightweight Commander – Chambered in .30 Luger, 9mm Parabellum, .38 Super, .45 ACP. This pistol has a 4.25” barrel, full size grips and is denoted by a “CLW” prefix on the serial number. These pistols were produced from 1970 until 1983. 500 Lightweight Commanders were manufactured in 7.65mm (.30 Luger) during 1971. Most were exported but 5 were sold in the U.S.
Series 70 Combat Commander – produced in bluish-black metal finish and satin nickel. The satin nickel models are very rare.
Two Government Model .45 autos carrying the illustrious name of Remington have served our nation’s armed forces. Would it surprise you to know that one of them was built by a typewriter company which had no experience in building firearms? Here’s the story.
In 1873, E. Remington & Sons embarked on a new venture, and in September of 1873, the first Remington typewriters were produced. While it took them 13 years to figure it out, E. Remington realized that they were a firearms builder and not a typewriter company, and in 1886 Remington sold the typewriter business. This business would later become Remington Rand, then Sperry Rand.
Remington-UMC 1911 Pistol
These were difficult times for Remington however, and in March 1888, E. Remington & Sons was acquired by Marcellus Hartley and partners. E. Remington & Sons was reorganized, and the new company was named the Remington Arms Company. In later years, in order to better utilize the potential of the Remington Plant, the company would produce sewing machines and cash registers. (I guess they just couldn’t stay away from the gadgets.) In 1912, The Union Metallic Cartridge Company of Bridgeport and Remington Arms Company were combined into one company and became Remington-UMC, and just in time for World War I.
As the United States was drawn into the war, War Department planners in 1917 estimated that a total of 765,000 pistols would be required. The estimate was later revised upward, first to 1.3 million and then to 2.7 million. There was no way that Colt was going to be able to build that many guns. Orders were placed with Remington-UMC, Winchester, Burroughs Adding Machine Co., Lanston Monotype Machine Co., National Cash Register Co., A.J. Savage Munitions Co., Savage Arms Co., and two Canadian firms, Caron Brothers Mfg. Co., and North American Arms Co., Ltd. Of those firms, only Remington-UMC delivered any meaningful quantity (21,677 of 150,000 ordered). North American did make some pistols, but the total was probably less than 100. Some authorities dispute if North American even completed those.
The Remington-UMC M1911 Pistol
Remington-UMC 1911 Pistol Roll Stamp
The Remington-UMC contract specified a ”target” production rate of 3,000 pistols per day to be reached as soon as possible. The company immediately ran into problems because the necessary production blueprints and specifications were not available. Since interchangeable parts were required, production could not begin until Colt provided drawings. Eventually, a complete set of production drawings and specifications were obtained by Remington-UMC, and the company began to tool up for manufacture of the M1911.
Colt was not being deliberately resistive here. Truth be known, Colt probably didn’t have a complete set of blueprints which would enable another company to quickly tool up and produce pistols. Colt’s manufacturing style in those days relied heavily on the acquired skill and knowledge of the craftsman who worked in their shop, and it is quite likely that many of the “secrets” had never been committed to paper.
The first Remington-UMC pistols were delivered to the government in August 1918, but the company was never able to achieve the desired production rate. The company’s M1911 production contract was cancelled in December 1918, soon after the signing of the Armistice, although production did not actually cease until early 1919. By the end of the war, Remington-UMC had only delivered 13,152 pistols. Total production was only 21,677 pistols when the final deliveries were made in early 1919.
The Remington-UMC M1911s were serially numbered consecutively from 1 through 21,677. The pistols were stamped with inspectors’ initials (either “B” or ”E”). The left sides of the slides were marked with Colt patent dates, the “Remington/UMC” logo arrayed in a circle and “Manufactured by/ Remington Arms UMC Co. Inc./ Bridgeport, Conn., U.S.A.” The left sides of the receivers bore the same “United States Property” markings found on the Colt and Springfield Armory M1911s.
Early production guns should have the “E” stamp on left side of trigger guard, bottom of main spring housing, and back of slide. “E.E.C.” is the mark of Edward E. Chapman who inspected 1911s at Remington in 1918 and 1919.
The Remington-UMC pistols were finished in the same rust blue as was found on the pistols made by Colt and Springfield Armory and were fitted with the same type of checkered walnut stocks. Although the company never achieved the production goals envisioned by the government, the Remington-UMC pistols nevertheless helped arm the Doughboys of the American Expeditionary Force. As was the case with the Colt and Springfield Armory pistols, the vast majority were subsequently rebuilt and refinished after World War I, and few are found today in their original “factory” condition. Surviving examples of all World War I and earlier vintage M1911 pistols in original condition are very rare.
The Remington Rand M1911A1
Remington Rand M1911A1 Pistol
When World War II broke out, Remington-Rand had been a typewriter company for 55 years, and they made a right decent typewriter (I owned one), but they were a long way out of the firearms business. Nevertheless, Uncle Sam needed war material and any number of manufacturers were pressed into service building things that they had never built before for the war effort. But why didn’t Uncle get Remington Arms to build the pistols? The answer is really pretty simple. The War Department needed Remington Arms to do what it did best and that was to produce ammunition. Other folks could crank out the pistols.
Remington Rand was awarded its first order on March 16th, 1942, for a total of 125,000 1911A1 pistols. The company had no experience building pistols at the time it was awarded the contract. Remington Rand formed a new division to take charge of building the pistols. The division formed was designated Remington Rand “C” Division. After winning the contract, they converted a vacant plant once used for building typewriters to the production of M1911A1 pistols. The old plant was located on Dickerson street in Syracuse, N.Y.
The first 255 production pistols where accepted by ordnance inspectors in November of 1942. In the beginning, some manufacturing equipment was still unavailable and this caused Remington Rand to acquire parts from other sources to complete the early pistols. They purchased barrels from High Standard, Colt, and Springfield Armory; disconnectors from US&S; grips safeties from Colt; and slide stops from Colt and Springfield Armory (2,865 left over from WWI).
By March of 1945 they where building the lowest price pistol in the war effort and quality was considered second to none. It is important to note that in March 1943, James Rand, Jr. stopped production due to interchangeability test failures. The guns where not meeting the government requirements for parts interchangeability and had a very high rejection rate. After a change in management, production resumed in May of 1943 with the interchangeability and rejection rate problems solved. By the end of the war Remington Rand had produced over 875,000 pistols, almost twice as many as Colt and Ithaca combined.
The most amazing part of the story is in how many of the Remington Rand pistols are still in service today, 55+ years after they were built by the typewriter company in Syracuse that knew nothing about building guns. Their owners swear by them, and if they haven’t been abused, they’re still solid and dependable pistols. I wish I had a dozen of them.
Sources:
“Non-Colt U.S. M1911s” by Bruce Canfield, American Rifleman, June 2001
“To name my favorite gun is easy: for 35 years, Colt’s .45 automatic pistol is the only side arm I have used, It was the first pistol I ever shot. 1 used a Colt .45 auto for three years in the Marines, five years with the Dallas police, seven years in the Teas Highway Patrol, and 20 years in the Texas Rangers. I like it because there are eight shots instead of six. With modern ammunition, .45’s have metal piercing ability. When I use a rifle, it is a .3006 Remington pump. I wear my engraved, silver grip .45’s loaded and cocked, with safeties on.” From Guns Magazine, July 1957
Stainless steel semi-auto handguns are now common, even passé. But this fact of life in the ’90’s would never have come to be had it not been for a small, now defunct company which dared to show the rest of the firearms industry the pathway to the future. Randall Firearms Company of Sun Valley, California, U.S.A., made it all happen with a line of high-quality Model 1911 derivatives.
Although Randall pistols were manufactured from only June 7, 1983 to May 15, 1985, they ushered-in an entirely new era for handguns, thus carving for themselves a place in the history of firearms around the world. This historic niche, coupled with the fact that Randall pistols are exemplary specimens of their genre, has made every single one of the 9,968 Randall pistols eminently collectible.
Enhancing the collectability of Randall’s is the fact that, in all, there were 24 different models with 12 variations in three different caliber’s. This means there were never very many of any one style made — never.
Among Randall’s many trend-setting innovations were two of the most significant breakthroughs in the 1911 field since John Moses Browning designed that form of semi-auto in the first place. One of these breakthroughs came when Randall made the very first production pistol of its kind in stainless steel. The second was the introduction of a true mirror image of the 1911 in a left-handed configuration. Again, this had never been done before on a production basis.
It actually all began with a small company called KEN-AIR, Inc., which had been in the aircraft instrument repair business in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County [in the State of California, USA] since the mid-1950’s. Then, in 1981 the company entered into a diversification program which ultimately led to the Randall pistol.
The “KEN” in KEN-AIR stands for Ken Lau founder and chairman of the company. Lau and World War II Air Force hero, Brigadier General Russell Randall, met while working together as advisors to China Airlines. More about that later.
In 1981, Lau and his KEN-AIR company received a contract from the government of South Korea to build .45ACP handguns. By the time production facilities at the Sun Valley, California, manufacturing plant were established, the Korean government changed its mind and canceled the contract.
This left Lau’s firm with the facilities to produce Model 1911 handguns, but no customer. By then, Lau had done a lot more than just set-up another firearms production line. He had relied upon his long experience in manufacture of parts for the aerospace industry when formulating exactly how the line would operate, and even used his knowledge of materials seen in the aerospace business as a basis for a series of momentous decisions which helped make the Randall pistol so unique.
In addition to the manufacturing hardware and engineering, Lau also assembled an unparalleled team of management experts from throughout the firearms industry, insisting that everyone who was going to make decisions had held responsible posts at other companies like Colt, Smith & Wesson, Remington, Winchester, Vega, Detonics and Thomas. Working under one roof in a suburb of Los Angeles was a hand-picked cadre of experts, ready to blaze revolutionary new trails through firearms history.
Not only were Lau and Gen. Randall close personal friends, but they were also business associates, which included Randall as a member of the board of directors of the company when it incorporated in January of 1981. In addition to Randall’s association with Lau in China Airlines and KEN-AIR, the General was also as an advisor with Litton Industries.
Trading upon the General’s worldwide name identification, the new gun company was named after him: Randall Firearms Company. When the Korean government contract fell through, Lau decided to continue with the project, and court the civilian markets instead. By November of 1982, everything was set, and Randall announced the introduction of its first handgun — the all-stainless-steel auto.
Except for some minor changes necessitated in manufacturing, the Randall pistols were much unchanged from the traditional Browning design. However, because every part except for the grips was made of aircraft quality stainless steel, this really was a new gun, and quickly became known as “The Only Stainless Steel Auto Fit For Duty”.
FULL SIZE SERVICE MODEL .45 ACP PISTOLS
Although some prototype pistols were made as early as 1982, the first production Randall’s came off the line on June 7, 1983. They were the Service Model A111, which was a standard 1911A1. It featured the typical round top slide with fixed sights and a five-inch, 10-groove barrel. The A111 pistols were produced throughout the life of the company, and, in all, there were 3,431 produced in a serial number range of RF02000C through RF09208C. All A111 Randall’s were chambered in .45 ACP.
Next came the Model A121 on September 14, 1983. Initially, the A121 was also called a Service Model, but since there was some confusion with the designation, the marketing folks at Randall decided to make a change. In 1984, it became known as the Combat Model, and at that time those guns were roll-marked “Combat” just under the ejection port. The only other changes in that model at that time were cosmetic: the hammer was rounded, and Pachmayr grips were supplied as standard. Although catalogs of the era stated that it would be supplied with a flat mainspring housing, no such guns were ever actually produced.
The only other distinguishing factor between the A111 and the A121 was the A121 had a flat top slide rather than the rounded top on the slide of the A111. Both models had fixed sights and were in .45 ACP only. Model A121 pistols were in the Randall line through June 11, 1984. In all, 1,067 of these pistols were made in a serial number range of RF02211C through RF08620C.
By September 28, 1983, Randall was ready to offer a third variation in its line of .45s, which was the Service Model A131. The only difference between the A121 and A131 pistols was that the latter model sported a Millett Model 100 Gold Cup-type adjustable rear sight which fit into a milled slot atop the rear of the slide.
This model also stayed in the Randall line throughout the life of the company. In all, 2,083 of these pistols were made in a serial number range of RF02135C through RF09201C. The last model A131 pistol was built on October 22, 1984.
Collectors should note that more than 322 Service Models were made from parts outside the factory after the company closed. These pistols are not as highly collectable and do not command Blue Book prices.
SERVICE MODEL 9MM PISTOLS
Introduced on January 11, 1984 was the first Service Model A112 in 9mm Parabellum. Essentially, this was the same gun as the A111, except for caliber. In fact, the slides for the A112 pistols were made from the same 17-4 stainless steel investment casting, as were the slides for the A111 in .45 ACP. This model remained in the line until July 23, 1984. In all, 301 of these 9mm pistols were produced in a serial number range of RF04666C through RF07599C.
Although there were relatively few Randall A112 pistols ever made, a change in production early on resulted in what was essentially two separate sub-models. The first Model A112 pistols employed Stainless steel, six-groove standard Colt-type barrels and barrel bushings. The outside diameter at the muzzle of those barrels was 0.495-inch.
By 1984, it became apparent that the company could facilitate production by using a fatter barrel, which would allow the standardization of barrel bushings. These later production Model A112 pistols featured barrels that had the same outside diameter as the standard .45 ACP. And, there was more of a change than simply the outside diameter of the barrel in these latter-day Model A112 handguns. Randall at that time went from six-groove rifling to its hallmark 10-groove configuration in theses 9mm Fat Barrel units. The rifling was changed to enhance accuracy, and it also made the number of grooves standard throughout the Randall line since the .45s always did have 10-groove barrels.
Production of the Combat Model A122 began on July 23, 1984, and ended December 13, 1984. It was essentially nothing more than the Model A121 (.45 ACP) in 9mm. This meant that it differed from the Model A112 9mm in that it had a slide with a flat top and fixed rear sight, a round hammer and Pachmayr grips. Only 18 Model A122 pistols were ever made, making it the rarest of the right-handed, full size service pistols Randall ever produced. Of the total production of 9mm Randall’s, nearly 75% were exported to the European countries of England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. Only 35% of those 9mm Randall’s had the fat barrels. Of Randall’s total production of full-size, right-handed service models; the 9mm pistols represented a scant 3.2 percent.
“COMMANDER”-SIZE .45 ACP PISTOLS
By August of 1983, Randall expanded its line of pistols to include the Service Model-C configuration. The “C” stood for compact. Initially, these handguns were even roll-marked “Service Model-C.” However, in the beginning of 1984, the company decided to give the guns a new identity, and dubbed this configuration as the “Raider,” so-named for General Randall’s unit which had been known as Randall’s Raiders.
Introduced August 31, 1983, the first in the Service Model-C series was the A211, which featured a round-top slide and fixed sights. Barrel length was 4.25-inches, making the over-all length .75-inch less than the standard A111. Magazine capacity (7) and height remained the same. Weight of the A211 was 36 ounces, compared to 38 ounces for the full-sized Model A111. After 992 of the Model A211 pistols were made, production of that model ceased on September 6, 1984. The serial number range went from RF02001C through RF05808C.
Next came the Model A231, which differed from the A211 in that it had a flat top slide and Millett Model 100 Gold Cup-type adjustable rear sight. The Model A231 was introduced on November 7, 1983. Only 574 of these pistols were manufactured, with a serial number range of RF02009C through RF03814C. The last of this model was manufactured on October 6, 1984.
“COMMANDER”-SIZE 9MM PISTOLS
The Model A212 was introduced on February 1, 1984. Like its .45ACP counterparts, it also went through a name change in 1984, becoming another in the “Raider” family. Primarily, the biggest difference between the A212 and the A211 (.45 ACP) was the caliber. However, the A212 also was made in two different barrel widths — the latter are rarer being the Fat Barrel guns. In all, there were only 76 of the A212 pistols manufactured, or which a mere 25 had fat barrels. The serial number range was RF02359C through RF03815C. The last A212 was manufactured on December 13, 1984.
Randall Model A232 came on-line on October 11, 1984, and differed from the A212 in that it had a flat top slide with the Millett Model 100 adjustable rear sight. In all, only five Model A232 pistols were ever produced, and it is believed that they all were exported to Europe since none have surfaced since in the United States. The serial number range was from RF02473C through RF03777C. The last of this model was made on November 12, 1984.
This completes all of the right-handed Service Model-C and Raider pistols produced by Randall, accounting for 16½% of total pistol production during the life of the company.
THE CURTIS E. LeMAY 4-STAR PISTOLS
In 1984, Randall expanded its line with the introduction of a true compact .45 auto, which was designed by Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay. Among his many accomplishments, LeMay had been responsible for establishing the Air Force’s Marksmanship Training Unit.
When LeMay created his pistol design, he intended it to be used by members of the Strategic Air Force Command. The general initially tried to have the diminutive .45 produced by Colt. But, that never occurred. As it happened, Art Hanke, who was the head of manufacturing and engineering for Randall, was a personal friend of General LeMay. It was through this liaison that Randall Firearms Company came to produce the LeMay model line of pistols.
First of the LeMay pistols was the A311. It sported a 4.25-inch, 10 groove barrel. The slide had a round top and a fixed rear sight. The handle and magazine were shortened by a half-inch, limiting the magazine to six rounds. Overall weight was 35 ounces. Exclusive to the LeMay models were factory-squared trigger guards.
In all, 361 of the Model A311 pistols were made in a serial number range of RF02011C through RF03114C. The first A311 was made on March 1, 1984, and production of that model ended on October 25, 1984. Next came the A331, which featured a flat top slide and Millett Low-Profile adjustable rear sight. The top of the slide was milled deeply so the rear sight would sit low enough to preclude its catching on clothing when drawn. There were 293 of this model produced in a serial number range of RF02010C through RF03169C. The first LeMay A331 was made on March 1, 1984, and the last one was completed on October 23rd of that same year.
Among the rarest of all the Randall pistols was the Model A312 which was introduced March 1, 1984, but which was never a production gun because only two sample pistols were ever made. The company intended to market this model in Europe, and had Randall Firearms Company survived, it no doubt would have made regular production runs. The company failed before any orders were taken. This pistol has a round-top slide and fixed rear sight. The only difference between the single Model A312 and the production A311 is the caliber. The A311 is a .45 ACP, and the A312 is in 9mm. Serial numbers were RF02012C and RF02031C respectively.
Also quite rare is the 9mm Model A332. It differs from the A312 in that it has a flat top slide with Millett Low Profile adjustable rear sight. Only nine were ever made, and production of this model was limited to the period between March 1, 1984 and December 13, 1984.
Of all the pistols produced by Randall, 6.7% were in the right-handed LeMay family. The LeMay is also one of the most highly collectible of all Randall pistols. Randall LeMay models were shipped from the factory with a dog-leg magazine, featuring a finger extension on the bottom. For every two of the dog-leg magazines, however, Randall produced one without an extension. All LeMay magazines are rare and command premiums, even more so for the LeMay magazines without the dog-leg. Also, most of the LeMay pistols were shipped in a pistol rug rather than in a factory box. Add 15% in price for LeMay pistols with a factory box.
Collectors should note that more than 225 LeMay pistols were assembled from parts outside the factory after the company closed. These pistols are not as highly collectible and do not command Blue Book prices.
.
LEFT-HANDED RANDALL PISTOLS
Randall shocked the firearms industry during the week of May 17, 1984 when it introduced the first of 10 left-handed models. These pistols were entire mirror-images of their right-handed counterparts, including the reversal of twist in the rifling from the left-to-right in the right-handed guns to right-to-left in the left-handed guns.
What the Randall Company did was to make the entire breadth of its line available to southpaws in left-hand configuration. All left-handed Randall’s are considered to be extremely desirable and highly collectible, due to the fact that only 7.4% of total production was in the form of left-handed guns.
In order to make this truly left-handed handgun, it was necessary to re-tool for 17 major parts changes. This even meant that special left-handed magazines needed to be produced.
First among the lefties was the Service Model B111, which was a full-size government model with five-inch, 10-groove barrel and round-top slide with fixed sights. There were 297 pistols of this model made, with a serial number range of RF02100C to RF03092C. The first Model B111 was made on May 17, 1984, and the last one came off the line September 7th of that same year.
Next was the B121, which sported a flat top slide and fixed sights. Otherwise, it was the same as the B111, and it differed from the right-handed A121 in that Pachmayr did not make left-handed grips, so it lacked the rubber grips of the right-handed counterpart. Randall produced 110 B121 pistols with a serial number range of RF02132C to RF03078C. The B131 was essentially the same as the B121, except that it was furnished with a Millett Model 100 adjustable rear sight. There were 225 of the B131 pistols produced in a serial number range of RF02110C through RF03092C. The first B121 was made on May 17, 1984, and the last one was completed August 28, 1984. The first B131 was made on May 24, 1984, and the last one was completed August 28, 1984.
Also among the most collectible of the Randall pistols are the Models B122 and B123. These left-handers were made in 9mm and .38 Super respectively, and were otherwise counterparts to the B121. There were only two each made of these models, and those were special-order guns when they were produced.
All of the full-size, left-handed pistols represented only 6.4% of Randall’s entire production. There were also three different production variations of the left-handed LeMay profile pistol. These were the B311, B312 and B331. The B311 was a LeMay with round-top slide and fixed rear sight in .45 ACP, and there were 52 manufactured in serial number range of RF02100C through RF02207C. The first B311 and B331 were made on July 13, 1984, and the last ones went off the line slightly more than a month later on August 29, 1984.
The B312 was the left-handed LeMay in 9mm with a round-top and fixed rear sight. Only nine were manufactured. The B331 was the LeMay in .45 ACP, with a flattop and Millett Low Profile adjustable rear sight. There were 45 of these manufactured in a serial number range of RF02100C through RF02207C. All B312 pistols were made on or about August 23, 1984.
The left-handed LeMay series constituted only one percent of the Randall factory’s production.
FACTORY RARITIES AND VARIATIONS
Starting in 1984, Randall produced and experimented with a number of model variations. They are, by model:
B2/321 — Only one of these was produced, and it was made on special custom order for Texas-based collector Robert F. Mueschke, who has the largest collection of left-handed Randall pistols in the world. This variation was built on a left-hand Raider receiver and a left-hand LeMay (B321) slide. Its serial number is RF03069C.
B312 with a .45 ACP Factory Conversion unit. There was only one of these produced. It was a 9mm left handed LeMay with a .45 ACP conversion unit. Its serial number is RF02164C.
A131/SO — A right-handed Service Model with a flat top slide and adjustable sight, chambered in .451 Detonics Magnum. Only one was made, with serial number RF00451C.
B131/SO — A Left-handed Service Model with a custom low profile Millett Model 100 rear sight, custom squared trigger guard, scrimshawed ivory handles, custom metal checkering covering 40% of the guns surface, and a special slide conversion stamped with both Randall .38 Super and Randall 9 MM with respective barrels and ejectors. Only one B131/SO 3-Caliber Conversion was manufactured.
A111/B111 Matched Sets — There were four such sets manufactured. These were standard government configuration pistols, and the right-hand and left-hand in each set shared a common serial number. Those serial numbers were RF00000C, RF00001C, RF00010C and RF00024C. Interestingly, the RF00010 pair was originally made for the television series “Magnum P.I.” However, those two guns were never delivered to the television production, and have since found their way into a private collection in the state of Arizona.
C211 — A lightweight Raider in .45 ACP with a round-top and fixed sights. There were five manufactured for law enforcement evaluation as off-duty carry weapons.
B321 Set — This set was based on the left-handed LeMay, and it was the only set to have all three individual slide variations fitted to a single receiver. The receiver and all three slides were identically engraved in a high relief pattern by Byron Burgess. The set was mirror-polished and was fitted with custom ivory grips bearing scrimshanded Randall logo on each side. Scrimshaw work was done by Mark Tate and all custom work by the Hal Jankofsky at the RFMC Custom Shop. The set was delivered in a custom-fitted walnut presentation case. It has the serial number of REK 1.
AUSTRIAN RANDALL’S — Five Randall A111 pistols were sent to the Austrian government for law enforcement evaluation. Upon entering that country, the guns were processed through the Austrian proof house, where they received proof marks on the barrels, receivers and slides. When the Austrian government learned that Randall had gone out of business, the guns were returned to Randall’s San Francisco-based exporter. Since then, a Central California-based investor has acquired all five.
PROTOTYPES
All Randall prototype serialization begins with the letter “T” followed by a two-digit number. In all, there were 43 prototype pistols made in 15 different model designations. Prototypes included many factory variations that never saw production, such as guns with an all-black oxide finish, black oxide and silver finish, and a pink and purple LeMay.
Generally, prototypes are valued at about 150% of the same production model as listed in the Blue Book of Gun Values.
SERIALIZATION VARIATIONS
Production serial numbers on Randall pistols generally began at 02000 for right-handed models, and 02100 for left-handed models. However, by special order there were 78 pistols with custom serial numbers under 02000. All but about the first 200 serial numbers started with the letters “RF” and ended with a B, C, or W. A few mis-marks are in circulation. Most Randall’s had serial number prefixes like the following: RF, RF0, RF000, 2RF0 or 2RF000. The breakdown of Randall serial numbers to satisfy the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is simple. The RF signified Randall Firearms, and the last letter in the serial number designated the vendor who machined the receiver. In the case of letter “B,” the vendor was Bellmore-Johnson of Vermont. In the case of the letter “C,” the vendor was Caspian Arms of Hardwick, Vermont. In the case of the letter “W,” the vendor was Ward Machine Company of Santa Ana, California. It is believed there could have been a few factory errors in which the serializing machine malfunctioned, resulting in serial number suffixes of “D,” “E” and “F”. These would be extremely rare.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS MODELS
Randall models are designated by a single letter prefix, followed by a three-digit number. Prefixes are A, B or C. Prefix A designates a right-handed pistol. Prefix B denotes a left-handed configuration, and prefix C represents a right-handed, featherweight model.
In a logical sequence, the first numerical digit reflects the frame type, the second digit is for the slide configuration and the third number denotes caliber.
The first numerical digit is 1, 2 or 3. If the first number is 1, it means Service Model. A number 2 refers to Service Model-C or Raider, and a 3 denotes the LeMay model.
The second digit is 1, 2 or 3. A 1 refers to Round-Top, Fixed Sight Slide. A 2 stands for Flat top, Fixed-Sight Slide, and 3 is for Flat top, Adjustable-Sight Slide. The third digit is 1, 2 or 3. A 1 refers to .45 ACP, a 2 is for 9mm Parabellum and a 3 is for .38 Super.
For example: A Model A231 would be a right-handed gun (shown by the letter A), and it would be a commander-size pistol (indicated by the number 2 following the letter A). The number 3 refers to a flat top, adjustable-sight slide, and the last digit, 1, indicates it is a .45 ACP.
COLLECTIBLE TIPS
A marketing upgrade affected most Randall pistols made from late November of 1983 through the end of production. All Randall’s sold had slide stops and grip safeties upgraded to “Extended” and “beavertail” types respectively. Long triggers were installed. This was not retroactive to pistols already sold. All Randall’s were shipped with extended safety locks.
Were it not for the fact that Randall Firearms Company contributed so significantly to the firearms industry as a pioneer in the manufacture of all-stainless steel handguns, as well as being the first company to offer true left-handed autoloaders, the collectability of these guns would be diminished, and possibly relegated more into the curio arena.
But having pioneered stainless steel construction and left-handed configurations, Randall carved itself a unique place in the history of semi-auto handguns. This, alone, would merit notice. It is in the numbers game that the collectability of Randall pistols literally explodes. In only two years of production, Randall cranked out an astounding 24 models in 12 variations and three different calibers.
Simply put, there were relatively few of any single model ever produced. What this means is that within the Randall line, there are rarities within rarities. Also of significance is the fact that virtually every single Randall pistol which was ever produced, including prototypes, can be documented. It is exceedingly rare that such complete documentation exists for any firearms manufacturer.
Further, the Randall Firearms Company had a beginning and an end. No more original Randall’s will ever be made. And, since these were high quality firearms when they were made, they also merit premium consideration as collectibles. The Randall Firearms Company officially stopped production on December 15, 1984, and closed its doors on May 15, 1985.
There were many reasons why Randall did not survive. To a number of industry observers, it appeared as though the fledgling firm may have attempted to accomplish too much, too quickly. The company’s agenda was packed with so many innovative approaches and ideas that the production output could not keep up with the voracious R&D appetite. One thing can be said of Randall for certain: The company did not fail for a lack of trying.
Randall Magazine Ad
Blue Book Publications and Krause Publications offer the most comprehensive lists of models and current price trends for Randall pistols (and all other guns) in the industry. This data is updated annually, and appears in the “Blue Book of Gun Values” which is available by contacting Steven P. Fjestad at Blue Book Publications, 1 Appletree Square, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA 55425-1631. Phone: 1 (800) 877 4867. Fax is (612) 853 1486. This is invaluable information for anyone who collects Randall pistols.
Krause Publications also offers a complete updated section on the Randall Firearms Company in its latest edition of the Standard Catalog of Firearms by Ned Schwing. This edition also covers most every firearm made since the mid-1800’s. Prices for this edition were not available at the time of printing. Contact Krause Publications at 700 East State Street, Iola, WI., USA 54990-0001 or call 1(715) 445 2214.
“You’re not a S.E.A.L. ‘till you have eaten Italian steel…” Anonymous
Thus begins the sordid tale of the M9 that is oft repeated in gun shops and firearms related web-boards the nation over. Anyone who asks questions about the Beretta M9/92 pistol long enough will inevitably hear about how a bunch of S.E.A.L. team members were killed/maimed/deformed by the slides of the M9 pistol breaking in half and flying back at the shooter, decapitating many brave men . Or maybe you will hear about how the frames on the M9/92 pistols can shatter like plate glass if you shoot more than 1,000 rounds through them. I am sure there is somebody out there blaming the Titanic on a Beretta M9/92.
As any experienced firearms enthusiast knows, rumors run WILD in the gun world. There are more silly fads and idiotic rumors in the gun culture than there are among pre-teen girls. Sometimes the bull flows so freely that a fellow needs hip waders and a lifejacket to keep from drowning in it. Some stories, however, are true or have at least SOME grain of truth to them. The trick is being able to wade through the baloney to find the truth. With this in mind, I decided to set out in search of actual proof of the M9/92 horror stories that so many recite so freely.
The Saga Begins:
In the early 1980’s the Military began looking for a new sidearm to replace the inventory of over 25 different pistols and revolvers then in service with the military, and the more than 100 different types of ammunition for those sidearms. Chief among the inventory of pistols to be replaced was the venerable old 1911 handgun that had been in service for 70 years. According to a Comptroller General’s report (PLRD-82-42) dated 3-8-82, the military had 417,448 .45 caliber pistols in inventory. The plan began to run into opposition when it was announced that the new sidearm would be chambered in the NATO standard 9mm cartridge. Many saw the move to a smaller caliber as a step in the wrong direction. Still others questioned the need for the adoption of a new pistol at all. According to PLRD-82-42, the General Accounting Office actually recommended purchasing more .38 caliber revolvers or converting the existing 1911 pistols to fire the 9mm round as a less expensive alternative to adopting a new weapon.
The Army eventually made headway and in November of 1983 placed a Formal Request for Test Samples (FRTS) to several commercial arms makers in the US and around the world. Eight makers submitted a sample lot of 30 pistols by the deadline of January of 1984, and by August of the same year the testing was completed. (NSIAD-88-46) Of the eight makers who submitted test samples, 4 were technically unacceptable and 2 removed themselves from competition. The two surviving companies were SACO (importing Sig-Sauer pistols at the time) and Beretta. (NSIAD-88-46) After a controversial bidding process (some allege Beretta was tipped off about SACO’s bid so they could lower the per unit cost on their candidate by $1.00 and win the contract) the Army signed a contract with Beretta for 315,930 pistols. This number was later increased to 321,260 pistols. The new pistols would bear the military name of M9. (NSIAD-88-46)
The Problems Arise:
The M9 pistol program ran into trouble when in September of 1987 the slide of a civilian model Beretta 92SB pistol fractured at the junction where the locking block mates into the slide. The broken half of the slide flew back at the shooter (A member of the Navy Special Warfare Group) injuring him. (NSIAD-88-213) In January and February of 1988 respectively, 2 more military model M9 handguns exhibited the same problem, injuring 2 more shooters from the Navy Special Warfare Group.
All three shooters suffered facial lacerations. One suffered a broken tooth and the other two required stitches. (NSIAD-88-213)
The Army was doing unrelated barrel testing on current production civilian model 92SB pistols and military model M9 pistols and ran into the same slide separation issue. They fired 3 M9 pistols 10,000 times and inspected the weapons with the MPI process for evidence of slide cracks. They discovered that one of the weapons had a cracked slide. The Army then decided to fire all of the weapons until the slides failed. Failure occurred at round number 23,310 on one weapon, 30,083 on another, and 30,545 on the last weapon. (NSIAD-88-213)
Examination of the NSWG slides and the Army slides showed a low metal toughness as the cause of the problems with slide separation. The Army then began to investigate the production process of the slides. (NSIAD-88-213) At the time the frames of the M9 pistols were produced in the US, while the slides were produced in Italy. There are reportedly documents from the Picatinny Arsenal that report a metallurgical study blaming the use of Tellurium in the manufacturing process for the low metal toughness of the Italian slides, but I have been unable to independently verify this information.
After April of 1988, however, all slides for the M9/92 pistols were produced in the US. (NSIAD-88-213) As a part of the contract requirements, the Beretta Corporation had to build a plant inside the United States to produce the M9. It naturally took some time for the US plant (located in Accokeek MD.) to get into full production swing, so the Italian plant made the slides for a time.
Several GAO reports and testimony from GAO staff before Congressional Sub-Committees (NSIAD-88-213, NSIAD-88-46, NSIAD-89-59 are a few…) report the total number of slide failures at 14. Three occurred in the field with the NSWG and the other 11 occurred in the test lab. Only 3 injuries resulted from the slide separation problem. The Beretta Corporation changed the design of the M9 pistol so that even if a slide fractured, the broken half could not come back and hit the shooter causing injury.
Of the 14 slide separations reported, only 4 took place at round counts under 10,000. (NSIAD-88-213) No further slide fractures were reported after the change to the US manufactured slides.
The Beretta Corporation initially blamed the slide failures on the use of ammunition. They questioned both the use of non-NATO ammunition and the use of M882 ammunition. They suspected that both types of ammunition caused excessive pressure buildup inside the weapon causing barrel ringing issues during the initial testing of the M9 weapon and the slide separations experienced by the military. The Army determined that both barrel ringing and slide separation were caused by low metal hardness and not by any specific pressure level in the ammunition used. (NSIAD-89-59)
I have obtained documentation from a reliable source that demonstrates that the M882 ammunition was not excessive in its chamber pressures. Thus the explanation of metallurgical problems on a limited number of M9 pistols remains the only defensible conclusion.
Frame-Up:
Another problem that cropped up with production of the M9 pistol was a problem with frame cracks. In December of 1987 and January of 1988 routine lot testing of the M9 production pistols revealed frame cracks occurring at the rear of the grip area of the frame just above where the trigger bar rides. The Army representatives determined that the cracks did not affect the safety, reliability, or function of the weapons and were merely “cosmetic in nature.” (NSIAD-88-213)
The cracks, however, did violate the terms of the M9 contract, so the lots were rejected. Beretta continued production into February and March of 1988 with the affected frames, stockpiling them in hopes of a retrofit. In April of 1988 an engineering change was approved by Berretta and Army representatives that resolved the frame crack issues. The previously rejected lots were retrofitted with the new frame design and retested. The new frames did not display the cracking problem or any other problem during the tests and were subsequently accepted by the military. (NSIAD-88-213) There were 24,000 affected handguns produced with the defective frame. ALL of them were rejected and then retrofitted and accepted by the Army. (NSIAD-88-213)
The Magazine Controversy
Recent reports from Afghanistan and Iraq have reported less than satisfactory reliability with the M9 pistols traceable to the magazines. Until very recently, the magazines for the M9 pistol were produced by Mec-Gar. The military decided to go with another vendor, Checkmate, to supply the magazines for the M9. By all reports I have heard from the field, the new magazines are not made as well and are extremely sensitive to dirt and sand. Considering that the troops are using the M9’s in an area of the world that is populated by little else but dirt and sand, this makes the use of such magazines a bad idea.
Many soldiers have “written home” to family and friends and have managed to obtain the original production magazines made by Beretta through back channels. (The original factory magazines are of superior quality to any others I have found.) Reports have been extremely positive with the use of the original style magazines. The military has enough knowledge to understand that magazines and ammunition are the most common causes of reliability problems, and so their purchase of magazines that are not as reliable as the original production magazines is puzzling. They should resolve this by going back to the Beretta production magazines, or at least back to the Mec-Gar produced ones as soon as possible.
The 9mm Controversy:
A great deal of the hostility aimed at the M9 pistol is the result of its use of the 9mm cartridge. The military stated that its goals in searching for a new standard sidearm were to improve effectiveness, reliability, safety, and operational suitability of the sidearm over the .45 caliber pistols and .38 caliber revolvers then in use. (NSIAD-89-59)
Effectiveness is measured by range and accuracy, volume of fire, inherent lethality and lethality against body armor. Somehow the military’s study on the subject of effectiveness produced a proclamation that the 9mm NATO round was more accurate, had longer range and greater lethality inherently AND against body armor than the .45 caliber bullet. (There are some who believe this, and some who do not.) The method used to actually achieve these results is a shadowy combination of numerical calculations rather than on good hardcore scientific data like gelatin tests. (PLRD-82-42) The range and accuracy “tests” also seem to have been rigged in favor of the 9mm round by doing the measurements at 50 meters instead of 25. (The .45 caliber pistol’s sights were only regulated out to 25 meters…) It is a well known and documented fact that there are many .45 caliber 1911 pattern automatics that are capable of shooting 3” groups at 50 meters, thus one wonders how the military got the crazy idea that the .45 caliber bullet was not as accurate at that range. The idea that the 9mm NATO ball round hits harder at 50 meters than the .45 caliber round is also laughable. Certainly a 9mm weapon that can hold 15 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber has greater CAPACITY than the 7+1 round .45 caliber pistol, but whether or not that translates into greater “firepower” is a matter of debate. (Is it better to hit someone with 3 puny rounds, or 1 round that knocks them out of the fight?)
The other measures are equally debatable. Is the M9 more reliable than the .45 caliber pistol? Well considering that many of the .45 caliber pistols in inventory had been in use through WWII, Korea and Vietnam, and that over 100,000 of them were no longer serviceable according to the military’s numbers, I am sure that a brand new pistol that had not suffered all of that abuse might indeed be a tad more reliable. (The fact that the .45 survived three nasty wars and became the favorite weapon of so many military and civilian shooters is a testament to how good a weapon it is.)
Is the M9 safer than the .45 caliber pistol? The addition of a firing pin safety in the M9 pistol does add safety should the pistol be dropped. The long heavy double action trigger does make it harder to accidentally fire the weapon through negligence, but most will agree that relying on a long heavy trigger rather than proper training to keep accidents from occurring is a poor strategy for safety. One could also argue that the heavy DA trigger makes it harder to hit an intended target when you need to, increasing the odds of missing a threat in actual combat and thus making a soldier LESS safe than with the single action 1911 pistol. Not to mention that the weaker 9mm round would not be as effective at stopping the threat coming at you if you did manage to hit it.
Another possible reason mentioned for adoption of the 9mm pistol was to make it more shooter friendly for small stature and female soldiers. While the 9mm is easier to control than the recoil of the big .45 caliber pistol, the Beretta 92 platform is ergonomically less than ideal for those smaller shooters. The wide grip and long trigger reach are WORSE for smaller shooters than the 1911 pistol with its short trigger and narrow grip.
Beretta M9 and Bianchi Holster
Conclusions
The Beretta M9/92 pistol has been in service with our military for almost 20 years now. After the production problems documented previously were addressed, the pistol proved to be mechanically sound and reliable, enduring hundreds of thousands of rounds with little trouble provided proper maintenance was supplied. A redesign in the locking block of the M9 pistol made changes to that important piece less frequent, causing the pistol to require even less time at the armorer’s bench.
The M9 is far from the perfect military sidearm. The 9mm ball ammunition that our troops must use in the M9 is a dismal man-stopper by most accounts. (Some disagree) The M9 itself is a large and heavy weapon for its job. (There are other 9mm pistols that hold more ammunition and weigh a fraction of what the M9 does.) The wide grip of the M9 is too big for many shooters, and the heavy double action trigger hinders accuracy. The Beretta M9’s competitor in the trials, the Sig-Sauer P226, suffers from the same hindrances of caliber, size and trigger pull. Many of the complaints against the M9 are the result of what it is: A 9mm double action pistol. Any 9mm DA pistol would get the same treatment.
After the initial bugs were worked out, the M9 pistol developed into a reliable combat proven weapon. Most current/former military personnel that I have been privileged to speak with while researching this article have stated a general satisfaction with the weapon’s reliability while citing the concerns about the size, weight and caliber that I have mentioned already. It has saved the lives of soldiers, law enforcement officers and civilians alike over the years. It remains today an accurate and reliable weapon suitable for personal defense. Few military sidearms have proven themselves to be as good a weapon as the M9 has turned out to be, despite the gun shop gossip to the contrary.
It remains worthy of our consideration when choosing a weapon.
DOCUMENTATION: All documentation cited in parenthesis is from Government Accounting Office documents. The strange number/letter combinations are the catalog numbers for these documents. You can obtain the very same documents through the GAO.
Many thanks to the numerous military personnel and others who helped me track down this information. It would have been impossible to do without your help!
Many thanks also go to the members of AR15.com, Berettaforums.net, and TacticalForums.com for their help in gathering information.
This article is used by permission of the author. All rights reserved.
