What more can you say but that the Glock 19 must be one hell of a fine pistol when United States Marines prefer it over the once veritable choice of our armed forces - the 1911. Marines assigned to the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (aka: MARSOC) have been given the option of choosing the Glock 19 in 9mm over the Colt Defense LLC custom built 1911, the Colt M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol, in .45 ACP (source).
The custom built Colt M45 1911 pistols were chosen as the issue weapon for MARSOC in 2012 to replace Beretta M9s. The contract called for 12,000 of them plus spare parts and magazines at a whopping $1,875 each (source). Reportedly, most of the Marines currently within that command prefer the Glock over the 1911 although it was not specified as to whether it was a Gen 3 or Gen 4 model 19 that was chosen (source).
I have both a Glock 26 and a Remington R1 1911. I also carried a Glock 19 for many years at work. I loved my issued Glock 19, issued Glock 26 and love my personally owned Glock 26 but I also love my Remington R1 1911. I have to say though that for sheer simplicity of operation the hands down winner is the Glock. In addition, I can take the Glock apart and put it back together myself, I do not need a gunsmith to fix whatever might go wrong with it. (Yes, I am a certified Glock armorer but just about anyone who can handle a pistol properly could learn to do the same.) I surely cannot do that with the 1911 and if I could, my guess would be, it would require a set of tools to do so as opposed to the single punch pin style tool required to strip a Glock down. Also, no Glock I have ever fired ever has required a break-in period, tooling or customizing to have it deliver excellent performance; I don't think that the same can be said for many 1911s.
I am not going to debate knockdown potential of the 9mm compared to the .45ACP. I don't know why they opted for the Model 19 in 9mm over a Glock in .45ACP but that is what they have chosen as an option to the 1911. More rounds, less recoil maybe are the reasons but that also equates to less stopping power from each round. Of course, it may also mean better accuracy for a fatigued shooter and you can bet that Marines get fatigued while doing their jobs.
Whatever the reason, Gaston Glock is probably very pleased about it all.
All the best,
Glenn B
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| Colt M45 Close Quarter Battle Pistol |
The custom built Colt M45 1911 pistols were chosen as the issue weapon for MARSOC in 2012 to replace Beretta M9s. The contract called for 12,000 of them plus spare parts and magazines at a whopping $1,875 each (source). Reportedly, most of the Marines currently within that command prefer the Glock over the 1911 although it was not specified as to whether it was a Gen 3 or Gen 4 model 19 that was chosen (source).
I have both a Glock 26 and a Remington R1 1911. I also carried a Glock 19 for many years at work. I loved my issued Glock 19, issued Glock 26 and love my personally owned Glock 26 but I also love my Remington R1 1911. I have to say though that for sheer simplicity of operation the hands down winner is the Glock. In addition, I can take the Glock apart and put it back together myself, I do not need a gunsmith to fix whatever might go wrong with it. (Yes, I am a certified Glock armorer but just about anyone who can handle a pistol properly could learn to do the same.) I surely cannot do that with the 1911 and if I could, my guess would be, it would require a set of tools to do so as opposed to the single punch pin style tool required to strip a Glock down. Also, no Glock I have ever fired ever has required a break-in period, tooling or customizing to have it deliver excellent performance; I don't think that the same can be said for many 1911s.
I am not going to debate knockdown potential of the 9mm compared to the .45ACP. I don't know why they opted for the Model 19 in 9mm over a Glock in .45ACP but that is what they have chosen as an option to the 1911. More rounds, less recoil maybe are the reasons but that also equates to less stopping power from each round. Of course, it may also mean better accuracy for a fatigued shooter and you can bet that Marines get fatigued while doing their jobs.
Whatever the reason, Gaston Glock is probably very pleased about it all.
All the best,
Glenn B
3 comments:
You actually need no tools to FULLY disassemble a 1911. All you need is a cartridge. Now, YOUR 1911 might not be a true 1911, in that the grip screws aren't right, or the pins might be different that true 1911 sizes.
But a real, true 1911(or a 1911A1) can be fully disassembled (and reassembled) into it's component parts with no tools.
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/tech/toolbox.htm
Although why you would need to do so out in the field I cannot understand. A 1911 can be field stripped for basic cleaning without any tools (unless you use one soiled by the abomination known as a full length guide rod), as can a Glock. Neither one is any easier than the other to assemble or clean in the field.
Learn something new every day. Thanks for the info that tools are not needed to strip a 1911. I would never have guessed that in a thousand years.
I must point out that I think the Glock has less disassembly steps and is easier to disassemble and reassemble for field stripping and cleaning than is my 1911.
All the best,
GB
No tools are required to field strip a 1911 at all. You CAN use the assorted pins and such to DETAIL strip a 1911, but no one would want to do that in the field. If yer not in the field, then by all means, use a screwdriver and a set of punches to do so. Only use the parts of a 1911 to do so in an emergency.
As far as fewer steps to field strip? I dunno. Maybe to detail strip...
I dunno, except for the barrel bushing.
Set on safe to hold slide in place, push in plunger, turn busing, remove plunger, turn bushing the other way to remove.
Set safety to off. Move slide to disassembly notch, pull pin.
pull slide off of frame.Remove spring and barrel.
You save the bushing step, and add the takedown lever. Not a whole lot of difference.
I once taught a 9 year old to field strip a 1911. She could reassemble one in about 60 seconds too..I understand she impressed her husband on their 3rd date by doing it blindfolded.....
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