Free Republic

The Rarest WWII US Contract 1911A1 .45 Semi-Auto Pistols: one of the 500 made by Singer Manufacturing Company. Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000 Description: Rare and Highly Desirable World War II U.S. Army Singer Manufacturing Company Model 1911A1 Semi-Automatic Pistol This is a rare example of one of the 500 Model 1911A1 pistols manufactured by the Singer Manufacturing Company during WWII under the Ordnance Educational Order No. W-ORD-396. Under that contract, the Singer Manufacturing Company produced a total of only 500 pistols. Consequently, they are considered very rare and highly prized by U.S. martial collectors today. It is theorized that almost...

Then along came S&W with their .500 S&W Magnum and lots of people sat up and took notice. They can’t make them fast enough. Of course the big Smith is also largely an exercise in pain-tolerance unless it’s loaded down a bit, but there is a certain appeal to living up to the “bigger bullets are better bullets” philosophy. Big-huge lead bullets wandering along at moderate velocities are sure to get the attention of any critter that needs shooting. Fifty caliber handguns aren’t new. We’ve got the .50 Action Express which has been around a long time but doesn’t really...

Triton has just changed owners and reportedly is still committed to the .450 SMC concept. It is an interesting variation on the .45 Super, and we will just have to wait and see if the cartridge makes it in the marketplace. .40 Super Factory Ballistics 135 grain at 1,800 fps 165 grain at 1,600 fps 200 grain at 1,300 fps The .40 Super This Triton cartridge did make it into production. STI produces complete handguns for the .40 Super, and aftermarket barrels are available from sources such as EMF Firedragon. I recently tested an EMF barrel in this caliber and...

In 1911 the U.S. military adopted a new sidearm: John Browning’s venerable .45 caliber automatic pistol. That pistol served with distinction as our armed forces’ standard sidearm into the 1980s, when it was officially replaced by the Beretta M9 9mm automatic pistol. In recent years, however, the 1911 Model .45, in a more modern guise, has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts. At the time of the M9’s adoption, it was regarded as a more modern design and thus a suitable replacement for the tried and true .45, many examples of which were very elderly and worn out, giving it...