My grandfather killed some Wehrmact outside of St. Vith in 1944 and took a 1936 dated Polish Radom off of him. He carried it in his waistband for the duration of the war and brought it home. It’s now in my possession since his passing in 2017
If you are in the UK I hope it has been deactivated and securely stored out of sight. Otherwise you may now get a visit from a couple of armed firearm officers and on a firearms charge as ammunition can still be obtained illegally in the UK or legally in some parts of Europe for it. It will then be destroyed.
My father was a US Navy Corpsman. He used to say he went from blue to green so many times he couldn't tell the difference between the colors! The worst battle he was in was on Peleliu. He was in the 3/5 D company. My dad was never without his sidearm which was a Colt 45. He fired it on a number of occasions and on three of those occasions he killed Japanese soldiers that were coming up on his position while he was treating downed Marines. My dad slept with that weapon either under his pillow or by his chest for years. I have the weapon now and I treat it with reverence. Never firing it. Never will. RIP Dad...😢❤
@@krakrtreacysr907I’ve read Eugene Sledge’s “with the old breed” and it’s unofficial companion “islands of the Damned” by RV Burgin (Sledge’s NCO). Both are an absolute nightmare fuel and are vivid with close quarters combat.
Nothing but praise for your dad and I'm glad he had it when he needed it. It was my understanding that corpsman weren't supposed to carry a sidearm because, as corpsmen, they were "non-combatants". That probably changed after finding out that the Japanese didn't care who you were, they were going to kill you. Just curious.
@@c.j.cleveland7475 The Japs didn't respect the non-combatant status of Corpsmen or Medics. To them the bright red and white cross was a great target. Empire of Japan was non-signatory to the Geneva Convention. Docs had to protect themselves and their patients.
A random fact about the Norwegian 1911. To get the license to produce them in Norway they had to get it from FN in Belgium who had rights to all 1911s in Europe. They refused, but in 1914, Belgium wasn’t around anymore thanks to some Germans and production rights reverted back to Colt in the US who granted Kongsberg the license to produce them in 1915.
Where did Belgium disappear in 1914? I studied history at the University of Leuven (the library of which was famously torched by the Germans), but we were never told of this disappearance. Likewise, did a great many European countries disappear and miraculously reappear during and after WW2? At least a part of Belgium -- the Ypres salient -- remained unoccupied in WW1, where the small but spunky Belgian army put up a spirited defence together with the other Allies.
My grandfather was a Captain in the USAFFE, his service issued weapons were a Remington Rand 1911 and an M1 Paratroop Carbine. Although he declined the United States government's offer of citizenship for his service, he got to keep his weapons after his clandestine service against Japanese occupation of the old country. When Marcos declared martial law, his paratroop carbine was confiscated but he got to keep his 1911. He also recieved full US military honors when he passed away including a flag presented to my grandmother. Unfortunately one of my uncles squandered it all by pawning them to finance his bad habits. I've been a proud American since 1997 and tried to procure at the very least, his burial flag. I am extremely proud of all my relatives service to my adopted nation! 🇺🇸
My son shot my Remington Rand 1911A1 for the first time this morning. Treat yourself, but avoid Auto-Ordnance/Kahr Arms 1911 and carbine copies. Junk. I am proud to own the uniform of a Filipino Scout and Death March survivor that must have taken the US up on citizenship. He lived in CA and entertained President Reagan with a meal at some point.
Indeed glad C&Rsenal finally started doing their first batch on deep dives episodes on the 1911 (like hour+ per each variant) and they shoot everyone of them even the super rare firearms from the whole of WW1
Totally interesting! The US Army used the 1911 even before entering WW1, as it was used by Pershing's troops entering Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa. Cheers, Mark!
And to the troopers who weren't issued one, they'd save their money and order/purchase a commercial model from a local hardware store or mercantile , as my grandfather did while down on the border in Texas with Pershing.
I carried a Colt 45 in 1979 and 1980 as a TOW missile gunner while stationed in West Germany, that is until our new Commander decided he didn't like enlisted soldiers carrying the same weapon as his officers. Thanks again Dr Felton!
I carried a M1911 in Desert Storm with 3 AD. My C.O. in 5/8 Inf 8 I.D. carried a M16a2 and his M1911 and had his Officers carry M16a2 too. The S### show of Desert Storm was the Bn and BDE snagged up most of the 45 ACP ammo.
I carried a 1911A1 for a time in the Army, until they transitioned to the M9. Yes, the Beretta is lighter, easier to clean, and holds more NATO ammo but there’s just something about the Colt that feels great. It’s solid. Reliable. Hard-hitting. Historic. Uniquely American.
I have family associations with quite a few of these handguns. My grandfather carried a Mauser C96 in the Continuation War. A machine gunner in the Winter War, he was shot through the shoulder and being deemed unfit for further combat duty, he was made company clerk and issued a C96. He said it was accurate enough with the shoulder stock and his aching shoulder could stand the recoil. He once shot an elk (moose for the Americans) with it. My godfather was a fighter pilot who carried the Browning Hi-Power as his service weapon. Interestingly, I was supposed to be issued with the Hi-Power DA when I deployed to Kosovo, but because of problems with the type, I was given the Walther P1 instead. My British commander called it a toy gun till I put him to shame at the shooting range. My uncles, Continuation War vets too, all had booty Tokarevs and Nagants, which "disappeared" when gun laws were tightened.
The Browning High Power is arguably the best WW2 military pistol. It was John Browning’s final design based on his extensive lifelong design expertise.
That's a bit of a myth actually. Is prototype is actually nothing like the final design of the pistol . Deiudonné Saive gets most of the design credit.
Excellent research and delivery are the hallmark of any topic Mark covers. Thank you for that. As a historian, did you ever get to fire any of these weapons? To me, that truly brings history alive. When I was deployed to Iraq, working with Iraqi forces, we captured a lot of nice WW2 weapons. This is where I got to fire an MG 42 and an STG 44. I additionally fired a ppsh, numerous AK variants and my first 2 bullpups. The Steyr AUG of the Aussie forces and the SA 80 of the Brits. Was a little weird as I grew up with the M16/M4 family of weapons. Great video. Thank you Mark once again.
I still have my old mums service pistol from ww2. She was a tank commander in the battle for Stalingrad and had the Marakov pistol..she ended the war with the rank of lieutenant.
Outstanding details in your presentation, Dr. Felton! I am a lifelong gun enthusiast, and you gave a great overview of the firearms used by the major combatants in the war. I would give you extra thumbs up if I could. Your videos keep getting better and better.
Yet another awesome video Dr Felton. Thanks! A minor point: You mentioned that Radom pistols were made in Warsaw for use in the Warsaw Uprising. In addition to that, during the German occupation of Poland, Polish workers in the Radom plant developed a system that allowed them to create Radom pistols that the Germans didn't know existed (long story). They supplied these pistols to the resistance. Eventually the Germans caught on and changed the production system to eliminate this, and of course, the Polish workers at the Radom plant who were involved in this scheme were all executed as the Germans made all of the Radom employees watch as an example not to do this sort of thing again.
Neglected the Model 1917 Colt & S&W revolvers used in both World Wars when 1911's weren't available for support troops. Dad carried one guard duty AAC on Saipan.
Another sidearm used by the US Army in WW2 was the WWI vintage Colt 1917 revolver (also made by Smith & Wesson) chambered in .45acp. These were mostly used by rear echelon troops & military Police stationed in the US.
Yes! And the Dutch Lugers were even marked in Dutch: "RUST" for "SAFE" (but "geladen" on the chamber, still in German). If I recall well, the Dutch army tested the Luger twice (1899-1900 and 1904-05) and adopted it in 1910 (especially for KNIL, colonial troops in Indonesia).
@@hendriktonisson2915 The Dutch used the 'geweer m.95' a Mannlicher but different then the one the Austrians used during ww1. The Dutch light machine gun was the Lewis gun, with a magazine capacity of 97. Both weapons used the 6,5 x 53,5 R cartridge. The heavy machine guns used by the Dutch were the Schwarzlose 1910 and the Vickers machine gun. The Schwarzlose used 7,9mm rounds. The KNIL used different weapons.
There were many service issue handguns which were substitutes for the standard but the standard was the one which would have been universal if only there were enough.
I can see a great mash-up with Dr. Felton introducing the firearms, and Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons taking them apart to show how they work. It would be inordinately long, though.
A small thing on the Danes: Yes, in 1946 they ordered the High Power and named them M1946 but they only ordered 1700 units. Starting in 1949 they switched to SIG Sauer P210 and named them M/49. They switched to the SIG Sauer P320 some years ago.
One of the most common Mauser copy would be The Shanxi .45 ACP Broomhandle, they also made copies of Thompson (hence type 17 chambered in .45 ACP for logistic reasons).
OUTSTANDING episode! The sexiest "looking" sidearm was, in my estimation, the Mauser C96. Somehow the design transcends the decades from the late 1800's to Star Wars. Yeah!.....the arm was difficult to manufacture, but that fact created lots of employment.🙃
The Mause C96. Easy to field strip, a nightmare to get back together, trust me. An interesting pistol but a truly obsolete one, not the equal of those that came after it.
Interesting video. I would like to add the following : During WWII, the Germans also issued small numbers of Mauser model 1910s and CZ 27s, both in .32 ACP. Here in the U.S., I have seen a CZ 27 with a small Nazi eagle stamped on top of the slide. No doubt a war trophy. The USAAF and US Navy issued .38 Special revolvers made by S&W and Colt. Small numbers .45 caliber M1917 revolvers of WWI vintage were also issued to U.S. forces in WWII. These revolvers were capable of firing the .45 ACP cartridge with the use of a "moon clip". There was also a .45 ACP cartridge with a rim like a revolver cartridge manufactured for this revolver. I suppose it made sense from a manufacturing standpoint to produce a .45 ACP cartridge with a rim rather than produce moon clips.
I also realized that you've all digitized the German Nazi swastika. Since we fellow Americans have these Neo Nazis that exist in New York. Texas definitely has a Nazi detention center. What you didn't do is digitize the Soviet communist hammer and sickle insignia. You didn't also digitize the Japanese Imperialist insignia. It's amazing that Alaska was always a neutral American state. They're just like Switzerland. 🇨🇭 😔 😳 😍 😭 🤧 🇨🇭
Forgotten Weapons has a video about the WWI era British contract Colt 1911 chambered for the Webley .455 semi-rimmed cartridge, which states they were still in service with the RAF throughout WWII.
My Uncle Johnny landed on Normandy three days after the invasion, as he fought through the Bocage a lot of handguns were collected US and German. He said most were immediately confiscated by Officers and SNCO's especially German weapons. He related a story of an Officer who kept after him to give him his .45 1911A1 until he said he would get it to him, he took the spring out and damaged to extractor then gave the Officer the pistol. When I was a Marine you did not carry a handgun unless it was issued and no enemy weapons were allowed.
My father (425 Sqdn ground crew Cpl refueling section 1940-1945)) was in North Africa. The story is that while out on a motor cycle jaunt he came across a shot-down German aviator who pulled a Luger on him and took him back to the RCAF station as a POW, then surrendered himself to authority. My father got the Luger c/w holster & extra barrel and the block stamped 1916 (a re-issue or an heirloom of the Luftwaffe pow). Was a treasure in our family till the time war-heirlòoms' guns were made illegal in Canada. She secretely disposed of it to keep me out of trouble. May be sitting at the bottom of a river bridge in NB, waiting for a future archaeoligist to make sense of the discovery.
Love how the Canadians did such a great job during the war but today's Canadians are no longer trustworthy to handle weapons, so had to hand them over.
WOW, that was really informative. I have fired the Colt 1903 and 1911 as well as a 9mm Luger. (a rare bird). All of these firearms are fascinating and have amazing stories. Thanks for sharing.
My brother was Weapons Tech in RAF in the 80's and 90's. Whilst at Brüggen, he had the option of an SLR or Browning Hi Power, as his standard armament. Lugging the long SLR around under a Jaguar whilst bombing it up, was a pain, so he opted for the Browning. He loved it!!!!
Jon, I think your brother was pulling your leg (as brothers do)! I was also at Bruggen in the eighties and the aircraft technicians (including plumbers), didn't carry any firearms, not even on exercise unless he was unlucky and ended up on station guard duty in which case he was issued the SLR. Only three trades ever trained to use pistols in the RAF; the regiment (so they could train the other two trades), aircrew who didn't use the browning ( think they carried the Walther in those days) and the police for main gate security duties. There were no pistols held in the station armoury, a small number held in the security squadron armoury inside the nuclear weapon storage site. You'll have to get him back proper, he's been winding you up for years!😅
@@SteveDonaldson-r5k Great I was wondering why an aircraft tech was having to consider his choice of weaponary for his day job. Internet era, everyone was a commando and packing in the NAAFI appartently, being a former RM Commando Im severley disappointed by how my actual service compared to how Im told it was on social media.
I saw here in Norway many years ago some Astra 7,63 Mauser clones with 20 round fixed magazines with Kriegsmarine and SS marks on some of them. Sadly just collectors could get them . They were used up here during the war, and was fine pieces.
The Chinese loved the C96. Unlicensed variants were also produced by warlords to fire .45 ACP cartridges. Chinese officers and NCOs in WW2 also used a variety of sidearms such as the Browning Hi-Power, M1911, and the Smith and Wesson Model 10 revolver to a smaller extent than the C96.
I think the fact that there were so many copies, licensed and unlicensed alike, of the Colt 1911 is a testament to how good that gun was. Also yes, the Husqvarna that made the m/40 is indeed the same Husqvarna that makes chainsaws and string trimmers today.
Mark, love your videos! This one is also nice as it gives an interesting overview. However I think you are not correct on the Dutch using the Browning high power. After the war they did but during the (short) war in may 1940 they mostly used the Revolver M.73 and Browning Model 1910 / Model 1922.
Excellent presentation. It's difficult to fit everything on the subject of WWII side arms in a single episode of reasonable length, but if you make a second episode on this topic, the Colt 1903 is an interesting topic. It was a popular arm with the OSS; Japanese officers purchased quite a few of them for their side arm; Colt made shipments to Japan right up until the attack on Pearl Harbor. A certain number of them came back with U.S. GIs, but, unless one knows the history, the only way one can usually determine that a pistol had originally gone to Japan is by getting a Colt Archive Letter to get the original shipping information (the same with pistols originally shipped to the OSS). Prime Minister Hideki Tojo used his Colt 1903 to attempt suicide just before he was arrested for war crimes in 1945.
In Germany are today mainyl 4 typs of private gun licenses: a)hunter, b) professional sportshooter, c) job use (police, security, etc.) and d) collector. I have a hunter license wich which entitles me to own 2 handguns and unlimited long guns (rifles and shotguns). I already have two handguns, but a hunting friend who passed away left me his Luger pistol. I went to the police and asked for a gun license supplement for collectors. The officer was critical at first, but when I showed him the Luger he was thrilled and immediately extended my firearms license.
Very good video as always. However, the Norwegian Nagant revolvers were not russian produced but rather Swedish and some Belgian Nagants adopted in 1893. These were not the gas seal type. And also the P210 pistol was produces by SIG. Sauer & Sohn had nothing to do with this weapon.
Many air crews and pilots continued to carry revolvers. This was frequently seen in Vietnam when many chopper pilots would holster little .38 revolvers.
I find it interesting that James Bond always used either the Beretta or the Walther PPK (did I get the initials right??), at least he did in the books. And from memory even after he was asked to change to something different he insisted on carrying them and using them all the way through - although it's been many many years since I read them. Which suggests that the author thought they were both very very good weapons - and he would have known. Thank you for this, although the guns shown aren't the exact same ones he used it's interesting to see some idea of how they would have looked in reality.
Wow Browning really was so impressive as a designer it's easy to forget he passed away nearly 100 years ago, the Hi power could be mistaken for a 80's + pistol. his DNA you see in so many modern designs. imagine what he could have done with modern tools ( as in CAD ) and metal 3D printing.
Awesome, extensive n informative upload. Cant say enough ur archival films n still pics of the actual weapons. Interesting manufacturers copied some version of another pistol. Kudos. Always looking forward to ur next one. Peace
Speaking of the french pistol, in the legion we had the PA50, and would hold challenges, 100 meters, those that hit got a crate of beers from everyone one else
The Germans in the field weren't particularly impressed with the accuracy of the Walther P-38 when compared to its predecessor, the Luger P08. "Nine shots and one well-aimed throw" was the darkly humorous joke that some users associated with the pistol.
Hi Mark, I don't know why you had "Standard C96" marked on the footage of my episode, that was indeed a Schnellfeuer, I just used it in semi-auto mode...
I have 3 Tokarev pistol variants, a Romanian, a Yugoslavian and a genuine numbers matching Soviet TT33 made in 1935, according to my research they switched from the TT30 design to the TT33 design in late 1935, which would make sense for my pistol. my serial number is 48xxx, so I'm wondering/thinking if it's one of the first 50,000 produced.
Thank you for uploading the interesting topic. Republic of China Army and Comunist China Army used foreign pistol. They also used pistol captured from japanese army. After Japan surrendered to Allied power, weapons from japanese army were used in asian (Korean, China, Indochina and Indonesia).
Regarding Polish pistol, note that Radom is the name of the city where the designing & manufacturing factory is (still) located. The name of the pistol was Vis wz.35, where ws. stands for “wzór” - design, type and Vis comes from Latin’s “power”, “force”. It’s just a side note for this interesting and valuable material, as always on your channel 👍🏻
A 9 x 18 Makarov used to be one of my carry pistols. Light, powerful enough with jacketed hollow points, and easily concealable. I probably fired over 5000 rounds through that pistol of both the cheap, corrosive ammunition from China and high quality self defense ammunition for carry and never had the first problem with the pistol. As a carry weapon you can safely carry it with a chambered round since the safety slides a steel bar between the trigger and its home. Chambered carry is with the pistol half-cocked. Thumb the safety off and double-action. In my opinion the only negative of the pistol was its blow back function. The 9 x 18 might be a bit heavy for that perhaps? Stock spring would generally send the spent cartridge a good 10 meters on a good day. I kept the spring and replaced the stock grips for my big hands. In the mid-90s I paid about $140USD for it and it was the best $140 I ever spent on a firearm.
Greetings, Very informative as analysis as always! I noticed you forgot to mention the Smith&Weason Victory model also carried by US Service members during the WWII.
Dr. Felton pronounced the name of the Russian revolver as I did for years, that is, Nagant as a censorious parental sister. Then I found Nagant was a Belgian so the final "t" would be silent. Then I saw a detailed picture of the revolver and Cyrillic letters showed the Russian name of the revolver is NAGAN. The silent "t" is not even used in writing. New revolvers were made by the Russians in .38 Special caliber up to at least the 1960s. These were for competition pistol shooters. Finally at one of the Olympics the Russian team showed up for qualification with their .38 Nagants. But on competition day they used new Smith&Wessons. They had brought the old design as gamesmanship. Nagant designed his pistol with the unique feature that the cylinder was pushed up against the barrel when it was cocked. Normal revolvers have a tiny gap and this loses some pressure. According to a Polish informant who was a cavalry officer into WW2 when that became obsolete, Czarist officers had a game of hide and seek with the Nagant revolvers. Now understand that the Nagant used an underpowered .30 caliber cartridge with little stopping power. So here's how the game worked. At an officers club party after drinking enough vodka a large wager would be made. One man would take out his Nagant and the lights would be put out. The other officers would hide. One by one they would call out and the one with the pistol would try to shoot him by sound location. It was a lethal version of hide and seek.
Radom production ended because after the Warsaw Uprising, the Germans moved the production line to Steyr in Austria. At the end of the war, the Red Army stripped the factory and there was no tooling left.
Mark, feel free to reach out too me next time you do a firearms video for WW1/WW2. I have access to most everything in this video and could have gotten you not just pictures but firing footage too.
Many, many years ago the UK had a gun amnesty whereby citizens could hand in (to the Police) guns they had 'laying around the house' unwanted. I was in the Army, and we were tasked to go around police stations collecting them for disposal. Armed convoys being an military responsibility in Britain. I can't do justice to some of the "war" souvenirs we collected, some of them were works of art, they'd been looked after very well. I handled all sorts of them. We had Mousers (I think), where a wooden buttstock doubled as a holster, in mint condition that really should have (and I hope did) end up in museum collections. Lugers, Walthers, and some beautiful rifles. No machine guns, I guess they were not the kind of souvenir that was collected. Japanese Katanas (yes I know not a gun, but handed in anyway). It was an experience that has stuck with me. I think because it spoke to the kinds of men who served and collected the weapons, each of which had been really well cared for.
Forgot the Femaru or FÉG 37M, a .380, Hungarian semi-automatic pistol based on a design by Rudolf Frommer. You mentioned its predecessor. The Frommer Stop, and I gotta say the Stop is probably the ugliest pistol in the video, and the M37 is beautiful, like a quaint 1911 clone. I bought one a few weeks ago, great cheap surplus pistol, got mine for $190.
It was the SIG P210, produced in Switzerland in swiss quality- these are the good ones, „SIG Sauer P210“ are the ones produced the last years, these are the from Germany (totaly overpriced)
It is NOT Radom Vis. 35 or Radom 35 but according to the manual it is " PISTOLET VIS wz. 35". The name "Radom..." it is mostly used by Americans who got problems with correct names.
Odd that The Kingdom of Hungary, should use a different model and caliber to the Imperial Austrian Army. Technically, the two realms were joined under Emperor Franz Joseph, who was styled Emperor and King.
My experience with the Type 14 Nambu has been good, reliable, points naturally and recoil is low because of the small caliber, the cartridge is bottlenecked and I have never heard of anyone trying to use another cartridge other than 8mm Nambu, I don’t think greasing the cartridges would be a good idea, mine worked reliably with clean dry ammo
My grandfather killed some Wehrmact outside of St. Vith in 1944 and took a 1936 dated Polish Radom off of him. He carried it in his waistband for the duration of the war and brought it home. It’s now in my possession since his passing in 2017
Does it have German markings or just original all Polish 1936? How awesome, I hope you cherish it.
Knock knock… who is there…. ATF…. ATF who….. 🙃
If you are in the UK I hope it has been deactivated and securely stored out of sight. Otherwise you may now get a visit from a couple of armed firearm officers and on a firearms charge as ammunition can still be obtained illegally in the UK or legally in some parts of Europe for it. It will then be destroyed.
@@tonys1636clearly American
@@tonys1636clearly a American....use some common sense
My father was a US Navy Corpsman. He used to say he went from blue to green so many times he couldn't tell the difference between the colors! The worst battle he was in was on Peleliu. He was in the 3/5 D company. My dad was never without his sidearm which was a Colt 45. He fired it on a number of occasions and on three of those occasions he killed Japanese soldiers that were coming up on his position while he was treating downed Marines. My dad slept with that weapon either under his pillow or by his chest for years. I have the weapon now and I treat it with reverence. Never firing it. Never will. RIP Dad...😢❤
I'm actually watching The documentary right now about the marineso on peleliu. The old breed.. k company.... God bless your father a real hero
@@krakrtreacysr907I’ve read Eugene Sledge’s “with the old breed” and it’s unofficial companion “islands of the Damned” by RV Burgin (Sledge’s NCO). Both are an absolute nightmare fuel and are vivid with close quarters combat.
Nothing but praise for your dad and I'm glad he had it when he needed it. It was my understanding that corpsman weren't supposed to carry a sidearm because, as corpsmen, they were "non-combatants". That probably changed after finding out that the Japanese didn't care who you were, they were going to kill you. Just curious.
Thank you for your Dad's extraordinary service.
@@c.j.cleveland7475 The Japs didn't respect the non-combatant status of Corpsmen or Medics. To them the bright red and white cross was a great target. Empire of Japan was non-signatory to the Geneva Convention. Docs had to protect themselves and their patients.
A random fact about the Norwegian 1911. To get the license to produce them in Norway they had to get it from FN in Belgium who had rights to all 1911s in Europe. They refused, but in 1914, Belgium wasn’t around anymore thanks to some Germans and production rights reverted back to Colt in the US who granted Kongsberg the license to produce them in 1915.
Good info, thank you Germany!
And FN never raised a fuss about it from 1918 onwards?
Where did Belgium disappear in 1914? I studied history at the University of Leuven (the library of which was famously torched by the Germans), but we were never told of this disappearance.
Likewise, did a great many European countries disappear and miraculously reappear during and after WW2? At least a part of Belgium -- the Ypres salient -- remained unoccupied in WW1, where the small but spunky Belgian army put up a spirited defence together with the other Allies.
@@peabase lets say they had their hands full with more pressing matters than 1911 licensing issues.
@@datadavis I bet, but Belgium didn't do a disappearing act. It's as preposterous a thought as Norway disappearing in WW2.
My grandfather was a Captain in the USAFFE, his service issued weapons were a Remington Rand 1911 and an M1 Paratroop Carbine. Although he declined the United States government's offer of citizenship for his service, he got to keep his weapons after his clandestine service against Japanese occupation of the old country. When Marcos declared martial law, his paratroop carbine was confiscated but he got to keep his 1911. He also recieved full US military honors when he passed away including a flag presented to my grandmother. Unfortunately one of my uncles squandered it all by pawning them to finance his bad habits. I've been a proud American since 1997 and tried to procure at the very least, his burial flag. I am extremely proud of all my relatives service to my adopted nation! 🇺🇸
My son shot my Remington Rand 1911A1 for the first time this morning. Treat yourself, but avoid Auto-Ordnance/Kahr Arms 1911 and carbine copies. Junk. I am proud to own the uniform of a Filipino Scout and Death March survivor that must have taken the US up on citizenship. He lived in CA and entertained President Reagan with a meal at some point.
The 1911 is a perfect example of 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it'
The 1911 is a good pistol, but I wish it were a double-action pistol.
Indeed glad C&Rsenal finally started doing their first batch on deep dives episodes on the 1911 (like hour+ per each variant) and they shoot everyone of them even the super rare firearms from the whole of WW1
@@BigDave131 Double action has some issues with accuracy which with the recoil of the 1911 single action is the better choice.
I've fired a number of these, and many modern revolvers, the 1911 is by far my favourite and the one that I was most accurate with.
@@BigDave131 Nonsense. The 1911 has the best trigger action of all pistols. It can be safely tuned to two pounds.
Totally interesting! The US Army used the 1911 even before entering WW1, as it was used by Pershing's troops entering Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa. Cheers, Mark!
And to the troopers who weren't issued one, they'd save their money and order/purchase a commercial model from a local hardware store or mercantile , as my grandfather did while down on the border in Texas with Pershing.
I carried a Colt 45 in 1979 and 1980 as a TOW missile gunner while stationed in West Germany, that is until our new Commander decided he didn't like enlisted soldiers carrying the same weapon as his officers.
Thanks again Dr Felton!
Your CO was an ID 10 T.
I carried a M1911 in Desert Storm with 3 AD. My C.O. in 5/8 Inf 8 I.D. carried a M16a2 and his M1911 and had his Officers carry M16a2 too. The S### show of Desert Storm was the Bn and BDE snagged up most of the 45 ACP ammo.
Disarming his own troops? Very wise..
god forbid you simplify supply and logistics one iota.
@bennypa1n shooting is harder than it looks my friend. Correction: accurate shooting is alot harder than it looks.
The worldwide influence of John Browning just amazes me.
I carried a 1911A1 for a time in the Army, until they transitioned to the M9. Yes, the Beretta is lighter, easier to clean, and holds more NATO ammo but there’s just something about the Colt that feels great. It’s solid. Reliable. Hard-hitting. Historic. Uniquely American.
I have family associations with quite a few of these handguns. My grandfather carried a Mauser C96 in the Continuation War. A machine gunner in the Winter War, he was shot through the shoulder and being deemed unfit for further combat duty, he was made company clerk and issued a C96. He said it was accurate enough with the shoulder stock and his aching shoulder could stand the recoil. He once shot an elk (moose for the Americans) with it.
My godfather was a fighter pilot who carried the Browning Hi-Power as his service weapon. Interestingly, I was supposed to be issued with the Hi-Power DA when I deployed to Kosovo, but because of problems with the type, I was given the Walther P1 instead. My British commander called it a toy gun till I put him to shame at the shooting range. My uncles, Continuation War vets too, all had booty Tokarevs and Nagants, which "disappeared" when gun laws were tightened.
Incredible story, thanks for sharing. I'm thinking about getting a P38 myself.
@@michaelkovacic2608 You're better off with a P38 than a P1. I hear the P1 suffers from cracked frames.
The Browning High Power is arguably the best WW2 military pistol. It was John Browning’s final design based on his extensive lifelong design expertise.
That's a bit of a myth actually. Is prototype is actually nothing like the final design of the pistol . Deiudonné Saive gets most of the design credit.
Thank you, Dr. Felton! As always, your informative videos are far above anything being shown today.
Excellent research and delivery are the hallmark of any topic Mark covers. Thank you for that. As a historian, did you ever get to fire any of these weapons? To me, that truly brings history alive. When I was deployed to Iraq, working with Iraqi forces, we captured a lot of nice WW2 weapons. This is where I got to fire an MG 42 and an STG 44. I additionally fired a ppsh, numerous AK variants and my first 2 bullpups. The Steyr AUG of the Aussie forces and the SA 80 of the Brits. Was a little weird as I grew up with the M16/M4 family of weapons. Great video. Thank you Mark once again.
Man, that STG 44 must have been fun to shoot. It's too bad that there wasn't a way to bring that back with you! 😁
I still have my old mums service pistol from ww2. She was a tank commander in the battle for Stalingrad and had the Marakov pistol..she ended the war with the rank of lieutenant.
Outstanding details in your presentation, Dr. Felton! I am a lifelong gun enthusiast, and you gave a great overview of the firearms used by the major combatants in the war. I would give you extra thumbs up if I could. Your videos keep getting better and better.
Yet another awesome video Dr Felton. Thanks!
A minor point: You mentioned that Radom pistols were made in Warsaw for use in the Warsaw Uprising. In addition to that, during the German occupation of Poland, Polish workers in the Radom plant developed a system that allowed them to create Radom pistols that the Germans didn't know existed (long story). They supplied these pistols to the resistance. Eventually the Germans caught on and changed the production system to eliminate this, and of course, the Polish workers at the Radom plant who were involved in this scheme were all executed as the Germans made all of the Radom employees watch as an example not to do this sort of thing again.
Neglected the Model 1917 Colt & S&W revolvers used in both World Wars when 1911's weren't available for support troops. Dad carried one guard duty AAC on Saipan.
Another sidearm used by the US Army in WW2 was the WWI vintage Colt 1917 revolver (also made by Smith & Wesson) chambered in .45acp. These were mostly used by rear echelon troops & military Police stationed in the US.
And the S&W Victory model revolver chambered in either .38 Special or British.38/200 (.38S&W) frequently issued to pilots.
The Dutch did not use the Hi-Power but the FN 1910. We also used the Luger in smaller numbers, besides a couple of revolvers.
Yes! And the Dutch Lugers were even marked in Dutch: "RUST" for "SAFE" (but "geladen" on the chamber, still in German).
If I recall well, the Dutch army tested the Luger twice (1899-1900 and 1904-05) and adopted it in 1910 (especially for KNIL, colonial troops in Indonesia).
What rifles and machine guns did the Netherlands military use during WW2 and what cartridges did these weapons use?
@@hendriktonisson2915 The Dutch used the 'geweer m.95' a Mannlicher but different then the one the Austrians used during ww1. The Dutch light machine gun was the Lewis gun, with a magazine capacity of 97. Both weapons used the 6,5 x 53,5 R cartridge. The heavy machine guns used by the Dutch were the Schwarzlose 1910 and the Vickers machine gun. The Schwarzlose used 7,9mm rounds. The KNIL used different weapons.
@@GazalAlShaqabIndeed, used by the KNIL and the Dutch navy.
@@TimDutch Thanks for the info! What rifles and MGs did the KNIL use and why did KNIL use different weapons?
I was surprised by no mention of the Smith & Wesson 38 Victory revolvers.
Short version
Just listing all the German pistols would take an hour
@@jimkilloran9038 , you are imagining things.
There were many service issue handguns which were substitutes for the standard but the standard was the one which would have been universal if only there were enough.
I can see a great mash-up with Dr. Felton introducing the firearms, and Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons taking them apart to show how they work. It would be inordinately long, though.
A small thing on the Danes: Yes, in 1946 they ordered the High Power and named them M1946 but they only ordered 1700 units. Starting in 1949 they switched to SIG Sauer P210 and named them M/49. They switched to the SIG Sauer P320 some years ago.
One of the most common Mauser copy would be The Shanxi .45 ACP Broomhandle, they also made copies of Thompson (hence type 17 chambered in .45 ACP for logistic reasons).
The name John Browning sure comes up a lot.
As it should he’s the best weapons designer to ever live.
OUTSTANDING episode! The sexiest "looking" sidearm was, in my estimation, the Mauser C96. Somehow the design transcends the decades from the late 1800's to Star Wars. Yeah!.....the arm was difficult to manufacture, but that fact created lots of employment.🙃
The Mause C96. Easy to field strip, a nightmare to get back together, trust me. An interesting pistol but a truly obsolete one, not the equal of those that came after it.
Amen to all of that! @@wayneantoniazzi2706
Interesting video. I would like to add the following :
During WWII, the Germans also issued small numbers of Mauser model 1910s and CZ 27s, both in .32 ACP. Here in the U.S., I have seen a CZ 27 with a small Nazi eagle stamped on top of the slide. No doubt a war trophy.
The USAAF and US Navy issued .38 Special revolvers made by S&W and Colt.
Small numbers .45 caliber M1917 revolvers of WWI vintage were also issued to U.S. forces in WWII. These revolvers were capable of firing the .45 ACP cartridge with the use of a "moon clip". There was also a .45 ACP cartridge with a rim like a revolver cartridge manufactured for this revolver. I suppose it made sense from a manufacturing standpoint to produce a .45 ACP cartridge with a rim rather than produce moon clips.
I also realized that you've all digitized the German Nazi swastika. Since we fellow Americans have these Neo Nazis that exist in New York. Texas definitely has a Nazi detention center. What you didn't do is digitize the Soviet communist hammer and sickle insignia. You didn't also digitize the Japanese Imperialist insignia. It's amazing that Alaska was always a neutral American state. They're just like Switzerland. 🇨🇭 😔 😳 😍 😭 🤧 🇨🇭
Forgotten Weapons has a video about the WWI era British contract Colt 1911 chambered for the Webley .455 semi-rimmed cartridge, which states they were still in service with the RAF throughout WWII.
My Uncle Johnny landed on Normandy three days after the invasion, as he fought through the Bocage a lot of handguns were collected US and German.
He said most were immediately confiscated by Officers and SNCO's especially German weapons.
He related a story of an Officer who kept after him to give him his .45 1911A1 until he said he would get it to him, he took the spring out and damaged to extractor then gave the Officer the pistol.
When I was a Marine you did not carry a handgun unless it was issued and no enemy weapons were allowed.
My father (425 Sqdn ground crew Cpl refueling section 1940-1945)) was in North Africa. The story is that while out on a motor cycle jaunt he came across a shot-down German aviator who pulled a Luger on him and took him back to the RCAF station as a POW, then surrendered himself to authority. My father got the Luger c/w holster & extra barrel and the block stamped 1916 (a re-issue or an heirloom of the Luftwaffe pow). Was a treasure in our family till the time war-heirlòoms' guns were made illegal in Canada. She secretely disposed of it to keep me out of trouble. May be sitting at the bottom of a river bridge in NB, waiting for a future archaeoligist to make sense of the discovery.
Love how the Canadians did such a great job during the war but today's Canadians are no longer trustworthy to handle weapons, so had to hand them over.
WOW, that was really informative. I have fired the Colt 1903 and 1911 as well as a 9mm Luger. (a rare bird). All of these firearms are fascinating and have amazing stories. Thanks for sharing.
My brother was Weapons Tech in RAF in the 80's and 90's. Whilst at Brüggen, he had the option of an SLR or Browning Hi Power, as his standard armament. Lugging the long SLR around under a Jaguar whilst bombing it up, was a pain, so he opted for the Browning. He loved it!!!!
Jon, I think your brother was pulling your leg (as brothers do)! I was also at Bruggen in the eighties and the aircraft technicians (including plumbers), didn't carry any firearms, not even on exercise unless he was unlucky and ended up on station guard duty in which case he was issued the SLR. Only three trades ever trained to use pistols in the RAF; the regiment (so they could train the other two trades), aircrew who didn't use the browning ( think they carried the Walther in those days) and the police for main gate security duties. There were no pistols held in the station armoury, a small number held in the security squadron armoury inside the nuclear weapon storage site. You'll have to get him back proper, he's been winding you up for years!😅
@@SteveDonaldson-r5k Great I was wondering why an aircraft tech was having to consider his choice of weaponary for his day job. Internet era, everyone was a commando and packing in the NAAFI appartently, being a former RM Commando Im severley disappointed by how my actual service compared to how Im told it was on social media.
I have a .40 S&W Browning Hi-Power and a 357 mag S&W 3" Detective Special. Both are perfect for concealment and have massive stopping power.
I saw here in Norway many years ago some Astra 7,63 Mauser clones with 20 round fixed magazines with Kriegsmarine and SS marks on some of them. Sadly just collectors could get them . They were used up here during the war, and was fine pieces.
Almost everyone still loves the 1911. The best looking handgun ever made imo.
I’d love a documentary on sidearms in the ww1 and 2 how it changed tactics and strategy in warfare at the time.
The Chinese loved the C96. Unlicensed variants were also produced by warlords to fire .45 ACP cartridges. Chinese officers and NCOs in WW2 also used a variety of sidearms such as the Browning Hi-Power, M1911, and the Smith and Wesson Model 10 revolver to a smaller extent than the C96.
My great grandfather got his hands on the FN Model 1910. My dad still has it now. Has the German production stamp
I think the fact that there were so many copies, licensed and unlicensed alike, of the Colt 1911 is a testament to how good that gun was.
Also yes, the Husqvarna that made the m/40 is indeed the same Husqvarna that makes chainsaws and string trimmers today.
Mark, love your videos! This one is also nice as it gives an interesting overview. However I think you are not correct on the Dutch using the Browning high power. After the war they did but during the (short) war in may 1940 they mostly used the Revolver M.73 and Browning Model 1910 / Model 1922.
Excellent presentation. It's difficult to fit everything on the subject of WWII side arms in a single episode of reasonable length, but if you make a second episode on this topic, the Colt 1903 is an interesting topic. It was a popular arm with the OSS; Japanese officers purchased quite a few of them for their side arm; Colt made shipments to Japan right up until the attack on Pearl Harbor. A certain number of them came back with U.S. GIs, but, unless one knows the history, the only way one can usually determine that a pistol had originally gone to Japan is by getting a Colt Archive Letter to get the original shipping information (the same with pistols originally shipped to the OSS). Prime Minister Hideki Tojo used his Colt 1903 to attempt suicide just before he was arrested for war crimes in 1945.
In Germany are today mainyl 4 typs of private gun licenses: a)hunter, b) professional sportshooter, c) job use (police, security, etc.) and d) collector. I have a hunter license wich which entitles me to own 2 handguns and unlimited long guns (rifles and shotguns). I already have two handguns, but a hunting friend who passed away left me his Luger pistol. I went to the police and asked for a gun license supplement for collectors. The officer was critical at first, but when I showed him the Luger he was thrilled and immediately extended my firearms license.
That was so interesting as well are the comments. Thanks!
Very good video as always. However, the Norwegian Nagant revolvers were not russian produced but rather Swedish and some Belgian Nagants adopted in 1893. These were not the gas seal type. And also the P210 pistol was produces by SIG. Sauer & Sohn had nothing to do with this weapon.
Firearms are also great fun in recreation. They're about so much more than just killing.
Many air crews and pilots continued to carry revolvers. This was frequently seen in Vietnam when many chopper pilots would holster little .38 revolvers.
Brill Vid again Dr Felton. Always a pleasure watching and learning from you.
Alvin York carried a 1911 as an NCO. The movie was not allowed to show him using the Colt so instead they showed him using a captured Luger.
Excellent video!! Im glad you touched on the reputation of the Type 14. It's actually a wonderful pistol if used with proper ammo as you said!
The US issue Colt 1911 .45 is the coolest looking semi auto pistol ever made.
J Browning + CAD + 3D metal printing would of been EPIC beyound EPIC
I always remember what my Sargent told me before my tour in Vietnam. The only purpose for a pistol is to fight your way to a rifle.
I find it interesting that James Bond always used either the Beretta or the Walther PPK (did I get the initials right??), at least he did in the books. And from memory even after he was asked to change to something different he insisted on carrying them and using them all the way through - although it's been many many years since I read them. Which suggests that the author thought they were both very very good weapons - and he would have known. Thank you for this, although the guns shown aren't the exact same ones he used it's interesting to see some idea of how they would have looked in reality.
Riding a train into Germany, 1980, the 'Kontrol' officer checking pasports had a P08 Luger on his hip.
Mark, you're amazing mate - sorry, thank you Dr Felton.
Wow Browning really was so impressive as a designer it's easy to forget he passed away nearly 100 years ago, the Hi power could be mistaken for a 80's + pistol. his DNA you see in so many modern designs. imagine what he could have done with modern tools ( as in CAD ) and metal 3D printing.
Awesome, extensive n informative upload. Cant say enough ur archival films n still pics of the actual weapons. Interesting manufacturers copied some version of another pistol. Kudos. Always looking forward to ur next one. Peace
Speaking of the french pistol, in the legion we had the PA50, and would hold challenges, 100 meters, those that hit got a crate of beers from everyone one else
"Mom can we have a Mauser C96?"
"We have Mauser at home"
"Mauser at home: 6:38"
Most Chinese officers field grade and above usually carried Colt M1903 or Browning M1900, as the Mauser C96 is quite large for conceal carry.
Browning Hi Power is one of the best pistols of all time imo. I also like the ppk a lot being a Bond fan lol.
My wife's sidearm in the British Army was a Hi Power. She really liked it, she used to strip it, clean & re assemble in her beret blindfolded.
@@russcattell955i : So that's why you always did the washing up, without question. Lol
The Radom Vis 35 is a great pistol, a double stack magazine away from matching or beating the Hi Power
Greasing the the cartridges and magazine on a Nambu are unacceptable good sir Mark. No other arm that I am aware of requires that.
The Germans in the field weren't particularly impressed with the accuracy of the Walther P-38 when compared to its predecessor, the Luger P08. "Nine shots and one well-aimed throw" was the darkly humorous joke that some users associated with the pistol.
If i had only three choices of these. First, the M1911, then the HiPower, and finally the P38
Hi Mark,
I don't know why you had "Standard C96" marked on the footage of my episode, that was indeed a Schnellfeuer, I just used it in semi-auto mode...
Hungary actually had another Frommer designed Pistol, the FEG (FEMARU) 37M which the Germans also used and renamed the Pistole 37(u)
My grandpa’s got a Star Model B! It’s a really good shoot
I have 3 Tokarev pistol variants, a Romanian, a Yugoslavian and a genuine numbers matching Soviet TT33 made in 1935, according to my research they switched from the TT30 design to the TT33 design in late 1935, which would make sense for my pistol. my serial number is 48xxx, so I'm wondering/thinking if it's one of the first 50,000 produced.
Thank you for uploading the interesting topic.
Republic of China Army and Comunist China Army used foreign pistol. They also used pistol captured from japanese army.
After Japan surrendered to Allied power, weapons from japanese army were used in asian (Korean, China, Indochina and Indonesia).
Regarding Polish pistol, note that Radom is the name of the city where the designing & manufacturing factory is (still) located. The name of the pistol was Vis wz.35, where ws. stands for “wzór” - design, type and Vis comes from Latin’s “power”, “force”. It’s just a side note for this interesting and valuable material, as always on your channel 👍🏻
A 9 x 18 Makarov used to be one of my carry pistols. Light, powerful enough with jacketed hollow points, and easily concealable. I probably fired over 5000 rounds through that pistol of both the cheap, corrosive ammunition from China and high quality self defense ammunition for carry and never had the first problem with the pistol. As a carry weapon you can safely carry it with a chambered round since the safety slides a steel bar between the trigger and its home. Chambered carry is with the pistol half-cocked. Thumb the safety off and double-action.
In my opinion the only negative of the pistol was its blow back function. The 9 x 18 might be a bit heavy for that perhaps? Stock spring would generally send the spent cartridge a good 10 meters on a good day. I kept the spring and replaced the stock grips for my big hands.
In the mid-90s I paid about $140USD for it and it was the best $140 I ever spent on a firearm.
Greetings,
Very informative as analysis as always! I noticed you forgot to mention the Smith&Weason Victory model also carried by US Service members during the WWII.
Dr. Felton pronounced the name of the Russian revolver as I did for years, that is, Nagant as a censorious parental sister. Then I found Nagant was a Belgian so the final "t" would be silent. Then I saw a detailed picture of the revolver and Cyrillic letters showed the Russian name of the revolver is NAGAN. The silent "t" is not even used in writing.
New revolvers were made by the Russians in .38 Special caliber up to at least the 1960s. These were for competition pistol shooters. Finally at one of the Olympics the Russian team showed up for qualification with their .38 Nagants. But on competition day they used new Smith&Wessons. They had brought the old design as gamesmanship.
Nagant designed his pistol with the unique feature that the cylinder was pushed up against the barrel when it was cocked. Normal revolvers have a tiny gap and this loses some pressure.
According to a Polish informant who was a cavalry officer into WW2 when that became obsolete, Czarist officers had a game of hide and seek with the Nagant revolvers. Now understand that the Nagant used an underpowered .30 caliber cartridge with little stopping power. So here's how the game worked. At an officers club party after drinking enough vodka a large wager would be made. One man would take out his Nagant and the lights would be put out. The other officers would hide. One by one they would call out and the one with the pistol would try to shoot him by sound location. It was a lethal version of hide and seek.
Id love to see an allied and axis smg episode! So many weird ones.
Walther P38 is the coolest hands down... its literally a prototype M9 (my favorite pistol)
The best in documentary. ❤️
Radom production ended because after the Warsaw Uprising, the Germans moved the production line to Steyr in Austria. At the end of the war, the Red Army stripped the factory and there was no tooling left.
Excellent episode!
More of these!!! Love this video.
I didn't know the Radom - beautiful gun!
15:41 "the wowser"
Ah, Inspector Gadget's sidearm!
The Bergman breyard is 9mm largo I believe.
Mark, feel free to reach out too me next time you do a firearms video for WW1/WW2. I have access to most everything in this video and could have gotten you not just pictures but firing footage too.
Nice summary, got most of them.
11:14 is what I was waiting for!
Many, many years ago the UK had a gun amnesty whereby citizens could hand in (to the Police) guns they had 'laying around the house' unwanted. I was in the Army, and we were tasked to go around police stations collecting them for disposal. Armed convoys being an military responsibility in Britain.
I can't do justice to some of the "war" souvenirs we collected, some of them were works of art, they'd been looked after very well. I handled all sorts of them. We had Mousers (I think), where a wooden buttstock doubled as a holster, in mint condition that really should have (and I hope did) end up in museum collections. Lugers, Walthers, and some beautiful rifles. No machine guns, I guess they were not the kind of souvenir that was collected. Japanese Katanas (yes I know not a gun, but handed in anyway).
It was an experience that has stuck with me. I think because it spoke to the kinds of men who served and collected the weapons, each of which had been really well cared for.
The standard Hungarian sidearm was the newer frommer 37M I thought and you forgot the CZ 38 for Slovakia.
Well done video, but I can't believe that you didn't mention the Hungarian FEG 37M pistol. I think that probably saw more use by the Hungarian in WW2.
I have shot several 1911 pistols in .45 and a 1913 BPU Luger. I much prefer the 1911. The Luger is amazing but harder to shoot accurately.
Forgot the Femaru or FÉG 37M, a .380, Hungarian semi-automatic pistol based on a design by Rudolf Frommer. You mentioned its predecessor. The Frommer Stop, and I gotta say the Stop is probably the ugliest pistol in the video, and the M37 is beautiful, like a quaint 1911 clone. I bought one a few weeks ago, great cheap surplus pistol, got mine for $190.
It was the SIG P210, produced in Switzerland in swiss quality- these are the good ones, „SIG Sauer P210“ are the ones produced the last years, these are the from Germany (totaly overpriced)
Great review,
Any news about Kaiser's swords that Mark promised ?
A collab with Forgotten Weapons would be awesome!
Mark and Ian in the same room, doing a video with guns?
That might also produce cold fusion, I love it.
My grandfather took a German Luger off a dead SS soldier.
Good job
Thanks from Poland for that.
And whats the relevance?
So did they all according to grandsons everywhere.
Every Luger and Walther PP/PPK came off a dead SS General or Colonel 😂
I have my grandads 1911 .45 from ww2. He was an army medic.
It is NOT Radom Vis. 35 or Radom 35 but according to the manual it is " PISTOLET VIS wz. 35".
The name "Radom..." it is mostly used by Americans who got problems with correct names.
Supurb documentary. Thank you!
Odd that The Kingdom of Hungary, should use a different model and caliber to the Imperial Austrian Army. Technically, the two realms were joined under Emperor Franz Joseph, who was styled Emperor and King.
My experience with the Type 14 Nambu has been good, reliable, points naturally and recoil is low because of the small caliber, the cartridge is bottlenecked and I have never heard of anyone trying to use another cartridge other than 8mm Nambu, I don’t think greasing the cartridges would be a good idea, mine worked reliably with clean dry ammo
M1911 and it's derivatives are still being issued to various police department and military forces around the world including USA.