In 1940, the US military officially named M1911 "Automatic Pistol, Caliber.45, M1911", while the improved M1911A1 introduced in 1924 was named "Automatic Pistol, Caliber.45, M1911A1", and the M1911a1 in the Vietnam War was renamed "Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1 ",during the whole service period, the United States produced about 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 (excluding the production authorized by the allies), which is probably the automatic pistol with the largest cumulative output in history.
M1911 series is also a famous product designed by john browning based on the principle of short stroke recoil of barrel, and its various characteristics also influenced other pistols introduced in the 20th century. In addition to the U.S. military, M1911A1′ s high firepower and good ergonomic design also make it one of the common weapons used by many law enforcement departments, hostage rescue teams and several special weapons and tactical units in the United States. In addition to using M1911, Tacoma Police Station also has Pro Carry II or Pro Carry II HD introduced by Kimber to selectively equip police officers with guns.
The reliability of M1911A1 and Americans’ special liking for .45 caliber make M1911 series equally popular in the private market. Shooting training, competition, personal self-defense, and even IPSC often see the M1911 series or its improved or imitation version. Private owners also like to modify pistols with customized parts. There are also many manufacturers in the American market who produce different specifications based on M1911, such as tactical, competitive and compact versions. It is worth mentioning that the special M1911A1 used by the hostage rescue team and the special weapons and tactics unit of the FBI is Springfield Arsenal.