M9 vs M1911A1

[alwslate]

The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?

 

[Dave Haynes]

The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?

Was that a response to NATO ammunition or was it really better? I don't think the horse expired yet.....

Some AI and regular verbiage on the subject:
The US military adopted 9mm NATO ammunition for its handguns primarily to standardize with other NATO countries, simplify logistics, and increase magazine capacity
. This transition began in the 1980s with the selection of the Beretta M9, replacing the aging M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol.

Reasons for the transition to 9mm
The move to the 9mm NATO round was a strategic logistical decision that offered several operational benefits to the US military.

• Standardization: The M9 pistol was adopted as the official US military sidearm in 1985, formalizing the switch to 9mm. Most other NATO forces had been using 9mm pistols and submachine guns for decades, which simplified the supply chain for ammunition among allied countries.
• Logistical advantages: 9mm cartridges are lighter and less bulky than .45 ACP rounds, allowing a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same amount of weight.
• Higher capacity magazines: The smaller size of the 9mm cartridge allows for higher-capacity, double-stack magazines. The M9's 15-round magazine, for example, more than doubled the capacity of the M1911's 7-round magazine.
• Controllable recoil: The 9mm round has less recoil than the .45 ACP, making the weapon easier for many users to handle and improving shooter accuracy, particularly for less experienced personnel.
  
  
  
  
  
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[rockquarry]

The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?

The question was answered around 1985 when the US Government replaced the obsolete 1911 with the M9. Why continue to beat a long dead horse?

Lots of dead horse beaters here and they never tire of beating the corpses.

 

[crasig]

My father was issued a Thompson in WWII (as a Sargent), But he took his own colt 1911 with him, had a shoulder holster made in England, & wore it from London, North Africa, to Italy. I own & enjoy a couple of 1911 clones. IMO the 1911 was a better design than the M-9, so I never tried one. In 9mm I also prefer Hi Powers. But the 9mm DA/SA CZ-75 design is the one I'd most like to carry in harms way. Very safe to carry with a round chambered, & good round capacity & accuracy.
Even affordable Clones of all my favorites are fine quality.

 

[retarmyaviator]

The M9 was certainly a step up from the WWII vintage Victory model I was issued at Ft Campbell in 1985.

 

[Doug Miller]

It would be interesting to know what 9mm they were using if it were German SMG ammo it would have been 1500 fps hot.
When in VN one of our guys was messing with some Arvns wife and her husband showed up. It was a beer can house but the 1911 round went through the wall hit our guy in the right shoulder went all the way through getting the heart and passing out on the left side. The guy was dead before he hit the floor. Another guy in the next tent over shot himself in the head with a 1911 and it didn't penetrate through his head so......

 

[delta-419]

The 9mm vs the 45acp, something for all shooters. I was serving in West Germany during the cold war in the late '80s at Grafenwöhr Gunner Range when a new water line project excavation broke open a WWII bunker and liberated 32k rounds of 9mm. A "Shootsn Fest" that followed pitted our MP units against the local German Polizzi. I was invited to take part. My first encounter with the 9mm. Like everybody else of my generation , I cut my teeth on the 1911A1. I love long range pistol shooting (100+ meters), that was an epiphany for me. Before I left West Germany I was able to acquire a CZ 75, I fell in love with it. Fast forward to 1989 and PCS to Rock Island Arsenal. At that time the arsenal was rebuilding WWII 1911A1s which were still in service and employed a group of gunsmiths for the job. Several of which had their own shops off post. I had an old Auto-ordance 1911 that was worse then bad. Not reliable! I asked one of the older guys if it was worth the trouble to fix it right. Yes! He took it and rebuilt it from scratch using quality parts (Colt). For 35 years it has never had an FF and is one of the most reliable guns I own. I can not say the 9mm or the 45acp is the best I feel at home with both. As a senior citizen I need more ammo and a 13 round mag feels good. In close quarters my 1911 feels good! A 45 is next to my bed!

 

[K Harris]

The M9 is a beautiful pistol. However, it was always too thick for my hands. I feel the same about most metal-frame, double-stack magazine pistols. The 1911A1 on the other hand feels like it was made specifically for me, so I will give the 1911A1 the advantage. As far as calibre is concerned, it makes no difference to me.