Post by kanowarrior on Mar 23, 2011 13:45:33 GMT -5
This is an article from the American Rifleman printed 100 years ago.
.45 Automatic Replaces The Revolver
That disturbing and vexing question which has so long interfered with the peace of mind of our military authorities, of what should be the hand arm of the services, has at last been settled.
Not alone has it been settled but by the nature of the decision which, in its effect, substitutes as the service hand arm the Colt automatic pistol, caliber .45, for the Colt revolver, caliber .38; but it has been settled in our opinion in a way which denotes progress.
As this paper has often declared, the automatic pistol for military use – given a weapon developed to a satisfactory condition of reliability – was bound to come. It was only a question of time.
Most of those interested in the subject and all readers of Arms And The Man during the past four years are familiar with the history of the case. A Board of distinguished officers appointed to try out various and all forms of automatic pistols and revolvers submitted to them found the Colt’s and Savage automatics the best and decided upon caliber .45 as the suitable size.
All necessary details in relation to the whole subject will be founding our columns next week. At this time just as the moment of going to press we are able to say that the board of officers conducting the last competitive trails and Springfield has reported in favor of the Colt’s as more satisfactory for the purposes in mind than the Savage. Both pistols were found suitable for military use and both were considered superior to any other automatic pistols or any form of revolver heretofore known. All the rest that may be said about the case we shall tell next week.
(March 1911)
.45 Automatic Replaces The Revolver
That disturbing and vexing question which has so long interfered with the peace of mind of our military authorities, of what should be the hand arm of the services, has at last been settled.
Not alone has it been settled but by the nature of the decision which, in its effect, substitutes as the service hand arm the Colt automatic pistol, caliber .45, for the Colt revolver, caliber .38; but it has been settled in our opinion in a way which denotes progress.
As this paper has often declared, the automatic pistol for military use – given a weapon developed to a satisfactory condition of reliability – was bound to come. It was only a question of time.
Most of those interested in the subject and all readers of Arms And The Man during the past four years are familiar with the history of the case. A Board of distinguished officers appointed to try out various and all forms of automatic pistols and revolvers submitted to them found the Colt’s and Savage automatics the best and decided upon caliber .45 as the suitable size.
All necessary details in relation to the whole subject will be founding our columns next week. At this time just as the moment of going to press we are able to say that the board of officers conducting the last competitive trails and Springfield has reported in favor of the Colt’s as more satisfactory for the purposes in mind than the Savage. Both pistols were found suitable for military use and both were considered superior to any other automatic pistols or any form of revolver heretofore known. All the rest that may be said about the case we shall tell next week.
(March 1911)
