The M1911 served as the standard-issue sidearm for the US Army from 1911 to 1986. Also known as the Colt Government or Government pistol, the 1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic weapon. “Single-action” means that the trigger performs only a single action: releasing the hammer to discharge the sidearm each time the trigger is pulled. It does not perform the secondary action of cocking the hammer. “Semi-automatic” means that the energy of a shot bullet is re-used by the weapon to chamber the next bullet. After a round is fired, the casing is ejected, and a new round is cycled into the chamber. Most pistols manage this via recoil operation, whereby only a portion of the firearm recoils, while another portion is held motionless by inertia. In the case of the M1911, the barrel is kept motionless, while the bolt recoils, feeding the next round into the chamber.

Springfield Armory’s M1903 is a seriously legendary piece of equipment and is about as steeped in history as any firearm you could find. It needs no introduction but is worth repeating that the M1903 saw widespread service alongside American troops throughout The Great War and the Second World War, and survived through the Korean War and into the Vietnam War. Much equipment survives through course of necessity, but the M1903’s rock solid action, dependable performance and powerful, widespread pairing with the .30-06 Springfield cartridge gave it the staying power that made it the icon it is today.