Description:
The .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol M1911A1 is a recoil-operated hand
weapon. It is a magazine-fed semiautomatic weapon, which fires one round
each time the trigger is squeezed once the hammer is cocked by prior
action of the slide or thumb. This design is referred to as "single
action only." The thumb safety may only be activated once the pistol is
cocked. The hammer remains in the fully cocked position once the safety
is activated. (Note: More modern pistol designs of the "double action"
type will allow the hammer to move forward to an uncocked position when
the thumb safety is activated.)
The M1911A1 was widely respected for its reliability and lethality.
However, its single action/cocked and locked design required the user to
be very familiar and well-trained to allow carrying the pistol in the
"ready-to-fire" mode. Consequently, M1911A1s were often prescribed to be
carried without a round in the chamber. Even with this restriction on
the user, numerous unintentional discharges were documented yearly.
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