Colt firearms have a long history stretching back to 1857, where the Colt name began with the Colt single-action revolvers. But the development of the Colt 45 ACP round changed everything. From the beginning of the 45 ACP cartridges, they were designed for better penetration and less felt recoil. With the design of the Colt 1911 pistol, this new cartridge was proven not only effective, but reliable. After that point the government took a contract for Colt 1911 pistols as the new service pistol of all branches of the Armed forced.

The legacy continued until the 1980s, when the Cold War came to a bittersweet end, and the military adopted the Beretta M9. Many people felt the switch was politically motivated for the servicewomen of the armed forces, and that the 1911 pistol should remain in service. Despite the fact the 9mm round follows suit with the development of the 5.56 NATO round, thus making the average soldier able to carry more ammunition.

Despite the position of the federal government, many specialized military forces later adopted 45 ACP pistols for the takedown power they required. But the 1911 pistol is still alive and kicking. The 1911 pistol was adopted by a number of law enforcement agencies, as well as civilians around the country. In spite of the military’s position, most veterans still choose the 1911 pistols over the Beretta M9.

The Colt 45 ACP pistol is still making waves, regardless of the failed development of the “smart gun” which was made in the 1990’s for police officers to be the only ones able to fire their weapons; the technology simply was not there at the time of this innovation. With Colt losing money on the research and development, they contemplated the direction they would pursue to hold on to the business.

After a great deal of planning, development, and lost money, Colt Arms decided the 1911 pistol was their golden goose, and it is still one of their highest-selling firearms. Despite the lack of military contracts and over a dozen companies producing 1911 firearms, Colt is still on top of the 1911 market. Setting the standard for 1911 pistols, from World War I specs to custom 1911 pistols, Colt has all aspects covered.

Considering the price, Colt Arms pistols are not the cheapest, with a price tag in the eight hundred dollar area for most 1911 pistols, but the sheer quality and name is what keeps people coming back to Colt. Even to date, the Colt 1911 pistols are unable to meet the high demand for their pistols, which shows how truly popular the Colt 1911 pistols have become.

All things considered, Colt has really stood the test of time. When challenged with new technology and innovation, it’s amazing to see an over century old design still has the civilian market lured to the quality and precision of Colt Arms. This fact alone is a reason you can see a majority of 1911 pistols owners use only Colt 1911 pistols, despite the price and availability.