The development of the Model of 1911 began with the U.S. Army’s quest for an effective, reliable “automatic” pistol replacement for the cavalryman’s revolver. After the examination of the first Colt prototype and Bergmann, Borchardt, Mannlicher and Mauser pistols, a more comprehensive evaluation of the Colt, Mannlicher and Mauser pistols was performed in 1899.
The Trials of the M1911
The Trials of the M1911