[Chindo18Z]

Sinister: PSYWAR, we at the AMU are going to bring the six M1911"A2" pistols we have been prototyping for USASOC to Tampa on the 7th of December.

The common line is a Caspian light-rail frame, stainless steel match barrel and bushing, extended thumb safety, lanyard loop, flared loading well, and Ed Brown beavertail...

The options include one of five different suppressors, operator-option sight (adjustable Novak Combat with glow-in-the-dark/day fiber optic dots, or Bo-Mar with the same options -- they quick-fit in the dove-tail); different finishes (Bear Coat; NP-3; some other different ones, between black, grey, and coyote); internal or external ejector.

Sinister: Some thoughts (from the peanut gallery) on selling your 1911 concept to higher...

1. Don't make the mistake of getting lost in the weeds over tricked out guns.
1-10th SFG did this and wound up not getting anything. Every SME in every Group has an opinion; debating Kimber vs. Springfield vs. Colt vs. Wilson vs. Caspian will just get the project derailed. Don't get locked into a death spiral over brand loyalty or special feature minutia.

2. Remember that the real bottom line is...THE BOTTOM LINE $. If AMU can produce & support (maintenance-wise) enough pistols to equip the force, I'm all for it. Better still, let AMU honcho the specs, then contract the weapon out to firm/s (not necessarily Crane) which can mass produce. You are going to need well over 10,000 weapons to equip USSOCOM units. Every nice to have (but gratuitous) feature will drive the cost up...

3. Remember KISS. The 1911A1 rep was built upon caliber, reliability, durability, user repairability in the field, excellent speed/accuracy of SA first shot, and acceptable combat accuracy. Build a "race gun" and everything will suffer except for caliber & accuracy. Don't build a target pistol. With a .45 ACP 1911A2, accuracy and lethality will take care of themselves. As the Democrats might say (in a different universe): "It's About the Reliability Stupid...".

4. I agree with including Light Rail, Beavertail Safety, Lanyard Loop, and Beveled Magazine Well. Having said that, consider:

Things To Not Include:

a. National Match Barrel and Bushing: NOT. STICK WITH A STOCK STAINLESS BARREL AND STANDARD BUSHING. A well designed 1911A2 of recent manufacture would provide more than acceptable accuracy for 98% of our shooters while staying inside of slop parameters required to ensure absolute reliability in the field. Everyone seems to have forgotten this virtue (which was inherent in the A1). Next thing you know, someone will want to peen the rails, tighten the slide, and do action jobs on all the guns.

A newly manufactured WWII spec gun, with a standard barrel & bushing, decent grips, and some MODERN sights, will put them in the X-ring out to 25 meters. The object is to keep this level of accuracy while retaining the ability for an 18B to replace parts in the field (without gunsmithing) AND ensure reliable cycle of function in all environments and terrain. If you hand me an IPSC game gun to haul over to Absurdistan, I'm probably going to throw it back at you and just take the damn M9.

Before anyone interjects that certain USSOCOM units have a higher accuracy requirement than Group, NSW, STS, 160th, CA, PSYOPS, and RGR RGT...keep in mind that they have in-house assets to build and maintain their guns. We are trying to arrive at a reliable tool which will inhabit the arms rooms and holsters of the average ODA (or USN Platoon). Let's face it...most of our guys are not really pistol competitors, gunsmiths, or handgun afficiondos. When it comes to handguns, most are journeyman as opposed to experts and would as soon read MAXIM as COMBAT HANDGUNS. They regard their weapons as tools and will pretty much do well with whatever is issued (through exceptional training, lots of ammo, repetitious drills, and mindset). Attempting to provide enhanced accuracy, while commendable, is a disservice to a guy who now needs a barrel wrench to disassemble/clear his tightly hand-fitted and sand-filled weapon. Anything which requires Depot or Manufacturer Level maintenance is a detriment to accomplishing the mission. Company Armorers will have neither the skills nor the parts needed to hand-fit new National Match Barrels to mated bushings. Emphasize marksmanship fundamentals (rolled into proper combat firing techniques) in lieu of mechanical improvement to POTENTIAL accuracy.

b. Adjustable Sights: Adjustables are of dubious utility. One more thing to break. Ensure the weapon shoots POA w/ 230 ball. Optional heights for dovetail front sight if different weight bullets become standard. High visibility, low profile, plain black Novaks would suffice. Tritium dots look like railroad flares thru night vision devices. I have read good things about the Novak adjustables w/ tritium but would want to see some serious torture testing before committing to them.

c. Extended thumb safety: DON'T GO THERE. I've carried cocked and locked 1911s for almost 30 years (military & civilian concealed, military CQB assault carry, vehicular ops, airborne ops, waterborne ops, winter warfare, desert ops, mountain ops, jungle ops, and countless woodland patrols). I've used most types (if not brands) of holsters throughout this period. Whether wearing a suit coat, driving a car, rolling over the lip of a window frame or roof parapet, crawling through concrete rubble, low crawling across a forest floor, or blasting out of a C-130...extended thumb safeties are a BAD idea. They tend to disengage while in the holster. Ambidexterous extended safties are even worse. The standard safety that JMB put on the gun is fine (with the knurling found on the early model 1911A1s). CQB Operators can reach the OME safety just fine as is (even while wearing NOMEX gloves).

d. External Extractor: WHY? (Besides cheaper for manufacturer). One more place for little gritty things to enter the action. One less thing that can be replaced or tweaked by the operator while deployed. If it ain't broken...leave it alone.

e. Gucci Finish: You could lose a lot of $ cost $ by losing this as an issue. Parkerization worked pretty damn well for 80+ years. If the color coordination of my Gucci Kit is really a concern, spray paint works fine (you should see my raggedy looking Safariland 6004 or my M4A1). If the enemy is close enough to detect the color of my non-concealed holstered weapon, I've got other concerns. The only thing I expect my opponent to see of my 1911 is a large black hole before I kill him. Matte Gray or OD phosphated finish would be fine for all environments (with the obvious exception of needing black sights). Stainless is good, but covered up in gray/OD finish (like SIG 220 or Glock)

f. Alloy Frame: NO. I loathe every extra ounce I am forced to carry. I'm already going to have to carry more ammo weight in .45 rounds and magazines vs. 9mm. However, my gut experience tells me that we (SOF) will wear out aluminum framed guns much earlier than advertised by whomever builds them. I'd say stick with all-steel frame and avoid looking for replacement handguns 10 years from now. I used to carry an all-steel 1911A1 to the field; I'll willingly do it again.

Additionally, overall accuracy will decline for most guys due to the loss of recoil-dampening weight in an alloy gun (especially in compact version).

g. MIM, Cast, Plastic Parts: While we are on the subject, ABSOLUTELY NO MIM OR PLASTIC PARTS. ESPECIALLY EJECTORS, SLIDE STOPS, FIRING PIN STOPS, EXTRACTORS...

h. Front Slide Serrations: Tits on a Boar. Save the $ and lose 'em.

Additional Things to Include:

a. Stippeled Front Strap: YES. Otherwise, everyone is just going to put skate board tape across the bow anyway...

b. Figure out a bomb-proof spring set-up that can handle .45 +P or .45 Super. The latest SNL (as you know) requires this. Make it work without FLGRs and silly-ass shock buffers. Standard bushing.

c. Optional Arched Steel Mainspring Housing. Some of us old farts prefer them

d. Throated & Ported: YES. One of the few justifiable improvements to the original design besides sight replacement. Probably already thought of but I didn't see it listed.

Looking at all that I have written above, I'm essentially describing something like the Springfield TLE. Any good brand will do. Just make sure that it will go bang everytime and anywhere. Keep It Simple Stupid. Functional and Lethal...Not Pretty.

Well, opinions are like you know what and YMMV. I wish you well in getting us a 1911A2. I would really love to resurrect my favorite war-horse but won't cry if the new pistol winds up being an HK or SIG. Good Luck in December!