.45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)
The .45 ACP and its Colt Government Model
pistol hold the distinction of serving longer military careers than any
cartridge/firearm combination ever introduced in the United States. Adopted
in 1911, both were retired from military duty in 1985 when its foe in many
battles, the 9mm
Parabellum, became Uncle Sam's "new" cartridge. After serving faithfully
for three quarters of a century, the old soldier was put out to pasture as
an older and less powerful cartridge took its place.
Even though the .45 ACP is no longer our official military cartridge, it
is more popular today among civilian shooters than it ever has been. And
its popularity, along with that of the Colt 1911, keeps growing in leaps
and bounds despite the introduction of new autoloaders and new cartridges
such as the 10mm
Auto, .41
Action Express and the
.40 S&W.
According to "Front Sight", the official publication of the United States
Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), over 70 percent of its members still
use the .45 ACP in competition. Most of those guns are the old faithful Colt
Government model.
Despite what armchair theorists have to say, the 1911 Colt pistol and the
.45 ACP cartridge will always be one of the premier teams for use in personal
defense situations. That combination is also the single best choice for the
majority of USPSA/IPSC competitors. The .45 ACP is an extremely accurate
cartridge. Recent accuracy tests with three custom Colt comp guns built by
Wilson, Jarrett and Warner produced numerous 10 shot groups of less than
three inches at 50 yards..
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
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