The Colt M45 is fitted with a National Match Barrel which yields very good accuracy. I shot this group at 20 yards, standing, freestyle. I was fighting a nasty flinch from all the function testing earlier.
Earlier this week, Hilton published a series of articles that gave us a detailed look at the Marine Corps’ new M45. This begs the question, how does it shoot? Those of us who’ve been around the 1911 platform know it is a finicky gun that requires a dedicated end user and strict maintenance schedule if it is to be relied upon. Many 1911 style guns on the market won’t even work well out of the box. So how does the Marines’ new 45-caliber pistol fare?
As seen in the above video, the Colt M45 passed the first portion of the 1911 Extractor Test with flying colors. I then proceed to run the pistol through the 10-8 Consulting 50-round Function Test Protocol. This consists of running the gun through various courses of fire, including slow fire, rapid fire, speed/emergency reloads, etc., and is designed to push the gun to its operational limits within a reasonable round count. Before you ask for the protocol, we don’t publish it online for a simple reason: without putting the test in proper context, the results are meaningless. Not only are we looking for function, but evaluation of the pistol’s performance as well as ejection patterns and other characteristics. Anyway, the important part is that the M45 passed the test with flying colors. That’s a good sign. Most Colts will do this out of the box, which we’ve found unusual for most manufacturers. In our courses, around three-quarters of the pistols in the class fail this test. And many of the guns in the class are very expensive custom guns from various shops.
The M45 was easy to shoot and had a very usable trigger from the factory. The sights were well regulated and most importantly, the gun worked, which is somewhat unusual for most 1911s.
As with most factory Colts, the gun was quite accurate. As seen in the top photo, I managed a decent sized group (maybe 2.5 inches) at 20 yards, standing offhand, while fighting a gnarly (yes, I just used that word) flinch, likely developed from the function test as well as testing of the dual recoil spring system that I shoved into a Colt Rail Gun. I will revisit accuracy testing at a later date when my trigger finger decides be more cooperative. Regardless, no amount of accuracy will make up for poor reliability, and I am heartened to see that this M45 worked without needing any intervention.
My buddies Dean Caputo, Jason Davis and Frank Moody all report similar results with theirs which is good news.
Would or are you guys going to do a 10-8 package with this colt.?.with what you have reported with this new pistol,sounds like a good out of the box shooter.I bet with a 10-8 package it would be even better.
Stay low,reload.
The M45 is extremely similar to the Colt Rail Gun, which also performed quite well right out of the box without any modifications. Given the rarity and extra expense of this gun due to its collector value, I won’t be modifying it. I will, however, be making some minor changes to my CRG, such as sights, grips, and new ambi safety.
The M45 contract gun, outside of the contract delivery, is extremely rare. There is no reason to modify it, as using a Colt Rail Gun as a base is smarter from both a fiscal and collector perspective. I am sure there are plenty of folks who may be horrified that we are shooting these contract guns.
While you don’t publish the test protocol online, is it possible to get it via personal email ? I use and share the extractor test with all my 1911-platform shooters, and find it very instructive. In these days of ammo shortages, while accepting that a 50-round test is not definitive, it would be very helpful.
Alan, as stated in the article, the test protocol loses most of its value without proper context. In our 1911 courses, we discuss the protocol at length and teach students how to evaluate the results to determine if the 1911 pistol is working properly and also how to look for warning signs. Just because a 1911 didn’t technically experience a typical malfunction may not mean it has passed. Realizing not everyone can make one of our classes, I have tossed around the idea of publishing a handbook of some sort, but that is a ways away.
Emailing it out is the same as publishing it. We spend 2 days in our 1911 classes covering the theory and mechanics behind the protocol and the phases in the cycle of operation. To share the protocol without the 2 days of instruction makes it less relevant. Please come to one of our 1911 classes and you can get all the info as we mean for it to be presented.
I’ll be watching the schedule to see if and when you guys come to the East Coast.
I’ve shot the protocol with what I thought was a perfectly functioning S&W 1911 and it exposed some issues that needed to be addressed by the factory.
The 10-8 50-round function test works.
Rob, I remember that gun from class. Did it get squared away?
Sir
Thanks for the thorough review of this weapon system. Simplifies my own internal research and decision making WRT which 1911 I am looking into getting. Your previous articles were insightful and from what I know about Colts, right on par. Would be interested in your training classes you spoke about. Type, focus, length, location etc…where can we find that information?
R/
Keep an eye on the Events section of this page for updated information. I am hoping to add some classes by the end of day Sunday.
Tim, it’s really pretty weird to refer to a “10-8 Consulting 50-round Function Test Protocol” and then give no explicit details.
I’d reconsider that approach.
It’s made you a laughing stock over at the Truth About Guns Blog, just FYI.
I have a feeling the readers and author who criticize us over at that blog-in-question are not in our target demographic. Those who have been through our 1911 program, to include full time firearms instructors, armorers, gunsmiths, police officers, and military folks all understand why it is not simply thrown online. Many writers for print magazines don’t disclose the methods they use when evaluating a firearm for their articles, yet no one questions them. (As an aside, there are some very good writers out there as well. Check out Gunup Magazine.) Compare our frame of reference, experience with the platform, and knowledge base regarding the 1911 to the bloggers that would criticize us and draw your own opinions. If someone doesn’t think our review and information regarding our contract O1070M45 guns is worthwhile, then I challenge them to find another online resource with a more comprehensive review of multiple examples of the actual contract pistol, not based on speculation.
Oh, that blog where a bunch of hobbyists that have never carried a gun for a living, let alone set up actual department protocols and programs give their opinions? Hmmm…. About as worthwhile as me writing about airplanes. Since I like them, I’m qualified to give my opinion, right? SMH…
If anyone knows about being a laughingstock it’s P.T. McCain. How many forums has that guy been banned from? I’m beginning to think it’s more than one person because it’s difficult for one slob to suck so bad.
Of course he reads TTAG. He is probably a contributor. After all, he’s a qualified gun reviewer, and by that I mean he’s got an internet connection.
This 1911 is an overpriced affectation. It’s great that it works, but isn’t it supposed to work? Do you typically do an ‘extraction test’ with a real modern service pistol (i.e. a gun designed in the last 20 years)?
If you have to do a baseline test for every 1911 that a student brings to class just to make sure that it will work for two days then something is wrong with the platform. And it is NOT a good choice for a battle pistol. One man’s opinion.
I just went to this blog, and there’s a side banner that says “Rob Pincus reads TTAG”. If I worked at MSW’s, I’d take “being a laughing stock” has a huge complement.
ALSO: Just read the comments. LOL.
Saying that the “test” is irrelevant without proper “context” means that your test is meaningless in any context.
Why review the weapon if you’re not going to discuss the criteria that led you to arrive at your conclusions? Essentially you’re asking that we “trust you.” This is only my opinion but I for one don’t, not without supporting evidence.
“Under X Conditions Y event happened at Z time please.”
I for one am incredibly interested in knowing, now, exactly what led to the conclusion that this is a superior 1911 design.
At any rate the critical comment that I want to make is, who cares (whether or not every single audience member can infer the “context”)? Your target audience is something along the lines of “people who know about or are interested in” guns. It would be nice to see some mutual respect, put up the information, if readers know what you’re talking about then they’ll infer the context even absent any explanation of it’s importance and if they don’t? Well did you lose time money or health from somebody reading information they don’t understand?
Physics equations are meaningless without context as well and yet I can google just about anything that’s not a national secret and come up with an equation for it, which doesn’t rob physics of its value or diminish the training requirements neccesary to understand the equation.
If you read the article, you’ll see that there is a video showing the M45 passing the 1911 Extractor Test, which is also linked to provide sufficient background. The remaining function test protocol is something we provide to our 1911 Armorer Class students along with two full days of small group instruction, and we will not be giving away something for which these motivated individuals paid. Come to one of our classes and you can get all the context and mutual respect you like.
We are neither saying the M45 is or isn’t a superior design. The modifications were made by Colt to meet contract requirements, which may or may not be what you or I need. As for mutual respect, we spent a lot of time and resources developing the function test protocol and our students paid to receive the information. It is true that we could publish our course curriculum and a detailed explanation on how to evaluate the behavior of the 1911 during the test. But as I’m sure you get paid for your work, we expect to get paid for ours.
I was extremely lucky to pick up an M45 off of Gun Broker. This will not be shot and is probably the last production 1911 issued to the troops. I also have the CQBP version which is my shooter and it came with a 3lb trigger from the Colt Custom Shop. I absolutely love shooting this gun and will be using it in my shooting sports. It is extremely accurate…hats off to Brent, the PWS armorer building them and all of the Custom Shop crew. Thank you
The Marine PWS armorer.