100 Years of the 1911

On this day today in 1911, the M1911 was patented.

Now say what you will about the 1911 and it's perceived and legitimate short comings, you have to admit that for a basic handgun design to still be in use, largely in it's original form for 100 years says something about the genius and ability of the design. From new gun owners to Military and Police hi-speed / low drag types, to gun collectors, carriers, competitors, the 1911 fills the hands of many of shooters and is still thought of in some circles as "the" handgun to have.

It's no secret that I'm a 1911 fan, and this year is being hailed as the year of the 1911, every maker under the sun is offering a commemorative 1911 celebrating the 100 year anniversary.

Kimber, Remington, Para, Colt, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk Custom, and many others are all offering something special for this year. Colt is even roll marking models with "100 Years of Service" on the slides of 1911s made this year on top of their commemorative models. The two models I'm most interested in this year are the Colt ANVIII an the Ed Brown Executive Elite Centennial Edition  . When you look at the likes of the Kimber and NHC model that Ed Brown isn't too outrageous compared to their other models.

Most likely I'll be ordering a Colt ANVIII, but those Browns sure look nice. Maybe an ANVIII and another Colt with the roll mark are in order...