Special
Operations.Com
Pistols
Offensive
Handgun Weapons System (OHMS)
MK23
Offensive Handgun
Pistol,
.45 Cal., M1911/M1911A1. John M. Browning
designed the M1911 in response to the Army's need
for a pistol with greater stopping-power following
the Army's experience with close-in combat during
the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1901). The M1911A1
model recoil semi-automatic adopted in 1926, was the
standard personal defense weapon carried by officers
and team leaders of all services during World War
I, World War II, and Korea. Production was ended in
1945. The M1911 has a rich military heritage, was
very reliable, and the weapon of choice for use in
close quarters. It was used up until 1984, when it
began to be replaced by the more modern M9
9mm pistol. The M1911A1 .45 cal. pistol is a magazine-fed
semi-automatic recoil-operated single-action hand
gun. It uses a .45 cal. rimless cartridge in a seven-round
magazine. It fires one round each time the trigger
is squeezed, once the hammer is cocked by prior action
of the slide or thumb. This design is referred to
as "single-action". The thumb safety may
only be activated once the pistol is cocked.
Pistol,
9mm, M9 Personal Defense Weapon. A semi-automatic,
double-action pistol, the M9 is more lethal, lighter,
and safer than its predecessors. The M9 is carried
by crew-served weapon crewmen and by others who have
a personal defense requirement, such as law enforcement
personnel and aviators. It replaces the M1911A1 .45
cal. pistol and the .38 cal. revolver.
