MEU 1911. 45: the legend lives in the hands of today's marines

American Handgunner, July-August, 2004 by R.E. Brown

This pistol is the same one some friend/acquaintance/annoyance has probably told you he knows most certainly, positively, and absolutely does not exist--a current issue US military single stack 1911.45 ACP automatic pistol. But it does exist. The Marines issue a 45 automatic to their MEU(SOC) personnel.

The Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit (The MEU) is an expeditionary intervention force capable of combat operations in virtually any environment. Each MEU is deployed aboard Navy ships as part of the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and may be a member of a carrier task force. A MEU normally consists of a Battalion Landing Team. the Ground Combat Element (reinforced battalion), a composite aircraft squadron (the Air Combat Element) and a service support group (the Combat Service Support Element). This unit comprises approximately 2,100 Marine force projection personnel. We are talking about the tip of one of America's swords.

The involved 6-month pre-deployment training process for each MEU culminates in a formal "special operations capable" (SOC) evaluation and qualification test prior to its 6-month sea deployment. Scenarios for special operations capable Marines include, but are not limited to: In-Extremis Hostage Recovery, Seizure/Recovery of Offshore Energy Facilities. Specialized Demolition Operations, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, Seizure/Recovery of Selected Personnel or Material, Counter Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Visit, Board. Search and Seizure of Vessels. Not simple missions and not for those being faint of heart or less than highly motivated, well trained, well equipped and well-lead. But hey, they're Marines.

The MEU(SOC) 1911 .45 Auto is the pistol these especially qualified SOC Marines carry. Why? Well, the official answer goes like, "The M1911A1 was chosen for this role ... because of its inherent reliability and lethality ..."

Originally

As envisioned in the mid 1980s, the intent of the pistol was to provide direct action platoons in the MEU Reconnaissauce company a secondary or backup weapon possessing more "knockdown" power than the M9 Beretta 9mm, and which was more accurate than the standard issue, and fairly old, 1911. The solution was to take the existing stocks of 1911s and armory-upgrade them to do the job.

Each MEU(SOC) 1911 .45 Automatic pistol is hand-built by specially trained armorers in the Precision Weapons Section, Quantico, Virginia. Essentially, each of these pistols is a custom-built, combat grade, fixed sight .45 automatic--and "that guy" said it didn't happen anymore. The frames for the MEU(SOC) pistols are taken from the existing stocks of retired Marine 1911 pistols. The slides, and all the other parts, are a different matter. The Marines procure a more durable "hard" commercial slide as well as everything else from current manufacturers via open purchase or military contract. The beavertail grip safety, grips, hammers and triggers, etc. are quality after market items.

Although the specific parts and the manufactures of those parts have changed over the years (resulting in the pistol evolving slightly), the armorers know what works, and what doesn't.

While the specific parts of the pistols may have changed slightly since the fist pistols were built, the overall configuration of the pistol has basically remained the same:

* Marine flame

* Hard slides with cocking serrations

* A fixed rear sight and stepped front sight, bath black

* Match grade barrel and bushing, fitted

* Competition ambidextrous thumb safety

* Wide beavertail grip safety

* Wraparound rubber grips

* Competition lightweight trigger

* Competition commander-style hammer

* Match grade sear and disconnector

* High quality small parts

* All parts hand fitted to frame and slide

* Parkerized finish

Some of you may be thinking, "That's really not a lot of custom work. Why didn't they do this, or do that, or add this to the pistol?" The list is, simply put, all the Marines feel they need. As one seasoned senior enlisted told me, "It's not a fancy pistol. It's a weapon you give a Marine to go kill people."

Performance Criteria

Aside from safety and reliability, each pistol must fire a 4" X 4" group at 25 yards. The Corps decided it was the largest group they would accept from a pistol of this grade. While not what many might think is gilt-edged accuracy, it is certainly more than adequate. At 25 yards, the front sight on the pistol takes up approximately a 4" swath on the chest of a target. So, if you can hold that group--and these Marines are trained to do so--its plenty good enough for the way these pistols are employed.

The newer pistol has Novak sights, an Ed Brown Memory Groove grip safety and a Wilson Combat barrel. The older pistol has a BARSTO barrel, a Wilson Combat grip safety and high profile fixed sights that you might not readily recognize. The older pistol's sights are a Marine armory special. They include a standard Millett front and an "in-house" Marine-made rear. The rear sight is high, has anti-glare serrations on the slightly undercut top half and an adjustment/lock-down screw in the base of the sight notch. Having looked through these sights several times, it's my opinion these Marine sights are simple, easy to acquire and quite effective.