Monday, March 29, is the 99th anniversary of the legendary 1911
semiautomatic pistol designed by John Moses Browning.

The 1911 .45 was the standard U.S. military sidearm for most of a
century until the mid-80's when it was supplanted by the Beretta M9
9mm, partly because 9mm was/is a standard NATO munition, partly
because the M9's were cheaper to manufacture and partly because it
reduced training costs since learning to shoot a 1911 well takes
longer than learning to shoot a 9mm. The M9 is an accurate pistol,
quite easy to shoot well, but spec ops who can have whatever sidearm
they want sometimes opt for a 1911 because a .45 hits harder.

The 1911 is a classic, still very much in demand today. There are
dozens of companies currently making 1911's including majors like
Springfield, Kimber, Para and Taurus and more elites like Wilson
Combat etc. One can buy a new one for as little as $500, or a
hand-made custom for well north of $3K and the makers of those are
backlogged for over a year. Essentially same design, finely crafted.

How many designs more complex than a paper clip are still so viable a
century after conception? The zipper might be one, but I think the
list of other candidates is quite short.

The M2 50-caliber machine gun that JMB designed is still in active
service with U.S. forces. The man was a genius designer.

Attitudes toward firearms vary and I respect that, but I submit that a
designer of this rare level of accomplishment is worthy of note by
readers of a metalworking newsgroup.