John Moses Browning’s .45 caliber pistol, was adopted by the U.S. military in 1911 replacing various revolvers. The M-1911 remained in service until 1987 when it was replaced by the 9mm Italian Beretta designated as the M-9. Many did not see this as an improvement.

Pistols are a support weapon and most Soldiers are not trained to use handguns. One of the results of the ongoing wars is a giant improvement in military handgun training. This World War II era training film shows the how the Army trained soldiers to use the M1911 in combat.

It took guys like Jack Weaver and Jeff Cooper to bring us the modern pistol technique. It took Bill Rodgers to teach the FBI to shoot with two hands. A lot of other great instructors have moved the ball down the field since then.

A big thanks to the guys at VDMA: youtube.com/ptmccain