![]() When 1911s are properly tuned and mated to a good barrel, accuracy is outstanding. As a result, barrel movement out and back into battery is more consistent. 1911-style pistols with rotating links have three points of barrel support: the link, the barrel lugs and the barrel bushing. Like the original FN P35 pistol, these handguns have linkless barrels and lock up at only one point in the slide-the breech. This is mainly due to its barrel and slide interface or lockup. With few exceptions and those guns usually are tack drivers, most polymer guns are considered combat accurate. So, now we have polymer pistols on the same teams that were once the exclusive homes of single action steel guns built to match standards. Currently, HRT operators can choose between a Glock or a 1911 A1 or both. The Springfield XD(M) 5.25 in 9x19mm NATO next to a box of Black Hills ammo and a Glock 34 pistol.This is certainly true for the relatively sanitary conditions of urban hostage rescue or executive protection, but as soon as the sand and crud of Iraqi and Afghan combat were encountered and the accumulating weight of battle dress at altitude and three digit temperature readings were experienced, operators began to leave the steel guns behind and crossed their wire with polymer pistols instead. 45 ACP to help them in their counterterrorist roles. Now the military has an alloy framed pistol that is controversial along with its caliber, but tier one units like Delta and HRT have opted for all steel pistols in. It was as loose as a baby rattle, but accurate enough for the type of combat America has experienced since the Philippine Insurrection. I carried an issue 1911 A1 throughout 32 months of heat, mud, water and humidity of Southeast Asia and with minimal care it never failed me. As a result, these tier one teams have permanently relegated pistols to a support or backup mission and the original accuracy requirements have been further relaxed. Now tier one operators charge through narrow passageways with optically enhanced and often suppressed stunted shoulder weapons in the same caliber as their full size assault carbines. Entry personnel armed with pistols often carried two handguns, embracing the SEAL admonition of “One is none, two is one.” However, in the past several years this has changed somewhat with the advent of personal defense weapons (PDW) and micro carbines in 5.56x45mm. It was especially valued because the pistol literally went everywhere, whereas the carbine or submachine gun sometimes impeded movement in the conveyance’s aisles. ![]() In extremely tight close quarter battle environments, such as aircraft, trains and buses (tube fighting), it was the lead entry and maneuver weapon. It served as both a secondary and primary entry weapon. Initially, the pistol enjoyed a special place among the personal weaponry of the HRT operator. In spite of some comparable accuracy performances during testing and evaluations, the plastic pieces were never taken seriously. At the time, alloy and polymer pistols were gaining in popularity among law enforcement agencies, but were considered inferior to all steel firearms. Basically, the pistols produced for HRT were expensive, limited competition guns with match components and barrels, first in a high capacity and subsequently in the traditional 1911 single stack configuration of eight to ten rounds. Grudgingly, the program’s manager gave in to this argument and the requirement was relaxed to 1.50 inches at the same distance. G 34 has aftermarket TAC-Grip.Although some gun craftsmen claimed that their instruments could meet that requirement, others protested vigorously and pointed out that this level of performance could not be achieved with the then current service load. With the exception of sights, removable backstraps, and grip safety, pistols are similar externally as well as in handling and shooting. ![]() The theory behind that degree of precision is that the more accurate the pistol, the more forgiving it would be when the operator committed a shooting error or was unstable during a hostage rescue shot. When the FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) first wrote the specifications for its first 1911-style pistol, they required that it deliver one-inch groups at 25 yards. Although bred for the various competitions of the action shooting genre, it is the author’s contention that Springfield Armory’s latest polymer pistol, the 5.25 XD(M) in 9×19 mm would perform, with minor changes, equally as well as a SWAT officer’s sidearm. ![]()
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