Great Looking U.S. Made GI 45: Auto-Ordnance M1911A1

By Chris Eger

Auto-Ordnance’s 1911BKO has been on the market for a couple of years and is among the best choices for those looking for a well-made “GI 45” that is produced in America and doesn’t break the bank. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
AUTO-ORDNANCE 1911 NEW FROM $508
Those searching for a good deal on a standard GI-style 1911 should look at Auto-Ordnance’s American-made offering.
What is a true M1911A1, anyway?
Adopted as “Pistol, Automatic, Caliber .45, M1911,” in 1911 after an extended period of trials and competition that saw handguns submitted not only Bergman, Luger, Savage, Webley-Fosbery and others, John Moses Browning’s semi-automatic .45ACP handgun was the U.S. military’s “Government Issue” pistol for 75 years.
The M1911A1 series, a standard introduced in 1924, utilized several modifications over Browning’s original GI long slide of the Great War-era. These included a shorter trigger with a relief cut to the rear of the guard, a longer grip safety spur, thicker front sights, and an arched mainspring housing rather than the M1911’s initial flat housing. While legacy models were subsequently reworked in Army arsenals at Springfield, Rock Island, Anniston and Augusta, a process that typically included picking up a parkerized finish over the original blue-to-black finishes, new guns ordered after 1925

Source: Guns.com