The Black Army is a New ACW Model: Lead Times are currently 8-12 months
Timeless, enduring, eternal – the Model of 1911 pistol encompasses the manifestation of American distinction and zeal. It has been carried by the American fighting man from the time we rode into Mexico on horseback to planting our flag on the moon- and then some. The M1911 was in holsters at Belleau Wood, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Keh Shan, and Mogadishu, seeing American heartache and triumph alike. It is to us what the sarissa was to the Macedonians, the Gladius was to the Centurions, or the daishō to the Samurai. However, unlike these mentioned historical hallmarks, the 1911, and the American Empire it helped forge, live on to this day. And, unlike these weapons, the 1911 is still, and forever will be, the Excalibur of the American fighting man.
THE HISTORY OF THE MODEL OF 1911 & THE GREAT WAR
While the First World War wasn’t where the M1911 first saw the elephant (ever heard of the freakin’ United Fruit Company, nerds?), it would be the conflict that would begin to sow the seeds of its mythology. Trench warfare was a brutal and close-quarters mess, and with the automatic pistol in its infancy, many designs inferior to that of the 1911, failed in the harsh conditions. With the big .45 Automatic, a doughboy dropping into a trench would have a reliable big bore pistol in which he could stop a bayonet-charging Hun with a single shot. An Army Ordnance report claimed that, “The Boche will turn tail quicker before the American pistol than anything else.” He was right, and you can’t convince me that the economic downfall of Germany had anything to do with it!
It is a hero’s gun, with the 1911-pistol being carried by the likes of future president Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Medal of Honor Winner Alvin York. York, with his trusty Old Slabsides, famously captured 132 German soldiers at 1911-point in 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. During the fight at Château-Thierry, Captain Bill Strong, another American soldier, reportedly fired 49 shots out of his 1911, “…and did not think he missed a shot as the Germans were coming over the parapet at point-blank range” –Elmer Keith
“Legend has it Harry Truman unleashed the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima after the power of a nuclear bomb was described as “akin to the 1911”
At the time the Archduke was shot (by another Browning-designed pistol, mind you) in Sarajevo, the United States wasn’t the manufacturing powerhouse she is today. Despite being one of the most industrialized powerhouses in the world, the US was unprepared for the requirements of a global war. As Europe erupted into flames, 1911 production was increased, however pre-war commercial finishing and manufacturing “touches” remained. With the Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico and unrestricted U-Boat attacks in the Atlantic, America would have no choice but to finally go, “over there, Johnnie, get your gun, Get your gun! Get your gun! Johnnie show the Hun! Who’s a son of a gun! Hoist the flag and let her fly! Yankee Doodle do or die!”
The United States’ entry into the Great War meant the creation of the largest army ever fielded in our history, up to that time. At the onset, the U.S. fielded roughly 120,000 men, a number that would swell to 4,000,000 by the war’s end just 19 months later. These men needed supplies, they needed equipment, and most of all, they needed guns. America’s sleeping giant of manufacturing would need to be awakened. By 1917, the U.S. Armed Forces inventoried 75,000 M1911 pistols, but with General Black Jack Pershing saddling up for France, they needed more.
Unlike the great, aged European Powers, Americans have a long-standing history with the side arm. The American man is an independent one, and as such provided for his own protection by way of the personal side arm. We are a country who fought for our Independence with gun powder and pursued manifest destiny with gunpowder- to the American, handguns are damn-near a religious symbol. However, for many militaries of the Old World, the handgun accompanied the officer’s saber as an icon of rank and importance. The difference is clear in the design of European handguns when compared to the large, robust Model of 1911. That, and the 1911 is still being made today and most of you can’t name more Euro-handguns of that time past the P08 Luger.
The American fighting man going to war needed a pistol- and dammit he was going to have the best.
General John “Black Jack” Pershing advocated for virtually all of his AEF troops being issued a 1911, citing his combat experiences during the Moro Rebellion in the Philippines as to the effectiveness of large-caliber side arms. As a Calvaryman, he was brought up with the familiar mantra “every hand a pistolero,” a sentiment proven truthful during his time Indian fighting on the Great Plains of the American West, including against Gerinomo’s fearsome Apaches, where the pistol showcased its merits in the tight, inconvenient fighting associated with cavalry. From Pershing’s perspective, trench warfare wasn’t all that different: confined, awkward, and violent.
By 1917, the Colt’s Manufacturing Company had begun developing ways to, in layman’s terms, “cut corners” in the production of the M1911. Again, the extreme demands of the war had forced the pre-war manufacturing processes to the wayside. Early on, this included a less polished finish, the introduction of what we call the “scallop cut” (yes, “ball cuts” are more original to the first 1911s) to speed up slide production, and, by 1918, remaking the Colt rollmark to include the logo and text in one roll. Known by collectors today as the “Black Army”, these are the guns most famously associated with America’s involvement in the First World War. Those production changes, plus the introduction of Remington UMC’s (who took forever to actually start making M1911 pistols) manufacturing, brought Ordnance’s stock of the pistols from 75,000 to just over 700,000. As the war ended, rather unexpectedly, in 1918, massive orders for M1911 pistols would be torn up on factory floors as the Spring 1919 offensive America was preparing for never came.
Every American should have at least one 1911… and if you only could have one, this would be it.
THE GUN
Inspired by the gun that taught the Hun the taste of .45 ACP, we are honored to introduce the Black Army by Alchemy Custom Weaponry.
The history of the 1911 is intrinsically linked to our nation’s great history. Our role as the global superpower, the true hegemonic power on the world stage, was born – uncontested – with a .45ACP in leather on the American hip. The Black Army is an incredible piece of that history, and we are privileged to bring this gun back to life for you today.
We’ve worked tirelessly to craft some new pieces to bring the soul of the Black Army back into the modern fighting gun, with three new parts developed in-house to capture the essence of the Great War era.
THE HAMMER
Spur. Freakin’. Hammers. We are so back. The spur hammer hasn’t had its appropriate day in the sun in many a moon, but we have brought it back with an absolute vengeance with the Black Army with our very own, in-house designed hammer. This hammer is slightly wider and more pronounced than others on the market, and gives as much of the original spur hammer look as possible, while still functioning with an upswept grip safety. Despite what the M1911’s original manuals say, you shouldn’t be thumb-cocking this pistol.
THE GRIP SAFETY
Our traditional grip safety has been recontured and profiled without the memory bump to correctly match the silhouette of the Black Army. Paired alongside a checkered, flat mainspring housing, you will still be able to confidently defeat the safety.
Note – the currently shown pistol has a slightly longer beavertail due to the nature of prototyping. Production guns will have a shortened and reprofiled beavertail to better compliment our spur hammer design, while still protecting the hand from hammer-bite.
THE REAR SIGHT
Most retro style rear sights fail, on the whole, to capture the profile of the 1911 rear sights of the period. Our new, in-house designed rear sight is damn near the finest option you have to accomplish a sight from the era other than robbing a service pistol of its sight. The new profile correctly tapers at the blade of the sights off of the base. The result is a faithful homage to a classic GI sight. The Black Army comes standard with a black serrated front sight, but I personally recommend tossing on a gold bead to add a smidge of custom flair to your pistol. You’ll thank me later.
THE ROLL MARKS
It’s a point of pride at Alchemy Custom Weaponry to do a damn fine job in bringing the rollmarks of yesteryear back to life, and the Black Army continues that legacy well.
The earliest Black Army pistol retained the Rampant Colt at its original position behind the cocking serrations, something we elected to follow in due course here. Later guns, what might be more commonly called a “Black Army” would move the Colt to the center of the rollmarks to make the slide markings a singular application, streamlining the process. We opted for the deep cut, and kept our Strong Arm logo in the original position, in a retro-inspired smaller profile that what’s seen traditionally on our pistols. Additionally, the frame, behind the trigger, is adorned with our own take on the proof stamp, a stylized “ACW” in honor of the original gun’s markings.
THE STOCKS
Standard on the gun are beautiful double diamond stocks by Herrett’s. They’re one of the oldest names in the game and our favorites, making their classic styled stocks the perfect option to round out this Great War inspired build.
CUSTOMIZING THE GUN
The 1911 is the canvas of the American Fighting Man. A trustworthy platform that has been the parchment on which the greatest gunsmiths of American history ply their craft, even to this day. Men like Jim Wood would rely on the work of craftsmen like Armand Swenson to build them their preferred fighting pistol for wartime service. Wood, as you may recall from our Swenson RestoMod, elected to carry his own custom 1911 over his service .38 Special because of his faith in the caliber and platform. The custom 1911 is the pinnacle of every gun guy’s collection throughout the last century of American history – from the serviceman to the competitive shooter, time and again Old Slabsides reigns supreme.
Unlike our traditional RestoMod series, which serves as our opportunity to pay homage to the greats with our own interpretations of their finest work, the Alchemy Custom Weaponry Black Army is a pistol meant to be customized into YOUR dream fighting pistol (within our drop down menu options, of course).
The gun is available with options – and ample of them.
It’s a question I receive almost daily, “where should I send my old Colt to be customized” and while the answer isn’t a hard-stop, “you can’t”, it’s not much further from that. Most shops aren’t accepting work like this anymore, and the shops of old have died out with their original masters. That is the basis of our Black Army concept- giving you an opportunity to have the classic, custom 1911 of your dreams, without wearing out the phone book trying to find somewhere to send your old Colt. However, with the Black Army, you won’t need to worry about a ‘smith having to “fix” the gun before he starts customizing it.
Our mission with the Black Army was to create a canvas worthy of your holster for generations to come, something that could be molded or modified to your liking. Maybe you love the base gun, and want a heavy shooting pistol that pays tribute to the Great War era – easy day. Perhaps you want something with a bit more 1970’s competitive flair, so you want a checkered square guard, ring hammer, etc – simple enough. Or, maybe you prefer a more modern approach to your defensive handgun – we’ll even add on an optic cut to this one for you.
Like the GI guns of old, the Black Army is here to serve as the base of your dream gun build, only with the modern techniques and craftsmanship of our incredible gunsmiths handfitting every single USA sourced, USA manufactured, steel piece.
The 1911 is the American Excalibur. It’s time to pull yours out of the stone.
NOTE: This is NOT a RestoMod. The Black Army is a new, standard product offering from Alchemy Custom Weaponry. Available for ordering now.
$4,195
To order your Black Army 1911, select your options using the form below. We will contact you after your order confirmation for your FFL information once your pistol is complete and passes final QC. Sales tax will be added for orders shipped to PA , IN or NC.
NOT available in CA or MA
Welcome to ACW, where we make 1911s the old-school way. Someone in the Government has decided you need to be over 21 to even LOOK at our pistols. Also, some crazy Europeans deem it necessary to tell you our website uses cookies (not the chocolate chip Variety). Well, are you over 21, do you agree to have our cookies (we don’t share them with anyone), and are you READY to feast your eyes on the greatness of John Moses Browning?
