Model No. 1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Caliber .50 GI, Model No 1. | |
|---|---|
 A Model No. 1 handgun with a spare magazine and two .50 GI rounds |
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| Type | Pistol |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vic Tibbets |
| Manufacturer | Guncrafter Industries |
| Variants | Model No. 2, M1911 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 2.5 pounds lb (1,134 g) |
| Length | 8.5 in (216 mm) |
| Barrel length | 5 in (127 mm) |
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| Cartridge | .50 GI |
| Action | Locked breech, semi-auto |
| Rate of fire | Semi-automatic |
| Muzzle velocity | 875 ft/s (267 m/s) |
| Effective range | 75 yd (62 m) (FM 23–35 of 1940) |
| Feed system | 7 rounds (standard-capacity magazine), +1 in chamber |
| Sights | Heinie, fixed, 3-dot Trijicon |
Guncrafter Industries' Model No. 1 (Or M1) is a variant of the widely popular M1911 handgun. John Browning's 1911 .45 ACP has been used for many cartridges over the past 97 years. In every instance the cartridge used a bullet that was the same size diameter or smaller than the original .451". Both the Desert Eagle and the LAR Grizzly have been offered in cartridges of .50 caliber. Both are large cartridges requiring a large, heavy pistol.
The Model No. 1 is basically an M1911 with external dimensions the same as a standard 1911, however it fires a .50 GI round. Although the Model No. 1 is the same size externally, the slide will not fit on a standard 1911 frame as other modifications have been made to accept the .50 GI barrel and slide. However, it is possible to covert the Model number one to .45 ACP, as a .45 ACP conversion unit is available for the .50 GI frame.
The .50 GI is not in the magnum class and works at the same pressures as the .45 ACP. The cartridge uses the same rim size as the .45 ACP and a .45 shell holder can be used for reloading. This new brass is made by Starline Brass and is slightly shorter than a standard .45 ACP. The magazine well in the grip frame has thinner walls than a standard M1911 to accommodate the .50 GI's wider magazine, and the flame feed ramp is contoured with a more open radius for the fatter .50-caliber bullet. Both are machined from heat-treated forgings, and the Model No. 1 hammer and sear are machined from tool steel.
[edit] The Model No. 2
In 2006, Guncrafter Industries introduced its 1911 Model No. 2, which sports a full length light rail/dust cover and is chambered for the 50 GI cartridge. Both the M1 and the M2 can be fitted with Guncrafter Industries' .45 ACP conversion unit, the .45 ACP magazines hold 8+1 rounds.
[edit] See also
- M1911
- .50 GI
- Colt Manufacturing Company
- Browning Hi-Power
- List of pistols
- List of handgun cartridges
- List of .50 caliber handguns
[edit] References
- The fightin' .50 GI.: for those who only use a .45 because a 50 isn't available. by John Taffir. Guns Magazine 51.9 (Sept 2005): p44(4). From InfoTrac OneFile.
- Gun Crafter Industries
