[12guagecody]

for my early american military history class i need to write about a piece of technology that changed warfare and i have chosen the 1911, please help me find helpful articles i would really appreciate it

[Dan Bear]

With it being the 100th aniversary, every single gun magazine has been running op-eds and historical articles like crazy. On another note, the airplane has done a lot more.

[1stmarine]

What changed warfare was not any pistol but the long rifle.

Talk about the muskets and the transition from regular ball to the minie bullet.
That triplicated the range and the accuracy of the long guns. Made a huge difference in the revolutionary war like the 58 Springfield Musket.

If you want something more modern talk about the garand and how that helped win WWII. Paton called it "The greatest battle implement ever devised"

[Rail Driver]

I'd have to agree. While a paper on the 1911 is a great idea, I think that there are other items that changed warfare much more than the 1911 pistol. Smokeless powder, for one. The two-way radio... (as previously noted) the airplane... Antibiotics changed warfare a great deal, as did electricity. The steam engine (and later the internal combustion engine)...

If you're dead set on writing about the 1911, do a google search on the following (without quotes) and you will get a lot of hits (two different searches)

"history M1911 Pistol"

"John Moses Browning M1911"

[1stmarine]

I just don't see how 1911 (a very nice pistol in deed) changed any tactics or made any difference in warfare.
Airplanes, the atomic bomb, the space race and satelites, anything but any specific pistol, electricity (that changed life for everyone no just military), etc...
The rifle is still used today. Like Stalin said the only true power comes from the power of the long rifle.

[12guagecody]

its tough because my professor will not accept a broad subject, but wants one single piece of technology, so if i write about radios i have to write about one specific radio, i just thought that with its incredibly long service life, and the influence the 1911 has had over virtually every pistol after it that it would be a good subject

[TenMillimaster]

You might have a better time writing about the ak47; much more impact there. It's been handed out to combloc companies, armed many revolutions, and was pretty much the first assault rifle. Kalashnikov himself wanted to be a poet, I hear.

[millertyme]

+1 on the AK 47. Although the AR15 could arguably be said to represent freedom, the Kalashnikov certainly has done its fair share to liberate people.

I sold a pistol to a Viet Nam vet who's only confirmed kill during his service was with his M1911A1. Although it made a significant difference to him, I can't picture modern warfare being impacted hardly at all by a service pistol unless that service pistol was the "Noisy Cricket".

The Spitzer bullet, the Minnie ball, rifling, etc. That's where I would put my eggs. Is this something that has to be about early American warfare and technology or is this something about warfare in general.

[Schutzen]

A good topic to look at would be medical technology and its effect on modern warfare. Examine the medial advances from 1860 until today and compare that to the casualty rates of the US Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and South West Asia. In your comparison, look at the figures for Killed in Action, Wounded in Action, and Died of Wounds. The numbers will shock you. Two really significant changes were penicillin/sulfa drugs beginning in WWII and the medical evacuation helicopter beginning in Viet Nam.

[Yoda]

As much as it would be beyond cool to do something related to the 1911, that wonderful piece of engineering was merely a particular application of some well-known physical principles, and the practical effect of the 1911 would have been the same, even if john Moses Browning had invented the High Power in place of the 1911.

But steam engines aboard ships, with screws instead of paddle wheels, now THAT changed a lot. For the first time, ships could sail AND MANEUVER independent of the wind. Naval powers suddenly needed coaling stations around the world to fuel the new boats, and that fact changed history. When the ships converted from coal to oil, that resulted in yet another completely new pattern of colonialism.

But if you're looking for a single, specific piece of technology that changed history, you might consider the Roman Gladius, which made the Legions unstoppable until they met the Parthain Compound Bow, or until the legions ran up against the the more open tactics of maneuver used by Hannibal and later by the Germanic Tribes.

And then there are Little Boy and Fat Man. Say what you want, but they saved millions of US and Japanese lives AND gave us a half century free of global war.

And if you want a gun for your subject, I think Hiram Maxium and his fully automatic machine gun might be a worthwhile subject. His gun and its successors certainly changed the nature of conflict in the First World War, ending millions of lives and setting the stage for an even more tragic re-play only a generation later, and THAT global war set the stage for the next half-century of the Cold War.

Or you could dump the idea of a weapon altogether and think about Penicillin and the technology that allowed it to be mass produced. That also has changed the world for the better, without qualification.

Cheers.

- - - Yoda

[Baba Louie]

Sticking to the 1911, research why was it developed? The cartridge as well as the weapon. What did it (both the round and handgun) replace?

Perhaps a self loading semi automatic design vs. wheelgun o' the day for the US Cavalry?

Cavalry?

Horses?

Hmmmm. A lot of changes around that period eh? Semaphore to radio, black powder to smokeless, horses to automobiles. The Wright Brothers thing...

Good luck on your paper

[Gunnerboy]

Talk about how the 1911 is Americas pistol, and that it has served with us in every war since ww1. you can also talk about how pistols are measure up to the 1911 standard, such as cz75s are sometime compared, same as beretta m9s.

[J-Bar]

The 1836 Colt Paterson was more revolutionary in terms of changing tactics than the 1911....

[Skribs]

The AK-47 is a great choice, or you can explore the M-16, and how it has been changed as tactics change (i.e. change from full auto to burst to prevent spray-and-pray, carbines introduced for CQB, addition of rails as modifications become standardized, etc).

[gbw]

I'd probably use nitrocellulose...EVERYTHING changed after it was invented.

[dannyr3_8]

yes the ak is a much better subject and it made a huge impact on warfare every war since wwii has been effected by the ak

[rcmodel]

It's tough because my professor will not accept a broad subject,Try the invention of Rifling, or the self-contained cartridge case, or smokeless powder, or the machine-gun.

All those changed the way wars were fought, forever to this very day.

Modern pistol designs had nothing to do with anything after the cap & ball revolver was invented in 1838.

rc

[JERRY]

trench warfare.

[youngda9]

Gunpowder

[JustinJ]

I'd venture that the M16 probably influenced future gun design more than the 1911 or AK with its use of small caliber/high velocity ammo that is much lighter than before and its use of synthetic materials. If you do proceed with the 1911 consider what advantages the design provided and more importantly how they influenced future designs.

[dprice3844444]

what about toilet paper instead of leaves

[dprice3844444]

or penicillin/plasma

[wannabeagunsmith]

I think the paper on a 1911 is a great idea. The gun replaced the long- living revolver, the C-96, and other small arms and saved countless lives when the soldier's rifles no longer were useable. I would call that pretty impacting- and it went out of service only a year ago.Other ideas would be the AK47, yes, the plane, and the Jeep as well. That little 4-wheeled machine replaced the horse altogether after centuries of use....that's pretty impacting as well, but I think you have a good idea here :).

[Buck Kramer]

Why not plastic? Glass filled nylon? Bakelite? Not the guns, but what changed guns.

[TenMillimaster]

If there is a rifle that has had great influence, it is undoubtedly going to be the ak-47 and its variants. Of the 500 million weapons available worldwide, approximately 100 million are of the AK family, and 75 million are 47's, according to the World Bank. Approximately 8 million m16's have been built according to COLT mfg.; The NRA estimates about 2.5 million ar15's exist in the US. I haven't yet considered foreign users, or the m4 carbines (or other ar-type weapons in service), but those numbers couldn't possibly hit the 100+ million of the AK.

The AK was also around earlier than the ar15. While the rest of the world was toting battle rifles around, communist bloc countries were issuing the first assault rifles.

[Midwest]

My Top choices would have been

1.Machine Gun
2.Airplanes
3.Self Contained Cartridge
4.Instant Communications (Telegraph/Radio/Radar)

[rcmodel]

communist bloc countries were issuing the first assault rifles.
Unless of course you count the the Germans.
Who were issuing the first true Assault rifle, the MP43, in 1943. Or the Stg44 Sturmgewehr that replaced it in 1944.
Sturmgewehr pretty much means Assault rifle in German.

The AK-47 went in service in 1947, well after the end of WWII.

And the Russians experience against the Germans in WWII had a lot to do with it and the cartridge it fired I betcha.

rc

[David4516]

"communist bloc countries were issuing the first assault rifles"

I agree with rcmodel about the Germans using assualt rifles before the commies.

What about the M1 Carbine? Not sure if it would be considered an "assualt rifle" or not, but if so, maybe it was the first one? Didn't they first issued them in 1941 or something?

Also agree with others that the M1911 wasn't that big of an advancment. Yeah it's an awesome firearm, but I don't think it had as big of an impact on history as some of the other options mentioned by other posters.

Personally, I'd go with smokeless powder as my topic. If that's too general, then maybe the Krag rifle (first US Army rifle to use smokeless cartridges)?

[TenMillimaster]

Unless of course you count the the Germans.
Who were issuing the first true Assault rifle, the MP43, in 1943. Or the Stg44 Sturmgewehr that replaced it in 1944.
Sturmgewehr pretty much means Assault rifle in German.

Yup, definitely right. There's a vast difference in the numbers issued, though, since the nazis thought up the intermediate cartridge late in the war, and hitler didn't like the idea too much either, hence it wasn't the service rifle of nazi germany quite like the AK was for russia. My earliest post says "one of" the earliest rifles.

I was just trying to emphasize that the russians caught on to the idea a little quicker than western countries.

[Gunnerboy]

David4516 -The m2 carbine was an Assault rifle, being able to fire full auto or single and using an intermediate round.

[Strykervet]

Depends on what class you are in. If this is for a college paper, you better look to some of this advice on here. If it is for high school, then look at Wikipedia for a start (although you can't use Wikipedia for academic reference on a college or academic paper).

The 1911 has had the most impact on handgun design than any other, but has had the biggest impact on American shooters, so doing a paper about the 1911 and the civilian aspect of it would be easier. Doing one about the 1911 and military signifcance, particularly for a college paper, will be difficult at best. For a good paper that won't kill you in research anyway.

The atomic bomb has had the most impact of any weapon in history ever. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. LOTS of good info on that, just hit up the library.

You should use library books for references anyway, as the internet isn't really considered academic, but is more often used for secondary resources, emotional pleas, and images for papers. You'll get a better grade by limiting your internet resources, particularly this forum and any others like it. Don't use it in your paper, but you can use it like you are now with no proplem, getting suggestions and what not.

[Bobson]

Undoubtedly, there are a huge number of potential topics, and the 1911 probably isn't the most influential piece, but its still an excellent topic.

Talk about the new technology and design that Browning used that made the 1911 so different from others at the time. Discuss reasons the 1911 is still so popular - despite newer, "better" tech and designs. You can also talk about why Browning was looking to create a better weapon, as Baba Louie suggested, along with the weapon the 1911 replaced.

The possibilities are just about endless. Nothing wrong with the topic at all.

Also, wikipedia is an outstanding resource for academic papers, just use it properly. Spend all your time browsing the actual resources listed at the bottom in depth, rather than the wiki page itself.

[rcmodel]

We could argue the point that the .30 Carbine cartridge is an intermediate round as used in assault rifles I think.

But regardless of that, the M1 Carbine was designed from the get-go to replace the pistol.
Not to be an assault rifle, which it wasn't, even in M2 form.

rc

[Bobson]

But regardless of that, the M1 Carbine was designed from the get-go to replace the pistol.
How could a primary weapon have been designed to replace a sidearm? That doesn't make any sense.

[SARDiver]

DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.

You flat out asked others to find articles for you. It is lazy and unethical. Also, if your posts are anything like your papers, I would take some time to proofread.

[Strykervet]

Undoubtedly, there are a huge number of potential topics, and the 1911 probably isn't the most influential piece, but its still an excellent topic.

Talk about the new technology and design that Browning used that made the 1911 so different from others at the time. Discuss reasons the 1911 is still so popular - despite newer, "better" tech and designs. You can also talk about why Browning was looking to create a better weapon, as Baba Louie suggested, along with the weapon the 1911 replaced.

The possibilities are just about endless. Nothing wrong with the topic at all.

Also, wikipedia is an outstanding resource for academic papers, just use it properly. Spend all your time browsing the actual resources listed at the bottom in depth, rather than the wiki page itself.
I'd just like to see the kid turn in a good paper. I wish more students were interested enough in a subject to come online and ask for insight about it. Good job OP, and good luck on your paper.

Unlike many of you who went to school for job, I went to school JUST to learn. I am already disabled, I just wanted the education the government promised me. So I went without an intention of getting a degree and took tons of indepth courses with almost no basket weaving. All of my physical and health requirements were waived due to service. I still don't have a degree, but that is because if I finish off the basket weaving, I have to either pay for it myself or start on the Phd stuff. I am only a few classes away from a major in mathematics, statistics, philosophy, and, believe it or not, writing, literature, and art history (which in fact DO count as basket weaving for the math classes, but the math doesn't count as basket weaving for the non-scientific ones, I am over credited on those). I am also well versed in physics and could qualify for a minor there. I love academia, I love the arguement. Pure and simple.

And if my physical problems due to service weren't so invasive in my life, I'd have that Phd now and be teaching homological algebras or complex analysis at the UW (probably the latter, I am an analysis junkie). As it is, I am happy just to know what I know and not be worse off than some other brothers at the VA.

Wikipedia is NOT and outstanding reference! There is a difference between a cited reference and a general reference to material. A cited reference for an academic paper needs to be trustworthy and peer reviewed. Wikipedia is not that, although it is true, some of the references at the bottom are good. Particularly the books and journals.

Wikipedia is user content regulated, I have looked info about a Dutch painter, Vermeer, and found some swill about him having sex with his mother. That is NOT academic material, trust me.

If you used this paper at the UW classes I attended or the research writing class I took before the university at a local college, you would have gotten a C if everything else was stellar. The research writing professor wouldn't have even accepted it, so you could just call it an F there. Just not worth it when you can get an A just by REMOVING Wikipedia! And not even changing the paper much!

I've written several papers and my lowest grade was an A. I got a 4.0-3.8 in all my writing and literature classes, and I was a math major (where I got 3.6, should be a writer I guess). I'm not stepping down on this one.

Also, trying to write a paper WITHOUT using Word is good. Using Word will reinforce bad spelling, it doesn't catch everything, and it can't catch syntax errors. If you are preparing for college, try doing the rough draft on notebook paper. Your papers will turn out better in the end, trust me.

Like I said, the 1911 is a good subject, but it may be a more difficult subject. If that doesn't deter you, go for it. I wrote a political paper on Bush, the war, and the complicit activity of the oil trade and no bid contractors. It was VERY difficult to turn a passionate idea into a stellar and coherent academic paper. Not that it was a bad idea, but it was a difficult idea.

1911: Not a bad idea, but difficult.

Atomic bomb: Not a bad idea either, and relatively easy. Reinforcing ideas in the paper will be easy.

Planes, trains, and automobiles: Same thing. The train is an often overlooked implement that completely predicted the outcome of WWII. It couldn't have been won without it, at least not as fast as it was.

The tank also changed history significantly. We had evolved into trench warfare, but the tank shattered that pretty fast. The first trench was outside Chattanooga if I recall, the last REAL trench was WWI. Didn't last long, huh? Fast foward today, the tank is now a chesspiece asset on the battlefield, and due to current fighting requirements (a heavily armed, well outfitted, large and traditional military vs. a lightly armed and crude hodgepodge force) the Stryker has evolved from it, and tanks aren't just for tankers anymore. Infantrymen run Strykers, not tankers (although we did have a tank unit in the beginning to teach us a few things, but their main job was busting other tanks).

[Strykervet]

If the kid is 12, you'd feel pretty stupid telling him that to his face.

Nothing wrong asking what he did, if I was writing a paper, I would probably come on here and ask the same thing. It happens on here from time to time, and I try to help when I can. Education is very important, and I think it should be included in the Bill of Rights, because without it, you don't even stand a chance in this world today.

Coming on this forum to ask about reference to articles fine. Using this forum AS a reference isn't. Besides, you are all supposed to be gun nuts, who else would you recommend he ask?

Also, when searching for reference and using the internet, use the "scholarly" results in Google. You'll get much better results that way, and much of that stuff CAN be used as a reference (but you still don't want all internet stuff).

My suggestion, if you choose the 1911, is to find books from each decade since 1911, so ten in all at least. For the 60's, "Small Arms of the World" is a good one. Note how the descriptions change from being a new introduction to being an icon. How did this happen? When did it happen, what year was there a big shift?

[JustinJ]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rcmodel
But regardless of that, the M1 Carbine was designed from the get-go to replace the pistol.
How could a primary weapon have been designed to replace a sidearm? That doesn't make any sense.

Noninfantry units, such are artillery crews, and officers were often issued side arms instead of infantry rifles such as the garand. M1 carbines became replacements for said side arms to allow for more fire-power if needed.

And just because the first assault rifle was select fire doesnt make that a requirement to meet the definition. The only feature that was new about the first assault rifle was the intermediate cartridge.

[TenMillimaster]

Maybe we should try to stay on topic.... >.> Enough about what is/isn't an assault rifle and who was first. I was just trying to make a suggestion.

I would try to do your own research, 12Ga Cody, whatever you write on. Janes infantry weapons would be an acceptable scholarly resource for you. I'm not sure where else you might find scholarly sources; I'm sure your teachers would agree that the columns written by the authors of Guns&ammo and online websites are scholarly sources.

[SARDiver]

If the kid is 12, you'd feel pretty stupid telling him that to his face.

Nothing wrong asking what he did, if I was writing a paper, I would probably come on here and ask the same thing. It happens on here from time to time, and I try to help when I can. Education is very important, and I think it should be included in the Bill of Rights, because without it, you don't even stand a chance in this world today.

Coming on this forum to ask about reference to articles fine. Using this forum AS a reference isn't. Besides, you are all supposed to be gun nuts, who else would you recommend he ask?

Also, when searching for reference and using the internet, use the "scholarly" results in Google. You'll get much better results that way, and much of that stuff CAN be used as a reference (but you still don't want all internet stuff).

My suggestion, if you choose the 1911, is to find books from each decade since 1911, so ten in all at least. For the 60's, "Small Arms of the World" is a good one. Note how the descriptions change from being a new introduction to being an icon. How did this happen? When did it happen, what year was there a big shift?

A couple of things. He mentioned a "professor". Unless he's studying at Hogwarts, he's not 12. He's a college student, as high schools don't often use that honorific. If he were 12, I would have the same message, but a softer tone.

Second, much of the process of writing a paper involves finding the suitable sources. He didn't ask for input or ideas here. He asked for articles to support his topic. THAT is the main portion of the work involved, and he was (and is) trying to pass it off to other people who are doing their best to be as helpful as possible.

Education IS very important, but this young man isn't asking to be educated. He's trying to take the path of least resistance and make his life easier.

I will give this piece of specific advice (and forgive me if someone else offered it up earlier): He will need to show how it changed warfare, which means doing actual research on the state of warfare before the introduction of that pistol. I would look for the design criteria/specs the Army Ordnance Dept looked for, and why they were what they were. I would also look at casualty rates in engagements prior to the 1911 introduction and explain how they changed.

[SARDiver]

One last point...I agree with others that the 1911 did not change warfare. Neither tactics nor strategy were effected by that weapon in particular.

Rifled barrels, spotting scopes, breach loaders....these things changed warfare. The 1911 did not.

[Tim the student]

DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.

You flat out asked others to find articles for you. It is lazy and unethical. Also, if your posts are anything like your papers, I would take some time to proofread.

This.

[browneu]

I'm going against the grain and will suggest the Gatling Gun.

You can research as to why.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

[230therapy]

Tanks
Artillery (especially arty that may be aimed)
Naval cannon (rifling anyone? Brits vs. Spanish)

Heck, talk about the history of the disciplined military formation from Roman times through Swiss pikemen.

Check out Victor Davis Hanson's work. I'm currently reading A War Like No Other.

[beatledog7]

I agree with many responses in that no single firearm has changed warfare as profoundly as other more general technologies. Iron forging, the internal combustion engine, the airplane, gunpowder, wireless communication, the pneumatic tire ... the impact on warfare of the 1911 or any other single piece of hardware pale in comparison to these.

If a single specific piece of technology, down to the model number, is truly required, consider the German V-1 buzz bomb. As the first effective long-range unmanned missile, it truly changed the way we look at fighting a war. AND it counts for affecting American history because the US was faced with helping find a way to counter it.

[545days]

The proximity fuse. Invented during WWII, so secret they were used only over water until the battle of the bulge. By sensing the fired shell's proximity to the target, it ensured detonation at the optimum distance to maximize the lethality of shell fragments. It revolutionized the accuracy of both air defense artillery as well as traditional artillery.

[ssbn642]

I vote for the Polaris nuclear missile. Of course I'm biased as I was a Missile Tech on a boat.

ICBM's changed how and WHY war would be conducted.

Research on submarine launching platforms should produce quite a bit of information.