Some folks just never liked the 1911A1. I knew folks that made excuses not to carry them. One officer claimed the ammunition his unit was given would bounce off the pressed card board targets, if it even made it there. His unit was attached and used ammo We had access to.
When I drew from that same lot, even his broken open cans we had no bouncing bullets and none that failed to make it to the target line......go figure.
I had an Officer assigned that insisted his was defective and jammed every shot......also his hits at 7 yards were all over the paper which demonstrated his pistol was wildly inaccurate, he said. As this weapon was from my arms room and on my range I took it and rapidly fired 5 rounds into the head of a target at 15 yards, offered him his choice of any other 1911A1 and he stormed off.
Even when they paid attention there were folks that had them selves so convinced the issue 1911A1 was some sort of monster they just could not shoot a minimum score.
One of my best school friends, even though he joined the Corps rather than the good old US Army, just could not shoot a 1911A1 for beans. Before he left on a med cruise once he asked me to find him a 1917 revolver. As it was I found two, one of each flavor thinking I would buy the one he did not. He shot those old guns well. He also bought both and in keeping with the original topic, he carried them both to Spain, Italy and Greece where he attracted a great deal of local attention with them.
As an Officer I carried in the early 1980's a "POW" (Privately Owned Weapon) most of my time in 3rd Armored Division in Hanau and out training. Mostly and initially I carried a Colt Series '70 Mark IV .45 ACP in a 1911 style cav holster with the swivel and leg strap. I also carried at various times and ways a P7, CZ75, and P1 (P38).
As enlisted it was more difficult for me to actually carry though I did carry that same Colt S70MkIV for a bit when tasked with payroll guard and such and totally off the books carried a Pietta 1851 Colt .36 C&B revolver with Round Ball on a few patrols around Pershing missile sights. I knew EM that carried a few guns when they could get away with it. My own Squad leader carired a Walther PPk in .32 most any time we went away from the barracks,( and we were only there over night 27 times my first year) nd sold it to another NCO when he found out he could not take it home.) Several Officers carried pistols not issued, I knew young LTs that carried a Browning High Power, a Made right across the river P38 Commercial, and Star B model light weight with Beta Sights (this last was the first tritium sighted gun I ever shot in I believe '74)
When I was at Ft. Sill for Artillery Cannon Battery Officer Course I carried an un authorized knife, but two other Prior Service Mustangs carried pocket pistols, one a .25 and the other a .32.
It ain't necessarily by the book, and it can get you in serious trouble but folks used to do it a lot more than many would believe.
-kBob
