Savage 1911: John Browning's Creation Evolves Again

The 1911 Government semi-auto service pistol has evolved again. Now, more than a century after the .45-calibre handgun first entered U.S. military service, it has come full circle, as Savage Arms begins production of a 1911-pattern pistol.

It's ironic, if you know your handgunning history, because in the original field trials that resulted in the 1911's adoption, Savage Arms had a competing design. Colt's chunky 1911 prevailed over the sleek Savage 1907 prototype, which was also chambered in .45 ACP. While some shooters preferred the Savage for its accuracy and ergonomic design, the prototype pistols in the trials had many problems, and the John Browning-designed Colt 1911 was rock-solid. Savage went on to focus its pistol development on smaller .32 ACP- and .380-chambered pocket pistols, and Colt established the 1911's legend for decades to come.

In the past century, Colt, then Springfield Armory and Norinco and Kimber and Girsan and Armscor and Para-Ordnance and almost every other pistol manufacturer at both high and low ends of the price spectrum has made a copy of the 1911 design. Some were more faithful than others, but the basic design was the same, and so it is with the new Savage 1911. As Savage eases slowly back into the pistol market after years away, we see its take on the most iconic American semi-auto ever made, with this blurb on its website:

"The US Military’s M1911 is now being given the Savage treatment. While the look pays homage to the original, the Savage 1911 is built for hard use. Delivering accuracy and reliability - this is Savage."

Like Savage's new Renegauge shotgun and Impulse bolt-action rifle, the 1911 pistol is not a budget-priced beater.

There are three finishes to choose from: black nitride, stainless or two-tone, and the pistol can be ordered with or without an underbarrel rail. Frame and slide are made of stainless steel, as is the 5-inch barrel (with target crown). Novak low-profile sights come standard. The pistols ship with two 8+1 mags for the .45 ACP version, and two 10+1 mags for the 9mm version. The safety and slide lock are both ambidextrous, and the pistol comes with VZ G10 grips.

In other words: It's a very modern take on the 1911, and very expensive. Pricing ranges from $1,349 to $1,499 for US customers, depending which finish and rail options you select.

With current handgun sales restrictions in place in the Canadian market, most civilians will never have a chance to own a Savage 1911 unless those restrictions change. What about police and security customers? Savage's marketing doesn't say anything about those possibilities, and 1911-style pistols are not as popular with that set as they used to be. More details at Savage's website.