M1911 .45 Caliber Pistol
![](https://dev.armyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cia-1024x672.jpg)
In 1906, Army Ordnance publicly released their specifications to gun manufacturers eager to land a government contract. At the time, the only effective automatics were 7.63mm or 9mm pistols, neither of which had the desired stopping power.