The Longest Serving Handgun in the World

This video was made possible thanks to everyone on the Simple History Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simplehistory The Colt 1911 is more than just a pistol—it’s a legend. Designed by John Browning and adopted by the U.S. Army in 1911, this .45 caliber powerhouse proved its worth in the Philippines, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Rugged, reliable, and battle-tested, it became the sidearm of choice for soldiers, law enforcement, and gun enthusiasts worldwide. Over a century later, the 1911 remains one of the most iconic firearms in history. Check out our other Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPdc6bs3I8s6Y4QE_3g3MZw Discord server: https://discord.gg/JZsPQXHeYC Become a Simple History member: https://www.youtube.com/simplehistory/join Copyright: DO NOT translate and re-upload our content on Youtube or other social media. SIMPLE HISTORY MERCHANDISE Get the Simple History books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Turner-%60/e/B00H5TYLAE/ T-Shirts https://teespring.com/stores/simple-history-official-merch Simple history gives you the facts, simple! See the book collection here: Amazon USA http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Turner/e/B00H5TYLAE/ Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Turner/e/B00H5TYLAE/ https://www.facebook.com/Simple-History-549437675141192/ https://twitter.com/SimpleHistoryYT Further Reading: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Philippine-American War." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 1, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Philippine-American-War. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Spanish-American War." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 2, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-American-War. Gross, W.H. “Colt’s Model 1911: An American Classic.” NRAFamily.org. June 23, 2023. https://www.nrafamily.org/content/colt-s-model-1911-an-american-classic/ Campbell, Dave. “Colt History: A Look Back at the 1911.” AmericanRifleman.org. March 7, 2011. https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/colt-history-a-look-back-at-the-1911/ Miskimon, Christopher. “The Colt 1911.” WarfareHistoryNetwork.com. 2022. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-colt-1911/ Engen, Scott. “The History of the 1911 Pistol.” Browning.com. January 24, 2011. https://www.browning.com/news/articles/historical/history-1911-pistol.html?srsltid=AfmBOopa9_SNKEfLHKUZzzd6UPR5C29NuFUz93MXOPUx6rULUIu17eSh Sharpe, Matthew. “M1911 .45 caliber Pistol.” The Army Historical Foundation. https://armyhistory.org/m1911-45-caliber-pistol/ “Obscure Object of Desire: The Kongsberg ‘Colt’ Nazi 1911 Pistol.” TheTruthAboutGuns.com. July 4, 2020. https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/kongsberg-colt-nazi-1911/ Page, Tim and John Pimlott editors. Nam: The Vietnam Experience. New York: Barnes and Noble Limited. 1995. Credit: Simple History Creator: Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London) Video Directors: Lav Velimirovic, Ognjen Jovic Script Review: Peter Turner Script Writer: Igor Jurisic Narrator: Chris Kane (https://vocalforge.com) Artists: Fiona Phan, Selma Belegic Animators: Nancy Bhalla, Krishna, Guillermo G. Caasi. Jr, Ravina Bheda, Rommel Ponferrada Editor: Artem Dobrohodov, James Dowse Thumbnails: Fiona Phan Senior Production Manager: Umar Ijaz Simple History Channel Manager: James Dowse