His primary weapon had been ruined during vicious hand to hand fighting.
Not wanting to endanger his comrades, Sergeant Baker asked for a 1911 pistol containing eight rounds of ammunition.
When last seen alive he was resting with his back against a tree in a jungle clearing.
The Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec is shown on the right. On the left is an original 1944-production M1911A1 bearing the sweetheart grip my wife’s grandfather carried through two years of combat in Europe.
When American forces later assaulted through the area they discovered Thomas Bakers lifeless corpse.
Sergeant Bakers posthumous Medal of Honor stands in profound testimony to unimaginable personal courage.
pistol he carried is an American icon.
TheSpringfield Armory 1911 Mil-Specis a slightly modernized reproduction of the classic military handgun generations of American soldiers used to free the planet.
The competition came down to a two-day torture test, winner take all.
A single example of each gun fired six thousand rounds.
When the guns got hot they were simply immersed in water to cool them off.
The ejection port on the 1911 Mil-Spec is lowered and flared for improved reliability and friendlier ejection.
The other had thirty-seven stoppages.
John Moses Brownings 1911 had none.
After more than 2.7 million GI-issue pistols later, the M1911 has formed the foundation of modern pistol craft.
Even more than a century after its introduction the 1911 still has more than its share of rabid acolytes.
I am one of them.
An entire industry orbits around customizing John Brownings timeless hogleg.
The wood grips sport the Springfield Armory logo. All the controls are classic GI standard.
In addition to the fancier sort, Springfield Armory also fills that need.
Overall the Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec is typical 1943.
There are no extraneous grooves on the slide, and the hammer is a classic spur.
This contiguous five-shot group printed from the back of a chair at seven meters is pretty typical. The 1911 Mil-Spec shoots plenty straight.
The gun weighs 39 ounces, just like Brownings original, and the barrel is a full 5 long.
The gun is finished in a pleasing dull Parkerizing.
There are indeed a few nods to modern technological evolution.
The Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec hearkens back to a better time and is simply great fun on the range. It would also render yeoman’s duty as a home defense arm.
The sights are about the same size as the originals, but they now feature three white dots.
The grips are a beautiful walnut with the Springfield Armory crossed cannons logo.
The biggest departure, however, is to be found in the ejection port.
I have an original 1944-production M1911A1 that is a jewel in my personal collection.
The difference is obvious at a glance, but most normal folks wont care.
This does make the gun perform much better on the range while enhancing reliability.
How Does She Run?
The single-stack, seven-round magazine keeps the grip comfortable for most American shooters with normal-sized mitts.
The slide-to-frame interface slides like greased glass.
The trigger is indeed shorter than those on custom guns, yet it nonetheless feels familiar and tight.
The three-dot sights are much easier to acquire than the tiny unadorned G.I.
Recoil is manly without being uncomfortable, and the controls fit me like my favorite pair of broken-in boxers.
Combat reloads will channel your inner Audie Murphy.
Ruminations
John Dillinger carried a gun like this.
So did my wifes grandfather.
Armed professionals continue to slay dragons with theirs even today.
Springfield Armory makes reliably awesome guns.
The overall effect is retro gold.
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