MEU(SOC) pistol

Infobox Weapon|is_ranged=yes


caption= MEU(SOC) pistol with SureFire weapon light, Gemtech lanyard, and Strider Gunner Grips
name= Pistol, Caliber .45, MEU(SOC)
type= Pistol
origin=flagcountry|United States
designer= Trained Weapons Training Battalion armorers at the Rifle Team Equipment Shop/USMC Precision Weapons Shop [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_8_54/ai_n27506051 The MEU .45: the 1911 soldiers on.] Retrieved on September 19, 2008.]
design_date= 1986 [ [http://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_pistol_m1911.php3 Olive-drab.com's M1911 M1911A1 Pistol.] Retrieved on September 19, 2008.]
prod_design_date=
serv_design_date=
used_by= United States
wars= Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan
spec_type= Semi-automatic pistol
part_length= 5.03 in (127 mm)
cartridge= .45 ACP
feed= 7 rounds (standard-capacity magazine), +1 in chamber
action= Recoil-operated, closed bolt
rate= Semi-automatic
velocity= 830 ft/s (244 m/s)
weight= 2.437 lb (1,105 g) empty, w/ magazine (FM 23–35, 1940)
length= 8.25 in (210 mm)
variants=
number=
range= 50 meters

The MEU(SOC) pistol, officially designated Pistol, Caliber .45, MEU(SOC), is an air-cooled, magazine-fed, recoil-operated, single-action, semiautomatic handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. It is based on the original M1911 design by John Browning, and has been the standard-issue side arm for the Force Recon Element of the United States Marine Corps' Marine Expeditionary Units from 1985 to today. Its National Stock Number is 1005-01-370-7353.

History

In the late 1980s, USMC Colonel Robert Young laid out a series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs.Johnston, Gary Paul.(2004)"One Good Pistol", "Soldier of Fortune Magazine", December 2004, 62-67] cite book |last=Clancy |first=Tom |authorlink=Tom Clancy |title=Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit |year= 1996|publisher= Berkeley Trade|location=Berkeley, California |language=English |pages = 64,79-80|isbn=978-0425154540 |]

In 2002, an article in "American Handgunner Magazine" stated that "Marine armorers from the Precision Weapons Section, MCBQ" are making 789 MEU (SOC) 1911's. The revised parts list included barrels, bushings, link pins, sear springs, ejectors, firing pin stops, mainspring housings and mainsprings, all from Nowlin Manufacturing. Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides came from Ed Brown. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties.Citation
last = Hopkins
first = Cameron
title = Semper FI 1911 - Industry Insider
journal = American Handgunner
issue = March-April, 2002
date = 03/01/2002
year = 2002
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_200411/ai_82533214

] A Marine operator may shoot as many as 80,000 rounds from this pistol during a training-cycle and subsequent deployment. However, it is more common for a Marine to return the pistol to the PWS at Quantico for a rebuild after 10,000 rounds have been fired.Citation
last = Brown
first = R.E.
title = MEU 1911 .45: the Legend Lives in the Hands of Today's Marines
journal = American Handgunner
issue = July/August 2004
date = 07/01/2004
year = 2001
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_170_28/ai_n6040330/pg_2
doi = 03/04/2007] A rebuild entails discarding almost all of the gun's parts except for the frame, which prior to 2003 was a U.S. Government frame last manufactured in 1945. The frame is inspected and reused again if it is still within military specifications. There are frames in the USMC inventory that have had as many as 500,000 rounds fired through them.

The Officer In Command of the Precision Weapons Shop in 2001, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ken Davis, stated that the M1911 is "the only pistol that can stand up to this use".Citation
last = Rogers
first = Patrick A
title = Strong Men Armed: The Marine Corps 1st Force Reconnaissance Company Part III Section 2
journal = The Accurate Rifle
volume = 4
issue = 4
pages = 47
date = 05/01/2001
year = 2001
url = http://www.forcerecon.com/strongmenarmed3.htm
doi = 03/04/2007]

However, as the U.S. Marine Corps began its process of hand selecting members from its Force Recon to be submitted to USSOCOM as Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One (MCSOCOM Det-1), the selection of a .45 ACP M1911A1-based pistol meant roughly 150 units would be needed, more quickly than the PWS could produce them, as PWS were already backlogged with producing DMRs, USMC SAM-Rs, and updating M40A1s to M40A3s, so DET-1 began the search for COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) surrogates to use.Rogers, Patrick A.(2003)"Marines New SOCOM Pistol", "SWAT Magazine", December 2003, 52-57]

ICQB Pistol

Discovering that the Los Angeles Police Department was well pleased with their special Kimber-made M1911 pistols, a single source request was issued to Kimber Manufacturing for a similarly built pistol, despite the imminent release of their TLE/RLII models. Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). Maintaining the simple recoil assembly, 5-inch barrel (though using a stainless steel match grade barrel), and internal extractor, the ICQB is not much different from Browning's original design.

The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with SureFire Integrated Military Pistol Light (IMPL), Dawson Precision rail, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards based upon the jury-rigged telephone cord versions, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, Simonich G-10 Gunner Grips manufactured by Simonich Knives and Strider Knives replaced the original Pachmayr rubber grips, and Wilson Combat's '47D' 8-round magazines. Tritium Novak LoMount sights replaced the originals which were made in-house by the Marines.

Replacement

Due to wear and tear of the MEU (SOC) pistols, the U.S. Marines have been forced to look commercially for replacements with Springfield Armory creating the "MC Operator" pistol to arm the Marines [ [http://springfield-armory.primediaoutdoors.com/SPstory10.php SPRINGFIELD MC OPERATOR.] Retrieved on September 19, 2008.] .

Specifications

The original pistols were hand-selected standard government issued Colt M1911A1's that were gutted, deburred, and prepared for additional use by the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) in Quantico, VA. They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, a rounded hammer, ambidextrous thumb safeties, lighter triggers made by Videcki, improved high-visibility sights, accurized match-grade barrels made by Bar-Sto, Pachmayr rubber grips, front cocking-serrations, and improved stainless steel magazines made by Wilson Combat.cite news
last = Oliva
first = Mark
coauthors =
title = Some MEU's Still Carry Proven M1911 .45's
work = Stars and Stripes European and Pacific Edition
language = English
publisher = Stars and Stripes
date = 08/05/2002
url =http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/history/meu_1911.htm
accessdate = 03/04/2007 ]

The trigger-pull weight is specified at between 4.5 and 5.0 pounds of pressure. cite book
title = TM 00526A-24&P/2 U.S. MARINE CORPS TECHNICAL MANUAL ORGANIZATIONAL AND INTERMEDIATE MAINTENANCE MANUAL INCLUDING REPAIR PARTS LIST PISTOL, CALIBER .45, MEU(SOC)
publisher = Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
location = Washington, DC
date = August 31, 1994
pages = 122]

The pistol's components are hand fitted and are not interchangeable. The last four digits of the weapon's serial number are stamped on the top of the barrel, on the right-side of slide assembly, inside of the beavertail grip safety, on each side of the ambidextrous thumb safety, and on the inside face of the mainspring housing group.

References

ee also

*List of weapons of the U.S. Marine Corps
*Marine Expeditionary Unit
*Force Recon
*M1911

External links

* [http://www.berryhillguns.com/meusoc.html A commercial replica of the MEU(SOC) pistol using genuine parts]