Inland’s New Clone of the M1911A1 Is a Blast from the Past

By Chuck Oldham (Editor) - November 13, 2014

Inland Manufacturing’s M1911A1 clone offers the looks and feel of a vintage M1911A1 with 21st century metallurgy. MKS Supply photo

John Browning’s M1911 .45ACP is perhaps the iconic automatic pistol of all time, having faithfully and reliably served the United States in conflicts across the globe over more than a century. But while a few examples still exist in the U.S. armed forces, those that remain are by and large heavily modified variants of the original. The Marine Corps, for example, has never lost its love for the M1911, but its new .45, the M45A1, is a much updated and modified variation on the theme of the old, reliable pistol Browning invented more than a century ago.

Many variants of the M1911 have been developed and produced by many different manufacturers over the decades, most of them “improving” on the basic design. An original M1911 or M1911A1, however, has become such a valued icon of pistol technology and history that its value often precludes its use.

While Inland’s clone of the M1911A1 incorporates modern advancements in metallurgy and internal design to create stronger components, improved reliability and greatly improved accuracy, it looks identical to the original pistol. The details of the original pistol, including the vertical serrations on the slide, exterior finish, fixed combat sights, , lanyard loop, and plastic grips styled and colored like the original, are all reproduced in the new 1911A1.

For those wishing to own and fire an original “.45,” their best bet may be a new M1911A1 “clone” that is hitting the market. This faithful copy of the caliber.45 ACP 1911A1 Government Model pistol of World War II fame is now being produced by Inland Manufacturing, LLC, according to a recent press release from MKS Supply, LLC, which is marketing the pistol. The M1911A1 model being reproduced by Inland originally began production in 1924. It was an improved version of the M1911 with a number of modifications, the most noticeable being larger sights, extended grip safety to solve the M1911’s habit of pinching the shooter’s hand, a shortened trigger with relief cuts at the rear of the trigger guard, and a knurled, enlarged and rounded mainspring housing.

“Originals of these guns can get pretty expensive in good-looking, useable form and, in collector quality, just flat painful to buy and then not use,” says Charles Brown of MKS Supply, LLC, “but a real-deal, affordable, high-quality clone you can shoot the heck out of without fear of hurting collector value, now that is fun.”

While Inland’s clone of the M1911A1 incorporates modern advancements in metallurgy and internal design to create stronger components, improved reliability and greatly improved accuracy, it looks identical to the original pistol. The details of the original pistol, including the vertical serrations on the slide, exterior finish, fixed combat sights, , lanyard loop, and plastic grips styled and colored like the original, are all reproduced in the new 1911A1.

Inland may be known to readers already for the three M1 carbine clones it produces today: the 1944 model M1 without bayonet lug, 1945 model with bayonet lug, and M1A1 “paratrooper” model with folding wire stock. The company was originally a division of General Motors, and produced more than 2.5 million M1 carbines during World War II. While Inland did not produce M1911s during World War II, the current Inland Manufacturing is now producing both.

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