[Noel]

I have this old book from the Coast Guard ship that I was stationed on in 1979. The book is from the 50s and I got it back when I first fell in love with 1911s. Here's a few pages from it. Sorry about the quality, but it is very fragile.
Noel

View attachment 258705

 

[jjfitch]

Nice, but not really rare. These have been reprinted in various years covering the manual of arms for the military issued side arms at the time.

Yours is special since it is "yours" and covers the 1911! Later editions cover the M9, M11!

Google: "U.S. Military FM 23-35"

Smiles,

 

[KS95B40]

Nice!! I wish that I had kept some of the manuals that I had from my Army days. ‘73-‘76.

 

[KS95B40]

This is the edition that I would like to have.

http://www.90thidpg.us/Reference/Manuals/FM 23-35 1946.pdf

 

[K1911Y]

Thanks for the link to that FM.

 

[KS95B40]

There are some great pictures in it and I especially like the manual of arms where the soldier is instructed to release the slide on an empty chamber using his right thumb to press down on the checkered area of the slide stop.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been told by experts who have no military experience that the 1911 was not designed to be operated like that and I should never release the slide using the slide stop with my thumb whether a round is chambered or not.

Well, my drill sergeant SFC Antonio Guerrito (Korea and Vietnam veteran) instructed me on the US Army manual of arms for the 1911A1 and I am sure that I can feel his boot in my azz whenever I even think about releasing the slide any another way.

 

[John Blazy]

I can’t count how many times I’ve been told by experts who have no military experience that the 1911 was not designed to be operated like that and I should never release the slide using the slide stop with my thumb whether a round is chambered or not.

How else can you release the slide stop, other than your right thumb?

 

[zChambers]

How else can you release the slide stop, other than your right thumb?

I release the slide stop with my left thumb.

 

[KS95B40]

Holding the pistol in your right hand with the slide locked back, pull the slide slightly to the rear using left hand thumb and forefinger, slide stop will release letting slide close.

 

[John Blazy]

Holding the pistol in your right hand with the slide locked back, pull the slide slightly to the rear using left hand thumb and forefinger, slide stop will release letting slide close.

OK, I just did that with a loaded mag, so you are correct. Learn something new every day. I suppose the reason is so that the slide stop doesn't wear? Or am I opening a "1911 Etiquette Can of Worms"?

 

[KS95B40]

I imagine that it would eventually wear on the slide stop and in the frame cutout. Honestly, I very rarely release the slide with the slide stop anymore but it was a hard habit to break. Three years of Military Police guardmount where we were inspected by the duty officer before going on patrol; 1911 in right hand pointing up with magazine in palm of left hand face up. After DO looked you over, you let slide go forward with right thumb (so you had an empty chamber Barney Fife style) pulled the trigger, then inserted loaded magazine, and then inserted pistol in holster and snapped flap shut.

There were a few tense moments when someone would get the slide forward, trigger pull and inserting magazine out of sequence...

Luckily, never happened to me. But that 230 grain hardball made some impressive ricochets off the ceilings and marble floored old WW2 era Wehrmacht buildings that we used when I was stationed in Germany.