M1911

The Colt M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. It was the standard-issue side arm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985, and is still carried by some US soldiers today. It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1911 Pistol appears in Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Vietnam, Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Battlefield 1942
The M1911 is the pistol used by all allied nations. It has an 8 round magazine, low recoil, low damage and low accuracy. It should only be used as a last resort close quarters weapon.

Battlefield Vietnam
The M1911 is the standard pistol issued to the American and South Vietnamese factions. It has a 9 round magazine, medium recoil, low damage and low accuracy. It can generally kill in 4-5 shots, but its low accuracy can make hitting the player's target difficult. It should only be used as a last resort weapon in close-quarters situations. Aiming for the head is advised as it can kill in 2 head shots. Compared to its NVA and Viet Cong counterpart, the TT-33, it has a slightly higher rate of fire and 1 extra round per magazine (the TT-33 has 8 rounds) at the cost of slightly lower damage, as the TT-33 can kill with only 4 shots rather than the 4-5 shots of the M1911.

Battlefield 1943
In Battlefield 1943, the M1911 Pistol is used by the United States Marine Corps in the "Scout" kit. It is a very weak weapon, requiring around 5-6 body shots to kill someone, meaning a player can only afford one missed shot. It also has relatively long reload, so it should necessarily only be used as a last resort weapon. In game, it is an exact equivalent of the IJN Type 14 pistol.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
A highly customized M1911, favored for its dependability and the power of its large .45 caliber round which gives it high damage, comes unlocked by default with the Limited Edition of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, along with the M1A1 Submachine Gun, though it can still be acquired normally by ranking up to level 3 in-game.

It has a large damage increase from Battlefield 1943 from 6 shots to about 4 in the body and 3 in the upper neck and head region. It is also seen as a kind of Battlefield VIP sign as alot of people at lower levels (before 4 when its unlocked) and after seem to choose it. This can be partially explained by the fact that on console version of the game, players equipped with the Magnum Ammo damage upgrade can score kills with only 2 bodyshots from the M1911, making it one of the hardest hitting weapons in the game. Arguably then, it is the best pistol in the game, as it has almost the same fire rate as the M9 and just slightly lower damage than the MP-412 REX, meaning it is more versatile and can be used in most sitations. This allows it to not only serve as a backup weapon and sidearm, but as an ideal way of taking out lone enemies quickly and efficiently. However, it's countered by the fact that it has a relatively small magazine (only 7 rounds compared to the M9's 12 round magazine) and its sights are a bit less defined and, therefore, are slightly harder to use than other pistols. When the game first went into stores, the gun was considered overpowered and the newest patch has slightly decreased the firing rate, giving limited edition purchasers less of an overwhelming advantage.

Trivia

 * The Highly Customized M1911 seen in game is actually a standard WWII G.I. Model. A Highly Customized M1911 would be the MEU (SOC) 1911 currently being used by US Marine Operators. It is also a favorite of USSOCOM and Delta Force.
 * Like all handguns, with the exception of the MP412 REX, the WWII M1911 .45 doesn't need to be cocked back when it is reloaded, because there is currently a cartridge in the chamber, with the exception of when it is reloaded from an empty magazine to a full one.
 * Reload cancelling gives a huge advantage when using this weapon, by quickly switching weapons and then back to the pistol after the magazine is inserted, you can cut out the longer slapping and cocking animations.