Preview: The .45 Caliber M1911 Automatic Pistol

Longtime American Rifleman contributor Tom Laemlein has amassed an incredible array of period images illustrating the use of American military arms in war, peacetime and training.

Portrayal Press is now printing a selection of these images in a revised edition of Laemlein’s “American Firepower” series, beginning with The .45 Caliber M1911 Automatic Pistol.

“Compiling this book was by far the most difficult project I have ever taken on,” Laemlein said. “The difficulty arose from an overall lack of good quality photos of the pistol in action. In most combat situations, if you have to rely on your pistol, the time is long past for taking photographs!”

The comprehensive study, which contains more than 200 pictures across 167 pages, illustrates the remarkable longevity of the M1911 from its early combat use in 1914 until the end of its military service in the 1980s.

Other titles in the “American Firepower” series are also being revised, including The M1 Carbine, U.S. Bolt Action Rifles, The Browning Automatic Rifle and The M1 Garand.

MSRP is $30. For more information, visit portrayalpress.com.