The 1911 and 45 Auto ~ My Cherished Companions 

A dog, a revolver, a cold beer, a cigar and a fine day to sit outside and enjoy them...bliss! Greetings from Phoenix, AZ.

My favorite experience with the 1911 is when I was 11. I was in south Texas with my grandpa deer hunting ( I believe it was the fall of 93 ). We were heading back to our camp around dusk. My grandpa told me to stop f ing moving. I immediately stopped because I rarely heard him cuss and never directed towards me. I looked at him and he had his 45 drawn. He then blew the head off a rattlesnake that was no more than 4 feet from me. That gun was forever immortalized in that moment. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit I haven’t owned one yet but I will right that wrong some day.

A man who drinks beer and smokes cigars while discussing guns ..... My kind of guy!!!

I’m 5’ 7” and 135 lbs. I was ten pounds lighter when I first shot a 1911 forty five. I’ve experimentally carried a bunch of plastic “wonder nines” and have always returned to my five inch steel frame 1911A1 chambered in .45 auto. I’m 57 years old so I guess y’all can call me “old school.” At 20 yards and under, me and my forty five are your huckleberry.

Congratulations on a life well lived, sir! It appears you have fared far better than many of our unfortunate veterans. I'm glad you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor and service in your golden years. Your knowledge of firearms and history are a treasure, and it saddens me to think they will someday disappear. There are far too few like you anymore. Thank you for all you have done to keep us all safe and free. I hope Benny's leg is OK.

Sir, you are the real article. I just want you to know how much it means that you share so much with us. Thank you.

I was a member of our base pistol team & we had Singer 1911’s. We switched to the Barrette 9mm & our competition rules changed. Under the 45, a lethal hit was one round in the center mass or the head (7 round magazines with one in the chamber= effectively 8 kills). Shooting combat matches with the 9 mm, we were required to put two rounds in center mass followed by one in the face IN THAT ORDER (15 round magazine + 1 in the tube= 5 possible kills with one mulligan). It did not make sense to me, so I switched to the combat M16 team. Never had confidence in the simple 9mm of the early 90’s. Today, at age 70, 1911 is my EDC.

When I have my 1911 on my hip, and my model 94 in my hands, I feel very well armed. Thanks to JMB for those wonderful designs

Thank you for your service. I'm a retired AF helicopter pilot. As time goes by, and I see our younger generations, I appreciate our veterans more. Vets such as you are a national treasure.

You sound just like my recently-departed Uncle who was a Navy veteran, firearms enthusiast, and a fellow New Englander-- this is like I'm hanging with him again. Thanks for the time you share with all of us!

Love the Brittany, a breed that meets with my total approval.

Thank you for your service. My Uncle was in Long Bin and payed a heavy price when a Soldier in front of him stepped on a trip wire triggering a grenade. He wore scares and shrapnel in his body till the day he passed. He never complained, but Family members said that he was never the same after he came home. I'm just thankful he came home,, many young Men didn't.. God Bless our Vets.

I too learned the 1911 going through army officers training. I've owned 10 1911s in my 62 years on earth. I still have 5 1911s and never felt under gunned. Always had confidence in it and it keeps me warm at night. Thank you for your service. And I enjoy a cigar, too.

As a former tanker, I carried a 1911 and an M3a1 grease gun. Both great.

My newest and probably most cherished firearm is a Colt Gold Cup National Match. As a leftie, I've always admired 1911's but never owned one until this year. I figured it was high time to have one in my collection and she's a dandy!

Love my 1911’s in 45! Just something about how they feel and shoot. And with the grip and thumb safety incorporated into a 1911, it makes me feel confident to carry with one in the chamber and hammer back. Thanks for all the great videos and sharing your experience as a young MP.

My great grandfather carried a colt 1911 at the end of ww1 and my grandfather carried a colt 1911 in Korea then my other grandfather carried a colt 1911 in Vietnam,when I turned 21 and bought my first handgun it was a colt 1911 and Christmas of that same year I was given all 3 of the ones that my grandfathers carried and I will pass them down to my son some day

Thank you Mr. Wayne for passing on some of your extensive knowledge to us younger guys. You've done an amazing job of flattening the curve for those who are passionate about learning. Thank you for your service to our great country. The slide show was fantastic.

We always worry about how Benny is getting along. Tailwags Benny! ( USNR, 67,68, 69... and the Gubmnt 1911, Thompson, and M1 Garand were what we drew from the magazine. )

I was a marine mp. In the Vietnam War I carried the 1911 superb weapon I now have a glock 21 Springfield armory 45 .and high standard 22.

Benny: Protecting the world from harm one chipmunk at a time!

My hero

Another great video on an iconic round and the 45ACP has always been my favorite handgun round! Indeed, Mr Browning knew a thing or two about firearms and his 1911/45ACP combination was top-tier, back then or today!

Thank you, Gun Blue. I too am a 25th alumni in CuChi. Did two tours their. I also love my 1911 that I carried in the field their.

Excellent history lesson sir.

Thanks for the service my dad was In served over there. I remember my grandma and great uncle and my dad busted out the old slide machine. It was loaded with photos of when he was over there. The 1 photo I remember was of his tower he was tasked to man. He had all his weapons on display the M60,M16,M79 and the clickers that detonate explosives set outside of the wire. I don’t what ever happened to those photos and slides. But it was a real treat to see yours Sir thanks for taking me down a trip down memory lane.

I love the 1911. Actually, it's one of the few autos I like. I also like your Redhawk and holster. Very nice!

I'm 5'5" and at the time of serving weighing 145. When I was introduced to the 1911. I loved but due to hand size had to use 2 hands. This was the 1980's. Now in the 2012 or so I came across the colt 1991. With 4" barrel. It was one of those things picked it up and shot well for me. I reload the 230 grn lrn. But I agree I just enjoy shooting it.

Qualified expert in competetion US Army! My training was dry fire with a pencil taped for size. 45 auto was a gentle push with a firm grip. When 9mm was introduced, I did not like it. Too snappy for my tastes. Always enjoy your historical insights. Thank you!!! Best wishes and God bless...

527 MP and 561 MP Company's here, Iraq and Afang! Nice to meet you! Thanks for the vids!!

Great pistol. During the mid-1960s n the Navy we carried US NAVY Model 1911 Automatic Pistol made by Colt.

Thank you for your service kind sir. Both of my grandfathers were WWII vets, Love your stories and your videos. ❤

Good talk very informative and entertaining, history of Colt's 1911 is in my opinion fascinating and enlightening.

It was during a ccw class years ago that my instructor afforded me the opportunity to qualify with his 1911 in 45 acp. I fell in love with it that day after shooting the center out of the target to both of our amazement. I own several today and they are still my favorites. I sure do enjoy your videos sir and thank you for your service to our great country. God bless you.

I have lived in Texas all my life but on a trip to Chicago I went to The Field Museum. Most of the animals in the museum were there because of Teddy Roosevelt. Another great video from you sir. Thank you.

My dad was a WWII combat vet who served with the 112th Cav in the S. Pacific. He loved his 1911 and said there were two occasions where he would not have come home alive without it. Thankfully, he was my instructor in my teen years and the 1911 is still one of my favorite platforms. Thanks for you great vids!

I have two Remington Rand 1911's ,one in beautiful shape the other shows wear.They replaced the one I bought in '94 that I traded and it haunted me for decades until I replaced it.Real nice program ,Sir.

Thank you for your service sir. Great video and an awesome history of the 1911. We appreciate your superior storytelling abilities 😊

Thank you for your service, Sir! 🇺🇲

Nice presentation of the 45auto ,one of my favorites and I'll be carrying my 1911 tonight as I walk my dog Maggie instead of my Glock 19 in honor of your service and a life well lived. Great soundtrack you chose for the photo piece. God bless you and Family,you too Benny

What a great story a lot history and remember it so well cause they don't teach it anymore. Thank you.

You impress me so much with every video, the photos at the end are really incredible.

Id love to see a video with you commenting on your photos. A great era and great history. Reminds me of my days in the army from early 80’s to mid 90’s

My dad had two .45 colts, I grew up with those beauties, my first weapon was a Spanish star, .45, then I had a "Ballester-Molina", a caliber with a lot of stopping power, and very accurate. When you were in Vietnam, with a .45 on your waist, did you feel safe? Greetings from Patagonia, Argentina

A custom 1911 I had built on a double stack frame is my current carry gun. May be big and heavy, but 15+1 rounds of .45ACP while otherwise keeping all the 1911 ergonomics I like is a lot of firepower. And I deeply admire the 1911 for still being relevant after over a century, mainly because most modern pistols still use its same basic operating mechanism and controls.

Thanks for your service 🙏

Thanks for your service I love 45 I have a auto and pc.

I had gone to the sunroom and lit up a stogie from AJ Fernandez before clicking on this video. Sure enjoyed burning one with you. Great history lesson. Thanks.

....it was 51 years ago that I shot my first 1911 - rented one at a range in Verona, NJ, a week before I enlisted in the Army...spent 2 years, 8 months & 26 days in Germany...happiest time of my life...

Sir , I so enjoy listening to a man with intelligence , And common sense. Thank you for your service. And your great videos.

I had planned just to listen to this video in the background while doing other work but once I saw Benny, I had to watch it instead -)

Thank you for taking the time to share this series with us.

Now we think of the 45 Auto as the pistol and the 45ACP as the cartridge. Love the trip down memory lane in South Vietnam.

Thank you for sharing your experience. We were turning ours in and getting the M9 when I first came in, but it was the first military handgun I ever fired. I appreciate you teaching what you know. It's a good legacy.

Thank you for all your wonderful video presentations, Mr. Richards! Bless you, your wife, Benny and all your loved ones! Thank you for your service in uniform to America. It is a real treat to have you as a host on RU-vid. Modern television is such crap!

Thank you for your service, Sir.

Mr. Browning was a gun genius for several gun creations during his lifetime. I think you and he would have a great channel together on RU-vid. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of guns and your life experiences. God bless you sir.

Very much appreciate your content. Thank you for the efforts. I’m 5’ 7” and 185 lbs. I carry a full size 1911 in .45 auto everyday, all day. I’ve purchased many pistols that are “better” for carrying. But I do not get the same level of confidence with them as I do the 1911. I can shoot half size silhouettes at 100 meters+ even stressed/winded with fairly solid consistency. My second best shooter is the CZ-P09, which also happens to be hammer fired. It’s a double/single action so the take up and reset aren’t nearly as nice but it breaks clean. But that gun is thicker and not as comfortable to carry IWB. I use Wilson combat 8 round mags in the gun and Wilson’s and McCormick 10 round mags in the carrier. They do pale in comparison to the P09’s capacity at 19 +1 but I’m comfortable with having 8+1 in the gun and two 10 round backups. Oh, and I carry it with the TLR-1 HL light attached. Just get a great belt.

Great history lesson, I wish I would have had teachers in school that were this interesting.

I loved those pics from Vietnam. I’ve always been fascinated by that war and there were about 20 years of my life where I would always have recurring dreams about vietnam based on documentaries I’ve seen and about tornados. Always about those two subjects from time to time. I know a lot vets don’t like talking about the war, but I for one would love to hear stories about any aspect of Vietnam, from being drafted to leaving.

The history lessons that pertain to firearms are my absolute favorite and your style makes them all the more interesting. Whenever you do these types of videos, I forward them to my father-in-law because he enjoys them greatly. He is a sociology and history Ph.D. from Norway. He always states that he likes the firearms perspective. Anyway captain, we are all getting older by the day. One day closer to being drawn into God's eternal gift of the afterlife. Thanks for your time and efforts.

Fantastic, personal, history lesson. My father carried the 1911 in his Army Air Corps days. Unfortunately, he sold it off before he had the inkling that I would go in the military. I had to make do with the tired armory pieces that we were still using in the Seabees into the 90's. They were still functional, and I could still hit the target, even though they rattled like a paint can! Great slide show there at the end.

I honor you Sir! Not necessarily because of the subject you spoke on, but because of how you spoke on the subject! Well Done!!

Dad carried one during WWII; and I had always gravitated toward it. Pop was 6’3” so I guess it makes sense his stature enhanced his ability to handle the round. I grew to be 5’5” and 205 lbs; and I’ve been physically active all my life. The .45 auto round has always been fun to shoot; and in the ‘80s I used one for competition. It sees little use anymore; and with small hands and lots of grit I enjoy the .454 Casull most of all. Shooters leaving the rifle range pass slowly by the pistol range and often stop to see what is causing the thunderous report. There are physical limits of holding the weight of the pistol, being able to squeeze the grip safety, and holding the wrist against the recoil so that the pistol cycles. Apart from that I think handling the 1911 and .45 Auto recoil is largely a state of mind. Thank you for your educational, interesting and thought provoking video.

Pictures at end were great

So wonderful to hear you refer to the '.45 ACP' correctly as the 45 AUTO.

Interesting program. Thanks for serving

Lots of respect brother. Enjoy learning from you.

Thank you for your service GunBlue490, i always enjoy and learn form your videos, my dad was a ww2 veteran, much respect and prayers to all our veterans, God bless you and yours.

Nothing like a good beer, good smoke, and a Large handgun 😎

You are right! The 1911 is a man's Man pistol! Not everyone can handle the recoil! I wouldn't want anything else! Get's the job done, amazingly dependable!

A wonderful ‘fireside chat’ experience today (pardon the reference to one of Teddy’s relatives). I think this is one of the most relaxing/entertaining history lesson I’ve had. Hope all remains well with you, Mrs GunBlue, Benny and your neighborhood bears. Thank you for you military and law enforcement service.

Excellent! Thank you.

Thanks for sharing the pics of Vietnam. I really liked this video. Made me wish I was with you smoking a good cigar and being regaled with your stories. With great respect, Glenn.

Super great to see your old military personal photos, i really enjoy seeing history like that, just a regular guy and what life was like back then, not the life of some celebrity or general. Fantastic!

FANtastic look at in-country life during the Vietnam conflict. Thanks for posting!

Thank you for making this video. I learn so much from you

Thanks for the video and information.

Always love your video's sir. You bring a lot to the table.

Thank you for sharing your pictures from Vietnam.

Love this man!

Thank you sir. Your dedication and credible history source. God speed

Excellent thank you!

Thank you for sharing the stories. I would enjoy sitting with you and have conversations over a few beers and cigar. Nice chest holster and beautiful dog.

Outstanding! Really enjoyed your pictures. I’m a Viet Nam veteran also. I’m a big fan of your channel. Thank you much!

Really enjoy your videos. You would make a great Ballistics Therapy Doctor. ," Now come on in here Son ,and Let's discuss your caliber woes , and why you think you need this New Rifle" You have a Mellow calm Demeanor. Keep up the great Work .

Been a subscriber for a while and wanted to say THANK YOU for taking the time to share your knowledge!

Thank you, sir, for sharing your knowledge and for your military service.

You sir are one of my heroes! Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Thank you sir for your service and for enlightening us with your knowledge. Watching and listening to you is like having a conversation with an old friend. Thank you and long live the 45 auto.

Thank you for your service, God bless you!

Thank you for your service

Pretty awesome pictures! Whether the war was ever right or wrong Thanks a million to all that Put their selves out their for our country. Thank you so much. 🇺🇸

Amazing! I love this content

Another fine video, Sir! Much appreciated! Thank you!!!

Great video! Really reminds me of my late grandpa telling stories. God bless you and your family

Ive always enjoyed your video, but this is a exceptional one - going down memory lane.... thank you.

Great presentation of the topic!

Love the military pictures of you thank you for your service gog bless you and your family

Always makes the day so much better getting to visit with you and Benny. Thanks for all you do.