Because they work in smaller numbers Marine Corps Recon units have always favored .45s as their Close Quarters Battle Pistol over the 9 mils issued to the rest of Marine infantry. The stopping power advantage of the .45 is well documented, and it makes sense that Recon would want those at the hip.
Until recently Recon’s .45s were made at the Marine Corps’ Precision Weapons Center in Quantico, Virginia. “They were like a racecar,” said Master Sergeant Cory Paskvan of the Second Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp Lejeune, NC. “They were effective, but you’d go out and do a mission and then have to do a lot of maintenance on it.”
The new .45s are made by Colt, the first 1911 models they’ve provided to the U.S. Government since the end of World War II. Features include a Cerakoted Stainless Steel Receiver and Slide, Novak® 3 Dot Night Sights and Flat, Serrated Mainspring Housing with Lanyard Loop. The pistol also features an Enhanced Hammer, Colt Tactical Ambidextrous Safety Lock, a 5” ‘National Match’ Barrel, and a MIL-STD-1913 Accessory Rail.
In addition to the .45 Recon uses the M4 A1 carbine instead of the standard issue M4 and M16A4. The M4A1 has a heavier barrel and a full-auto trigger. Recon tricks the close quarters carbine out further with a suppressor and a holographic red dot site.
“You don’t have to have perfect cheek load,” Paskvan said. “Wherever the red dot is, that’s where the bullet is going.”
