Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн

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When the United States was forced into World War II by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, we were again poorly prepared for war. However, many of the production problems experienced during WWI were avoided. It had been realized that manufacturers other than those making firearms could be utilized for pistol production. About two million 1911A1 pistols were made during the war. Colt, involved with other war production, was not the largest producer of the WWII .45. That honor went to Remington-Rand, the typewriter and business-machine manufacturer.

About 1,032,000 pistols were made by Remington-Rand. This amounted to almost 55% of production. In the year of 1944 alone, the company produced over one-half million pistols. Historian Donald Bady called this “the largest annual production by a single manufacturer in the history of firearms.”

Colt produced about 480,000 pistols, over 22% of the total production. Ithaca Gun Company, a shotgun maker, manufactured about 369,000, amounting to almost 20%. Union Switch & Signal Co. made 55,000 guns. The Singer (sewing machine) Manufacturing Co. was given an “educational order” of 500 pistols.