Kongsberg Colt
| 11.25 m/m AUT. PISTOL M/1914, Kongsberg Colten. | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Pistol |
| Place of origin | Norway |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Users |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 32,874 |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | 11.43x23mm ACP (.45 ACP) |
| Caliber | .45 |
| Action | Recoil-operated, closed bolt |
| Rate of fire | Semi-automatic |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 ft/s (244 m/s) |
| Feed system | 7 rounds (standard-capacity magazine), +1 in chamber |
The Kongsberg Colt is a nickname used for Colt M1911 pistols produced under license by the Norwegian factory Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk.
Norway adopted the 7.5 mm Nagant revolver (named M/1893) as the standard Norwegian military sidearm in 1893. Commissions to test possible new service pistols were active from 1904 till 1911. In 1911, a commission recommended adoption of the semi-automatic .38 ACP caliber Colt Military Model 1902 pistol, after field trials with 25 such pistols, all purchased from Colt's London Agency. However, as the US had just adopted the Colt .45ACP M/1911 pistol it was decided to conduct further tests. A pistol of the new M/1911 design was received in Norway in January 1913. Following extensive tests through early 1914, it was finally decided, in August 1914, to adopt the Colt M/1911 pistol in Norway. These pistols were to replace the Nagant revolvers (7,5mm M/1893) as the standard military sidearm in Norway. While the original pistol was known as the 1911 Colt, the designer and copyright owner was John Browning who had licensed manufacturing in the US to Colt. Norway attempted to get licensing through Colt, but discovered European production was through Fabrique Nationale. So in September 1914, Norway signed a contract with Fabrique Nationale of Belgium for manufacture. The pistol would be produced at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk in Norway.
The Kongberg Colt remained in service with the Norwegian Armed Forces until being replaced by the Glock P80 in 1985.
As production start was slow, some Model 1911s were bought from Colt USA. Four hundred pistols were shipped to Norway for the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1915, 300 more pistols were shipped in 1917 for the Norwegian Army. Price was US$18.50 per piece.
The first test production at Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk in Norway occurred in 1917 and 95 pistols were finished and wrongly stamped "COLT AUT. PISTOL M/1912". These pistols were identical to the Colt M1911 except for a minor detail on the hammer checkering. 100 pistols were ordered, but 5 were rejected during production. The serial range was from 1 to 95. Number 2 was stolen from Norwegian Armed Forces Museum in 1978.
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Wikipedia