The pistol remains incredibly robust. Here's What You Need to Know: The Colt M1911 is able to withstand a great amount of abuse and remains reliable, even after decades of serves and ten of thousands of rounds. John Browning, arguably one of the United States’ most iconic and talented weapon designers, designed what would become one of the most widely-produced, copied, and recognizable pistols in history, now known today as the M1911. Post-World War II Though the M1911 made its combat debut during World War I, the design really came into its own during World War II. During that conflict, the design’s worth was solidified—millions of M1911s were produced for not only the United States but for other allied countries as well.