Description
The Memphis Belle was a B-17F of the 91st Bomb Group, and in May 1943 she became one of the first American heavy bombers to complete twenty-five missions over occupied Europe and bring her crew home. The Auto-Ordnance 1911 Memphis Belle puts that aircraft onto a 45 ACP pistol properly: olive drab slide, the DF-A squadron codes split either side of the Army Air Forces roundel, the nose art name in gold script, and grips carved with the figure that was painted on her nose.
The Aircraft and the Detailing
Twenty-five missions was the number a bomber crew had to survive before rotation home, and in 1943 the odds of reaching it were not good. The Memphis Belle reached it, and the Army flew her back to the United States on a war bond tour that made her the most famous aircraft of the war. A documentary followed, then a feature film, then a permanent place in the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The Auto-Ordnance 1911 Memphis Belle carries the markings rather than just the name. The slide is finished in olive drab with DF and A — the 324th Bomb Squadron code and the individual aircraft letter — set either side of the blue-and-white star-and-bar roundel, exactly as they appeared on her fuselage. The name itself is applied in the gold script of the original nose art.
Specifications
- Model: Auto-Ordnance 1911 Memphis Belle special edition
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Barrel: 5 in
- Pattern: GI 1911
- Capacity: 7+1
- Slide: olive drab, with DF-A fuselage codes, Army Air Forces roundel and gold nose art script
- Frame: bright finish
- Grips: wood, carved in relief with the aircraft nose art figure
- Safeties: thumb safety and grip safety
A note on the pairing. Commemoratives that put an aircraft on a pistol often feel arbitrary, but this one does not: the 1911 was the standard sidearm issued to American aircrew throughout the war, and a B-17 pilot in 1943 would have been carrying one. The tribute and the platform belong together in a way that a great many anniversary pieces cannot claim.
Why it is worth considering
- Honours the B-17F that completed twenty-five missions over Europe in 1943
- Olive drab slide with the correct DF-A squadron codes and wartime roundel
- Nose art name applied in the original gold script
- Grips carved in relief with the aircraft nose art figure
- Bright frame against the olive drab slide, echoing bare-metal B-17 finish
- Built on the 1911, the sidearm actually issued to wartime aircrew
Who it suits
The Auto-Ordnance 1911 Memphis Belle suits the aviation collector, the Second World War enthusiast, and anyone with a family connection to the Eighth Air Force. It sits naturally alongside the Red Tails tribute if you are building a set. Like any commemorative it is bought to be kept rather than carried, and the carved grips and applied markings are the reason to keep it in a case.
Buying and Transferring the Auto-Ordnance 1911 Memphis Belle
Special editions are produced in finite runs and Auto-Ordnance does not generally reissue a commemorative once it has sold through. If this is destined to be a gift or part of a collection, the timing is worth considering rather than assuming it will still be there later. Manufacturer information is published by Auto-Ordnance.
Auto-Ordnance produce a number of aviation and service tributes. Compare this pistol with the Red Tails Tuskegee Airmen edition and the Army 250th Anniversary, browse our full Auto-Ordnance range, or look through the handgun catalog. If you would rather have a 45 to shoot, the Cerakote 1911 carries the upgrades that matter on a working pistol.
All firearm orders ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and MAG5 Firearms will coordinate the paperwork with the dealer of your choice.
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