Model 1 50 GI™

From the outside, the Model 1 looks like a Government 1911. It has the same size, the same weight and the same lines. The difference is inside, where precisely engineered changes let it fire the .50 GI.

This is where Guncrafter Industries began. Alex Zimmermann set out to build a 1911 that delivered the most controllable stopping power a pistol platform could offer. He answered with a new cartridge and a pistol built around it. Both made their debut at the 2004 SHOT Show.

The .50 GI fires a half-inch bullet from a standard-size 1911 without the punishing recoil people expect from a big-bore round. The trick is a rebated rim. The case body is .526″ wide, but the rim steps down to .480″, the same as a .45 ACP. That keeps the 1911's breech face and extractor geometry intact, so the gun works the way a 1911 should. Loads run from a 185-grain bullet at 1,200 fps to a 300-grain bullet at 700 fps. Because the cartridge runs at moderate pressure, felt recoil is closer to a .45 ACP than you'd expect.

Fitting a .50 into a Government-size frame took careful work. The magazine well walls are thinned to fit the wider .50 GI magazine, which holds seven rounds. The feed ramp is recontoured with a more open radius to feed the larger bullet. Since the rim matches the .45 ACP, an available caliber conversion lets the Model 1 fire .45 ACP as well.

The Model 1 is built the way we build every Guncrafter pistol. The frame and slide are forged steel. The hammer, sear and disconnector are fully machined from tool steel, and the slide stop is machined from bar stock. The barrel is heavy, match-grade stainless. We finish every Model 1 with our extreme reliability work, a full dehorn and a black Nitride finish.

 The standard features for the Model 1 include:

• Full size frame with 5″ Slide

• Black Nitride Finish

• Forged Steel Frame & Slide

• Tool Steel fully machined Hammer, Sear, and Disconnector

• Slide Stop fully machined from Bar Stock

• Heavy Match Grade Stainless Steel Barrel

• Solid match grade trigger

• 20 LPI checking on front strap and mainspring housing

• Main Spring Housing with Integral Lanyard Loop

• Alumagrips with Full Checkering

• Beveled Magazine Well

• GI Tritium Sights

• Fully Dehorned

• Extreme Reliability Work

• Two fitted and tuned magazines

• Black GI Logo Cordura Case

Each pistol is built by hand and backed by our Lifetime Satisfaction Assurance and the best customer service in the industry.

Pistols shown may include optional upgrades and may differ from the standard model.