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Military

How long is a Colt M1911 pistol?

A Colt M1911 pistol is about 21.6 cm (8.5 in) long.

What is measured: standard-issue US military sidearm, overall length

Colt M1911 Pistol (21.6 cm) drawn to scale beside a smartphone (14.7 cm) and a bowling pin (38.1 cm)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Smartphone (14.7 cm), Colt M1911 Pistol (21.6 cm) and Bowling pin (38.1 cm).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • As long as about 3 credit cards end to end
  • About 1.5× the height of a smartphone
  • About 57% of the height of a bowling pin
  • About 13% of the height of an adult person
  • About 9× the width of a large coin

Learn

Facts about Colt M1911 Pistol

The M1911 served as the standard US military sidearm for over 70 years, from 1911 until the 1980s.

Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American History: M1911 Pistol

Military

NameSizeCompared with Colt M1911 Pistol
M67 Hand Grenade9 cm (3.54 in)0.42×
PASGT Combat Helmet18 cm (7.09 in)0.83×
Colt M1911 Pistol21.6 cm (8.5 in)this page
Desert Eagle Pistol26.9 cm (10.6 in)1.2×
Colt Single Action Army27.9 cm (11 in)1.3×
M9 Bayonet30 cm (11.8 in)1.4×
Roman Gladius Sword65 cm (2 ft 2 in)3×
Medieval Crossbow70 cm (2 ft 4 in)3.2×
Thompson Submachine Gun81 cm (2 ft 8 in)3.8×
MP40 Submachine Gun83.3 cm (2 ft 9 in)3.9×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Colt M1911 Pistol or PASGT Combat Helmet?

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