The M1911 pistol originated in the late 1890s as the result of a search for a suitable self-loading (or semi-automatic) pistol to replace the variety of revolvers then in service. At the end of 1899 and the beginning of 1900, a test of selfloading pistols was conducted, including entries from Mauser (the C96 ‘Broomhandle’), Mannlicher (the M1894) and Colt (the M1900).
This led to a purchase of 1 000 DWM Luger pistols, chambered in 7.65 mm, a bottlenecked cartridge. During field trials, these ran into some problems, especially with stopping power. Other governments had made similar complaints. Consequently, DWM produced an enlarged version of the round, the 9 × 19 mm Parabellum, a necked-up version of the 7.65 mm round. Fifty of these were tested as well by the US Army in 1903.
American units fighting Moro guerrillas during the Philippine–American War using the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver, the .38 Long Colt, found it to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power, as the Moros had high battle morale and often used drugs to inhibit the
