When I first reported to my unit in Viet Nam in 66, I was given the choice of carrying a pistol, or not. I took the .45 in addition to an M-16
A month later after carrying the pistol, three mags, holster, mag pouch and cleaning kit, I begged the first Sgt to send it back to the rear and take it off my weapons card.
I replaced the load with a couple of extra mags and an extra grenade,and felt much more secure. The pistol is totally useless for an infantryman in in combat. The .45 that I had was a piece of garbage, it rattled when shook, had no finish left and was very inaccurate. After riding in a wet holster for the day and night, it took half an hour to clean the piece of junk. Trying to survive in in the jungle, you don't really have an extra daily half an hour to waste cleaning a weapon the will not serve you in any practical way.
The pistol, especially the 1911, is a fine toy to shoot, and great for old guys to fondle and play with, but it is an extravagant waste of weight for a grunt.
I can't ever remember any of my buddies getting killed or wounded by an enemy withing pistol range, making it useless as a practical weapon. Most of our casualties came from expedient mines and indirect fire, certainly nothing you can defend against with a pistol.
A backup? In a rifle squad, a more effective backup is the other nine grunts carrying M-16s.
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