I feel compelled to add more to this discussion, as I like the 1911 but am completely distraught at the disconnection of the 1911 and the Philippines in modern discussions...
First, to address the .45 caliber bullet in modern officers handguns... The Philippines was once part of the US. The "Philippine Insurrection" against the US brought about the requests for a DA revolver in .45 caliber over the .38 (issued at the time). These were DA revolvers, meant to replace the SA of the era. This insurrection was a fight for independence of the Philippines, instead of continued sovereign rule (previously from Spain). Many Americans, including Mark Twain, were against the American military fighting in the Philippines for control (starting around 1898, with fighting moving to the southern islands and considered guerilla fighting until around 1913).
Fast forward to the Colt .45, 1911. At this time, many Filipinos were proud Americans. My grandfather and grand uncles (growing up and living in a small province in Northern Luzon) joined the US military and trained both in the Philippines and in the contiguous US. In fact, my grandfather was sent to France during WWI as an American soldier. When the Japanese came, many Filipinos, including my grandfather joined the resistance. This time the resistance was working with America. My grandfather was taken as a political prisoner by the Japanese, and died fleeing the prison during the American liberation attacks. Even in the southern islands (high Islamic population) the 1911's (and Thompsons') were actually shipped in to the Moros to help them fight the Japanese (1940's).
Following the liberation and newly declared independence of the Philippines, many US military supplies, such as 1911's, jeeps, revolvers, etc. were left behind and reused by the Filipinos. The American military Jeeps were converted into mini-buses (Jeepney's which are still popular today). The American firearms were maintained, repaired, and copied because of their reliability and availability. This led to many Filipinos becoming 1911 gunsmiths out of their sheds. For decades, many of these gunsmiths all over the country would make parts for repair or complete 1911's and pass on the knowledge (although today, some of these sales are considered illegal).
Companies like Armscor (RIA 1911's are made by Armscor in the Philippines), bring many of these gunsmith's together in a legal way, with better equipment, facilities, and pay. So, when you purchase a Philippine 1911, such as from RIA, don't just think of it as an American gun made in the Philippines. Think of it as a 1911 whose gunsmith's often trace roots with the American Filipino's who fought against the Japanese during WWII with these very sidearms, and carried on the tradition of hand making the 1911. Reuters did a piece on Philippine 1911's describing the production and hand fitting for one 1911 can take two weeks... although the article had an anti-gun bent.
