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MEU(SOC) pistol

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The MEU(SOC) pistol , (" Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) (MEU(SOC))") officially designated the M45 MEUSOC , is a magazine-fed, recoil-operated, single-action , semiautomatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge . It is a variant of the M1911 for use by the Force Recon Element of the United States Marine Corps ' Marine Expeditionary Units from 1985 until 2022. It is assigned NATO Stock Number 1005-01-370-7353.

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64-578: In the late 1980s, USMC Colonel Robert Young laid out a series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs. In 2002, an article in American Handgunner stated that "Marine armorers from the Precision Weapons Section, MCBQ" are making 789 MEU (SOC) 1911s. Corporal Gravenese demonstrates

128-951: A pride parade called PrideFest in July, the Greek Festival, the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, and the Steers & Beers Whiskey and Beer Festival in August, and the Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival in nearby Manitou Springs and Arts Month in October. The Colorado Springs Festival of Lights Parade is held the first Saturday in December. The parade is held on Tejon Street in Downtown Colorado Springs. In 2017, Colorado had

192-664: A North Korean propaganda video released in April 2013, Colorado Springs was singled out as one of four targets for a missile strike. The video failed to pinpoint Colorado Springs on the map, instead showing a spot somewhere in Louisiana. Colorado Springs, dubbed Olympic City USA, is home to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and the headquarters of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and

256-623: A bitcoin mining facility. Microchip Technology (formerly Atmel ), is a chip fabrication organization. The Apple Inc. facility was sold to Sanmina-SCI in 1996. Almost immediately following the arrival of railroads beginning in 1871, the city's location at the base of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains made it a popular tourism destination. Tourism is the third largest employer in the Pikes Peak region, accounting for more than 16,000 jobs. In 2018, 23 million day and overnight visitors came to

320-706: A cooler, dry-winter semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ), and its location just east of the Rocky Mountains affords it the rapid warming influence from chinook winds during winter but also subjects it to drastic day-to-day variability in weather conditions. The city has abundant sunshine year-round, averaging 243 sunny days per year, and receives approximately 16.5 inches (419 mm) of annual precipitation . Due to unusually low precipitation for several years after flooding in 1999, Colorado Springs enacted lawn water restrictions in 2002. These were lifted in 2005 but permanently reinstated in December 2019. Colorado Springs

384-469: A few featured articles and personality profiles of people in the firearms industry as well as press releases of new products. Staff writers for American Handgunner include Massad Ayoob , John Taffin , Mike Venturino , Pat Covert , Clint Smith, and J. D. Jones . This sports magazine or journal-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . See tips for writing articles about magazines . Further suggestions might be found on

448-572: A hardened command and control center within the Cheyenne Mountain Complex during the Cold War. Between 1965 and 1968, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs , Pikes Peak State College and Colorado Technical University were established in or near the city. In 1977 most of the former Ent AFB became a US Olympic training center . The Libertarian Party was founded within the city in

512-476: A single source request was issued to Kimber Manufacturing for a similarly built pistol, despite the imminent release of their TLE/RLII models. Kimber shortly began producing a limited number of what would be later termed the Interim Close Quarters Battle pistol (ICQB). Maintaining the simple recoil assembly, 5-inch barrel (though using a stainless steel match grade barrel), and internal extractor,

576-482: A training-cycle and subsequent deployment. However, it is more common for a Marine to return the pistol to the PWS at Quantico for a rebuild after 10,000 rounds have been fired. A rebuild entails discarding almost all of the gun's parts except for the frame, which prior to 2003 was a U.S. Government frame last manufactured in 1945. The frame is inspected and reused if it is still within military specifications. There are frames in

640-515: A year, Fountain Colony was renamed Colorado Springs and officially incorporated. The El Paso County seat shifted from Colorado City in 1873 to the Town of Colorado Springs. On December 1, 1880, Colorado Springs expanded northward with two annexations. The second period of annexations was during 1889–90, and included Seavey's Addition, West Colorado Springs, East End, and another North End addition. In 1891

704-529: Is a frequent backdrop for political thrillers and military-themed stories because of its many military installations and vital importance to the United States' continental defense. Notable television series using the city as a setting include Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman , Homicide Hunter and the Stargate series Stargate SG-1 , as well as the films WarGames , The Prestige , and BlacKkKlansman . In

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768-542: Is a magazine dedicated to handguns , handgun hunting , competition shooting , reloading , tactical knife and other shooting-related activities in the United States . It is a sister publication to Guns and American Cop . The magazine primarily offers reviews on guns, ammunition, knives, and shooting gear; as well as gunsmithing tips, historical articles, gun collecting, self-defense and alerts on gun rights . In addition to those departments, each issue contains

832-467: Is based in Colorado Springs. A large percentage of Colorado Springs's economy is still based on manufacturing high-tech and complex electronic equipment. The high-tech sector in the Colorado Springs area has decreased its overall presence from 2000 to 2006 (from around 21,000 to around 8,000), with notable reductions in information technology and complex electronic equipment. Current trends project

896-766: Is considered an upgrade of the previous pistol, not an entirely new design. The original pistols were hand-selected standard government issued Colt M1911A1s that were gutted, deburred, and prepared for additional use by the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) in Quantico, Virginia . They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, a rounded hammer, ambidextrous thumb safeties, lighter triggers made by Videcki, improved high-visibility sights, accurized match-grade barrels made by Bar-Sto, Pachmayr rubber grips, front cocking-serrations, and improved stainless steel magazines made by Wilson Combat. The trigger-pull weight

960-431: Is derived from their existing XSE line of 1911-style pistols with a desert sand-colored surface treatment and Novak night sights. Springfield Armory entered a variant of the full-sized Loaded MC Operator M1911A1 pistol with a military-standard 1913 rail, tritium night sights and finished with a two-tone black slide with an olive-drab green frame. The third entry from Karl Lippard Designs, a Colorado Springs -based arms maker,

1024-446: Is far more durable of a finish. The M45A1 ships with Wilson Combat 47 7 round magazines, and is a production grade weapon, rolling off the same line as the commercial M45A1 with identical markings and parts. Colt also offers a custom shop civilian model to achieve higher accuracy, but the Marine issue model is the production grade pistol. American Handgunner American Handgunner

1088-841: Is home to a professional baseball team, The Rocky Mountain Vibes who are a member of the Pioneer League an MLB Partner League The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual invitational automobile and motorcycle hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak , every year on the last Sunday of June. The highway wasn't completely paved until 2011. The local colleges feature many sports teams. Notable among them are several nationally competitive NCAA Division I teams: United States Air Force Academy (Falcons) Football, Basketball and Hockey and Colorado College (Tigers) Hockey, and Women's Soccer. Colorado Springs

1152-599: Is located at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex . Within the mountain complex, the Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station has been operated by Space Operations Command . On January 13, 2021, the Air Force announced a new permanent home for Space Command, moving it from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama in 2026, but the decision could be reversed by Congress. Army divisions are trained and stationed at Fort Carson . The United States Air Force Academy

1216-495: Is near the base of Pikes Peak , which rises 14,115 feet (4,302.31 m) above sea level on the eastern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains . The city is the largest city north of Mexico above 6000 feet in elevation. The Ute , Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples were the first recorded inhabiting the area which would become Colorado Springs. Part of the territory included in the United States' 1803 Louisiana Purchase ,

1280-506: Is one of the most active lightning strike areas in the United States. This natural phenomenon led Nikola Tesla to select Colorado Springs as the preferred location to build his lab and study electricity. December is typically the coldest month, averaging 30.8 °F (−0.7 °C). Historically, January had been the coldest month, but, in recent years, December has had both lower daily maxima and minima. Typically, there are 5.2 nights with sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows and 23.6 days where

1344-418: Is specified at between 4.5 and 5.0 pounds-force (20 and 22 newtons). The pistol's components are hand-fitted and are not interchangeable. The last four digits of the weapon's serial number are stamped on the top of the barrel, on the right-side of slide assembly, inside of the beavertail grip safety, on each side of the ambidextrous thumb safety, and on the inside face of the mainspring housing group. In 2012,

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1408-627: The 2020 United States Census , the population of the City of Colorado Springs was 478,961 ( 40th most populous U.S. city ), the population of the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area was 755,105 ( 79th most populous MSA ), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 5,055,344. As of the April 2010 census, 78.8% of the population of the city was White ( non-Hispanic Whites were 70.7% of

1472-547: The 40th-most-populous city in the United States. It is the principal city of the Colorado Springs metropolitan area , which had 755,105 residents in 2020, and the second-most prominent city of the Front Range Urban Corridor . It is located in east-central Colorado on Fountain Creek , 70 miles (113 km) south of Denver . At 6,035 feet (1,839 m) the city stands over 1 mile (1.6 km) above sea level. Colorado Springs

1536-630: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) headquarters, Space Operations Command, and Space Deltas 2, 3, and 7. Located at Peterson is the 302nd Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit, that transports passengers and cargo and fights wildfires. Schriever Space Force Base is responsible for Joint Task Force-Space Defense and Space Deltas 6 , 8, and 9. The NORAD and USNORTHCOM Alternate Command Center

1600-537: The United States Anti-Doping Agency . Further, over 50 national sports organizations (non-Olympic) headquarter in Colorado Springs. These include the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Sports Incubator, a various non-Olympic Sports (such as USA Ultimate), and more. Colorado Springs and Denver hosted the 1962 World Ice Hockey Championships . The city has a long association with

1664-471: The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum opened; the Flying W Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner & Western Show reopened in 2020. A new Pikes Peak Summit Complex opened at the 14,115-foot summit in 2021. The Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway also reopened in 2021. The downtown Colorado Springs Visitor Information Center offers free area information to leisure and business travelers. The Cultural Office of

1728-523: The .45 ACP round by lowering the peak force of the recoil pulse. It also has 3-dot tritium night sights , a 5-inch national match barrel, ambidextrous safety, picatinny rail , and a desert tan Cerakote finish. In 2016, USMC command stated that MARSOC had replaced the M45A1 with the Glock 19, largely from a logistic standpoint, not from a performance and reliability standpoint, as a result of other SOCOM branches using

1792-732: The 1970s. On October 1, 1981, the Broadmoor Addition, Cheyenne Canon, Ivywild , Skyway, and Stratton Meadows were annexed after the Colorado Supreme Court "overturned a district court decision that voided the annexation ". Further annexations expanding the city include the Nielson Addition and Vineyard Commerce Park Annexation in September 2008. On June 23, 2012, the Waldo Canyon fire began 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of

1856-587: The Broadmoor Land Company built the Broadmoor suburb, which included the Broadmoor Casino , and by December 12, 1895, the city had "four Mining Exchanges and 275 mining brokers." By 1898, the city was designated into quadrants by the north-south Cascade Avenue and the east-west Washington/Pikes Peak avenues. From 1899 to 1901 Tesla Experimental Station operated on Knob Hill, and aircraft flights to

1920-563: The Broadmoor's neighboring fields began in 1919. Alexander Airport north of the city opened in 1925, and in 1927 the original Colorado Springs Municipal Airport land was purchased east of the city. The city's military presence began during World War II , beginning with Camp Carson (now the 135,000-acre Fort Carson base) that was established in 1941. During the war, the United States Army Air Forces leased land adjacent to

1984-489: The Glock 19. As of March 2019, Force Recon, and other units still use the M45A1 and some units have the Glock 19 or Beretta M9A1 as an alternative. The current M45A1 does not have a “USMC” rollmark on the slide for either Military or Civilian sales. Marine HQ requested Colt to stop marking the pistols as such. All M45A1s are currently marked “COLT***M45A1” and have a darker, flat dark earth Ion Bond type finish referred to by Colt as “Decobond”. While not as corrosion resistant, it

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2048-448: The Gods is on Colorado Springs's western edge. It is a National Natural Landmark , with 300 foot (91 m) red/orange sandstone rock formations often viewed against a backdrop of the snow-capped Pikes Peak. This park is free to the public and offers many recreational opportunities, such as hiking, rock climbing, cycling, horseback riding and tours. It offers a variety of annual events, one of

2112-543: The ICQB is not much different from Browning's original design. The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with SureFire Integrated Military Pistol Light (IMPL), Dawson Precision rail, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards based upon the jury-rigged telephone cord versions, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, Simonich G-10 Gunner Grips manufactured by Simonich Knives ( Strider Knives had previously replaced

2176-536: The Marine Corps awarded Colt a contract for up to 12,000 M45A1 pistols with an initial order of 4036 pistols. The Marine Corps issued the M45A1 to Force Reconnaissance companies, MARSOC and Special Reaction Teams from the Provost Marshal’s Office. The improved M45A1 CQBP features several changes to the original M1911A1 design. One feature is the dual recoil spring system that spreads out the recoil force of

2240-645: The Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR), also downtown, supports and advocates for the arts throughout the Pikes Peak Region. It operates the PeakRadar website to communicate city events. Colorado Springs is home to the annual Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off , a hot air balloon festival that takes place over Labor Day weekend at the city's Memorial Park . Other annual events include: a comic book convention and science fiction convention called GalaxyFest in February,

2304-545: The Pikes Peak region's economy. Colorado Springs is home to the Peterson Space Force Base , Schriever Space Force Base , Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station , U.S. Space Command, and Space Operations Command— the largest contingent of space service military installations. They are responsible for intelligence gathering, space operations, and cyber missions. Peterson Space Force Base is responsible for

2368-479: The SNIA Technology Center. Keysight Technologies , spun off in 2014 from Agilent , which was itself spun off from HP in 1999 as an independent, publicly traded company, has its oscilloscope research and development division based in Colorado Springs. Intel had 250 employees in 2009. The Intel facility is now used for the centralized unemployment offices, social services, El Paso county offices, and

2432-461: The U.S. Marines began looking commercially for replacements. Marine Corps Systems Command announced February 17, 2005, that it was going to purchase 150 Springfield Armory Professional Model pistols for use as MEU(SOC) pistols. This is the same pistol used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation SWAT and Hostage Rescue Teams; however, it had previously been rejected for adoption as the ICQB. Despite

2496-619: The USMC inventory that have had as many as 500,000 rounds fired through them. The Officer In Command of the Precision Weapons Shop in 2001, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ken Davis, stated that the M1911 is "the only pistol that can stand up to this use". However, as the U.S. Marine Corps began its process of hand selecting members from its Force Recon to be submitted to USSOCOM as Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Detachment One (MCSOCOM Det-1),

2560-548: The area, contributing $ 2.4 billion in revenue. Colorado Springs has more than 55 attractions and activities in the area, including Garden of the Gods park, United States Air Force Academy , the ANA Money Museum, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo , Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College , Old Colorado City , The National Museum of World War II Aviation, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center . In 2020,

2624-469: The article's talk page . Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Colorado , United States. It is the most populous city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census , a 15.02% increase since 2010 . Colorado Springs is the second-most populous city and the most extensive city in the state of Colorado, and

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2688-641: The capital of the Colorado Territory from November 5, 1861, until August 14, 1862, when the capital was moved to Golden , before it was finally moved to Denver in 1867. So many immigrants from England had settled in Colorado Springs by the early 1870s that Colorado Springs was locally referred to as "Little London". In 1871 the Colorado Springs Company laid out the towns of La Font (later called Manitou Springs ) and Fountain Colony , upstream and downstream respectively, of Colorado City. Within

2752-569: The city receives the majority of its annual rainfall, due to the North American monsoon . The first autumn freeze and the last freeze in the spring, on average, occur on October 2 and May 6, respectively; the average window for measurable snowfall (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) is October 21 through April 25. Extreme temperatures range from 101 °F (38 °C) on June 26, 2012 and most recently on June 21, 2016, down to −27 °F (−33 °C) on February 1, 1951, and December 9, 1919. As of

2816-475: The city the tongue-in-cheek nicknames "the Evangelical Vatican" and "The Christian Mecca". Religious groups with regional or international headquarters in Colorado Springs include: Although Colorado voters approved Colorado Amendment 64 , a constitutional amendment in 2012 legalizing retail sales of marijuana for recreational purposes, the Colorado Springs city council voted not to permit retail shops in

2880-668: The city was 35 years. Colorado Springs's economy is driven primarily by the military, the high-tech industry, and tourism, in that order. The city is experiencing growth in the service sectors. In June 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic , the unemployment rate was 3.3%. The state's unemployment rate in June 2022 was 3.4% compared to 3.6% for the nation. As of 2021 , there are nearly 45,000 active-duty troops in Colorado Springs. There are more than 100,000 veterans and thousands of reservists. The military and defense contractors supply more than 40% of

2944-454: The city would give up $ 25.4 million in tax revenue and fees if the city continued to thwart the industry from opening within the city limits. As of March 1, 2018, there were 131 medical marijuana centers and no recreational cannabis stores. As of 2019 Colorado Springs is still one of seven towns that have only allowed for medical marijuana. Colorado Springs has been the subject of or setting for many books, films and television shows, and

3008-505: The city, as was allowed in the amendment. Medical marijuana outlets continue to operate in Colorado Springs. In 2015, there were 91 medical marijuana clinics in the city, which reported sales of $ 59.6 million in 2014, up 11 percent from the previous year but without recreational marijuana shops. On April 26, 2016, Colorado Springs city council decided to extend the current six-month moratorium to eighteen months with no new licenses to be granted until May 2017. A scholarly paper suggested

3072-513: The city. The fire ended up destroying 347 homes and killing two people in the city. In total, over 32,000 residents had to be evacuated. At the time the fire was the most destructive in state history until it was surpassed by the Black Forest Fire the following year. The city lies in a semi-arid Steppe climate region with the Southern Rocky Mountains to the west, the Palmer Divide to

3136-582: The current city area was designated part of the 1854 Kansas Territory . In 1859, after the first local settlement was established, it became part of the Jefferson Territory on October 24 and of El Paso County on November 28. Colorado City at the Front Range confluence of Fountain and Camp creeks was "formally organized on August   13, 1859" during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush . It served as

3200-401: The high does not rise above freezing. Snowfall is usually moderate and remains on the ground briefly because of direct sun, with the city receiving 38 inches (97 cm) per season, although the mountains to the west often receive in excess of triple that amount; March is the snowiest month in the region, both by total accumulation and number of days with measurable snowfall. In addition, 8 of

3264-400: The high-tech employment ratio will continue to decrease. High-tech corporations offering fibre-optics to the premises connections within the city include: Lumen Technologies , Comcast and other providers as of 2023. Hewlett-Packard still has some sales, support, and SAN storage engineering center for the computer industry. Storage Networking Industry Association is the home of

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3328-462: The municipal airfield, naming it Peterson Field in December 1942. In November 1950, Ent Air Force Base was selected as the Cold War headquarters for Air Defense Command (ADC). The former WWII Army Air Base, Peterson Field, which had been inactivated at the end of the war, was re-opened in 1951 as a U.S. Air Force base .  North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was established as

3392-552: The north, high plains further east, and high desert lands to the south when leaving Fountain and approaching Pueblo . Colorado Springs is 69 miles (111 km) or one hour and five minutes south of Denver by car using I-25 . Colorado Springs has the greatest total area of any municipality in Colorado. At the 2020 United States Census , the city had a total area of 195.761 square miles (507.019 km ) including 0.362 square miles (0.937 km ) of water. Colorado Springs has

3456-634: The original Pachmayr rubber grips), and Wilson Combat 's '47D' 8-round magazines. Tritium Novak LoMount sights replaced the originals which were made in-house by the Marines. A source request was sent out to Springfield Armory, and the Springfield Operator, based on the FBI's TRP pistol, was built. Due to wear and tear of the MEU(SOC) pistols and increasing numbers of Marine personnel in Force Recon and MARSOC,

3520-409: The planned purchase of the commercial pistols, Marine Corps Systems Command has continued to solicit parts to build additional MEU(SOC) pistols. In 2010, requirements were once more issued for an off-the-shelf system to replace the custom-built pistols. Three pistols were offered to the USMC as a replacement for current M45 Pistols. Colt offered a modified version of their O1980RG (Rail Gun) pistol, which

3584-509: The population, compared with 86.6% in 1970 ), 16.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race (compared with 7.4% in 1970), 6.3% Black or African American , 3.0% Asian , 1.0% descended from indigenous peoples of the Americas , 0.3% descended from indigenous Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders , 5.5% of some other race, and 5.1% of two or more races . Mexican Americans made up 14.6% of the city's population, compared with 9.1% in 1990. The median age in

3648-641: The power of the pistol as shown as above. The revised parts list included barrels, bushings, link pins, sear springs, ejectors, firing pin stops, mainspring housings and mainsprings, all from Nowlin Manufacturing. Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory , with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties. A Marine operator may shoot as many as 80,000 rounds from this pistol during

3712-503: The selection of a .45 ACP M1911A1-based pistol meant roughly 150 units would be needed, more quickly than the PWS could produce them, as PWS were already backlogged with producing DMRs , USMC SAM-Rs , and updating M40A1s to M40A3s , so DET-1 began the search for COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) surrogates to use. Discovering that the Los Angeles Police Department was pleased with their special Kimber-made M1911 pistols,

3776-820: The sport of figure skating , having hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships six times and the World Figure Skating Championships five times. It is home to the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame and the Broadmoor Skating Club , a notable training center for the sport. In recent years, the Broadmoor World Arena has hosted skating events such as Skate America and the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships . Colorado Springs

3840-469: The third-most craft breweries at 348. Breweries and microbreweries have become popular in Colorado Springs, which hosts over 30 of them. Although houses of worship of almost every major world religion are within the city, Colorado Springs has in particular attracted a large influx of Evangelical Christians and Christian organizations in recent years. At one time Colorado Springs was the national headquarters for 81 different religious organizations, earning

3904-464: The top 10 heaviest 24-hour snowfalls have occurred from March to May. Summers are warm, with July, the warmest month, averaging 70.9 °F (21.6 °C), and 18 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually. Due to the high elevation and aridity, nights are usually relatively cool and rarely does the low remain above 70 °F (21 °C). Dry weather generally prevails, but brief afternoon thunderstorms are common, especially in July and August when

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3968-459: Was called the Close Quarter Battle Pistol: an M1911A1-style pistol, built using S7 tool steel and a large number of proprietary components including accessory rail, grip safety, and sights. On July 20, 2012, the Colt 1911 Rail Gun was selected and won a contract to initially deliver 4,000 pistols for MARSOC and Force Recon. The pistol was redesignated the M45A1 Close Quarter Battle Pistol (CQBP) and up to 12,000 will be delivered. The Colt design

4032-539: Was established after World War II, on land donated by the City of Colorado Springs. The defense industry forms a significant part of the Colorado Springs economy, with some of the city's largest employers being defense contractors. Some defense corporations have left or downsized city campuses, but slight growth has been recorded. Significant defense corporations in the city include Northrop Grumman , Boeing , General Dynamics , L3Harris Technologies , SAIC , ITT , Lockheed Martin , and Bluestaq. The Space Foundation

4096-577: Was the original headquarters of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) from its founding in 1992 until 2005, when the organization was moved to Pueblo . The city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services manage 136 neighborhood parks, eight community parks, seven regional parks, and five sports complexes, totaling 9,000 acres (3,600 ha). They also manage 500 acres (200 ha) of trails, of which 160 miles (260 km) are park trails and 105 miles (169 km) are urban. There are 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of open space in 48 open-space areas. Garden of

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