SIG Sauer has commemorated the 80th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor—in partnership with Best Defense Foundation—with three one-of-a-kind, custom designed 1911 pistols: the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Pistol, the USS Arizona Commemorative Pistol, and the USS Oklahoma Commemorative Pistol.
Additionally, SIG Sauer is honored to release a short video to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and highlight the detail and distinguishing features of the commemorative pistols.
“It was truly an honor to create these custom pistols and we are humbled to have the opportunity to partner with the Best Defense Foundation to salute these men and women of the greatest generation,” said Tom Taylor, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of SIG Sauer. “The foundation is providing any World War II veteran that wants a measure of closure the opportunity to return to their battlefield and we hope these pistols will bring recognition to their efforts. From the shores of Normandy to Pearl Harbor, the foundation has made it their mission to honor these veterans sacrifice and we are forever thankful for their dedication to that mission.”
SIG Sauer Custom Works has added unique distinguishing features to each of the commemorative pistols. The 1911 pistol was one of the most commonly issued and carried by U.S. forces throughout World Ward II. Each of the commemorative 1911 Pearl Harbor pistols feature engravings designed in collaboration with Outlaw Ordnance customizations, and wear a Battleship Gray Cerakote matte finish on the frame and slide. They are chambered in .45 ACP with an single-action-only trigger, Gold Dot Novak front sights and Wilson Combat serrated rear sights.
The custom grips on each of the pistols was designed and manufactured by Chad Schumacher at Allegory Goods, and is crafted from teak decking salvaged from the USS North Carolina. After the Pearl Harbor attack, the USS North Carolina was sent to the pacific to strengthen allied forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign, and was part of the offensive operations supporting the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa.
Engravings on the pistols commemorate the date and time of the attack: December 7, 1941 at 7:55 a.m. where Japanese warplanes descended on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, and the address by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the U.S. Congress formally requesting a declaration of war between the U.S. and Japan where he began with “A day which will live in infamy.”
Engravings on the USS Arizona pistol honor the battleship, once the pride of the fleet. After the ship was hit by Japanese torpedo bombers a munitions magazine detonated, which violently exploded, sank the ship and claimed the lives of 1,177 officers and crewmen. The USS Arizona Memorial at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial was dedicated on May 30th, 1962, to honor all those who died during the attack.
The USS Oklahoma Commemorative Pistol commemorate the battleship, which served in World War I and protected allied convoys across the Atlantic. During the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese torpedo bomber airplanes hit the Oklahoma's hull causing it to capsize. A total of 429 crew died as a result. Others jumped to safety, were rescued through hatches or from drilling holes in the side of the hull.
The commemorative 1911 pistols have been presented to the leadership of the Best Defense Foundation.
