Daniel E. Watters, who is always vigilant, alerted me to the fact that the Marines are looking to procure M1911A1 frames. The frames are for the MEU(SOC) pistols that are used by Force Recon.

Up till now they have been using surplus 1911 frames. I guess the supply of quality surplus frames in their inventory has finally run out, nearly twenty years after 1911 pistol was replaced by the M9.