




The Lebman 1911A1
The Lebman M1911A1 was a highly modified version of the Colt 1911 pistol converted into a fully automatic machine pistol by Texas gunsmith Hyman Lebman during the 1930s. Lebman altered the trigger group and internal action to enable automatic fire, reportedly pushing the cyclic rate to nearly 1,000 rounds per minute. To help manage recoil and muzzle rise, the pistols were fitted with an extended seven-port compensator at the muzzle.
These illegal conversions became popular among notorious gangsters of the era. John Dillinger is known to have carried one during his crime spree, and Baby Face Nelson reportedly used them as well. Despite retaining standard 7-round .45 ACP magazines, the extreme rate of fire caused ammunition to disappear almost instantly. Only a small number were ever produced before increasing federal pressure and law enforcement attention effectively ended Lebman’s operation.
Several of the guns were later recovered following high-profile shootouts with police. One pistol linked to Dillinger allegedly had 22 notches carved into the grip. The Lebman conversions demonstrated an early and unconventional attempt at adapting the 1911 platform for automatic fire, though the resulting weapons were difficult to control in practical use. Today, they remain infamous relics of the Prohibition-era underworld.