There really never was a time where every soldier was issued a pistol.
About the only service that routinely issued pistols to everyone was the horse cavalry and often later wars combat air crews.
Tankers actually had weapons issued to the tank, with a tank getting two pistols, a SMG, and a Carbine. Who actually got them was decided by the crew, with the tank commander almost always taking a pistol for himself.
During WWI General Pershing wanted ever combat soldier to have a pistol, but not enough were available to do that.
As above, since the invention of the revolver who in the military got a pistol was decided by their job..... infantrymen got rifles, officers and crew served weapons soldiers got pistols, so did people who's job was not a combat job but who needed to be armed but didn't need a rifle.
With the invention of the M1 Carbine, most combat officers and crew served weapons men got a more effective Carbine.
Since the invention of the high capacity short assault rifle, few people need a pistol.
Of course every solder WANTED a pistol but few were able to get one.
James Jones wrote two books that included this desire..... in "The Thin Red Line" the story starts off with a soldier searching through a troop ship for a pistol he could steal. He couldn't steal a pistol from a mortar or machine gun crew because pistols were issued to them and the serial numbers recorded.
In "The Pistol" a young soldier is issued a pistol for guard duty on Pearl Harbor day and thinking it's been forgotten tries to keep it.
The book details his efforts to prevent others from taking the .45.
About the only service that routinely issued pistols to everyone was the horse cavalry and often later wars combat air crews.
Tankers actually had weapons issued to the tank, with a tank getting two pistols, a SMG, and a Carbine. Who actually got them was decided by the crew, with the tank commander almost always taking a pistol for himself.
During WWI General Pershing wanted ever combat soldier to have a pistol, but not enough were available to do that.
As above, since the invention of the revolver who in the military got a pistol was decided by their job..... infantrymen got rifles, officers and crew served weapons soldiers got pistols, so did people who's job was not a combat job but who needed to be armed but didn't need a rifle.
With the invention of the M1 Carbine, most combat officers and crew served weapons men got a more effective Carbine.
Since the invention of the high capacity short assault rifle, few people need a pistol.
Of course every solder WANTED a pistol but few were able to get one.
James Jones wrote two books that included this desire..... in "The Thin Red Line" the story starts off with a soldier searching through a troop ship for a pistol he could steal. He couldn't steal a pistol from a mortar or machine gun crew because pistols were issued to them and the serial numbers recorded.
In "The Pistol" a young soldier is issued a pistol for guard duty on Pearl Harbor day and thinking it's been forgotten tries to keep it.
The book details his efforts to prevent others from taking the .45.
