Colt Commander

[Love Life]

I'm looking to get one. Are there any major Cons to getting one with the alloy frame?

Anybody have one? How does it shoot?

[sbeatty1983]

no real major cons to an alloy frame. They will not last as long as a steel frame, so if you are planning on putting 10k rnds a year through it in competition then you should get a steel framed gun. for the average shooter, it will last a lifetime.

[Love Life]

Thanks! I don't shoot 10,000 rds of 45 acp a year so I'll keep an eye out for either one. Now I have to find my 550 Caliber conversion, and I knew I was saving that 45 acp brass for a reason.

[Hunter]

As was said, the alloy receiver does not hold up as much as a steel receiver but it is much lighter for carry.
i will agree, for the average shooter it will last a lifetime. I say go for it.

[Adam10mm]

Not a Colt, but I have a 10mm Auto commander size 1911 I built using a Kimber aluminum frame. So far it's lasted 70,000 rounds and keeps on going. Use it for my carry gun and my hunting gun. Most of the ammo shot in it has been my 180gr @ 1300fps handloads. For an aluminum frame .45 ACP where 99% of the ammo is subsonic velocity, I wouldn't worry one bit.

[gunfan]

[smilie=w:
Not a Colt, but I have a 10mm Auto commander size 1911 I built using a Kimber aluminum frame. So far it's lasted 70,000 rounds and keeps on going. Use it for my carry gun and my hunting gun. Most of the ammo shot in it has been my 180gr @ 1300fps handloads. For an aluminum frame .45 ACP where 99% of the ammo is subsonic velocity, I wouldn't worry one bit.

Excellent response! "And the hits just keep on coming!"

Scott

[Rodfac]

I'd opine that the venerable Colt Commander sized pistol is one of the most useful of all large bore handguns. It fires a cartridge that's authoritative all by itself and no need for "magic" bullets to make it so; it's size makes it right at the top end of concealability for OWB use; and recoil even with the alloy frame is manageable if you put in some practice; accuracy is every bit as good as a full length 1911. What's not to like about this war-horse.

Alloy frames were the first iteration...Colt's attempt to make it viable as a replacement for the 1911A1. In that regard, they pretty much got it as light as the recoil will allow. As to wear...son #2 has 2000 + rounds through his with no degradation in accuracy...unless you're an active IDPA competitor or one of the other high round count disciplines, I'd not worry about wear and tear. Too, we use target level 200 gr LSWC's from commercial sources, for the most part in practice...and save the heavy CCW rounds for serious social CCW use. Our load is a 200 gr LTWC with 5.1 gr of Win 231 or HP38....no house burner to be sure, but very accurate in all our guns and easy on their innards.

Son #2 has the Lt. Wt. Commander, alloy frame, .45 ACP; likes it a lot, it's his daily carry/truck gun. It's good for 2" at 25 yds with no frame or slide rail modifications. It's a 70's vintage Colt BTW.

Mine is a Colt Combat Commander, (the full steel frame version), in .45 ACP. I like it so much that I've fitted three add'l slides in 9 mm, .38 Super and .22 lr to it. It's noticeably heavier than the alloy model, and is just over the weight I'd daily carry. As to accuracy, it's been tweaked by a good local gunsmith for rails, and frame, a new trigger added, beavertail grip safety, extended thumb safety, and low combat type sights. It's a keeper but as I pointed out, a bit heavy for daily carry. Here's the pic of it and it's add'l slide/barrel assemblies....I've posted this before simply 'cause I really like the gun.

Best Regards, Rod

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii64/Rodfac/Handguns/Commander3.jpg

[gkainz]

"That one gun I wish I had never sold..." My Combat Commander ... Sigh

[Adam10mm]

Here's my 10mm 1911. I want to get a commander slide assembly for it in .45 ACP, but I can't afford that right now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/freakshow10mm/DSCN0813.jpg

[Rodfac]

Freakshow10...don't think a Commander length slide and barrel assembly will fit on the full size Colt 1911 frame, can't speak for any of the other makes, but none of my slide/barrel units do and all are Series 70 vintage slides and 1911 frames. The one exception are the Marvel and Ciener .22 lr units which fit both 1911 and Commander length Colt frames. The other kicker is that all of my .22 lr units will not work on a Colt Series 70 frame in other than .45 ACP. Your 10 may have trouble. Too, I had to change out the ejector on the basic frame to get it to catch the smaller 9mm rim size. No worries there as it works just fine with the original .45 ACP barrel and slide.

BTW, that's a good lookin' Commander with its bobbed heel...should make carry concealed a mite easier...in my experience, it's the grip that's the hardest to keep from printing.

Good luck on your project tho, parts interchangeability may have progressed since I built up my Combat Commander in the early 90's.

Best Regards, Rod

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I carry the alloy frame Colt daily while my steel frame Colts sit in the safe. Day in and day out there is that much difference in the weight and I will probably never carry my steel frames again. Mine are the 5" models tho. My every day carry guns only get shot about 600 rounds a year but I trust the alloy completely.

Stick with the 70's series, lawyer linkage was never necessary. John Moses didn't design it that way. A firing pin block is fine in a Smith and Wesson 4506 with a 1/2 trigger pull but not on a single action.

My alloy frame Colt 5" has never jammed.

[Adam10mm]

Freakshow10...don't think a Commander length slide and barrel assembly will fit on the full size Colt 1911 frame, can't speak for any of the other makes, but none of my slide/barrel units do and all are Series 70 vintage slides and 1911 frames.
The Kimber frame is from their Pro Carry series. The gun was originally a Pro Carry .40 S&W. It uses the Commander cut inside the frame for the recoil system and was a 4 inch bull barrel. I put a box or two of .40 for it, just to proof the gun, then sent the barrel to get rechambered by Hunter Customs. Bob's done all my barrel rechambering work for my 10mm 1911 conversions. I disliked the bull barrel system, so I sold that on another forum and got a Fusion slide and barrel (basically STI parts). Thinking the same thing with the .45 ACP upper when I save up enough money.


BTW, that's a good lookin' Commander with its bobbed heel...should make carry concealed a mite easier...in my experience, it's the grip that's the hardest to keep from printing.
I like it a lot. Ed Brown externals, C&S internals, and I've got 5 Metalform magazines for it. Weighs as much as a compact Glock, very concealable, and packs a punch for small game up to deer or two legged attackers. Rides nicely in an Aker Flatsider holster. I sold every pistol I had except this one. It's my favorite gun I've ever owned. It's scuffed up and has holster wear, but it's not a BBQ gun, it's a working gun that's on my side every day of the week.

[35remington]

Sharp edged hollowpoints tend to eat the aluminum frame ramp to some degree, putting some amount of roughness or scoring on it. Pick HP's with smoother edges for carry use.

[Rodfac]

Freak...sounds like you're pretty well set up...and a .45 on the hip is certainly adequate for any job a pistol is good for, at least in the lower 48. As to the looks of a good well maintained CCW, I like 'em with a bit of honest wear...and that's 'bout what my better half thinks of my looks too, LOL. At 66, I'm well past pretty, and more into function...if it still works, I'm a happy boy.

35Remington, that's a good point you made...I'll pass it along to my #2 son, who's carrying an original Commander as his CCW.

Best Regards. Rod

[Adam10mm]

I'm in bear country so the 10mm is a step up from the .45 in that regard. Only reason I went with stainless is a refinishing job is just a little elbow grease with some fine sandpaper and emery cloth. :)

[Chilmonty]

Very nice Bobtail Freak!! Is that the light weight?
I have a Commander XSE I picked up a few years back. It is/was stock but it is at the gunsmith as we speak.

[Adam10mm]

No, it's a Kimber aluminum lower with Fusion (STI) upper.

[wv109323]

I prefer the weight and balance of the Government frame to the Commander for shooting. You did not say if you are going to carry or not. If you are going to carry then the Commander may get the nod.

[MtGun44]

My daily carry gun is a Colt Ltwt SS Commander. Excellent weapon, accurate, reliable, powerful,
light and extremely flat - which is the most important thing for easy CCW.

Get it! Buy a Milt Sparks horsehide Watch Six and you will be absolutely set.

Agreed that for just shooting, the full sized steel gun is better. But to carry every day, get
the Lightweight Commander.

Bill

[Love Life]

It will be for CC, bumming around the mountains, and making me look cool.

I am currently on the look out. I got to hold a Kimber commander sized 1911 (all steel) and it felt just right. Only reason it didn't come home with me is because it had no Pony on the slide. Still chasing my ponies....

[Kull]

My carry rig is a 1991 series Combat Commander in a Sparks horsehide Summer Special II. The rat tail grip safety, round hammer, commander length side, and of course the thickness make it easy to carry despite the weight. Ignore any series 70 vs series 80 talk. The pistols coming out of Colt these days are superb.

[saz]

+ whatever number we are on now..... A 1911 in any trim is always a great choice for EDC- thin, lots of power on tap, and point like the finger of God. What is not to like? Although I do not own any Colts, I do have a few 1911's. My EDC is a Kimber Pro Carry II (thanks to the fellas on here!) and it is amazing. Now with that being said, if I had any larger hands than I have now, I would have a hard time hanging onto that short officer's style grip. I think that the Commanders are the happy medium of size between an full size and Officers. I have a Pro Carry also and it shoots VERY well, but she is way too pretty to go into a holster, and considering there were only 27 made it will hopefully never have a scratch on it. Go with the alloy frame, they are much easier to carry all day with the lighter weight.

[Green Frog]

"That one gun I wish I had never sold..." My Combat Commander ... Sigh

Amen, brother. Me too. [smilie=b: Mine was a Series 70 with electroless nickel finish and a second slide assembly in 38 Super in blue. With a couple of magazines in each caliber it was a handy package and suitable to about any carry needs. Oh well! :sad:

Froggie

[WARD O]

Don't forget to check out the Smith & Wesson 1911 Sc - it too has an alloy frame with stainless upper. I bought one year and a half back and it has been a great gun for shooting and carry. I never used to be able to hit much with a 45 and had left them alone until this one came along - it really changed my mind!

ward