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shdwlkr
10-30-2015, 07:42 PM
Ok so I go into my usual LGS today and ask if they have any 1911 38 super/9mm pistols and the nice guy behind the counter hands me a colt 1911 with 4 digit serial number with -LW in the serial number so when was this made. 4 inch barrel just what I was looking for. Yes they know me well at this place and have freed up many many slips of paper from my wallet and will continue to do so if they keep this up.
No pictures I will be paying for this for a long time
just noticed my post number equals a couple of rifles I have how neat
Love Life
10-30-2015, 07:44 PM
http://www.colt.com/CustomerServices/SerialNumberLookup.aspx
Greg S
10-30-2015, 10:20 PM
That is a series 70 Light Weight Commander I believe. A Colt affectionato should be able to pinpoint you alittle better. Stay away from the McCormick mags that the metal follower gets jammed into the feedramp. It'll ding it up in short order. Enjoy.
Love Life
10-30-2015, 10:23 PM
So will the Wilson mags. At least mine did...
shdwlkr
10-31-2015, 11:27 AM
colt site says it is a 1949 commander and I found that the lw stands for light weight that was changed to clw in 1969 or there abouts. never seen a convertible colt 1911 before and glad I got this one, now to get the pennies saved so I can bring it home
fourarmed
11-02-2015, 12:48 PM
According to the numbers I have, there were only 65 Commanders produced in 1949, and they did not have the LW suffix. 1950 production started with 66-LW, 1951 with 6000-LW, and those would take care of all 4-digit numbers. I have an early '50 and a '51. The '50 is in excellent condition except for a little pitting in the grooves of the barrel, and has some custom work by Armand Swenson. The '51 was purchased because I decided the Swenson gun was probably too valuable to carry.
shdwlkr
11-02-2015, 02:15 PM
fourarmed
that would make mine one of the 1950 models thanks it is sometimes so hard to find real answers to questions
Char-Gar
11-02-2015, 02:40 PM
If I had a nice vintage LW Commander of any caliber I would only shoot it with cast bullets. JHP ammo can score the feed ramp of the aluminum frame. This has been the bug-a-boo with LW Commanders since day 1 of JHP ammo. This was not an issue early on as there was no JHP ammo. Ruger got around this by using a titanium feed ramp in their new version of the LW Commander.
seagiant
11-02-2015, 04:33 PM
If I had a nice vintage LW Commander of any caliber I would only shoot it with cast bullets. JHP ammo can score the feed ramp of the aluminum frame. This has been the bug-a-boo with LW Commanders since day 1 of JHP ammo. This was not an issue early on as there was no JHP ammo. Ruger got around this by using a titanium feed ramp in their new version of the LW Commander.

Hi,
How about a steel feed ramp insert???

Oh yea, comes with instructions for the brave at heart!!!

http://www.egwguns.com/index.php?p=product&id=1022
Char-Gar
11-02-2015, 11:16 PM
Hi,
How about a steel feed ramp insert???

Oh yea, comes with instructions for the brave at heart!!!

http://www.egwguns.com/index.php?p=product&id=1022

That should work.
fourarmed
11-03-2015, 11:38 AM
I wish I had known about that insert when I bought the '51. However, I did get mine working finally by having the feed ramp milled on the outer edges so that it was flatter. It had a heck of a groove up the middle from too many jacketed bullets. It will never shoot another as long as I have it.