1911 commander

E

Eazyeach

New member
Got the itch for a new 1911. Looking at my collection there is a hole where a commander in .45 should reside.

What I'm looking for:
Price: $700-$1500
Finish: prefer blued but stainless is possible
Firing system: prefer 70 series but not a deal breaker

Been looking at a Dan Wesson vbob in duty black and a Colt talo in stainless.

What do you guys have? And what do you like/dislike about them?
 
You might check Colt. Both their lightweight Commander and the Wiley Clapp Commander (stainless) fall in that price range.

Jim
 
Thanks James. I checked out the LW commander today(the new for 2016)and I was a little disappointed. It had too many sharp edges. I have a 9mm combat commander from the 70s and I love it. I was pumped up when they released the lw commander this year. It looks great with the cherrywood grips and all. Just didn't feel great.
 
I really like my S&W 1911 SC-E bobtail. I think they go for about $1200 now (got mine a few years ago for $1100). Mine's blued, but I think they make them with a SS slide as well. Main features that come standard that I like: match-grade barrel, good checkering on the front strap, Trijicon night sights, skeletonized trigger, bobbed lightweight hammer, ambi safety, and a pair of nice-looking (real?) rosewood grip panels. Overall, very good attention to detail, IMO.

I got mine right around its initial introduction, so as usual there were a few teething issues with my gun. During the break-in period (about 250 rounds according to the owner's manual) I had two FTFeed. This stopped at about 400 rounds. Also, and a bit more concerning, during that same period the slide stop lever pin snapped twice, once at 200 rounds and a second time at about 350 rounds. The first time I went through S&W for the fix and they just installed a new one, which broke at about 350 rounds. I ordered a replacement from Wilson Combat when the CS guy from S&W told me that if I returned the gun a second time they'd simply install yet another slide stop exactly like the last two. I installed the Wilson Combat version and haven't had an issue since.

I've run 7 different brands of ammo through it, and four different handloads, including round nose, flat point, hollow-points, and lead SWC. They've all run through the gun without a hiccup, excluding the issues I had when I tried to save some money by buying a couple cheap mags. Threw those away after one range session. So the gun is finicky about mags.

Other than that, the gun runs like a top and looks good while it does. It's more accurate than I am (from a ransom rest I shot a 3 inch 7-shot group at 20 yards; off-hand I'm ecstatic if I can keep them all inside a pie plate).

Another positive is that somehow it seems to be softer recoiling than some full-size 1911s. I have four friends that have full-size 1911s from various makers (Kimber, SA, and Magnum Research) and we all thought my S&W had the least felt recoil. Not sure how that could be, as it is lighter, but that was the unanimous consensus.

The only gripe I might have is the coating under the safety has already started to chip off, and apparently there's very little I can do about it.

It does have an external extractor, so if that's a deal-breaker, oh well. But I think it's a nice gun, and everyone I know that has one is happy with theirs as well.

Hope some of that helps.
 
Sounds like you know better what you want than the posters but i could suggest a Kimber pro carry II, love mine..oops just remembered ypur price range...Remington has a couple in that range but i believe they do not have a LW. Looks like you need to spend some time staring in the case at Cabellas.
 
Lol. It doesn't have to be LW. Sorry if I'm shooting down everyone's ideas. But $1200 is a lot of money and I'd prefer not to have my gun break.
 
Any gun can break, but I can't defend S&W's 1911 models at all. I can say S&W's warranty & customer service has handled my issue well with one of its revolvers, which resulted in a full replacement.

My Colt Commander has its slide back at the factory for a loose front sight. I hear it's not a common issue, but I'm lucky like that.

My Guncrafter 1911 had its front night sight go out. I mean the vial disappeared at the range. That slide had to be returned.

My Kimber's front night sight went dim. That went back under warranty twice as the first time Kimber replaced the front sight with one too tall. I had another Kimber with just one of its rear dots go dim, but I sold that gun before getting the rear sight replaced. I've also had a Kimber ambi-safety break.

Other parts and brands of parts have broken over the years, but to me, that's normal wear & tear as the guns start hitting the 10,000 round & beyond mark.

I do like the $4100 Wilson Elite Professional I was being shown at the store the other day, but seems a bit pricey.

Let us know what you end up getting. I'd be interested in another Commander-sized 1911, too. No more talking, I've got to get off to the range now to see what else I can break.
 
It seems you are overly concerned about breakages.

Guns are mechanical, if you use them the wear and parts break.

After having a Kmber, Smith, Springfield I now have a Ruger LW Commander.

If it breaks I will fix it. Brownells and Midway have lots of parts.
 
I've got Ruger's CMD, an all SS steel model that's been absolutely reliable for me. It replaced a 1970's vintage Colt Combat Commander (all steel) that son #2 took a shine to. Both are very accurate, but the Colt took a Wilson bbl. and bushing to accomplish 2" gps at 25 yds.

The Ruger has better features (beveled mag well, two mags furnished, SS construction, Novak sights, checkered back strap, beavertail grip safety, ported ejection, and combat sized controls)...in a word, the Ruger has all the features you'd like and none of the mall ninja crap.

I would suggest, however, that if you intend to CC with it, get the alloy frame model, the weight difference is significant and a deal breaker for me. I've carried both the Colt and the Ruger but both are too heavy on the belt. The alloy frame which I've also carried (son #1's gun) is no problem. Hate to admit it, but the CMD has become a range gun for me.

Another good piece, better than the two mentioned above is Sig's RCS 1911 carry model (sports all the Ruger's features with a black nitron finish and tritium night sights...also has a melted exterior with an alloy frame that makes it perfect for CC.)

Check out Sig's line of carry pistols, they're first rate, and backed by a superb customer service group. I carry the RCS daily here. This model has an Officer's Model grip length (1/4" shorter but uses standard length mags or the shorter ones) and a 4" barrel of match quality. It's a 2" or less grouping 1911 at 25 yds for me. BTW, the night sights really work well, and are a must have item on any defensive handgun in my opinion.

Pic to follow with the Sig and Ruger's CMD. The 2nd is the Sig with Marvel's 5" model .22 lr upper, odd looking but superbly accurate.

Best Regards, Rod



 
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I'm not OVERLY concerned about breaking a gun. I don't run them that hard. I don't have time to put 10,000 rds thru any of my guns. Someone recommended a $1200 gun then went on to talk about what has broken on it and about the finish flaking off in a spot. If I spend money on anything I expect it to work. Knock on wood I've never had to send a firearm back to the manufacturer. Not planning on replacing any parts on any gun before the 1000 rd mark.

As for the Ruger 1911 cmd. I had one and like an idiot I sold it. Shame on me. Hopefully the guy will be back at the next gun show looking to sell it back. Lol.
 
I am not planning on carrying this gun everyday so it doesn't have to be LW. I carry a S&W shield most days. When I carry a 1911 it's my springfield EMP champion LW. But I haven't carried it too much as I don't have a holster other than the cheapo holster it came with.
 
I prefer basic simplicity and reliability over bells and whistles. I have a blued Colt 1991 Commander (their base model), which is at the lower end f your price range, and IMHO it's perfect. It has a Series 80 firing pin block but, after reading up on how easily a 1911 can discharge if dropped, I have shifted my views and I now want a firing pin block on any carry pistol.

You can pay a lot more for a 1911 than a Colt 1991, but you can't buy a better pistol.
 
Those CMD's come up here locally for $650 on occasion but Cabelas in Louisville, had one in the used case for $600 flat. All in all though, I like the alloy model better from a CC user, range type guy. If you're into the games (IDPA etc) where a thousand rounds a month are the rule, an all steel model might make some more sense.

One good point on the Ruger CMD, at least in mine, is that it will accept all Colt made uppers that I've tried. I have and have posted pics here before, of my 9mm, .38 Super and .22 lr uppers for it. The .38 is actually more accurate than the original .45 (sub-2" gps at 25 yds from rest). It's a 4-caliber gun now with no parts changes except the upper unit with recoil spring and the magazines.

Good luck on your search. Rod
 
Colt Commander

For what new Commander style pistols are selling for, consider buying a nice used "real" Commander. If you look around they are out there. I've had my 1954 .45ACP Comander for 10 years or so and paid about what a new Colt Commander was selling for back then. I've seen similar older Commanders selling for well under the $1200 price tag that many factory, non-custom new ones are selling for today.

PA152099.jpg


PA152092-1.jpg


By the way, I do have the original Coltwood grips. They had shrunk some and just did not look good. I have them mounted on a board to keep them from shrinking any more.
 
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A number of good brands noted as options for a commander size in .45 ACP. I would lean toward Dan Wesson of the brands mentioned. One brand not mentioned that offers several options is STI. Like Dan Wesson they are at the high end of production/semi-custom options. I've got an STI Guardian (3.9") and a Ranger (4.1"). Both are superb. If you are unaware of STI or haven't considered them I would encourage you to take a look. Very well respected in competition circles, made in Texas, lifetime warranty on any problem.
 
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