Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP

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Spyder99

Inactive
I am in the market to buy my first handgun. I have shot only a Glock 19 and the 23 model.
I am very interest in the Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP in stainless steel. I have done a lot of research about this gun & about DAO vs. SAO.
Any comments about this gun.

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Spyder
 
An excellent choice. If its gonna be used for CCW, I'd recommend the lightweight version. However, DON'T buy a new one! Colt's quality has declined badly in the last few years. The newer guns stink. Look for an older used gun in good condition. There should be plenty of them out there.
 
Cmbt_Cmdr.gif

Spyder,

Get Colt's Stainless Enhanced Combat Commander, you'll love it. I got mine in September (Colt model 04012EU) and it's been a joy - accurate, reliable, tight, well made. I ditched those god awful Hogue finger groove grips, put on some walnut Slim Techs. Replaced the long trigger with a short one, and swapped flat main spring housing for an arched. That's just my personal tastes, my hands are big but my fingers are kinda stubby, you might like it just the way it is.

A lot of guys ream Colt on these forums. Maybe they have axes to grind, maybe there is (or was) a quality problem at Colt. I dunno, all I can say is mine's okay, and the new ones I've seen on the dealers tables look good. I prefer an all steel gun, the LW will save ya a few ounces. Check out the link below to Bob Campbell's GUNWEB four page article "Colt's Best Pistol". -- Kernel

http://www.gunweb.com/articles/colt/index.html

[This message has been edited by Kernel (edited December 04, 1999).]
 
the combat commander is my all time favorite, they were getting hard to find in s/s before colts big anouncement---I suspect that they will command a premium price, unfortunately. Ive inquired with some local dealers and none of them claim to be able to locate a commander or govt mdl or hi-power------it could be their all using the same supplier. For me it will have to be the shows in order to find what I like I believe.....fubsy.
 
Like Kernel I also am satisfied with my Colt Commander mine is called Colt Custom Combat Commander, it has the same features, but has a black slide on a stainless frame. It was supposedly put out as a semi-custom, with some work being done by Colt's Custom shop. I'm not sure how true that is or if it is marleting hype. I do know that it shoots better than my full size Kimber. Grayfox has been shooting 1911's for a lot longer than I have, so he may have something when he says buy an older one. I think if I were to buy one today, given Colt's recent history, I would be tempted to go with Springfield, Kimber or Wilson instead. 2 years ago when I bought mine it was my first 1911, and I think the nostalgia of Colt is why I went that way. The Commander size, for some reason, just fits me a whole lot better than the full size.

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CCW for Ohio action site.
http://www.ofcc.net
Do what you C.A.N.

http://thematrix.acmecity.com/digital/237/cansite/can.html
 
Thanks everybody for the great input. Just one more question. I really want a Brand New Gun. Should I still Look at the "COLT COMBAT COMMANDER" I realy like the look and feel of it. (Maybe Springfield??)

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Spyder
 
Thanks everybody for the great input. Just one more question. I really want a Brand New Gun. Should I still Look at the "COLT COMBAT COMMANDER" I realy like the look and feel of it. (Maybe Springfield??)

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Spyder
 
Don't be afraid to get a new Colt...just make sure it is their new O Series (or XS, whatever they are calling it now). I have the Lightweight Commander version and it is a very nice gun.
 
I must say that I prefer Springfields over Colt. Colt quality seems to be going downhill while Springfield has improved their overall quality in the last few years. Check out the Springfield Champion, it is a nice gun that comes loaded. Just my opinion. Rod Black
 
Who, besides Colt, makes a true Commander length slide with a 4.25" barrel? Seems like everyone else offers Officer's length and shorter. Personally, I think the Commander is the perfect balance of size and shootability. -- Kernel
 
The best alternative I can think of is the Baer Commanche. Mine shoots very well, and even works well as long as Wilson mags are used. This is more than I can say for most of the Colt's I've owned. The Commander sized pistols have always been my favorites of the M1911 tribe. My old Colt Commander was the only Colt I owned that was functionally reliable, though it didn't group worth a damn. At least the Baer can outshoot my Glock 21-- usually...
 
This is my weapon of choice. The Combat Commander just feels and shoots better for me than any other handgun I've ever used. I think you would be well served if you get a CC or any facsimile.
 
A good choice. You ain't bought it yet???!

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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785
 
Colt's Stainless Enhanced Combat Commander... Colt model 04012EU.....
Click to expand...

It's been a very long time, but I wanted to correct a key mistake in my original post from so long ago. The Colt model number is O4012EU. In the original post, for the model number, I used a leading number zero "0". The proper prefix form is a leading letter "O".

These guns are sometimes called the "pre-XSE" Colts. They were Enhanced Colts made in the 1997 - 1999 time frame only. They had a Gold Cup like flat top frame, a then new full beaver tail safety, a dovetail front sight, and a unique C-More rear sight along with other enhanced features. This limited run Enhanced series was superseded by the XS in 2000, and the XSE in 2001.

The "E" stood for Enhanced, and it's my belief the "U" stood for cUstom. A short lived "Enhanced Custom" line. There were five or six 1911 types in the EU series, some made for just one year, all with the letters "EU appearing in the suffix of their serial number and model number.

This is what the Stainless Enhanced 04012EU Combat Commander looked like.....
ColtCommander.jpg
 
Just bought an all steel Nighthawk commander and itching to shoot it but haven't been able to get to the range . All my other commander style guns are alloy frames . Despite my recent lapse , steel commanders don't make much sense. It is not a good carry choice compared to the lightweight and if you are only going to shoot it at the range , you might as well have the longer sighting plane of the 5 inch gun . IMHO .
 
As Col. Cooper observed, "If I have full weight, I want full length, too."
There are so many 43oz 1911s these days, that a 27oz Commander is considerably lighter.
A traditional 39oz 1911 is only about five ounces heavier than a Combat Commander.
 
Been on my bucket list for a long time. Would love to find one as pictured by kernel.
Especially if it were in .38 Super but I can only dream:(
 
I owned an Officers model from about same time frame. Never shot it and sold it, but didn't have ambi safety or slotted grip screws. Interesting stuff Colt does.
 
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