I ordered in a NIB Colt Combat "Commander" Elite last June specifically to preserve its cosmetics, which swiftly degrade in a LGS display case. The pistol was observed to have extraordinary cosmetic damage direct from the box, including an idiot scratch which was something I had never observed before on a factory fresh 1911.
There were tool marks just under the Colt address and just above the serial number on the right side of the frame, really ugly tool marks! The two tone slide(stainless/ion bond black)had scratches running the entire length of the slide right along the dividing line between the two finishes on both sides of the slide.
Colt was contacted and for two months I could not connect with a human being, 30-40 minutes each morning on hold, and ditto for the afternoon, often I would be on hold for 30 minutes or more and suddenly a recording would play stating that Colt's was now closed for the day!
Ultimately it took a highly detailed letter and the threat of immediate legal action to produce a result, and a doozy it was, Colt after evaluating everything I had experienced and offering their profound apologies hand picked me a new sample direct from the factory floor and we exchanged the two with each other.
This was the first time in 40 years of dealing with Colt's awful customer service wherein they coughed up an entirely new firearm as a replacement for what was obviously a sample which never should have made it off of the conveyor belt, let alone ship from the factory!
I'll be passing on any new Colt wheelguns, Cobra, King Cobra, and especially Pythons....
