For me, the longer sight radius of the 5 inch is advantageous across the board..
I'm sure i'll get a 5" or 6" in a 9mm one day. I'm not much of a traditionalist who thinks a platform is defined by its caliber like some of the .45acp studs.
Something was just slick about the commander size. Probably b\c we already own longer slides in polymer and a lot of times I think how cool it would be to shoot something shorter.
For me -- I'm always looking to keep things in perspective of reality. We shoot 5,6,8" steel reactive targets for fun on the weekends without worry if we hit or miss -- seeing dirt fly can be funny. My reloads tailored to that 4.25" commander will group more consistently than any factory ammo bought off the shelf and shot from a 5".
Interacting on the forum, reading countless reviews and posts about a 5" and a 4.25", and speaking with 1911 pistolsmiths reminded me of one thing -- Is the 5" slide going to beneift or add enjoyment to my style and critiques of my shooting -- and the overwhelming answer for me was no b\c i just like to hear ping or dig for worms.
My main issue was -- is this thing gonna kick like a donkey. Not because I'm a wuss but because who wants to invest that kind of money in a compact range gun if it's not pleasant. then I started looking into well Aluminim vs Steel... Ended up steel with me and alumimum for my wifes 9mm.
All in all -- after intense reading, researching, and questioning it reminded me to always keep things in perspective.
P.S. - I had to google to see what FWIW meant. lol.