Bratch:
I jumped in a little too quick last night and at first didn’t realize you wanted a Commander sized pistol with a short rather the regular grip. I apologize for the confusion this caused.
Colt and others have made pistols in this configuration, but the folks at Hartford didn’t offered it as a cataloged model, at least not for long – it was more of a special run sort of thing. Finding one would be difficult, and finding one at an affordable price would be even harder. It is, I think, an exceptionally good idea for a concealed carry pistol, and its unfortunate that Colt didn’t do more with it.
To get back on the right track and go forward – you have several options:
1. You can search the auctions and websites for one of the Colt pistols and hope that if you find one you can afford to buy it. This is always possible, but not likely.
2. You can buy one of the Colt clones (Kimber or whatever) that offer the kind of pistol you want. This is the easiest way, but I am not always satisfied with they’re quality. On one side you have satisfied customers. On the other just the opposite. Getting a good gun seems to be associated with the luck of the draw, with each gun being an issue onto itself.
3.You can buy an aftermarket frame and slide in the sizes and/or materials you like and have a pistol assembled to your own exact specifications. This method is more common then you might think.
No matter who does it, Colt, Kimber or a custom builder; they all so the same thing by mating a Commander size upper (slide assembly) to a Officer’s Model frame. This is not particularly difficult because the Officer’s Model frame was originally made by shortening a standard Commander frame – which is slightly different then the full-sized Government Model frame. But anyway, your basic perceptions are correct.
I have personally carried an original Lightweight Commander since the later 1950’s and been well satisfied. One of these days I may pick up an Officer’s Model (lightweight or steel) frame and assemble it into the kind of gun you have in mind. The cost will be modest because I can cannibalize the Commander for most of the parts, including internal lockwork, to make the “short gun,†and if I change my mind I can restore the Commander to exactly what it was. I don’t need two complete guns to do this, just the Commander, a second “short†frame, and a few pieces of lockwork and grips that are necessary for the Officer’s Model frame and not duplicated in the Commander.
I hope you will find all, or at least some of this to be helpful.
