Which Commander 1911 to get?

[Olympus]

First choice would be a Colt.

Dan Wesson is making very good guns for the money right now.

tipoc

Throw Dan Wesson into the mix and there is no contest whatsoever. I own several Dan Wessons and they flat out blow every Colt I've ever seen out of the water, including my own. Dan Wesson 1911s are superior to Colt in every way, shape, and form besides name recognition.

 

[Greg528iT]

On the other hand, I am enough of a terminology snob

Oh don't get me wrong, I can be as well.. I just went thru it with recoil springs, light, normal and heavy...
BUT... I also use context as a guide. If we are talking fitting a holster, at that point I would insist on using the actual Company, style and length. ie. I am looking for a holster for my Colt Commander. Springfield Ultra Compact at 3.5". etc etc.

 

[meanmrmustard]

Double post

 

[meanmrmustard]

I agree, the Ruger is certainly not one of them. I didn't mean to imply that.

Not saying owning a Colt or talking about how nice they are is snobbish at all. Just the saying that anything other than a Colt is a fake/copy or implying that it's not as good.

I'lll agree with this.

Some of my favorite 1911s are RIA.

 

[tipoc]

Look at a batch of them. Pick them up and handle them. Get the one you figure will work best for you. Shoot it, clean it, handle it, shoot it some more. Buy another one, different flavor. Try that. Repeat. In a few years you will have some experience and an opinion.

tipoc

 

[Pilot]

Colt lightweight Commander XSE. They have great triggers, are accurate, and reliable. The XSE upgrades are also nice, especially the sights.

 

[dprice3844444]

get something you can afford to lose if you have to shoot somebody

 

[YJake]

The Ruger is a solid gun and inexpensive. Some moderate polishing and part swaps will make it a fantastic gun.

The Colt is also a fine gun and better than the Ruger out of the box however the cost difference is high. You're paying quite a bit more for a slightly better gun.

But, my current carry 1911 is a Smith so what the hell do I know?

-Jake

 

[PabloJ]

I am currently looking at 3 compact 1911s and do not know which one I want to get. A Sig Sauer C3, a Kimber Compact CDP ii, or a Ruger SR1911 Commander. I have owned a full size Ruger SR1911 and never had a problem with it but sold it to get something with the option of concealing. The Kimber might cost a little more than I would like to pay but I will pay it if I think it will be worth it. I have heard about issues with the Sig having problems ejecting the last round but I am not sure how common the problem is and I find the gun very appealing. The Ruger is the one that I may fall back on if I bail out on the others because I have owned one and had no issues with it. What do yall think between the 3? Anyone have experience with the Sig or Kimber? Any other compact 1911s that are similiar?

Not sure what 'Commander' is but perfectly functional 1911 can be had for very reasonable price. Typical sample was all original but cosmetically challenged (some rust on slide)but in mechanically excellent condition Argentinean Sistema 1927. If you're willing to live with crude iron sights and shoot ball ammo $400 is reasonable deal.
Now if you want more easily concealed 1911 top pick is Detonics 'StreetMaster' with standard length barrel and shorter grip area.

 

[tipoc]

Not sure what 'Commander' is but...

A Commander is a Colt. Colt first introduced the Commander sized guns in 1948. It is a 1911 with a standard sized frame but a 4 1/4" barrel and slide. It comes with either a steel frame or an alloy frame. They are very reliable and functional 1911s as a breed.

Often though when folks speak about "Commanders" they are talking about Commander sized guns which just about all 1911 manufacturers produce. They are a mid sized 1911.

Colt Commanders can be had new in the $800.00 range.

tipoc

 

[mapwd]

I am sorry but I would NEVER buy a gun as expensive as a Colt if someone said "great gun, just don't shoot it much because the frame will crack" ***????? I buy guns to shoot, not gaze at. If I have to worry about a cracked frame from general use I would rather buy the Ruger and not have to worry about it.

 

[rbernie]

I have a bunch of rounds thru a Sig C3 without a single issue - its a solid pistol.

 

[tarosean]

I am sorry but I would NEVER buy a gun as expensive as a Colt if someone said "great gun, just don't shoot it much because the frame will crack" ***????? I buy guns to shoot, not gaze at.

I concur.... Good thing I bought my LW Commander 20yrs ago, shot thousands upon thousands of rounds through it and no cracks so far... I must be doing it wrong?? I bet thats it!!! cause I also own glocks (yes plural) that happen to be the most unreliable pistols in my home!

 

[tipoc]

From mapwd:

I am sorry but I would NEVER buy a gun as expensive as a Colt if someone said "great gun, just don't shoot it much because the frame will crack" ***????? I buy guns to shoot, not gaze at. If I have to worry about a cracked frame from general use I would rather buy the Ruger and not have to worry about it.

I must have missed it, who said the frame would crack?

The frames and slide of Colt are made from forgings and not from castings as is the case with Ruger and a few other makers of 1911s. Colts are also known to use the least mim parts of production guns in the firearms industry and use the most forged parts. This adds to their strength.

tipoc

 

[JTQ]

mapwd wrote,
I am sorry but I would NEVER buy a gun as expensive as a Colt if someone said "great gun, just don't shoot it much because the frame will crack" ***????? I buy guns to shoot, not gaze at. If I have to worry about a cracked frame from general use I would rather buy the Ruger and not have to worry about it.

I suspect a lightweight Commander probably will have a shorter life span. Something along the lines of a SIG with their aluminum frames. Life span measured in 10's of thousands of rounds rather than 100's of thousands of rounds as would be the case of a steel framed 1911.

Here you can see cyclopsshooter, shooting up his Lightweight Commander

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=620192

 

[osteodoc08]

The Kimber Compact is actually a compact frame with a 4" class barrel. It's the Kimber Ultra that has the 3.x" barrel.

My Kimber Compact has been flawless

 

[gym]

Colt combat commander.

 

[tipoc]

I suspect a lightweight Commander probably will have a shorter life span. Something along the lines of a SIG with their aluminum frames. Life span measured in 10's of thousands of rounds rather than 100's of thousands of rounds as would be the case of a steel framed 1911.

Only mapwd doesn't say anything about alloy frames versus steel frames. He says Colt frames will crack or he worries about it. Had he meant that alloy frames might wear faster than steel frames then he would have cautioned about that. Many makers of 1911 pattern guns offer alloy framed variants but he did not caution about those. He was specific. Why?

tipoc

 

[mapwd]

my post was in response to post #10 on page 1 that simply said LWC Commander, just don't shoot it much, frame cracks!!!! Not my words. But who would buy a Colt LWC after reading that? I like to practice with my carry gun.

 

[Auto426]

my post was in response to post #10 on page 1 that simply said LWC Commander, just don't shoot it much, frame cracks!!!! Not my words. But who would buy a Colt LWC after reading that?

Someone who doesn't believe every little thing they read on the internet?

An aluminum frame will have a shorter lifespan than a steel frame, but that's just the nature of the materials. With enough shooting an aluminum frame will crack, but you will spend many times the gun's original purchase price in ammo trying to get it to crack.

But back to e topic at hand, I prefer a full 4.25" when it comes to commander sized guns, and I also happen to prefer those that actually have "Commander" roll marked on the slide.

 

[barnetmill]

Just an observation: it seems that some people are not satisfied with the original aluminum commander and are doing things to make it better. No problem with that, but why try to take a 1911 design and try to make it better when there are other pistols of more modern design out there. I have more 1911 .45 pistols than any others, and I now never shoot them. For a compact pistol I use the G33. When they make a commander with a polymer frame, I will may return to looking at the platform. Perhaps there is a polymer commander out there. The real essential is that .45 acp does not equal one shot instantaneous stops. It is better to fill your enemy full of holes with a 9mm than to count on a single hit from a .45 to suffice.

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

Colts are also known to use the least mim parts of production guns in the firearms industry and use the most forged parts. This adds to their strength.

Dan Wesson is a production 1911. They use zero (0) MIM parts - that should qualify as the least that can be used. DW steel frames are forged.

 

[allaroundhunter]

If it has Commander written on the slide and a Pony right there next to it; you're good to go.

 

[tipoc]

Yeah post #10

Colt LWC, you just can not shoot it too much, the frame cracks. But a huge difference in carry comfort.

This is an old saw from back in the 1950s when they were first introduced. Back then a good many shooters got them and lightly customized them (as was the custom). Many did not realize the slide was considerably lighter than the GM and put the wrong springs in. The result was battering.

The guns aren't meant to do the same thing steel framed guns are. They are made of aluminum. Lighter weight for carry. With the proper springs and care they will last a good long time.

I have 2 alloy framed guns. One in 45 acp from 1968 and one in 38 Super from 1951. The latter has 62 years of shooting on it. Both have had many thousands of rounds through them and are reliable firearms. Both also show wear on the frame. No cracks.

tipoc

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

It is better to fill your enemy full of holes with a 9mm than to count on a single hit from a .45 to suffice.

It's really better to be an accurate shot than rely on spray-'n-pray tactics. I carry either a SIG RCS, HK P30, or Wilson Tactical Supergrade Professional - I feel equally as safe with any of them.