I have a ATI .45 1911 Commander with a 4.25" slide, it is nice, but I just feel missing something without a full size! Full size slides can be had at pretty reasonable prices instead of buying a new gun. I know the Commander dust cover is shorter and I also heard that commander slide may not work on Gov frame because the recoil stops are further behind on the Commander. How about the other way around? Would there be any issues to fit a full size slide on a Commander frame? I don't really care about the look of the shorter dust cover. My Commander now has pretty tight slide and frame fit and I like to keep it that way. If I put a Gov slide on it, I may need to fit it to the frame, will that wear the rail down and cause loose fit when I put the original slide back? Do I gain much accuracy wise with the additional 3/4" sight radius?
Will a 1911 5" Gov slide fit a 4.25" Commander frame?
- Thread starter HankC
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1911 guy
Member
It will fit, but it may not cycle properly. The dustcovers are different lengths and the slides need slightly different travel distances.
It's not something I'd take on as a weekend project, but it is probably something that can be done by a competent gunsmith.
It's not something I'd take on as a weekend project, but it is probably something that can be done by a competent gunsmith.
bannockburn
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I can remember years ago reading an article where the author took a Colt Government model in .38 Super and made it into a 5 caliber gun. For the .45ACP conversion he used a Combat Commander slide assembly and it fit and worked fine in that configuration. Not sure though if a full length Government slide will work on a Commander length frame.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
No. It'll leave a gap between the front end of the frame dust cover and the rear end of the slide spring tunnel.
mesinge2
Member
Ok, a reverse question.
If I put a commander slide on a government frame:
(1) would it function properly and (2) would the dust cover run to the end of the slide?
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Yes...with a couple caveats.
The 5-inch frame dust cover will extend past the Commander slide's spring tunnel. That won't cause a problem other than tearing clothing and/or skin and lookin' funky.
And, because the Commander frame's impact abutment and rails are cut 1/10th inch further rearward, you'll lose even more slide travel and runup than with a Commander-spec frame.
You'll need an extended ejector, and you'll still probably get some pretty erratic ejection without a lot of trial and error tweak/reshaping on the ejector nose. A real Commander ejector will help a lot.
mesinge2
Member
Thanks!
I was thinking about a build with a full length dust cover on a commander and this was an idea I was tinkering with. Back to the drawing board.
for a comparison here are the two different sizes..
And that pic helps a lot thanks!
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Thanks for the picture, tarosean. I didn't have one. If you don't mind, I'm gonna borrow that one.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Ah!
Oh well, looking at the Commander, I see what you are saying about leaving a gap! Would the additional 3/4" sight radius offers noticeable improvement on accuracy/grouping say 25 yds. I only do target shooting at range, don't think too much about muzzle flip and follow-up shot. The Command balances well in my hand.
MICHAEL T
Member
I don't think you will notice any great difference. If you do then practice more. Bullet doesn't know if fired from 4 1/4 " or 5"
mesinge2
Member
Same here.
1911 guy
Member
A lot of people claim that. So many that I would hesitate to claim it to be a subjective observation.
Besides, there are a lot of pistols sold every day that have a sight radius considerably shorter.
Besides, there are a lot of pistols sold every day that have a sight radius considerably shorter.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
What a shorter radius does is magnify errors in sight alignment because of the ratio of the sight radius to the distance to the target.
F'rinstance:
With a 6-inch radius, the ratio is 150:1 at 25 yards. A .010 inch misalignment will cause a 1.5-inch dispersion from point of aim.
Of course, that assumes that all shots will be through the same caliber diameter hole with no dispersion caused by variations in ammunition or gun. In the real world, you'd need an extremely accurate gun and a master class shooter to see any practical difference with a 3/4-inch change in sight radius at 25 yards, and even that is theoretical because the shorter pistol may be capable of greater mechanical accuracy than the longer one.
At the end of the day...it's a non-issue.
F'rinstance:
With a 6-inch radius, the ratio is 150:1 at 25 yards. A .010 inch misalignment will cause a 1.5-inch dispersion from point of aim.
Of course, that assumes that all shots will be through the same caliber diameter hole with no dispersion caused by variations in ammunition or gun. In the real world, you'd need an extremely accurate gun and a master class shooter to see any practical difference with a 3/4-inch change in sight radius at 25 yards, and even that is theoretical because the shorter pistol may be capable of greater mechanical accuracy than the longer one.
At the end of the day...it's a non-issue.
g.willikers
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Hope this reply doesn't ruffle anyone's feathers, but,
If the nuances of frame size actually affects anyone's shooting,
it's because they're focusing too much on the gun and not enough on the shooting.
If the nuances of frame size actually affects anyone's shooting,
it's because they're focusing too much on the gun and not enough on the shooting.
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