


Since 1950, it has been a steady seller and a viable pistol for concealed carry ( CCW insurance review), home defense, competition and other uses. So, there we have the history and variations of the Commander. Here is what it looks like:īy checking this box, you agree with our Privacy Policy. If what I read is correct, Colt is in the process of introducing this assembly into most, if not all, of its 1911s. The assembly consists of four parts: two springs, and a specially-designed recoil guide rod and plug. and reliability is obviously of tantamount importance. This was important to the Marines, as the guns would be subjected to dirt, mud, sand, etc. Reliability is enhanced, as the springs are very positive in their function. They also are supposed to add some time between spring changes and to soften frame battering, which in turn leads to a softened recoil impulse. The springs are counter-wound to avoid binding and they are designed to help with picking up the new round from the magazine when the slide reciprocates. The Lightweight Commander got its new spring setup starting with those guns shipped in November of 2015. This spring change was part of some design tweaks that the Marine’s M45A1 pistol received in 2011.Īt least, in part due to the success of that change, Colt began introducing the dual recoil spring into its 1911 line. A dual recoil spring system was introduced.
#Colt combat commander upgrade#
Here’s an interesting note about an upgrade that Colt made to its 1911 pistols’ recoil spring assembly, and in particular the Lightweight Commander. The specs were written to include, in addition to other items, an overall length of no more than seven inches, 9mm caliber and a weight of 25 ounces or less.Įngraving on the right side of slide. Not long after the end of WWII (in 1949, to be precise), the military was looking for a lighter, shorter 1911 in 9mm that could be issued as a replacement for the 1911. It has better reliability than many 3.5-inch 1911s, yet not as big as a full-size gun. The Commander seems to hit the sweet spot. Once you cut it down to 3 or 3.5 inches, the possibility is there for feeding and extraction issues to crop up. The 1911 was designed with a 5-inch barrel. With the introduction of the 3.5-inch Officer’s Model (or Officer’s ACP) in 1985, many shooters jumped on that bandwagon only to find that the shorties were very picky about what ammo would function the gun. Ever since its introduction to the public in 1950, shooters have liked that it was just a touch shorter than the full-size 1911. The Commander has always sold well for Colt. Colt Combat Commander Pros and Consīy checking this box, you agree with our Privacy Policy. Even the frame size was the same, with its 7- or 8-round capacity, depending upon the magazines you buy. Other than those two things, the original Commander looked pretty much like a shortened 1911. It did not use the spur hammer of the original 1911. However, they differ in barrel length and the fact that it used, as a production item, the rounded rowel-style hammer. The gun was similar, upon a quick visual examination, to a standard 1911. It has gained a reputation in its own right as a tough, reliable pistol.įor brevity’s sake, I’m will to refer to the gun as simply the Commander, as the original ones were named.

Evolving from the legendary Colt 1911, the Commander is not a lot different from that storied gun. The Colt (Combat) Commander has had a long, blue-ribbon-pedigreed history.
