# Commander?



## Snowman (Jan 2, 2007)

1911 enthusiasts:

I will soon be in the market for my first 1911 (graduation). I stopped in at a local gun shop last weekend and saw a Colt Commander for $750. From what little I know it looked to be in good shape (I generally only buy new guns), and if my memory serves me right it had a blued frame and a stainless slide.

Questions
1. Is this a fair price?
2. Is it still possible to get parts for Colts?
3. Thoughts on the Commander in general?

I appreciate any and all opinions. :smt1099


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## scooter (May 9, 2006)

Snowman said:


> 1911 enthusiasts:
> 
> I will soon be in the market for my first 1911 (graduation). I stopped in at a local gun shop last weekend and saw a Colt Commander for $750. From what little I know it looked to be in good shape (I generally only buy new guns), and if my memory serves me right it had a blued frame and a stainless slide.
> 
> ...


I have a commander circa 1976 and its a solid 100% reliable pistol. By the numbers
1. A little high priced "I think" but not outrageous
2. 1911 parts are EVERYWHERE! Wilson , Brown ,etc etc. Just make sure any parts you order are specified for a commander because some are different than Govt. size parts.
3. I carry my 3" Kimber daily but if I went into any combat type situation the Colt commander would take its place for the longer sight radius and more assured reliability.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Hi Snowman. There is also a lot of makes priced under $750 that you can get new. I perfer new in a pistol as there is just to much you can miss when checking it out unless you can fire it. Everybody sells parts for the 1911. Just buy the quality parts and you will be OK. I carry a Commander size every day. It's just right for me in a good IWB holster. Good luck.

Best Baldy.


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

My wife has a Colt Commander and loves it. She bought it used and other than new springs and different grips we haven't done anything to it in 15K rounds. My carry gun is a Commander size 45. 
Get some more details (steel or alloy frame, SS or blue slide, etc) or pics so we can see what you're buying.


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## sniper350 (Jan 6, 2007)

I think most Colts are over priced !! I just think people think they should be worth more........when they should not.

A good example is a Colt Commander 1991A1 [ series 80 ] ......... All blued gun.

Many pistols of this model made by Colt [ earlier models ] are what I call "plastic Guns" .....step aside Glock. Check out their Mainspring Housings or the Backstrap and you will find they are made from a hunk of black plastic. Most people, this just slips on by them. Also the trigger is made of black plastic --again hard to tell unless you look and feel closely.

Tear one apart and you will be shocked , as I was, at the cheapness of the internal parts. The SEAR spring looks as if it were made from a piece of old tin can!

Now I love the Commander 1991A1 not to be confused with the M1911A1 - don't get me wrong, I will buy one in a heartbeat, if the price is right ! Then I will take the pistol all apart and throw about 70% of the pistol in the trash can. Then I will buy about $300 in high quality parts and re-build the gun. Now, if done correctly, you will be left with the best carry gun that one can own.

Just me, but I would never pay over $700 for these plastic pistols that Colt let be made in their factory. If the Commander is an enhanced, then maybe a whole different story. Like I said the Commander 1991A1 is my most favorite pistol to rebild.

JF.


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## scooter (May 9, 2006)

Sound reasoning there???
People pay 500 and up for a (insert name of plastic gun here) but scream when a metal gun has some small plastic parts on it?? If the small plastic parts were so unsafe/undesirable wouldnt we be hearing a lot of Kabooms from glocks, HKs, SA's, Walthers??? A plastic trigger shoe or MSH doesnt make or break a GOOD gun. My Kimber AND colt both have the plastic MSH and over 30,000 rounds thru them w/o a single problem related to the MSH. The colt had a plastic trigger that I did replace but only because I wanted a short reach trigger. Everyone has there own opinion on what they "like" but to say they are junk because of plastic parts......well a lot of guns are junk then... 
But whatever


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## sniper350 (Jan 6, 2007)

I never said "plastic parts" make the gun "Junk" :mrgreen: I only implied that a gun built with plastic parts should not be priced as high or higher than the same type of gun machined from all metal parts. I think the reason Colt went to the Plastic MSH....... because it was "cheaper" to form thousands of plastic pieces than to have to "machine" parts from metal.

The Colt Commander is not less safe with plastic pieces, nor did I imply that it was. It was just my personal preference to re-build the Commander with a high quality 30 DPI metal Mainspring Housing unit. I believe my pistol is worth more because of this modification........but that's just my opinion. Not to say the plastic MSH will make the pistol shoot any less accurate or be any less safe.

I am not against "plastic" guns ..........I own the Walther P-99. My point about the Commander was to be aware that the pistol was built with certain cost cutting factors involved......... and that should somehow factor into the final resale value of the gun. Why pay more for just the Name ?

JF.


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## Snowman (Jan 2, 2007)

Thank you all for your comments. It seems the consensus is that $750 is a bit on the high side. I _am_ sure that I will be buying a 1911 in the next few months and am still unsure of what I want. As I said, I really was not going to consider any Colts since I prefer to buy new.

For my first, I may go with one that I could also carry if I wanted to, and I notice that some of you liked the Commander-size for this. There's also the Springer "Loaded" model which I want to look into among others.

Thanks again for the advice!


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Hi Snownman. Don't overlook the S&W line of 1911's as they make a very good pistol. Here's a picture of mine. Cost $710+tax. Good shopping.









Best Baldy..


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## Snowman (Jan 2, 2007)

Baldy said:


> Hi Snownman. Don't overlook the S&W line of 1911's as they make a very good pistol. Here's a picture of mine. Cost $710+tax. Good shopping.
> 
> Best Baldy..


Hi Baldy. That's a great looking gun you have there. I heard S&W models were a great value. The only thing I noticed was the external ejector (extractor?), and had heard bad things about Kimbers that had those. What has been your experience?


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## michael t (Jan 26, 2006)

I own a few Commanders All but 1 of my 1911 are Colts .Thats a mint Remingtom Rand 1943 USGI I sold a Commander for 675 last week a 1995 enhanced stainless . I buy good used Colts and have never had a problem and a plastic main spring housing and trigger. So what you can replace both very cheap If you just must change. Never had any trouble ith internal parts either.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

*S&W 1911's*



Snowman said:


> Hi Baldy. That's a great looking gun you have there. I heard S&W models were a great value. The only thing I noticed was the external ejector (extractor?), and had heard bad things about Kimbers that had those. What has been your experience?


 Hi Snowman. Yes Kimber did have issuses with the external extractor but Smith never has. We have two 1911 S&W's with well over 4,000rds through both guns that have been out of the the box reliable. Smith has been using the external extractor for many years on all different models of guns and they got it right. Don't let that stop you from buying a quality pistol.
Here's the wifes S&W SS Govenment::smt023 








Here's mine a S&W SC-PD Commander::smt023 









Best Baldy..:smt1099


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