Where do I begin. It is no secret that Colt https://www.colt.com/ has worked hard at retaining the worst management ever in my humble opinion. With so many superior and lower cost options out there the Colt Offerings may not be the best in value. So why? Ambience I say. I have been fortunate enough to own and shoot some of the finest 1911's on the planet. And the conventional Commander has a warm spot in my heart. This Combat Commander https://www.colt.com/detail-page/co...-x1-425-barrel-blue-finish-wood-grips-o4940xe was made in August of this year.
Buying this gun from Four Guns in Lafayette https://www.fourguns.com/ was a great experience. First, we selected one from out of the back that was untouched and in factory packaging. As the picture shows Colt does a nice job in packaging and shipping. Getting the gun home and looking it over I found no finish problems. Yes the slide to frame fit was standard Colt production. Sloppy. However, accuracy and reliability are not a problem as this gun shoots great with it's great fitting National Match barrel. Taking it to range and putting it through a shooting sessions, I experienced not one failure even with my semi-wadcutter bullets. Now some of you may know that Combat guns are set up to cover the threat and squeeze. Furnishing combat guns to the masses are one thing as setting the sights up to cover the target is a work around to the training and hard work it takes become an experienced shooter. The three dot Novaks did just that. They were spot on for windage but I prefer for my sights to be right on in elevation as well so that I can be the judge of where I want the bullet to go. I will be refitting the rear Novak with a taller Heinie Ledge sight. https://www.heinie.com/ledge-sights/.
More disappointment in the trigger. I am happy to admit that this gun came with tool steel guts but had lots of creep and broke inconsistently between 6.7 and 7.10 pounds. I will be tuning this trigger after about 1000 rounds to my usual 4lb crisp pull. While this model comes with some upgrades as standard equipment, the factory did not waste any time in dressing the sharp edges on the front. You would think that a carry gun would include a suttle softening of the nose. Nope. This gun also comes with a two recoil spring assembly. Not sure why. I have been running 20LB recoil springs for 55 years in my Commanders with no problem.
While the grips are of some sort of G10 material and look good at point of sale, I think blued steel needs to be dressed with wood. So after removing the mainspring housing ( which is made out of some space age cheesy material) I fitted an Ed Brown mag well https://www.edbrown.com/product/magwell-housings/ and completed with Smith and Alexander http://www.smithandalexander.com/ wood panels. I shot with Alan Smith back in the day and had a great chat with my 76 year old friend as he is still answering the phone at his company from where he invented the 1911 magwell. Before his shop was up and running he fitted a prototype for Bill Jordan during a lunch visit. Yes Jordan shot 1911's too. Great times.
Now with all the shortcomings of this product in a crowded market place today, here are some plusses for me. First, it is all quality forged steel. I like my guns heavy. The shooter wannabee magazine authors that encouraged light weight handguns seemed to be more interested in compromised carry attributes than actually shooting. Shooting alot. Yes, light weight is more comfortable to carry all day but I prefer carrying something that’s comforting. A steel gun does that for me and holds up better as the round count gets higher as what is needed to achieve a better skill set in handgun applications. Thats why my everyday gun belt is 1 3/4 wide and very thick reinforced cowhide.
Another plus for me is a conventional bushing. Yes I have some cone barrel 1911's and they shoot fine, however I like the bushing set up for tweaking fit and easy takedown. In today's market it is getting harder to find a full size slide stop these days. Seems like the same market wants the slide stop right side cut off and recessed resulting in less bearing surface, no finger register and inconvenient to take down the gun. Now what many consider a minus, I am happy with the series 80 design on this Combat Commander. It is a very drop safe benefit and I can tune a series 80 to match a series 70 with no problems at all. I know that many basement dwelling gunsmiths like to disconnect safeties of all kinds to get a race trigger but that's not me.
All my 1911's break clean real close to 4LBS with all safeties in tact. I have carried the Series 70 for years without a problem, but then again I don't go around dropping my gun or letting it fall out of a incompetent holster design either. However with today's engineering of firing pins and such we have improved the drop safety, but the Series 80 is superior in design. Finally, everyone should just own a Colt made firearm. It's the pony that makes it. With new money from CZ, the future of Colt products will tell the tale. As for management, well, we will see.
I get it that every generation believes his is the greatest and I try hard to not be critical of the new and different ways of todays citizen. There are some things that do confuse me though. Like Ambience. For instance, it is hard for me to imagine this conversation 50 years from now said by today's shooter. "Wow, look at this Model 19 9MM on Gunny Bunker's website!!! Isn't it beautiful, a real work of art, I sure miss those days." Or how about today's teenage driver 50 years from now..." Wow, look at that 2023 Honda CRV!!! That was my first car. What a classic.!!!
Ambience means different things to different people and when it comes to guns, for me it is more of a Love Story.
See you on the range.
Traffic
Buying this gun from Four Guns in Lafayette https://www.fourguns.com/ was a great experience. First, we selected one from out of the back that was untouched and in factory packaging. As the picture shows Colt does a nice job in packaging and shipping. Getting the gun home and looking it over I found no finish problems. Yes the slide to frame fit was standard Colt production. Sloppy. However, accuracy and reliability are not a problem as this gun shoots great with it's great fitting National Match barrel. Taking it to range and putting it through a shooting sessions, I experienced not one failure even with my semi-wadcutter bullets. Now some of you may know that Combat guns are set up to cover the threat and squeeze. Furnishing combat guns to the masses are one thing as setting the sights up to cover the target is a work around to the training and hard work it takes become an experienced shooter. The three dot Novaks did just that. They were spot on for windage but I prefer for my sights to be right on in elevation as well so that I can be the judge of where I want the bullet to go. I will be refitting the rear Novak with a taller Heinie Ledge sight. https://www.heinie.com/ledge-sights/.
More disappointment in the trigger. I am happy to admit that this gun came with tool steel guts but had lots of creep and broke inconsistently between 6.7 and 7.10 pounds. I will be tuning this trigger after about 1000 rounds to my usual 4lb crisp pull. While this model comes with some upgrades as standard equipment, the factory did not waste any time in dressing the sharp edges on the front. You would think that a carry gun would include a suttle softening of the nose. Nope. This gun also comes with a two recoil spring assembly. Not sure why. I have been running 20LB recoil springs for 55 years in my Commanders with no problem.
While the grips are of some sort of G10 material and look good at point of sale, I think blued steel needs to be dressed with wood. So after removing the mainspring housing ( which is made out of some space age cheesy material) I fitted an Ed Brown mag well https://www.edbrown.com/product/magwell-housings/ and completed with Smith and Alexander http://www.smithandalexander.com/ wood panels. I shot with Alan Smith back in the day and had a great chat with my 76 year old friend as he is still answering the phone at his company from where he invented the 1911 magwell. Before his shop was up and running he fitted a prototype for Bill Jordan during a lunch visit. Yes Jordan shot 1911's too. Great times.
Now with all the shortcomings of this product in a crowded market place today, here are some plusses for me. First, it is all quality forged steel. I like my guns heavy. The shooter wannabee magazine authors that encouraged light weight handguns seemed to be more interested in compromised carry attributes than actually shooting. Shooting alot. Yes, light weight is more comfortable to carry all day but I prefer carrying something that’s comforting. A steel gun does that for me and holds up better as the round count gets higher as what is needed to achieve a better skill set in handgun applications. Thats why my everyday gun belt is 1 3/4 wide and very thick reinforced cowhide.
Another plus for me is a conventional bushing. Yes I have some cone barrel 1911's and they shoot fine, however I like the bushing set up for tweaking fit and easy takedown. In today's market it is getting harder to find a full size slide stop these days. Seems like the same market wants the slide stop right side cut off and recessed resulting in less bearing surface, no finger register and inconvenient to take down the gun. Now what many consider a minus, I am happy with the series 80 design on this Combat Commander. It is a very drop safe benefit and I can tune a series 80 to match a series 70 with no problems at all. I know that many basement dwelling gunsmiths like to disconnect safeties of all kinds to get a race trigger but that's not me.
All my 1911's break clean real close to 4LBS with all safeties in tact. I have carried the Series 70 for years without a problem, but then again I don't go around dropping my gun or letting it fall out of a incompetent holster design either. However with today's engineering of firing pins and such we have improved the drop safety, but the Series 80 is superior in design. Finally, everyone should just own a Colt made firearm. It's the pony that makes it. With new money from CZ, the future of Colt products will tell the tale. As for management, well, we will see.
I get it that every generation believes his is the greatest and I try hard to not be critical of the new and different ways of todays citizen. There are some things that do confuse me though. Like Ambience. For instance, it is hard for me to imagine this conversation 50 years from now said by today's shooter. "Wow, look at this Model 19 9MM on Gunny Bunker's website!!! Isn't it beautiful, a real work of art, I sure miss those days." Or how about today's teenage driver 50 years from now..." Wow, look at that 2023 Honda CRV!!! That was my first car. What a classic.!!!
Ambience means different things to different people and when it comes to guns, for me it is more of a Love Story.
See you on the range.
Traffic
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