1911 Officer and Commander sized pistols

[35remington]

Except for capacity, a Glock isn't much of an improvement, and the trigger is a big step backward. Still functions using 1911 design principles.

So if a 1911 is archaic, so is a Glock, with the bonus of a worse trigger, and the gun is trashed with overloads that a 1911 will survive.

[JSnover]

I'm a fan of the 1991 Commander. It's a little oversized for concealed carry… or maybe I should say I'm a little undersized for it but I like the gun and didn't have any major problems finding/making ammunition for it.

[Artful]

I will take a Glock or other newer type than any 1911 archaic design. Back 50 years ago they were great. Not so much now.

Cooper, and others are dead and have been before the new designs.

Col. Jeff Cooper Died: September 25, 2006
I think the glock's were imported into the US in 1985 and 1988 Glock 19's introduced.
Cooper was very much aware of that platform.

I have double and single stack 45's and my smallest is the
Detonic's Combat Master - about the size of the smallest Colt.
While a comforting gun to carry it's not as comfortable to shoot
as a Commander or Gold Cup. - these days I use a 40 cal Firestar - same operating principle but a little less recoil and you don't have to fight the springs as much to load it (Combat Master has double springs system).

[Brad Cayton]

I have a Ruger commander that I'm very happy with. It's as accurate as any handgun I own. I also have a Springfield Range Officer compact that's a fine, light shooter. It's shoots as well as the Ruger and is easier to carry in the warmer months when I wear lighter clothes. Neither has had a bobble after the first 50 rounds or so. Both are 45s.

[Sam Casey]

I am with the Greezer. Prefer the Glock. My last smaller Colt was an Officers model that was so stiffly double sprung and hard to rack, I had to wear a glove on my left (non-shooting) hand for any type of range work.

[nseries]

My Detonics Combatmaster seems to recoil less than a full size govt model. I think it has something to do with the recoil spring/spring guide setup that it was supplied with. ...and I've owned a variety of LW, compact and fullsize 1911's over the years to compare it to. Even a couple Baer's. The Detonics has generous tolerances and I don't think I've ever had it malfunction. It'll digest ammo that other 1911's won't without a hiccup.

[stu1ritter]

If you like accuracy in a small package, I would recommend the STI Lawman 4.0. Below is a photo taken the day I first took it to the range to sight in (the moving point of impact) with three different loads that my full sized 1911 like. They are very nice pistols. I have been shooting 1911's in competition since 1960 and the Lawman is the nicest, out of the box, non-custom 1911 I've ever shot.

Stu

[Norske]

I had a Colt Officer's model for a few years but traded it for a Kimber Eclipse commander-sized pistol. The Colt was accurate, and I shot it well, but the extremely stiff recoil spring was a PITA when clearing or cleaning the pistol. It also scattered spent brass in multiple directions. My biggest complaint was that the short barrel didn't support the gun in my Yaqui slide holster when the magazine was loaded. The heavy magazine would make the grip tilt out when I wanted it to lie flat against my waist. The 4 1/2" barrel of a commander solved both problems. Perhaps the nicest commander-sized 1911 I ever held was a Smith and Wesson with the scandium alloy frame. It even had a really good trigger. But, it was outside my budget.

[osteodoc08]

Agreed. Those Smith 1911SC models are fantastic. "70 series" as well. I have been considering trading in my Colt LW Commander on one.

[Lloyd Smale]

I'm old school and love 1911s that said if I had 500 bucks to buy a RELIALBLE handgun it wouldn't be a 1911. For that 500 bucks you can buy a GOOD glock or m&p that will run a 100 percent out of the box. Both have a place in my home.

[pmer]

Well I stopped at a Gander Mountain to take a peek and they had Para, Kimber, Ruger, Remington, Sig and more too. I liked the commander sized 1911s over the officer sized ones and they have a sale till the 14th with nice discounts. Problem I had is I looked at so many I got burned out. They all had decent triggers and similar slide to frame fit. Probably go with a Kimber or a Ruger.

I mentioned a Glock going in on trade. I don't have much against Glocks I just want to move away from striker fired pistols. I'm keeping one Glock to remind me what I don't like about them LOL. And the store didn't one $500 Glock there, they were more. But Gander is a little spendy to I suppose.

[charlie b]

My wife's Light Commander has not had a single issue when running factory ammo. The only time it will give her trouble is when shooting some really light loads I made up one time. After the second stovepipe she went back to full loads and never looked back. Trouble is I can't pry it out of her hands

I have had some modern pistols and still go back to the 1911's. I do hate Glock grips but the Springfield XD and S&W MP are nice. I just like the old std better. If I had the money I'd probably go to an HK.

One setup mentioned above I'd like to try is a Commander slide on an Officer's frame.

[GlockGuy]

I really like my Dan Wesson Valor

[gray wolf]

Out of my league--but just a thought.

[Char-Gar]

I would not go smaller than the Commander size. The Ruger LW Commander with the titanium feed ramp is the best of that breed.

[fourarmed]

I really like my early 50's LW Colts, especially the one worked over by Armand Swenson, but I agree with Char-Gar: If I were going out to buy one today, I would go with the Ruger. That titanium insert in the feed ramp is the pinnacle of engineering. If you plan to shoot a lot of hardball through one of them, that is the one you want. The ramp on my '51 had been grooved so deeply by hardball that it grabbed the nose of lead SWC boolits and stopped them dead. It took some judicious machining by a very good workman to make it reliable with everything again.

[skeettx]

My three Commanders
45 Lightweight
9mm Lightweight
45 Standard Satin Nickle

[oger]

I carry an Ultra Carry of one flavor of another ever day. If you learn to hold on to the thing there are zero problems with anything.

[Love Life]

The CCO is a great compromise. However, between an Officers or a Commander I would take the Commander sized gun. Colt preferably, with Les Baer as a close second choice.

[osteodoc08]

The CCO is a great compromise. However, between an Officers or a Commander I would take the Commander sized gun. Colt preferably, with Les Baer as a close second choice.

If this is the LL in middle GA, glad to see you back buddy!

Love my Colt LW Commander. It's been.......flawless.