(Don't you be looking at this gun unless you have your new Obama FFL)
IMHO, my recently purchased 1982 vintage Colt Combat Commander, although it has been stripped, inspected, cleaned and lubed, is not yet quite range-worthy or suitable for self defense duties (it's just a mental-comfort-level thing with me). However, since our near-zero winter weather required suitable attire, I used the extra layers of clothing as cover to take the old pistol on a few practice (empty chamber) "inside the waistband" shopping runs (my usual J-Frame carry gun was also with me in case of need).
(A sharp eye may catch the fact that the IWB holster in the photo is not for a Colt Commander; it is for a full size 1911. If this Commander works out for me, I will be purchasing holsters of proper size. If the Commander fails to be reliable, it will be sold; I have enough guns in the collection that are just taking up space.)
All safety aspects of this old Colt Commander check out. Since this pistol was made prior to the Series-80 firing pin block, I ordered out (but have yet to receive) enough spare HEAVY firing-pin-return-springs to last any gunslinging-fool a lifetime (NOTE: It is commonly believed that a heavier than normal firing-pin-return-spring makes pre-Series-80 Colt 1911 pistols adequately "drop safe*." To some degree, all springs weaken with use, so it is prudent to replace even the heavy springs routinely.)
In a preemptive move to maintain / improve reliability, I also ordered out (and have yet to receive) some new recoil springs; whenevery a recoil spring warrants routine replacement, the aforementioned firing-pin-spring will also be replaced. Further still on reliability, the sole mag that came with this old pistol will be retired to the 1911 range bag; for carry use, I ordered out (and have yet to receive) some ultra high quality 1911 pattern 7-round-magazines (over the years, my large collection of ultra high quality 8-round-magazines failed to deliver their advertised perfection even when used with ultra high quality hollow-point ammunition).
* "Drop Safe" is the desirable quality of a gun (having a round in the chamber) to NOT go "BLAMMO" when dropped.
No comments:
Post a Comment