After a 5-month hiatus I took an opportunity to go shooting

Not the results I was hoping for but I wasn't surprised; it had been 5-months without range-time or me even making the time in the "cold-range" portion of the basement to do dry-fire drills. Sometimes life (and senior-citizen lethargy) gets in the way.

My head and heart were not into making this range trip; my allergies had my head and sinuses all messed up. I had to make a run to the veterinarian's office to pick up some meds for Freak the cat and that trip was going to put me within a mile of the shooting range. I decided to pack the old Colt Combat Commander into the range bag and take the kit along for the ride.

Distance for each target was 21-feet (7-yards; 6.4-meters).

I had lost my "feel" for the pistol since my last range visit. Nothing felt "natural" or "instinctive". After frustrating myself on the first target (the one on the left) I decided to just relax, shoot a wee-bit faster and work on some double-taps with the second target (the one on the right).

56-rounds total for the session; 28-rounds on each target (4 x 7-round mags ea target).

Thank you 5 Star Firearms for the great shooting range and all of the other gunslinging goodness.

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😎

"My advice to you is to get yourself a gun and learn how to use it.”

Support YOUR local shooting range! You may live to be glad that you did.

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Colt Combat Commander back at the 5 Star Firearms shooting range in Zion, Illinois 06/07/2021

Hmmm.  This blog post was originally published back in June of year 2021.  Somehow it became unpublished and moved into draft mode.   Republishing it will move it to the top of the blog as if it was something recent; it isn't.  /Z@X

56-rounds fired at 21-feet (7-yards; 6.4-meters)

A mixed grab of 8-magazines were used.

2 x 7-round U.S. military surplus mags (new in-wrapper rejects)

2 x 7-round Tripp Cobra mags

3 x 7-round Ed Brown mags

1 x 7-round Wilson Combat mag

 This old Colt loves ball ammo and it churned through everything with aplomb as expected.

Each mag was charged with 6 x S&B 230-grain FMJ cartridges and topped with 1 x round of VERY sooty burning Taiwan 230-grain military surplus FMJ (likely made in the USA under contract back in the day).

The primers on the Taiwan loads do not appear to be any harder than the primers used by S&B.

The S&B powder does burn MUCH cleaner than does the powder of the Taiwan military surplus ammo.  Smoke from the Taiwan ammo was noticeable but it was light and not any challenge for the modern air handling system of this shooting range.  Cleaning the pistol was only a bit messier than usual and nothing that I can complain about. 

I'm down to my last 50-round box of S&B FMJ; after it is gone I'll be into my domestic inventory (Winchester, Federal, etc).  In order to stretch out my limited inventory of domestic .45 ACP ball ammo, hereafter I'll be charging each of the 7-round range mags with 1 x Taiwan ball, 2 x domestic ball, 1 x Taiwan ball, 2 x domestic ball, then topped off with 1 x Taiwan ball (in other words, 3-rounds of Taiwan ball per mag mixed in with 4-rounds of domestic ball, spaced out to minimize any possible hint of nuisance range smoke).

I really like this old Colt.  It is my favorite knock-about .45 ACP shooter.  It is gun full of fun. 

Thank you to 5 Star Firearms for the great shooting range and all of the other gunslinging goodness.

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😎

"My advice to you is to get yourself a gun and learn how to use it.”

Support YOUR local shooting range!  You may live to be glad that you did.

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.45 ACP COLT COMBAT COMMANDER ROUND COUNT as of 05/07/2021

(1982 vintage that I purchased used in 2015)

RUNNING TOTAL OF ALL ROUNDS FIRED (by me) SO FAR = 326 

RUNNING TOTAL OF BALL-AMMO FIRED SO FAR = 235

RUNNING TOTAL OF JAMS WITH BALL-AMMO SO FAR = 0 

via VARIOUS 7-round mags (most via Wilson 47 mags, some via a pair of Tripp mags and three Ed Brown mags)

RUNNING TOTAL OF HOLLOW-POINT AMMO FIRED SO FAR = 91

RUNNING TOTAL JAMS WITH HOLLOW-POINT AMMO SO FAR = 5 

02 Jams of the 67 rounds of HydraShok fired (all via Wilson 47 mags)

03 Jams of the 24-rounds of Black Talon fired (jams experienced with 2 separate 7-round Tripp mags and

none with the sole Ed Brown mag that was used with BT.) 

Below are three short range sessions that I had not yet blathered blogged about. 

01/11/2021

8 rounds total @ 15ft

Black Talon (7-round Ed Brown mag +1 in chamber) (no jams)

(this was at the end of a PPK session)

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Both targets folded to size 8''x14'' and fired @ 15ft. 

16-rounds Black Talon on the left and 27-rounds S&B ball on the right

04/28/2021

43 rounds total

3-JAMS WITH BLACK TALON OF 16-ROUNDS FIRED WITH 2 DIFFERENT 7-ROUND TRIPP COBRA MAGS

27-rounds S&B 230-grain ball fired (no jams) 3-mags each 7+1 plus 3-odd-rounds

1 Ed Brown mag

2 Tripp mags

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Target folded to size 8''x14'' and fired 

24-rounds @ 15ft

8-rounds @ 21ft

8-rounds @ 30ft

(yep, I need more work)

05/07/2021

40 rounds total

all S&B 230-grain ball (no jams)

2x Tripp 7-round mags

3x Ed Brown 7-round mags

(1x Wilson 7-round mag used for +1 top-off before firing each of the other full 7-round mags)

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All sessions were at 5 Star Firearms in Zion, Illinois

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😎

"My advice to you is to get yourself a gun and learn how to use it.”

Support YOUR local shooting range!  You may live to be glad that you did.

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REVIEW: Galco Jackass Shoulder Holster rig for 1911 pattern pistols

(ABOVE: Travel kit for the Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP)

I forget how long ago it was when I purchased this Havana Brown Jackass shoulder rig. It was several years ago and I'm just now getting around to writing a review (shame on me).  

If I recall correctly, I bought the rig for concealed carry of my Colt 1911 Super .38 but it has worked just fine with other 1911 pattern pistols of other calibers and barrel lengths.  The "Havana Brown" moniker for the color of this rig's main components (holster and magazine pouch) may have been a salute to a popular Miami based TV series that had the main character outfitted with a Galco shoulder rig that later became the "Miami Classic" in Galco's line of shoulder holsters (just for the record, I never watched a single episode of Miami Vice).  I seem to recall that the Jackass rig was resurrected on a major Galco (FKA The Famous Jackass Leather Company) anniversary.

How often do I shoulder carry a 1911?  Just often enough to stay familiar with the realtime nuances.  Truth be told, IMHO Glocks carry easier and are a bit more reliable (I don't recall ever having a malfunction when shooting with any of my Glocks) than are the 1911 pattern pistols (which, for the most part have proven to be pretty darn reliable for me over the many years, provided that magazines and ammo are agreeable to the personality of the individual pistol).  The 1911 pistols are a slimmer carry, albeit somewhat heavier.  Glocks win on ammo capacity.  To read my take on a Jackass rig for Glocks, CLICK HERE. Some of what's in that blog post may cover stuff I was remiss to mention in this post.

Most Colt 1911 pistols fit the Jackass holster pretty close to the same, but some of the other brands (an older Wilson CQB, an older Springfied Armory, and possibly a couple of others that I don't remember offhand) have slightly thicker frame dust covers, slides, and / or trigger guards that required tuning with the holster's retention screw.

The Jackass holster does favorably angle slightly muzzle up and butt down which is very conducive to hiding pistols with longer barrels.  HOWEVER, if one chooses to use a holster-side tie-down and wears it tight the holster and pistol tend to ride close to horizontal.  For steel frame 1911 pistols the offside (ammo side) tie-down is essential to counter the weight of the pistol.  The holster tie-down I use only on occasion.  With the ultralight aluminum frame Colt Defender I find the rig can work comfortably sans tie-downs altogether.  

The above photo on the left is the side of the magazine-pouch that faces away from the body.  

The above photo on right shows the side of the magazine-pouch that faces the body.

The screws down the middle of the pouch are for magazine retention adjustments.

All standard size magazines (including the shorter officer model mags) work in this pouch.

The retention straps are too short to cover the extended 10-round mags but the retention can be adjusted with the screws to hold them if a person absolutely had to carry them.  NOTE: I am not recommending this, I'm just saying that it is possible.

                                                

The above photo on the left is the side of the holster that faces the body.  

The above photo on the right is the side of the holster that faces away from the body.

The retention adjustment screw is just below the trigger guard and the snap for the holster tie-down is away from the body.  If the muzzle is angled too far up the tie-down strap can interfere with getting a fast grip.

In summary, I really like the Jackass rig.  It suits me.  As always, your tastes may differ.

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😎

Please practice safe gun handling and storage.

Support your local shooting range.  You may live to be glad that your did. 

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Thank you Brownells ... again. You have never let me down.

Brownells has long been a great (if not the greatest) one stop shopping center for gun stuff.  At the bottom of the photo is a replacement recoil-spring guide-rod for a full size 1911 pistol.  I needed that item to make a repair. The other items in the photos are "wanna have" items that I decided to order along with the "must have" guide rod.

After a couple of decades of service, the plastic recoil-spring guide-rod of my old(er) Wilson Combat CQB broke during a recent range session.  The failure did not lock up the gun or cause any feed problems; I finished the range session and found the failure during the subsequent cleanup. 

The idea of the plastic guide-rod (along with a plastic shock buffer) was to attenuate the slide hammering on the frame of the pistol.  It wasn't a bad idea from an engineering standpoint but many shooters thought it was cheap to have them on such high end pistols; Wilson Combat dropped the plastic guide-rod from the product line quite a while ago. The one in my CQB lasted around a couple of decades; the steel replacement guide-rod should last the (very substantial) remaining lifetime of this pistol.  NOTE: My COLT 1911 10MM (aka "da BIG HAMMER") has a factory plastic guide rod (along with double recoil springs) to protect the frame.  I have always kept a spare just in case.   Dunno why I never bought a spare plastic guide rod for the CQB when they were available.

The CQB has proven to be the only 1911 pattern .45 ACP pistol in my small world that is 100% reliable with 230-grain Federal Hydra Shok ammunition, even with eight-round and ten-round Wilson magazines (provided that I change the mag springs before they get too squishy; more on that some other time).  

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GETTING BACK TO THE REST OF THE BROWNELLS ORDER, in the very first photo above (at the top of the page) are four Ed Brown magazines. 

Two of the magazines are nine-round .38 Super.  The travel / range kit for my uber-reliable Colt .38 Super 1911 is now complete.  It has four of the no-longer made Wilson Combat nine-round .38 Super mags and four Ed Brown nine-round .38 Super mags; I'm leaving the base pads off of the Ed Brown mags so they will fit flush for concealed carry.  My defense load for that pistol exclusively is the 125-grain Winchester Silvertip hollow point and the aforementioned mags feed them with aplomb.  My routine range loads are any name brand ball that I find on sale.  

Next is a single seven-round mag for an Officer Model 1911 pattern pistol. Although I believe the .45 ACP Colt Defender will have the best chance of consistent mechanical function with six-round mags, I decided that I just had to try one of Ed Brown's seven-round mags with it.  We shall see what happens.  If it proves okay with seven rounds I will probably just use it as a six-round mag anyway.  The Colt Defender is my 99% hobby 1911 pistol; there is probably only a non-zero chance of me ever choosing it for concealed carry.  Sometimes ya just gotta run a gun for fun.  

The fourth and final mag pictured above is a standard size seven-round .45 ACP mag for the 1911.  It is earmarked to reside in the travel / range kit of my Colt Combat Commander.  This old Commander is a 100% reliable pistol with ball ammunition and has a fairly good record with 230-grain Hydra Shok hollow points, but fairly good is not good enough.  I have 200-rounds of 230-grain Winchester Black Talon, a hollow point load that fed in every 1911 that I ever tried them with.  I've earmarked my Black Talons to be the concealed carry load of the Colt Commander if a range session (which will be limited due to the relatively few rounds of Black Talon in the cache) proves them as being okay with the flush fitting Ed Brown mag (carry mag) and a pair of the non flush fitting Wilson seven-round mags (as the concealed carry reloads).  

There are only two .45 ACP 1911 pattern pistols in my modest collection that I would ever consider for real world concealed carry; the aforementioned Colt Combat Commander and the Wilson Combat CQB.  The rest of my .45 ACP 1911s are hardball range babies. IMHO, it would have to some unthinkable open warfare collapse of society to warrant use of hardball for defense.  

In all honesty, IMHO it is hard to beat Glock 9mm pistols with +P and +P+ loads for personal defense.  The only thing that Glock pistols lack is the cachet of the 1911.  When it comes to down and dirty function and reliability, IMHO Glocks rule. They rock and roll like no other.  They are so good that they can be boring to shoot.  Glocks just don't have the sex appeal of a 1911. 

'nuff said.

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😎

"My advice to you is to get yourself a gun and learn how to use it.”

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Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP Federal Hydra-Shok Range Session 08/05/2019 at 5 Star Firearms in Zion, Illinois

This was my 4th range session with this secondhand pistol.

(CLICK HERE to read this post along with every other post that I did regarding this pistol)

The photo above shows 7 top-quality magazines, each loaded to capacity with 7-rounds of 230-grain Federal Hydra-Shok hollow points.  This range session was expensive; Hydra-Shoks are spendy compared to target ammo; for .45 ACP defense loads figure roughly $1 per round, sometimes higher and sometimes lower depending on market conditions ... versus 30-35 cents per round for .45 ACP target fodder.

A total of 57-rounds of ammo were fired during this session, consisting of:
50-rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok 230-grain self defense loads
7-rounds of Federal 230-grain FMJ range loads

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For this session I used a single target set at a distance of 30-feet (10-yards).

There were 2 failures using the Hydra-Shok ammo.  The 6th round from the 1st magazine failed to chamber, as did the 3rd round from the 7th magazine. I was disappointed but not surprised; many 1911 pattern pistols can be yeomanly reliable with ball ammo but downright sketchy with hollow point loads.  A couple of misfeeds out of the 50-rounds fired during this session (and the 67-rounds of Hydra-Shok fired overall since I purchased the pistol) might not sound like much of a concern to some folks but it is a bit too much for my tastes.  If ever I am pressed to carry this pistol for self defense (possible but unlikely because of better options) it may have a Hydra-Shok cartridge in the chamber but the magazine(s) will be full of FMJ ball.  

Overall I am happy with this pistol.  Since coming into my possession this dear old gun has fired 235-rounds total; 168-rounds of FMJ ball ammo went downrange without fail along with 65 of the 67 Hydra-Shoks that were fired.   HOWEVER, I did notice one thing during this session that was never before an issue; I was occasionally getting whapped in the forehead with the ejected brass.  That is often an indicator that the extractor is weak and / or damaged and / or dirty or a combination thereof.  During the routine post-range-session pistol cleaning I opted to also yank the extractor from the slide, cleaned and inspected it, adjusted the tension with a Weigand EAT (I'm not a fan of the trial and error method of manually bending 1911 extractors), put everything back together, and tested the extractor function.  

I do hereby proclaim that this pistol is as good as it is ever gonna get via my limited talent and resources.   

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I've heard that calling for a timeout to clear a jammed pistol is not conducive to a continued existence when facing heavily armed homicidal space cadets.  

Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP Range Session #3 was on 04/29/2019 at 5-Star Firearms in Zion, Il

The last time I had this pistol to the range was in August of last year.  Yeah ... I know ... I'm a Fudd ...

Glocks and glockalike designs pretty much rule the market of what cops / agents carry off-duty or undercover nowadays.  I've mentioned before about the above handgun being part of a cop's estate sale (via a local gun store in case you are rabidly concerned about "legal transfer in Illinois").  Once upon a time in America, even with those minimalist sights, handguns like this were top selections for serious business.  This pistol is no less than what it once was but nowadays the lighter weight handguns that have better sights and hold more rounds of ammo are standard issue for law enforcement, on duty and off duty.   What do "most" citizens prefer for concealed carry?  Hell, I won't pretend to know what "most" people do.  I will safely guess that at least a small percentage would choose something akin to the this heavy old Colt.  Would they be better served with something else?  I have no opinion on that;  I'm very "pro choice."  What other people have inside their pants is none of my business.   It would not surprise me to someday learn that pistols like this became common for concealed carry inside states that passed those silly laws regarding magazine capacity.

 I mentioned in an earlier post about some SQUIBS during this range session.  That was an ammo issue, not a handgun mechanical malfunction.  

This range session was a continuation of my functional shake down of this old pistol.  There are six of the seven-round-capacity magazines and one ten-round-capacity (extended) magazine in the above case / kit.  These are the magazines that I have segregated for use with this particular handgun.  Only three of the seven-round-capacity magazines have previously been "proven" with this handgun.  To a large degree, this range session was to prove the function of the unused mags and re-prove the others.  Most of you already know that a semi-auto without a magazine is, at best, just a clumsy-to-use single-shot.  A bad magazine can turn a mechanically sound pistol into something as functionally worthless as having boobs on a snake, so I tend to be quite persnickety ...  any mag involved in a misfeed gets marked ... if it receives a third mark it is retired to the "recreational range bag" ... mags that get too frustrating for fun-time use are mercilessly flattened with a hammer.

This session was with FMJ ball ammunition ... if a magazine cannot reliably feed ball ammo I have no confidence in it ever being reliable with self-defense hollowpoint ammunition.  My next shakedown phase will be a range session using only my preferred .45 ACP hollowpoint ammunition.   If the handgun and those magazines pass that phase, then this pistol (with those mags) will be declared suitable for carry / travel.

Target #1 set at 30-feet, 20-rounds fired (3 x 7-round mags minus a potential squib round)

Aw jeez, I was expecting to shoot better than that.  I planned on shooting the first target at 30-feet then working on my 45-feet suckiness with the second target; no sense in sticking with that plan.

Target #2, again at 30-feet, turned out just a wee bit better.

31 rounds fired (3 x 7-round magazines + 1 x 10-round magazine)

51-rounds total fired this session.
Still no reliability issues with this old handgun.
All magazines proved reliable during this visit.  Next time will be with all hollowpoints.

Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP Range Session 08/27/2018 at 5 Star Firearms in Zion, Illinois

I forgot about this range session from back in late August of last year.

It was another shake-down check of the Colt Combat Commander.   Target#1was set at 15-feet (5-yards). I sectored the target with three pieces of yellow duct tape.  The bottom tape was the target for shooting with my right hand only, the top tape was the target for shooting with my left hand only, and the middle tape was the target for shooting using both hands.  Pace of shooting was casual ... not panic fast and not bullseye slow ... just a nice blam-blam-blam.  The intent was to see if I could induce a malfeed or other problem (sometimes switching shooting hands or changing to a different way of gripping a semi-auto invites malfunctions due to unintended limp wristing, wimp listing, voodoo, bad karma  ...)  7-rounds (1 full mag) of ball ammo were fired at each sector.

No anomalies ... it is a safe, solid, good-old-handgun.  It passed ... it is still keep-worthy!

Click on the date-links below for prior blog posts about this Colt; some of them cover spring replacement, drop safety, quality magazines, etc.

December 2015 

January 2016

February 2016

November 2017

Target#2 was set at 21-feet (7-yards)

I returned to using my standard two-handed hold on the pistol and tossed 3 x 7-round magazines of ball ammo at this target.

Target#3 was set at 30-feet (10-yards)

This was only the second full magazine of personal defense hollowpoint ammo that I have ever put through this gun.  The ammo fed just fine and I was feeling okay about my shooting until I clumsily pushed a round way-down-low and crotch-shot the target (the hole in the target that is just to the right of the Colt's muzzle).  That's when I decided to call it a day.  I'll use more hollowpoints with this pistol as time moves on ... it is expensive stuff compared to the ball ammo ... 

Hat tip and THANKS to my favorite local shooting range.

Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP Range Review

(#1 target, above) 10 rounds Federal 230 gr HydraShok 21-feet (7-yards)

This was a range session from back on January 19, 2016.  I was unenthusiastic back then (as I am now)  about writing this review because my accuracy was ... well ... my accuracy was pretty much ... boring ... kinda my true average I guess.  It all was humbling but not humiliating.

Anyhoo, this pistol was purchased used; I blogged about it earlier HERE, HERE, and HERE.  This was my inaugural (and thus far my only) range session with it.  I do like the pistol.  The trigger is short and factory semi-sweet.  The little nub of a front sight is a bit of a challenge for my poor old eyes to focus on, but it is good enough.  If I am going to be a better shooter with it I need to shoot it more often.

EDIT / UPDATE :  CLICK HERE FOR 08/27/2018 RANGE SESSION

(#2 target, above) 10 rounds S&B 230 gr fmj 30-feet (10-yards) 

After shooting the first target with hollow-point carry-ammo, I switched over to S&B FMJ ball ammo for the remainder of the session;  I highlighted the bullet holes to make them easier to see

(#3 target, above) 10 rounds S&B 230 gr fmj 45-feet (15-yards)

The bullet hole inside the red circle is an on-paper, in the black, MISS.

Just to further check pistol function, I set another target at 70-feet and blasted at it with near a full box of the FMJ ammo.

A total of 78-rounds of ammo was fired during this session.  There were ZERO-problems (of any kind) with the function of the pistol.  None.  It's a keeper.

Recently I found out that Brownells carries some Milt Sparks holsters

(Shown above with a  Colt Combat Commander)

I always wanted to give a Milt Sparks holster a try but did not want to suffer through the wait.   So, I gots me this here purty little IWB Milt Sparks Summer Special 2 for a Colt Commander from Brownells; not shown is another Milt Sparks SS2 for a full size 1911, also from Brownells.   Although worthy of being preserved as collectibles, the beautiful leather of both holsters will suffer the same fate as my underwear by turning 50 shades of gray over many years of abuse inside my hot, sweaty, pants.  

Notice that the belt loops fit my 1.5'' belt; the holster does stays where it is supposed to and at the intended angle.  I am not a fan of mass produced holsters with loops that are "one size fits all, up to and including belts 1.75'' wide."  Your taste may be different.  BTW, you can purchase different size replacement loops for these Milt Sparks holsters.  As do all makers of quality holsters (that I know of), Milt Sparks uses quality directional snaps where appropriate.  These loop-snaps are easy-on and easy-off but they will not unsnap accidentally, which is good thing because a handgun is one of a very few universally recognized items that had best stay in a person's trousers until an appropriate occasion.

I have been a frequent (and very satisfied) customer of Brownells lately, and I'm not just talking about holsters.  They have "stuff" that I could not find elsewhere.  Few things are worse in life for a guy than needing "stuff" and not being able to find it.  I even tried having a friend look around Facebook for me,  but they must have banned the buying and selling of "stuff."  Until Facebook offers "stuff" that interests me, I'm not joining their silly cult.

Milt Sparks holsters come already broken in better than from most other vendors (the Commander required zero breaking in while the full size 1911 holster required maybe a couple of dozen vigorous "in and out" exercises to be at ease, which is NOT the fault of Milt Sparks;  1911 frames, slides, and finishes are NOT uniform between makers and model years.  I once tried six different 1911 pistols in a new holster (a different vendor than Milt Sparks, BTW) and each fit differently.)  Anyway, if you want a holster that already fits your handgun, Milt Sparks is the best I have yet seen in this respect, but you will probably still need to do a bit of work; Ken Null holsters also require relatively little break-in.

The Summer Special 2 comes with a metal insert sewn into the leather to keep the holster from closing up under your belt when the pistol has been removed from it.  Reholstering is a breeze.   It is a very well executed example of Bruce Nelson's Summer Special, and is as close to the original maker as you will find.

DISCLAIMER: As always at this blog site, this product review is simply a good old-fashioned campfire chat; this is not an opinion on what you should or should not purchase or what you should be using.  What does or does not work for me could be many country miles away from your tastes and needs.  All products I review for this blog are purchased at retail price by me.  I do not accept payment, discounts, "freebies," products on loan, demon alcohol, drugs, or sexual favors for doing any review.  

This 1982 Colt Commander is currently a work in progress

(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.

Colt Combat Commander Grail Gun

My favorite local gun store came across this via an estate transaction.  It belonged to a cop.  The finish and overall general condition are not bad at all.

The serial number begins with 80BS2 which makes it a factory blue steel gun somewhere around 1982 vintage; that is a few years before when some Colt Commanders were made from stainless steel; if the serial number contained SC instead of BS that would designate a factory satin chrome (satin electroless nickel) finish.  A fair guess is that this gun was chromed / nickeled in the aftermarket; yes, it is possible that it was sent back to Colt for refinishing.  Wherever it was done, it has been with this pistol for a while and still looks pretty darn nice.

Syd has a an interesting story about Colt Combat Commanders with the 80BS serial number prefix.

IMHO the trigger on this pistol is very sweet.    It feels very pre-series 80.

Yep, I just had to have it.  It should make a good shooter.  This completes my lust for "all things 1911."  I did the paperwork and paid for it today; I will pick it up on Monday after satisfying the requisite Illinois waiting period (plus an extra day or so just for the heck of it).

EDIT:  CLICK HERE TO READ EVERY BLOG ENTRY THAT I DID ABOUT THIS PISTOL

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