Posted: 11/27/2009 3:27:34 AM EDT
Need some thoughts and opinions. I was talking to my uncle yesterday and mentioned to him that i was looking for a colt commander style of gun for cc. I usually carry a full size kimber custom ii but over the last year or so my love handles have grown and i get poked in the fat meat alot more anyway he mentioned to me that he has an old colt that he bought about 9 years ago and never shot from a retired constable and he would sell it to me for $450 (what he paid for it) needless to say we went to his house after leaving my moms.
now heres where id like your opinions and thoughts. Its a commander serial #clw0205xx Any way of telling what year it was made? Also the slide to frame fit is loose compared to my kimber. But i only have maybe 2500 rounds thru the kimber so im not sureif this is something i should worry about or not. He's letting me keep it and shoot it this weekend before I tell him yes or no Otherwise the rest of the gun appears in great shape. some scratches on the frame but the blued slide doesnt appear to have anything wrong other then some holster wear. Anything else i should look for? Should i grab it or let it pass?if i do grab it most likely plans are to find a good smith and get night sights put on , skeletonized trigger and an ed brown bobtail, then have it refinished. Thanks in advance. 
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I think that's a great price, assuming the pistol is original and in good shape. The S/N implies a manufacture date in the early '80s but can't tell for sure as the www.proofhouse.com doesn't go past 1978 and your serial number is higher than those that they list.
I think the market price for your pistol would be $650––>$750. The "improvements" you're talking about, professionally done, are gonna set you back at least $300+, so you're quickly gonna have more in it, than its current value. I did the same thing with a Combat Commander a few years ago and have much more in it, than I'll ever get out of it but I knew that going in, but I paid $600 for mine so I'm really under water. The mods may enhance shootability and appearance, but you'll probably not recover your investment. |
| Thanks! I just got done taking her apart and giving her a good cleaning. everything appears to be in great shape. i have no clue as to originality or not. I'm not really worried about it from an investment purpose. if i have a good shooter and a reliable ccw after i get done doing that i'll be very happy.Thanks for the offer of 500 for it but i think if i get it i'll be holding onto it. I dont really have the cash with it being so close to christmas(being married with children stops toy purchases fo rme around this time of year usually) but my uncle told me if i want it we'll go and transfer it next week and I can pay him whenever |
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Thats a hell of a deal on a sweet Lightweight Commander, congrats!
I paid around $700 for mine. I added modern Colt sights (Stake-in) and changed grips. I like the original lines and don't want to change that. Its my daily CCW pistola. As accurate as I am. Yep, I'd lose that trigger shoe post-haste |
| thanks for all the info guys! ok took it out today and shot about 120 rounds with it. Also carried it all day. decided on a few things. Not going to bobtail it. I like it the way it is grip wise other then the grip safety. i dont like the sights at all. Guess the ones on my kimber spoiled me. I did have a few hiccups with it. The slide doesn't stay back with any regularity on any of my magazines or the one that came with it.id say around every 2 or 3 or so mag fulls it wouldn't lock back after the last shot. Mags also dont like to "drop" as nice as my kimber or seat as easily. Not really sure what to look at there. Now otherwise after the first magazine i was getting 3.5 to 4 inch groups with it at 15 yards which i thought was pretty decent for my first day out with it. Definitely going to keep it. |
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I put another 100 rounds thru it yesterday. Shes definitly a keeper. Have a few questions for you guys tho. I tried a bunch of my friends magazines yesterday and had the same problem. the vast majority of the time the slide wont stay open after i fire the last round. Doesnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.What should i look at there?Also not sure if its rleated but the magazines dont seat as easy into this gun as my kimber and they dont drop as easily either. LAst question (for now) if any of you more experienced folks had purchased this gun is there anything you would recommend i do to it (spring replacement etc)?
Any help again is much appreciated |
Nice gun! I think I would completely detail strip the weapon and clean the parts very well and lubricate them well and replace the recoil, firing pin spring,and main spring and buy some Tripp Cobra magazines , shoot about 500 rounds of ball ammo through the gun and field strip it and clean and lubricate and you1ll be 100%
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irondog has some durned good advise.
As to the slide locking back problem.... take the gun apart. With the slide off, put the slide stop back in the frame. Then insert an empty magazine. The magazine follower should push the slide stop upward. Thry this with all your magazines, make sure the followers are engaging properly. When the slide is on, the slide stop holding against the magazine follower is what kinda "propels" the magazine downwards. At the same time you should be able to see if anything's rubbing against the sides of the magazine making insertion rougher than you expect. |
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Quoted:
Does it have a Shok-Buff in it? Commanders don't work well with them. I agree with clean and lube suggestions. Lack of lube could slow slide speed. Good Luck I have to respectfully disagree with that statement.....I've had Wilson's shok buff in my commander for 10 years or so.....at least 750 rounds on one before it was replaced. Generally toss them and replace at 500 rounds. Never had an issue at all. I may just be lucky... I do agree with everything else....they like a good cleaning. |
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ok. looking to get a spring kit for the commander. is this the correct one?
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=26181/Product/_324__C___COLT_COMMANDER__45_ACP_SPRING_KIT also id like to get an ed brown beavertail for it. Little confused as to which one to order. any help for that would be appreciated. |