Colt ~ Lightweight Commander ~ .45 Auto

A derivative of the classic Colt 1911 Government model, the Colt Commander model was introduced in 1949 as part of a military trial to search for a replacement for the M1911-A1 for officers to carry. Though not ultimately accepted by the government contract, Colt continued to produce the gun for the commercial market. These pistols featured shortened barrels and slides—down to 4 ¼" from the full 5" length—and were available in .45 ACP, 9mm Luger, and Super .38. An interesting design choice of the Commander was that the frame was made of a new aluminum alloy, which Colt simply called "Coltalloy." This helped reduce the weight of the pistol and was a choice made due to the fact that the Commander was specifically designed with 9mm Luger in mind. The heavier .45 and .38 loads would later prove to cause permanent damage to frames over time. In 1970, the Combat Commander variant was introduced and featured an all-steel construction. Alloy-framed Commanders would thus be called 'Lightweight Commanders' moving forward. This Colt Commander in particular is an alloy-framed Lightweight Commander model chambered in .45 ACP/.45 Auto. The frame features a gloss black anodized finish and the slide has polished bluing on the flats and a matte top. The slide is fit with Wilson Combat white 3-dot combat sights. The pistol has a short grooved trigger and standard Commander ring hammer, as well as a grooved arched mainspring housing. The pistol sports a set of checkered hardwood stocks with gold Colt medallions. The gun uses a standard GI recoil spring assembly and the barrel has a black finish that has worn down to stainless steel at the barrel hood. This pistol is cosmetically in good condition, however there is a crack in the frame on the left side just forward of the trigger guard. This, as well as significant finish wear on the barrel, would suggest that the pistol has been shot quite a lot. The guide rod does have a Wilson Combat Shok-buff installed, though it is unknown whether this was installed before or after the crack appeared. The barrel is clean with good rifling and no rust or pitting. This Colt Lightweight Commander does not include a case, box, or papers, but does come with one 7-round Colt magazine.