A slight misalignment of the front sight is less noticeable when the sight radius is shorter than average. The short sight radius of the Defender and the Kimber compact pistols may challenge marksmanship.
Handling with a quality Officer’s Model is excellent, leading to real speed and accuracy for those that practice. Moving to lightweight three-inch barrel pistols such as the Colt Defender is a gradual process. There is more weight, but as you begin your shooting career you will appreciate it. I simply do not recommend jumping into a lightweight-frame 1911 without considerable experience with the Government Model.Ī good four-inch barrel steel-frame pistol may be concealed, and with proper selection of a good holster such as the inside the waistband holster illustrated from Galco, you will have a comfortable platform for carrying the pistol. If you are beginning with a concealment pistol, then the steel-frame Commander is an excellent first choice. I might add that it is best to purchase the best quality handgun you can afford for a good return on performance and future trade-in. My recommendation is always to begin with a steel-frame five-inch barrel Government Model. At this point, you may reasonably ask for a recommendation on which 1911 is best for you. The four-inch pistol certainly falls into the ‘if I could have only one pistol’ category. The difference is that you will be able to reach a high level of competence with the 1911 that may elude shooters using the polymer-frame pistols. 40-caliber pistol, but there is time and effort in the equation. I find the lightweight four-inch barrel 1911 easier to control than a polymer-frame. The pistol demands attention to detail and proper technique to master. They also rate high on the smile test, with most raters reacting favorably to the handling and accuracy potential of these handguns.Ī LW frame 1911 is not for non-dedicated personnel. They clear leather quickly, get on target quickly, and offer excellent hit potential. In my experience, these are very reliable handguns. These pistols feature the belled-barrel type lockup as they are too short to utilize a barrel bushing properly. They are available in both aluminum-frame and steel-frame versions in weights ranging from about 26 to 33 ounces.
The Springfield Champion Lightweight Operator isn’t a true Commander, but a four-inch barrel 1911.įind more concealed carry gun options on this article on the best concealed carry guns available now. The Commander used a standard bushing, although it was shortened. In order to accommodate the sharper barrel tilt in a short-slide pistol, the barrel no longer used a barrel bushing. The Officer’s Model demanded considerable revision of the design, but the three-inch pistols required even more so. An even shorter 1911- the Colt Defender - features a three-inch barrel. The Officer’s Model is an even shorter 1911, with a 3.5-inch barrel and a grip shortened enough to cut magazine capacity by one round. In the end, it was a wonder the Commander was so reliable. The shortened slide length reduces the total reciprocating mass, but also alters the way the magazine presents the round to the breech face. The problem with reducing the length of the pistol, as far as reliability, was higher slide velocity, which was addressed by spring technology.īut then, we also had a shorter spring that had to exert more pressure. The steel frame Commander offers excellent balance. The Combat Commander is now known as simply the Commander, while the aluminum-frame Commander is the LW Commander.
#Fire star pistol series
With the Series 70 production run, the Combat Commander Colt was introduced. Winchester +P loads and a Galco Summer Comfort make for excellent kit.