Which do you all prefer? I know the Gov't Model has certain advantages for certain applications but for whatever reasons I really like the Commander series. Be it lightweight or steel frame I like the way the Commander handles and balances better than the longer Government Model. I suddenly have the lust for a blued Combat Commander. It will likely have a pony on the side, be a .45, which version of that from Colt I haven't quite made of my mind about yet. Thoughts and experiences from the 1911 shooters solicited! Pictures welcome also...

I still own at least one example of each of the three sizes. Despite all the internet debate, I've never had a problem with the smaller sizes running reliably. Get what you like. 1911 technology isn't a secret. So, pick the brand, size, and color you like, and go dent a bunch of primers!

Some Kimbers, all .45 ACP


Love this one--I am in negotiations to buy it back from the buddy I sold it to


9mm


Commander in its holster

I have one of those Micro Compacts. I love the lil thing. Mine has a rail on it though....More accurate than it should be. Ran alot of 200gr lswc through it. Only hicup it ever had was a broken extractor.

That said. The gov't would be my first choice

Guv'ment

I like em both. Never had one of the officers models yet.

Only own a 5".

Been watching for an alloy Commander, pretty much gotta be 4 1/4".
Want a bushing setup. Afectation.

Never understood why lightweight 5" guns are so rare.

I’ve owned several government models, and always sold them. I’ve owned a Colt Combat Commander since 1992. It’s my keeper.

Glad I got my Springer lightweight bi-tone, when I did. Don't carry it, or the EMP40 much, since getting a S&W PC bobtail Commander.

To me the govt shoots easier, carry’s well and looks good.


Then along comes this Dan Wesson Vigil in 9mm and I’m finding it goes to the range more than my govt model. Being a light weight commander, it carry’s like a dream and shoots very well.

Get both

I've got the Combat Commander made by Ed Brown, i.e., the all steel Kobra Carry, and it's been my daily carry for many months, now (I might have passed the one year mark). Shoots great. I've carried all steel Government Models, too, several times for years on end. Both are about equal, but the Commander is a tad lighter.

Colt's Lightweight Commander for me. Been carrying mine since around 1980 or so. A good holster and belt make it very carry friendly.

L.W.

You've posted that S&W too much.
I'm jealous, it's a nice gun.

Seconded. 45 ACP.

Yeah LWC is my favorite carry. JM Custom kydex AIWB or OWB is a favorite.

I rarely carry a 1911 style gun anymore. But Commander length has always been my favorite. When I do carry a 1911, it's my Sig Stainless Carry.

Colt Wiley Clapp for the carry gun. A blue steel Colt Commander just because. Get both.

The Pony keeps it's value better than any other.

Commander is good for me.

although a good old reliable full size is good too.

Springfield Ronin 4.25" Commanders are pretty easy to find right now, and they have ramped barrels, if that's important to you. I bought a .45 on May 1st, and it shoots a LOT softer than the Colt LWCs I've owned in the past. I liked it so much I bought a 9mm Commander to go with it. Some folks don't like the two-tone look, but that doesn't bother me. Kimber has been making LWT Gov't guns for a few years now, and I think Colt has done a run or two, as well. The Kimbers come up on rkguns.com website fairly often, but with supply issues, you have to check their site pretty often and regularly.
I really like the little Ronins, but I've also got five 5" guns that are plenty good enough.
Prices are decent on the Ronins, I paid less than $730 ea. for both of mine. Both of mine shoot about 3" high at 50 ft, but the front sight is dovetailed, so it wouldn't be tough to replace them whenever I get around to it.

I've always had and carried the full size tho I admit to really wanting a commander as my next 1911.

I don't think I'd go shorter than that tho.

All my days I was a Govt man then I traded for my Fusion cco and I see the appeal.

I carry and use both.

The Lightweight Commander is hard to beat for comfortable all day carry and the full size steel framed guns are preferable for shooting.

Same here. Been there, done that. The really chopped down 1911s tend to need very frequent spring changes, as timing becomes more of an issue the more they are cut down.

The exception would be those 1911 style handguns that are not merely chopped down, but are actually shrunken down versions of the 1911, like the Springfield Armory EMP 9mm. They actually took the 1911 design back to the drawing board and made it to smaller proportions all around to match the smaller 9mm cartridge it's chambered for (The EMP is too small in overall proportions to even be offered in .45 ACP). That's one 1911 style gun that I believe doesn't share the timing sensitivity with the chopped down 1911s. But that's really a topic for a different thread, since it's technically not a 1911, but a 1911 style handgun, built from the ground up around the 9mm cartridge.

Seriously nice...

That Commander with the S&W sights is about perfect!

I love full size 1911's, DW 10MM and Bear 45 ACP, mighty fine feeling pieces, but man oh man, only a booby feels better in hand than my Fusion Arms custom all steel bob-tail Commander 45 ACP, i cant explain it, you just have top grip and aim it, really crazy how it points.

First purchase was a Kimber SS Target five inch w/ barrels in 9mm, 38 Super, and 10 mm. I added a FO front sight.

I liked it so much that I then bought a Kimber Pro Carry LW commander size in 9mm. Then had a Fusion barrel in Super fitted.

I finally purchased the Kimber Micro 9.

They are all three fine guns. I run them in various configurations. The LW frame right now is fitted with a 5 inch 22lr slide. The original SS five inch is fitted with the commander slide and 38 Super barrel.

The micro 9? It shoots, and it fits in a pocket. I wish I had bouvht the baby SA instead.

Have owned all three barrel lengths in a 1911, in .45 ACP

A few years ago, I bought my all time favorite 1911.

A Springfield Armory EMP 9MM, in the 4" barreled version.

It's like a scaled down Commander.

Virgil B.

When I first got my Concealed Carry permit, I carried a full-size 1911 IWB. I carry my wallet in my right rear pocket and when I would sit down, the pistol would want to "stand up".

I bought a Kimber Pro Carry. The 1" shorter barrel cured the "stand up" issue. The lighter weight was very nice. And that pistol and I shoot well together. Never a hiccup.

Wiley Clap Commander or Officer model. I bought both a couple of years ago. 😁

I guess I have the 4 th version. A CCO model. Commander length barrel with short grip. Magazine holds one less than the commander. Mine is the Colt Gunsite model.

Thanks, funding is..

No, being a tightass is the issue.
Can't imagine a possibility not covered by a gun already owned.
So now I gotta find bargains on stuff I "might" need.

That's how I got the Range Officer.
A guy posted a 45 Colt Blackhawk on a local classifieds, needed to
fix his truck and was broke. So he was selling at a firehouse sale price.

Drove to the LGS to meet him, and damn if they didnt have an
"As new" RO in the case, at a great deal. When ask if they could do
better, I was informed it had been there awhile, they knocked some
money off and threw in a box of ammo.

Ended up with both😁😁!

Always liked that S&W Bobtail Commander you carry. Never been able to find one to buy, though.

Hard to beat a Commander sized 1911 for carry.
Back when I shot IPSC competition, I ran both commander and full sized 1911’s. Always shot higher scores with the 5” full sized guns.

I like them all.

Thinking about an Ed Brown.
Only 3 models are allowed in this Left Coast state.
Or, fixing up a Springfield or another company 1911.

Have a good weekend.

Anyone else like their Government model bone stock?

I've got no problem with them at all. I carried a bone stock, 1960s made, Colt Government Model for a couple of years.

There’s a lot to be said for the CCO size option. Here’s a Frankenpistol CCO (meaning Colt Copy, Obviously) I put together using a stainless steel RIA compact frame, a Black Nitride treated Les Baer Comanche slide, and a stainless steel Ed Brown 4-1/4” match barrel:



It took a lot of valve grinding compound and pounding with a rubber mallet to get the slide moving freely on the frame. But, it seems to have turned out well enough.

This setup proved remarkably easy to shoot well. The VZ Slim Compact grip panels certainly improved handling characteristics, at least for me, as this group, shot two handed standing, demonstrates.

I concur on the Ronin 4.25" Commander. I've carried a 5" steel gov't model for years and it didn't bother me, but the new Ronin is a lot lighter and doesn't pull on the belt near as much. Shoots great and has been reliable. I think I paid 650 for it and felt that was a smoking deal.

I have to switch triggers on mine, I shoot better with long triggers rather than the short ones on a stock pistol. I did that to my new .38 Super just this morning, in fact..............I can barely tolerate a stock GI Colt, though, being an old IPSC shooter, I am not a bit scared of working/tinkering with a 1911 to get it the way I want it. I've been doing that for forty years now, I ain't gonna quit making one "mine" to suit me better.

The superior shooting characteristics of the all steel Commander or Government make it worth getting used to carrying the extra weight, which actually is a non-issue if you have a proper belt/holster combination. I experience zero discomfort carrying an all steel Commander (Ed Brown Kobra Carry) all day long, essentially every day (once in a rare while I will prefer something that prints less, which generally means my Sig P238). When I do switch, it actually feels odd to have such a light gun on, and I'm comforted by returning to the all steel Commander.

Sure we do….

Gov't for the WIN!

I bought a commander when all I had was $100 and the guy was desperate. I sold it, but I needed the money too. I liked it. I have a military issue 1911 that was my dad’s. I like it too, but due to chasing brass I don’t shoot it much. I prefer revolvers.

Perfecto! Closest I have to that is a Springfield Armory "WWII" reproduction. Yours is way, way, way cooler.

Love my Tisas WWII 1911A1, too. Best $300.00 I ever spent.

Mine says Government Model on the slide. But yours seems to be way cooler.

Yep...

As long as an up-rated 18.5# recoil spring and nylon grips don't scotch the deal.






GR

I carried this bone stock (apart from the elephant ivory grips), 1964, Government Model for years.



And with more traditional grips:



The original grips weren't so wonderful looking, since at that time Colt was putting pretty cheap looking, brown, hard rubber grips on them. I have those grips, but don't keep them on the gun.

Nice looking guns.

My first custom gun was a SA 1911A1 from the mid 80s with a parkerized finish. It came in the white, blue and black cardboard box with the image of the guy shooting an M1A on the front. I bought it new for $357. I remember that because I had enough money to buy the 1911 or a parkerized .357 Colt Trooper revolver and they were the same price - $357.00. I went with the 1911A1. I had it customized by Mario Ruffino. I had seen Rob Leatham win the 1983 IPSC Handgun World Shoot that was held at my gun club and craved a 1911 race gun. Mr. Ruffino did a great job and kept the cost reasonable. Yet another gun I stupidly sold.

Jeff Cooper carried a full sized 1911 Colt with alloy frame for years.
His opinion was that a less than full-sized pistol risked reliability issues unless appropriately tuned.

I carried a 1911A1 in Vietnam.

Later moved to a Mark IV Series 70 done by King's Gun Works with Kart barrel and King-Tappan sights.
Front strap checking, commander hammer, custom flat mainspring housing.
Have 3 of those Seies 70s now.
Recoil buffers go away after range time. Change out springs when needed. Leather holster rigs work.




Khe Sanh-1971 MACVSOG

For range work or play games, a Gov't size hands down.

For EDC, a lightweight Commander is far better.......not really even close.

Most that say different, really have shot or carried both much.

MM