Looking for a Commander 1911

[Guest carbonarcher]

Hi all,

I am looking for a 1911 commander, what have you all found in your travels, to get the most bang for your buck and have had no issues with?

I am looking for something that I don't have to send to the smith to have upgrades done to it.

Thank you all for your input!

[daddyo]

This:

Springfield Armory

[Guest carbonarcher]

DaddyO

Any thoughts on the sigs or kimbers?

[Motasyco]

Dan Wesson. Love my CBOB. Went with DW over Kimber and have no regrets.

[Guest mds3d]

I don't have a 1911, but buddy of my dad collects Colt firearms. I have shot several of his 1911 (including some of the commanders) and they were all a joy to shoot.

[daddyo]

DaddyO

Any thoughts on the sigs or kimbers?

Sorry, I have no experience with either in the commander size.

[Lumber_Jack]

I have a Kimber Eclispe Pro II, that has over 2800 rounds with no flaws. I recently had a couple failure to return to battery, so I put a brand new recoild spring in and she is back to running like new. Its going to be in the middle of price ranges, more expensive than springfield and less than Dan Wesson. I will say that if you can spend $1200-1500 I would definelty buy a Dan Wesson. $950-1100 I would buy a Kimber, under $950 I would buy a Springfield as DaddyO recommended. Those price ranges are for new guns, used is a whole different story. This is my opinion but Im sure you will get many that disagree

[Guest Moody]

Carbon-

I have a Commander Sig Carry, and it's absolutely wonderful. Reliable, quality, handles easily, and has match-grade parts throughout... it's a fantastic gun, and I've never had a problem with it. The Kimbers are a joke, honestly (yes, I'm one of *those*, and I don't own a Kimber, and NOT because I can't afford it); you can find a much better Commander-length 1911 for around the same money.

I will second the Dan Wesson series - I wish that I had not sold mine. A very well-built, quality 1911 that honestly, could sell for a few hundred dollars more and get away with it.

[Guest trigem]

I have 3 kimbers, other then the mags, have had

No issues, just bought the Kimber Raptor II,

Just put the first 150 rounds down range, no issues

Excellent weapon

You can keep bashing Kimbers, & I'll keep buying them

[Guest trigem]

Was it Dan Wesson that went out of business?

That says enough for me;)

[Guest carbonarcher]

HaHa! trigem! Fair enough! I often wonder who actually builds them now? They are built by CZ now, right? Not American?

[gregintenn]

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/firearms-classifieds/49009-wts-colt-combat-commander-s-s.html

What could be better than this one?

[Warbird]

Was it Dan Wesson that went out of business?

That says enough for me;)

Dan Wesson went under quite some time ago due to under capitalization. They did not make 1911's, but revolvers. They could not sustain the company when revolver sales dumped. They are now owned by CZ. CZ had the capital to rebuild the company with a new business model. They build an extremely good product. Truth be told they build a better quality 1911 than the typical Kimber.

Kimber is very hit and miss. When you get a good one, they are very good. But, they have had their own QC problems. They make more 1911's than anyone else in the world. Statistically they will have higher real problems than anyone else. In reality they also statistically have a higher percentage of problems than many as well. DW makes less guns, to a higher standard, than does the average lower end Kimber. Kimber for some odd reason send out barrels in white,which have a bad tendency to rust for those who actually carry their guns a great deal. I am nt a naysayer on MIM parts, but Kimber uses a lot of them for a gun that costs what many of them do in comparison to the cost of those that are priced comparatively and have far fewer MIM parts. Oh and for your information, Kimber was broke at one point and sold the company to a better capitalized company itself, saving it from bankruptcy. So your comparison to DW was not a good one for numerous reasons.

I will also note to the OP that some of the guns recommended are not commander 1911's, but shorter barreled hybrids. The Kimber Pro series guns along with SA and several other manufacturers decided several years ago to make their own version of a commander styled gun. Instead of the traditional 4.25" guns, the went with 4". After much testing and numerous failures they all discovered that the decrease of that .25" meant more than they thought in the function of the gun. They simply would not work reliably. They redesigned the slide to include a 4" bull barrel without a bushing and changed the takedown of the gun procedures. This means the gun requires a pin to take down the gun for cleaning. It took some time, but they do seem to have fixed the reliability of this design. Several quasi custom makers, such as Wilson, have their own version of this design as well.

Not that it would make a huge decision for the OP, but he should know the differences. The 4" 1911 is not truly a 'commander' i the old Colt commander design. I have played around a bit with that design, but personally prefer the true commander design. I like the bushing. I dislike the pin needed for takedown and dislike the fact that a bushing can be replaced. Fit problems or wear and tear on the other design could potentially mean a new barrel or a new slide.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Warbird

[Warbird]

HaHa! trigem! Fair enough! I often wonder who actually builds them now? They are built by CZ now, right? Not American?

DW is made in the USA, if you call NY part of the USA .

[Guest trigem]

DW is made in the USA, if you call NY part of the USA .

NY, That is a different country:p

[Guest trigem]

Lets face it, all 1911's are a work in progress, that's the beauty of them, you buy what strikes your fancy and then you finish it to your liking:koolaid:

[Lumber_Jack]

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/firearms-classifieds/49009-wts-colt-combat-commander-s-s.html

What could be better than this one?

Agree

But if you don't like that then try this one (if you don't mind the rail)

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/firearms-classifieds/48891-sig-sauer-1911r-carry-kimber-ct-grips-extras.html

And don't listen to all the Kimber bashing, there are just as many people that won't like whatever it is you buy. Unless of course it's an Ed Brown

[Warbird]

Agree

But if you don't like that then try this one (if you don't mind the rail)

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/firearms-classifieds/48891-sig-sauer-1911r-carry-kimber-ct-grips-extras.html

And don't listen to all the Kimber bashing, there are just as many people that won't like whatever it is you buy. Unless of course it's an Ed Brown

I don't consider it bashing to tell someone that a particular manufacturer has had QC issues with their guns. Many manufacturers have issues with particular guns. That isn't to say Kimber makes junk. It isn't to say that the majority of the guns they produce have issues. I would say they have in recent years had an abnormal number of problems. That may be a result of trying to produce too many guns to meet demand or as a result of too many models. It is to say they have had QC issues which required sending the gun back. Kimber does stand behind their products and usually does so in a timely manner.

It has been my experience that a good Kimber will run very well with no more issues any well made but new 1911. Usually when they have issues, it is right out of the box. Some of the problems with their Pro models seem to be as a result of stubbornness as relates to their recoil springs not being the weight and length Wolff recommended. The change in springs to the Wolff seems to fix this issue with people who have that problem.

I am neither a fan nor a basher of Kimber. I have shot a number of their products and owned Kimber. I have a great deal of respect for what they have done. They CHANGED the industry. They made 1911's with custom features available at reasonable prices to a large segment of the gun buying population. Others followed suit. I remember very well when the only 1911 available was a base 1911. You then had to send off the gun to some gunsmith and have them customized at prices similar to what a semi-custom or quasi-custom costs even today.

By the way even Ed Brown's and Wilson's and other quasi custom manufacturers have their issues. Hey I even know people who have custom made guns which have had issues. Such is the life of a 1911 owner. IMO this is most especially due to people's expectations of 1911's made today. They seem to want bullseye accuracy and carry dependability. First thing I see a lot of guys looking at 1911's say how tight is that slide to frame fit. If it rattles a bit they think Ugh, that isn't good for accuracy. WRONG! Slide to frame fit has little to do with accuracy, that is barrel lockup and bushing fit. I personally want a 1911 that is somewhat loose for excellent dependability. Then again my purpose in a 1911 is for carry, not for ultimate accuracy.

[Warbird]

Lets face it, all 1911's are a work in progress, that's the beauty of them, you buy what strikes your fancy and then you finish it to your liking:koolaid:

True. Very true.

[R1100R]

I like my Dan Wesson. They are made in NY. They are getting ready to announce their 2011 line. Rumor has it they are getting ready to get back in the revolver business.

I have had a Kimber CDP tht I sold. Just couldn't get it to work for me.

I have friends that all like the Rock Island MidSize. Great Buy for the money.

I recenty bought a Offiicer sized ATI Titan FX45 that I have been very impressed with for a gun that is underr 500.00

Edited November 17, 2010 by R1100R

[A.J. Holst]

You may want to look at the Metro Arms American Classic Commander.

Mine was not flawless and spent some time under the knife (covered by warranty)

Pretty well equipped, less than $500.00 and since the warranty work, has been 100% reliable.

[Warbird]

I like my Dan Wesson. They are made in NY. They are getting ready to announce their 2011 line. Rumor has it they are getting ready to get back in the revolver business.

I have had a Kimber CDP tht I sold. Just couldn't get it to work for me.

I have friends that all like the Rock Island MidSize. Great Buy for the money.

I recenty bought a Offiicer sized ATI Titan FX45 that I have been very impressed with for a gun that is underr 500.00

They made very nice revolvers. It probably would make sense to enter back into that market as revolvers sales have certainly made a come back.

[wvglock]

I have recently aquired a Dan Wesson CCO. It is everything it should be as a higher end production gun. That being said, I can shoot a full size steel frame much easier. Kimbers, RIA, Ed Brown, and everyone in between put out working guns most of the time. The thing to look at it who is what are you willing to pay on the front end. Gunsmiths can do a lot with a good base gun. I have had the most luck with Springers. 4 kimbers and not a lemon yet. They just dont have a warranty worth a flip.