Satin Nickle Combat Commander

[Combat Controller]

Howdy. I picked up this used but not abused Colt yesterday, and other than the obvious lefty modifications it looks pretty good. I am having a devil of a time finding the satin nickle spares for this guy. The interweb tells me it is a rare model, and if so, I must have stole it at $650. I cannot wait to fire it soon. I am going to leave the ambi safety, it is small and unobtrusive, but I removed the oversized mag release and am swaping out the slide release.

http://i10.tinypic.com/47l8lm1.jpg

http://i10.tinypic.com/2qn2xwh.jpg

[Combat Controller]

Oh, and the Ser# indicates it was made in the 76-80 time period.

[larry starling]

Nice looking commander...... :)

[clughog]

Nice Colt! I absolutely love the Combat Commanders. Congratulations!

[John]

I love Commanders too, so loose that slide stop and safety and you'll have a beauty!

[Combat Controller]

No kidding. I am having a devil of a time finding origianl parts, so I may have to get some and try to reproduce the flat nickel effect.

[John]

Who the heck removed the originals and didn't save them??? Good Lord!

[Rio Vista Slim]

No kidding. I am having a devil of a time finding origianl parts, so I may have to get some and try to reproduce the flat nickel effect.
You might try calling Colt (1-800-962-2658). Tell Kathy or Cindy what you're looking for, and they should be able to steer you to someone in the company that might help. The current nickel/stainless XSE line has slide stops and thumb safeties that would more closely match your Satin Nickel Commander.
Although the XSE has an ambidextrous safety, I'm sure that they would have a standard thumb safety that would work.

[Combat Controller]

Rio Vista, thanks for the tip! I think I will do just that. Shame the previous owner didn't keep them in the box.... I always keep my extra parts. and usually the box's too.

[44 Man]

I had that trouble with a 'satin nickled' Commander also but was able to locate the parts I needed. I have to say though, that I also like the two tone look of blue parts on the satin frame and slide. My back up plan was to use stainless steel parts and bead blast them. The color would be off slightly but on one gun I saw that way, it doesn't look bad either. Good luck 44 Man

[Dr. Dickie]

The previous owner did you one big favor, he put some decent sights on it.
I have a SN Combat Commmander, and the original sites are about the size of standard GI sites, and they were in SN. They just blended in so much that they were useless.
Just keep your eyes open for some parts, they will turn up.
In the meantime, enjoy that thing. I am taking mine to range today.

[Rio Vista Slim]

I have a SN Combat Commmander, and the original sites are about the size of standard GI sites, and they were in SN. They just blended in so much that they were useless.
Methinks Dr. Dickie just took me for a stroll down "memory lane". :)
I remember WHY I got rid of my Satin Nickel Combat Commander all those long years ago (in my misguided youth). I couldn't hit the ground with that thing. :D

[Dr. Dickie]

As much of a nut about keeping things original as I am, I changed the sights on my SN Combat Commander. I hated to desecrate the piece, but I use my pistols and the sights made this one useless (for me and my eyes).
My wife may cry at the loss in cost when she sells them, but I am going to enjoy the use I get while I can.

[Combat Controller]

I think I may get replacement parts, but the sights are already getting swapped out with Trijicons. This will aid in carrying.

[dakota1911]

I bought a new one in 1978. It looked great in the display case. Shot several thousand rounds through it. Noticed it was wearing a lot and did not look as nice. I traded it off in 1984 on a small Detonics. The sights were what they were then and hard to see under bad lighting. I made no changes to mine by the time I traded it.

For what it is worth I have seen NIB SS Combat Commanders for about $650, so I am not sure how good a deal you got. I would not buy a "Satin Nickle" gun anymore, but that is just me.

[Phil]

No kidding. I am having a devil of a time finding origianl parts, so I may have to get some and try to reproduce the flat nickel effect.Well, you could try plating your own parts for it:

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/electroless.htm

Here's a plating forum that should have a familiar look:

http://forum.caswellplating.com/index.php

[wetidlerjr]

The previous owner did you one big favor, he put some decent sights on it.
I have a SN Combat Commmander, and the original sites are about the size of standard GI sites, and they were in SN. They just blended in so much that they were useless.
Just keep your eyes open for some parts, they will turn up.
In the meantime, enjoy that thing. I am taking mine to range today.

I recently picked up a Satin Nickel Government Model. I'm not fond of the sights either but the gun is an unfired S70 which is what attracted me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v114/wetidlerjr/Colt%201911/COLTGOVTS70_1979001Medium.jpg

[Rio Vista Slim]

I recently picked up a Satin Nickel Government Model. I'm not fond of the sights either but the gun is an unfired S70 which is what attracted me.
Ahhhhh, Bill! :)

Score another coup for you. That is, indeed, a beautiful example of what the satin nickel finish was intended to look like. Congratulations!

[Combat Controller]

Mine looks a little rough, so Hank Fleming is going to media blast it a bit to see if he can't clean it up.



I bought a new one in 1978. It looked great in the display case. Shot several thousand rounds through it. Noticed it was wearing a lot and did not look as nice. I traded it off in 1984 on a small Detonics. The sights were what they were then and hard to see under bad lighting. I made no changes to mine by the time I traded it.

For what it is worth I have seen NIB SS Combat Commanders for about $650, so I am not sure how good a deal you got. I would not buy a "Satin Nickle" gun anymore, but that is just me.

[Dr. Dickie]

Very Nice looking Bill. Is the grip safety, slide lock, and tigger blued? Or blacked?
(there is a picture of mine in pictures of Colts thread--I am at home on dial-up modem right now so I can't go there)
Mine was in good enough shape that it likely had under 1000 rounds through it. There was little to no wear, I just could not get a sight picture with the factory set.
I did my IDPA practice with it yesterday and it shoots as well as any of my pistols (they shoot great; me, not so great--but fun, fun, fun and that's what counts). I love the fact that the Commmader hammer just gives me little love nips on the web of my hand, whereas my 5" (with no beavertail) bites like Jaws.

[jeff1124]

Well, you could try plating your own parts for it:

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/electroless.htm

Here's a plating forum that should have a familiar look:

http://forum.caswellplating.com/index.php

Hey Phil, thanks for the link! I just got a 1973 SN Combat Commander the other day and the MS housing and grip safety are tarnished badly (if not completely stripped) and the frame is flaked in areas. Looks like a basement or garage project for the future! I had been thinking of SS parts too but the small kit is probably just as cheap as the cheapest SS parts in Brownells. Has anyone here done their own Nickel plating??

[wetidlerjr]

Very Nice looking Bill. Is the grip safety, slide lock, and tigger blued? Or blacked?
(there is a picture of mine in pictures of Colts thread--I am at home on dial-up modem right now so I can't go there)
Mine was in good enough shape that it likely had under 1000 rounds through it. There was little to no wear, I just could not get a sight picture with the factory set.
I did my IDPA practice with it yesterday and it shoots as well as any of my pistols (they shoot great; me, not so great--but fun, fun, fun and that's what counts). I love the fact that the Commmader hammer just gives me little love nips on the web of my hand, whereas my 5" (with no beavertail) bites like Jaws.

Blue and they should have done the sights the same way. It would have really added to the function and looks of the gun. :D

[Phil]

Hey Phil, thanks for the link! I just got a 1973 SN Combat Commander the other day and the MS housing and grip safety are tarnished badly (if not completely stripped) and the frame is flaked in areas. Looks like a basement or garage project for the future! I had been thinking of SS parts too but the small kit is probably just as cheap as the cheapest SS parts in Brownells. Has anyone here done their own Nickel plating??Yeah, the small kit's pretty inexpensive and reminds me of chemistry class. I think it would be fun to try it, anyway. Apparently you can get any finish from matte to mirror, depending on how polished the metal is before plating. Don't know how closely the finish would match the existing nickel on the pistol, but it might be better than stainless. If you do the whole pistol, though, it might turn out quite nicely.

[44 Man]

It was a very long time ago but my gunsmith used to plate parts himself from a kit like that. It turned out well, but seemed to have a slight yellow cast to the parts, not true silver like Colt does. It would still be fun to try. 44 Man

[Phil]

It was a very long time ago but my gunsmith used to plate parts himself from a kit like that. It turned out well, but seemed to have a slight yellow cast to the parts, not true silver like Colt does. It would still be fun to try. 44 ManThere was a discussion somewhere about nickel having a slightly more yellow appearance than chrome, but perhaps someone on the plating forum has info on how to control that.

[jeff1124]

Hmmmm, maybe chrome plating would be the way to go, tougher than nickel. I'm going to have to research the metal prep part first before I decide.

[Phil]

Hmmmm, maybe chrome plating would be the way to go, tougher than nickel. I'm going to have to research the metal prep part first before I decide.I have one gun in hard chrome. It's especially good on a carry gun. The satin finish hard chrome looks like a very nice light satin stainless and it's not that expensive - about $185 + $30 for stripping, if there's no special prep required.

http://www.apwcogan.com/Refinishing.htm

http://www.apwcogan.com/hard_chrome.htm

http://www.apwcogan.com/nickel_plating.htm

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h102/Murexway/OM/OfficersMedium-1.jpg