Yeah BABY, Commander!!! (Yet another new Super .38)

[DuckRyder]

Picked her up this morning. Put the new stocks (grips) on it and its resting quietly in the safe waiting for me to make time to take it out for its first dance.

http://home.att.net/~duckryder/4540XSEW.jpg

[Captain America]

Beautiful pistol. Let us know how it shoots.

[Hunter]

Very nice Colt Commander and in Super .38 to boot.

[Joni Lynn]

Beautiful Colt!

[paul45]

All Right!...another beautiful example. Ok...snap me in here....why do I notice a few persons use the term "super .38" , when it says .38 super on the pistol and everywhere else?

[swampthang]

Nice, good luck with her , I need a 38 super!

[Hunter]

All Right!...another beautiful example. Ok...snap me in here....why do I notice a few persons use the term "super .38" , when it says .38 super on the pistol and everywhere else?
Paul as I understand originally is was the Super .38 when it was introduced.
All the Colts in that caliber that I have seen were stamped Super .38 on the barrel hood.

[RickB]

Exactly. My '04 says Super .38 on the barrel and .38 Super on the slide.

[Joni Lynn]

Ahhh..........Colt got their dyslexic machinist to return to work!

[DuckRyder]

Thanks guys and gals...

On the Super 38, my understanding is this:

The cartridge was originally the .38 ACP, when it was hotted up it was naturally called "Super .38 ACP", My Government says "Super 38" on the box as well as the barrel hood, I'll have to look at the label on this one.

I also believe some of the early pistols said "Super 38 ACP" on the slide as well.

I do like it, if it shoots as good as it looks (and as well as the Government model) it will be another keeper. I may however have it coated with "Black T". It does seem a good bit tighter (and stiffer) than my Government model.

[daveohno]

I have seen it both ways, I tend to call it 38 Super, in the same way that you would call a revolver round a 38 Special.

[ALman]

Great looking Colt. The grips look sharp too

Kevin

[DuckRyder]

I found this thread:

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=15846

That pistol says "COLT Super 38 Automatic" on the slide. I suppose "Super 38" is an archaic way of referring to it, but in truth I just like it better that way, so it is likely that I will continue to call it that. :D I will also likely continue to laugh when folks at the range say it is a "dead cartridge". ;)

Alman, I have a set of Esmeralda's stocks ordered as well, similar to yours...Might end up putting those on it. For now these looked the best I thought.

Thanks again for the complements on it, I thought the group might appreciate it. ;)

[OD*]

Very nice Colt Commander. http://forum.m1911.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

[OD*]

Well said Hunter & Duck.

[Hunter]

Wow OD is that you being nice to me on purpose?

[OD*]

Yes, I have a slight fever. ;)














I guess you do pay attention. :D

[Hunter]

I guess you do pay attention. :D
I have my moments.

[OD*]

I don't care what Dave and Alan say, you're an OK guy.

[clughog]

DuckRyder, it's a great looking gun regardless of what you call it...and, best of all, it's a COMMANDER! Mine says 38 Super on the box and the slide, and Colt Super 38 Auto on the barrel. Sure shoots nice. Congratulations!

[cliff731]

...I may however have it coated with "Black T". It does seem a good bit tighter (and stiffer) than my Government model.

DuckRyder, are you planning to have the frame done in "Black T" or the slide along with it? I've talked with Mr. Birdsong before and hope to have one of my Mil-Spec pistols refinished by him. That's a great looking Colt Commander you have... and I will be very interested in seeing more pics following Mr. Birdsong's work.

BTW, good luck finding that 20" Colt Match Target HBAR w/compensator. I caught your thread wanting to locate one- don't want to diverge here too much, but Colt does make a very nice AR- and the only one with a prancing horsey on it!

[daveohno]

I don't care what Dave and Alan say, you're an OK guy.

OD, you know Hunter is my favorite red headed step nephew in the whole world!

[paul45]

Exactly. My '04 says Super .38 on the barrel and .38 Super on the slide.Well.....doggone. Now I gotta go pull out 2 of mine and look. I feel very un-observant!

[DuckRyder]

DuckRyder, are you planning to have the frame done in "Black T" or the slide along with it? I've talked with Mr. Birdsong before and hope to have one of my Mil-Spec pistols refinished by him. That's a great looking Colt Commander you have... and I will be very interested in seeing more pics following Mr. Birdsong's work.

My original thought was to have the whole pistol done, including the mags and barrel, I just prefer them black. If I could have bought a 1991 Commander blue or XSE Combat Commander blued in Super 38 I would have.

However, Smith-Wesson has some new 2 tone commanders that look pretty sweet, so I might look into having the frame re-anodized in Black or Melonited.

I also might just leave it like it is, being silver won't kill me after all... ;)

[OD*]

OD, you know Hunter is my favorite red headed step nephew in the whole world!
Yes sir I do.
I guess I shouldn't be so mean to my favorite little sister.
I did send him a couple pretty dresses for Christmas though. :p

[cliff731]

My original thought was to have the whole pistol done, including the mags and barrel, I just prefer them black. If I could have bought a 1991 Commander blue or XSE Combat Commander blued in Super 38 I would have.

However, Smith-Wesson has some new 2 tone commanders that look pretty sweet, so I might look into having the frame re-anodized in Black or Melonited.

I also might just leave it like it is, being silver won't kill me after all... ;)

That stainless slide over a black frame with all slide release, thumb safety, etc. in black would look very sweet. (Mr. Birdsong typically refinishes every part of a pistol, completely dis-assembling it- I'm sure he doesn't have any problems "omitting" certain parts.)

BTW, speaking of S&W, have you seen their new AR's?

[DuckRyder]

Still have not had a chance to shoot it, maybe tomorrow.

Got Esmeralda's stocks and they won't fit because of the extended safety, they hit the grips and the pistol won't fire. So. Esmeralda's on the O2991 and the 4540XSE gets the Ahrends Apple Jack Dymondwood.

http://home.att.net/~duckryder/4540XSEAhrendsW.jpg

http://home.att.net/~duckryder/O2991EsmeraldaW.jpg

:)

(BTW, I don't consider this any fault of Esmeralda, her stocks are something else, and her service is great. Its just that this particular pair and this particular pistol have a tolerance stack up that makes them incompatible)

Cliff, I agree I think the two tone would look good, but If I do anything to it I think I am going to have the whole thing done. I have not personally seen one of the S-W AR (M&P) rifles but I did know about them, I sent you an AR related PM.

Got to get some more magazines and a 9mm barrel ordered too... ;)

[Joni Lynn]

I fit my Esmeralda grips to the safety levers. It's easy to do and looks nice afterwards.

[DuckRyder]

I wonder if I can fit the levers to Esmeralda's grips? :D

They look good on the 1991 and the Ahrends look good on the Commander so it is all good.

[Joni Lynn]

Sure, just be careful to only go from the finished to the unfinished side when removing the material from the grips.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/Joni_Lynn/GCSeries70right.jpg

[DuckRyder]

Joni,

You did a nice job on those, and that is exactly where the problem lies on mine.

I was actually joking (perhaps not well) by insinuating that I would rather file the safety than the grips. :D

I think maybe the Apple Jack fits the Commander better any way, you know flashy grips for a flashy pistol and the Esmeralda's the 1991 better (simple, elegant grips for a simple elegant pistol).

[Joni Lynn]

Thanks.........I dumped the other pics of the gun but I'll take new ones.

[larry starling]

Great looking Colt...... ;)

[swampthang]

Some very fine pistols

[Barry in IN]

Somewhow I missed this one. Nice Commander. I had a chance at one a while back but passed because I wanted a .38 Super Gov't. Now that I've got that, I probably won't see one for a long time. I guess I can just look in here and watch.

[Hersh]

Very nice Commander! I'm "jonesin' " for a .38 Super myself.

[daveohno]

Yes sir I do.
I guess I shouldn't be so mean to my favorite little sister.
I did send him a couple pretty dresses for Christmas though. :p
I hope they weren't the short ones.....Those thighs :scared: :scared:

[OD*]

Oh no, not the short ones, yuck!

Hunter is rather matronly, he likes his dresses long.

[DuckRyder]

Thank You again for the complements group.

Got her out to the range today along with my new MT6700 (but that is another story) I am very impressed with the accuracy, it is avery bit as accurate as my 5" 1991 despite much sharper recoil and the missing .75 inch.

I am pleased!

[cliff731]

...Cliff, I agree I think the two tone would look good, but If I do anything to it I think I am going to have the whole thing done. I have not personally seen one of the S-W AR (M&P) rifles but I did know about them, I sent you an AR related PM.

Got to get some more magazines and a 9mm barrel ordered too... ;)

Thanks! I've got the PM, replying as I write this... yeah, I need more mags too. 1911Tuner has me convinced to go with Colt's factory standard 7 round mags, the ones with the dimple on the follower. I'm quite happy that I have not loaded up with a bunch of those stainless 8 round mags made by... no names mentioned here as they might be a sponsor... :nono:

I am setting here with curiousity overcoming me about what happens to the value of one of Colt's fine 1911's when it is "refinished" ... either professionally done or one of the "spray & bake" home applications.

My intuition is telling me that a quality job, such as done by Walter Birdsong for example, might enhance the value and certainly not detract from the same. Of course, some models such as limited editions like the WWI repro are exceptions. A refinish on this Colt is going to degrade the value and IMHO is just plain stupid.

Too, I would retain any paper trail relating to the refinishing as documentation to support who & where it was done.
Off topic AR comment here... The S&W offerings look nice but I understand they are contract manufactured... S&W doesn't make 'em.

Those are splendid and beautiful Colt 1911's you and Joni Lynn have shown... time to go get my drool cup!!!

[daveohno]

Oh no, not the short ones, yuck!

Hunter is rather matronly, he likes his dresses long.
Matronly, is that a polite way of saying.....Rotund and disheveled? http://www.oprano.com/msgboard/images/smilies/bustingupNEW3.gif

You know we love you Hunter....Just not very much! :D

[OD*]

Dave, we are going to burn for the way we treat poor Hunter, but man are we going to have good seats! :p

[daveohno]

Dave, we are going to burn for the way we treat poor Hunter, but man are we going to have good seats! :p
We will really be "part" of the barbque! :scared: