Rescued a 9mm Commander

[jeff1124]

I picked up a series 80 9mm Commander with the intentions of saving it from what appears to be a very hard life! It looks to have a few "hand fitted" parts.
Used to have an ambi safety obviously from the wear on the right side. It got drilled and tapped for a scope mount! Why would you do that to a Colt!? It has a well worn, fitted to the frame, Beavertail Grip safety, an aluminum black MSH,
A hammer that looks to have been clearanced for the slide with a file. and a 3 hole adjustable trigger that looks to have been ground shorter with a dremel. Sounds sort of dreary but everything functions. I ran 70 rounds of ball ammo through her and hit the 12 x 12 cardboard target with every round at 25 yards off a sand bag. My plan is to fill in the ghastly threaded holes by running screws in with red loctite and cutting off flush. Then sand everything as smooth as I can and have it refinished, maybe in hard chrome. Here's some pics of the poor abused thing!
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmCmdr1.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmcmdr2.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmCmdr3.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmCmdr4.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmCmdr5.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmCmdr6.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmCmdr7.jpg

[leade45]

Quite a rescue. Let us know how you rehab her.

[Tommy D]

Jeff, looks like your going to have fun for a while. They say you can't teach an 'ol dog new tricks, but I'll bet you work that one out just fine.
Are you planning on doing all the work yourself?

[jeff1124]

I can probably do most of the work, but the refinishing will be left for an expert. New trigger and hammer are in order!

[daveohno]

Keep us posted on your progress. Congratulations on your new toy!

[Icepick15]

RE: the scope mount holes.
You might want to consider doing a bevel on the existing holes and peening the screws in; then polish flush with the frame. There's an article in the American Rifleman (can't remember if it's this month or last) about doing this to plug iron sight screw holes in a rifle barrel.

[dougmyers5]

I don't think the screws in the holes will stay and I am sure they will be working their way out after you start shooting it again.

I suggest you let who ever will hard chrome it you get them to fill the holes with wire weld or MIG weld them and finish it out so it looks better.

[Hawkmoon]

What a sad Commander. I'm glad it found its way to a sympathetic and appreciative owner. That's sort of the story of my 9mm Combat Commander, too, although mine didn't look quite as bedraggled as yours. On the other hand, yours works, and mine didn't.

Dunno how much you want to spend on restoration. Obviously, Brownells will have a good selection of triggers but if you want to save some pennies there, Sarco also has several choices that are quite reasonably priced. A correct Commander ring-style hammer is less easy to find. Brownells, believe it or not, doesn't have one. However ... Dave Berryhill does.

Do you plan to restore the sights to something akin to original, or leave them as-is?

[dakota1911]

I keep seeing stuff like this for $600 or something equally silly, which is why I do not have any. I would think welding the holes in the slide would be better also.

[DENDEN]

Jeff - most tool and die shops can weld the holes almost perfectly flush leaving you with minimal work. Also they should be able to control the hardness so you can remove the metal at the same rate as the frame. A surface grinder would be great to grind the screws flat to the frame and then maybe take a few thousandths from each side of the frame for clean up. Good luck with your project however you decide to do it.

[Apdl]

Where do you get sweet guns like this in MN?

[Rich-D]

Jeff, It is really cool to rescue an abused and neglected Colt. When you are finished the restoration, the Colt will need caring foster care. I will do so without charge. In order for you to devote your full attention to another rescue.


Rich :)

[Hunter]

Wow Jeff that is a rough Colt and she still works, imagine that.
I am glad to know she is in good hands now and I look forward to the after pictures.

[jeff1124]

I got it off Gunsamerica where it was being offered for more than I thought it was worth, so I contacted the seller and said that since it needed a bunch of work I'd offer him 120.00 less (375.00) and he took it. In retrospect, I may have even gotten it cheaper. Thanks for all the opinions on filling the holes, I'll have to talk to some people in the machine shops I deal with about welding and grinding. I guess I'd like to change the sights but it's not the highest priority. I need to look at what's available to fit Colt dovetails.

[Jim Watson]

EGW is well known for welded repairs on guns. They might know some 1911-specific tricks a general welder would not.

The existing sights are fine for shooting, but the rear overhang will put a corner into your love handle in a high ride holster. For concealed carry, I'd want something in the GI dovetail. A plain King's with the corners rounded would serve. I'd want a fibre optic front for daylight shooting, tritium for social purposes.

Looks like there is enough metal left on the frame tangs for a better beavertail installation. Regular action pins, unless you wanted to go back ambi; and a metal mainspring housing. Then refinish in coating, bluing, or plating for the look you want.

Phew.

[daveohno]

I thought I saw that one. I don't recall what the price was, but it wasn't low enough for me to check it out. Jeff, good call about negotiating a better price! For $375, I might have taken a fly at it myself, but not for the price that was listed.

[jeff1124]

I have noticed that on GA, you can make them an offer by contacting them, heck, the worst that can happen is that they say no to your offer. It seems like a good number of the sellers are FFL's selling on consignment, so they start high. :)

[azreloader]

Good score. As you know, I love project guns. Can't wait to see what you do to it! Hurry please. It will be done in a day or so, yes? :o

[elijdub]

Nice score Jeff! It may be a big project, but it's still a Colt Commander in 9mm!!! For that price i would've bought it for sure! Keep us posted on the progress ;).

[Rich-D]

I have noticed that on GA, you can make them an offer by contacting them, heck, the worst that can happen is that they say no to your offer. It seems like a good number of the sellers are FFL's selling on consignment, so they start high. :)

Jeff, That is a good tip for the members!



Rich

[mo' guns]

Excellent acquisition Jeff! Congratulations!

[paul45]

Jeff, check out the last issue of the American Rifleman.....it has a interesting article on......filling screw holes!! Just like you said....screws and red loctite.... :D

[swampthang]

Jeff, I got all choked up thinking about that abused pony, but I know shes in good hands now

[jeff1124]

She's in pieces right now, the last thing I discovered was that someone had trouble staking the plunger tube, so it was welded on, actually tacked in two places! I was amazed that the stocks still fit on! I'm thinking of leaving it until I have a problem since it seems rock solid, on the other hand, I'd hate to refinish it and THEN have the thing break off. It would be hidden under the grip panel though. Can you feel my pain? :)
Paul45, I had actually read that article before posting that as my plan, what, did you think I was that smart?! ;)

[DENDEN]

Jeff, I used to always take the grips off of any prospective purchases (used guns) because one time I brought a gun home, took it apart to clean it up and lo and behold there was a name scratched under the grips. I was sick until I traded it. I recently acquired an XS LWT OACP ( I think you've seen pictures of it) and did not check under the grips or field strip it before I got it home. Couldn't bring myself to check under the grips for about a month. Thankfully it was perfect. No lesson here - just another gun story. Good luck with your restoration.

[TattooPaul]

Hi Jeff,
Looks like you have some work ahead of you. My initial instinct was to suggest welding, grinding and sanding but I like the idea if the screws and red loctite. As I have never tried that approach it would be worth giving it a try and see how it goes. It will avoid any heat distortion and, if needed, a tack should be sufficient if the locktite were to not suffice.
Good luck on the rehab project! _Paul

[DENDEN]

Jeff - if you use the screw/loctite method, then sand and maybe polish and blue I would expect you will still be able to see evidence of the repair quite readily. The screw threads do not have a tight enough fit to avoid seeing a circular crack and using locktite won't help because when you blue the frame the loctite will show up as a mismatch.

Why not get a piece of steel stock, drill and tap holes like the ones in the frame. Then locktite in screws, grind, sand and finish and then blue it and see if you are satisfied with the result.

If you use this method on your frame and you are not satisfied you'll have to drill the screws out. Then you would probably have larger holes to weld.

[jeff1124]

Well, since I had originally planned on getting it hard chromed, It wouldn't have shown up from under the plating, However, funding considerations have made me reconsider, and I think I'm going to use Gunkote, which I believe will also hide the minute imperfections. The rifle that was done in "American Rifleman" (holes pugged the same way) turned out very nice.

[jeff1124]

So here's a pic of the same gun "gunkoted" with gloss black. THere are some minor imperfections that I'm going to have to work on, a couple of "runs" and a spot with poor coverage, but I think it looks much healthier!
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmcmdr2-1.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/9mmcmdr.jpg

[clughog]

Jeff, that's truning into a nice pistol. Good work!

[paul45]

Looks good!!

[daveohno]

Not perfect, but oh so much better!!!

You did a good thing by adopting that poor lil Colt and giving her a new home and a trip to the beauty salon!

[jeff1124]

Thanks guys!! Now, I have to be sure she shoots straight, especially with the new rear sight, I have to be sure the front sight was shortened enough! :) Merry Xmas all!

[Rich-D]

Jeff, It doesn't look like the same gun. Have a Merry Christmas!



Rich

[elijdub]

Much healthier indeed. That's lookin' good Jeff! Keep us posted!
..And Merry Christmas!

[jeff1124]

Well it went with me to the range tonight and it did alright! I'd taken about 3/32" off the front sight and replaced the ugly (IMO) adjustable rear sight with a low combat style rear with the square cutout and it turned out to be a perfect setup for 10 yard accuracy (beginners luck or a good guess?). I had a few FTRB with Winchester WB but with more powerful ammo I had better luck, I'm guessing I need a recoil spring. It also failed to lock open a few times, could be magazine problems or the slide stop, I'm going to have to study it a bit more to determine the culprit. But I'm happy with the outcome overall. By the way, I decided to use "metal filler" on those holes for the scope mount and saw no signs of it coming out after 100 rounds. We'll see about the long haul. The set screw idea didn't seem plausible after finding 2 of the holes were stripped already. I need to sand off a couple of small runs and see if I can polish it to a shine or if I need to put another coat of Gunkote on.

[dakota1911]

It looks a lot nicer for sure. Plus it sounds like you are having fun.

[Hill]

Well it went with me to the range tonight and it did alright! I'd taken about 3/32" off the front sight and replaced the ugly (IMO) adjustable rear sight with a low combat style rear with the square cutout and it turned out to be a perfect setup for 10 yard accuracy (beginners luck or a good guess?). I had a few FTRB with Winchester WB but with more powerful ammo I had better luck, I'm guessing I need a recoil spring. It also failed to lock open a few times, could be magazine problems or the slide stop, I'm going to have to study it a bit more to determine the culprit. But I'm happy with the outcome overall. By the way, I decided to use "metal filler" on those holes for the scope mount and saw no signs of it coming out after 100 rounds. We'll see about the long haul. The set screw idea didn't seem plausible after finding 2 of the holes were stripped already. I need to sand off a couple of small runs and see if I can polish it to a shine or if I need to put another coat of Gunkote on.

Hi Jeff,
If you know anyone with a tig welder he or she should be able to make quick work of those holes without risking an effect of high heat.

I'm interested to hear your evaluation of the GunKote once it's been on for a while. So after maybe a few trips out shooting, some carry or other normal handling. Maybe a new thread in the gunsmithing area with a title like "My longterm experiences with GK", or something like it? After all, such a thread by a person who is forthright enough to admit to runs in paint should be dependably honest in evaluation, and that would be of interest to just about everyone.

[jeff1124]

Dakota1911, I'm having fun mainly since my investment is still only around 430.00 !! :D
Hill, I will report further on how the Gunkote holds up! It seems like tough stuff but time will tell! :)

[Phil]

Looks like it's coming along really well. Amazing what a little TLC can do for an old abused Colt :D

[TattooPaul]

Looks like it's already taking shape. As Hill suggested, TIG welding done by someone in the know would fill with the least amount of heat issues. Combining that with a cut down screw tip (no loctite if TIG welding is on the way!) would speed up the filling process. Great project piece - I'm looking forward to what all gets done and how she looks when all is taken care of. Nice rescue job - after pics should be much easier on the eyes. Keep up the good work! Paul