"Combat" Commander ???

[NordicRX8]

Hello all,

Can someone enlighten me...

When Colt produces a Commander with the "Combat" designation in its name, does that ALWAYS mean its a steel framed gun?

I have an XSE Commander, and while I love that thing (unusual attraction to an inanimate object), I'm looking to add a steel framed Commander to the stable. I was considering saving the pennies for an Ed Brown KC, but can't take it anymore and decided to buy more Colts. :eb:

TIA

[Hunter]

As I understand it if it is a Combat Commander it has a steel receiver.

[Rio Vista Slim]

NordicRX8,

When Colt introduced the Commander model in 1949, the pistol had a steel slide with an aluminum alloy receiver. In the early 1970s, the pistol was offered as the Combat Commander, with a steel receiver. Over the years, the designations of various models was dependent on whether the receiver was manufactured of steel or lightweight alloy.

Many of us "dinosaurs", here in the forum, adopted the "Combat" designation because of those earlier pistols, whether the Colt company used that phrase or not. As Hunter points out, Combat Commander (to us) means a steel framed gun.

[Hersh]

Many of us "dinosaurs", here in the forum, adopted the "Combat" designation because of those earlier pistols, whether the Colt company used that phrase or not. As Hunter points out, Combat Commander (to us) means a steel framed gun.

I resemble that remark and concur! ;)

T. Rex

[NordicRX8]

Thanks for the replies and PMs! Now I can shop accordingly... only problem now is, making sure the seller knows what they're selling and take clear pictures.

A long time dealer on Gunbroker listed a SS Combat Commander for sale, but it looks exactly like my SS LW XSE Commander. The images posted do not clearly show the slide markings. :butthead:

In this day and age, I guess KNOWING what you're selling is just too much to ask for... "would I like fries with that?" :scared:

[Hill]

There have been any number of model designations imprinted on Colt pistols during the 1990's, and the names sometimes used words associated with older models. "Combat" is the type of word that any marketing tyro would know to be desirable on a gun as an attraction to a segment of the buying population.

This means that although the traditional differentiation between the lightweight and steel frame Commander models has been first the heavier frame and second the word "Combat", there has never been any sort of lock placed on that word, or any other word, by the Colt model designating heads of departments.

So it's not impossible that you might find a commander called Combat with an aluminum frame, but if you do and you buy it don't come here and insist that it is a Combat Commander.

Us dinosaurs will eat you alive. :)

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for the replies and PMs! Now I can shop accordingly... only problem now is, making sure the seller knows what they're selling and take clear pictures.

A long time dealer on Gunbroker listed a SS Combat Commander for sale, but it looks exactly like my SS LW XSE Commander. The images posted do not clearly show the slide markings. :butthead:

In this day and age, I guess KNOWING what you're selling is just too much to ask for... "would I like fries with that?" :scared:
Unfortunately, the seller may know exactly what he has, and it won't help you. In recent years, Colt has gone the other way. In the current XSE series, the all SS pistol (O4012XSE) is called the "Commander," and the alloy-frame versions (O4860XSE & O4540XSE) are called "Lightweight Commander."

http://www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/XSE.asp

In the 1991 series, there is no alloy Commander model. The two steel versions are the Commander (blued) and the Stainless Commander (SS).

[clughog]

Interestingly, I just picked up a NIB O4860XSE Lightweight Commander (and it says so on the blue box) direct from a distributor that has the lightweight alloy teflon coated frame but the slide says COMBAT COMMANDER MODEL on it! I'm guessing that Colt just put a slide with the wrong rollmark on this one.

[rbmcmjr]

Sometimes the rollmarks make it VERY explicit:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b240/rbmcmjr/cdrbadger.jpg