Colt Commander & Officer Parts Swap

[Landman]

I've been thinking about doing this for awhile and wanted to see what they would look like. I took my stainless Commander and stainless Officer and swapped the frames and slides. Everthing fits perfectly and looks great. I haven't shot them like this but they both feel great. I think I like the Officer slide on the Commander frame the best. The first two pictures are the pistols in their original configuration and the second two pictures are after the swap.

Colt Commander

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h196/onexco/Gun%20Collection/Colt_Commander_SS_01_Small.jpg

Colt Officer

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h196/onexco/Gun%20Collection/Colt_Officer_SS_01_Small.jpg

Commander Slide & Officer Frame

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h196/onexco/Gun%20Collection/Colt_Commander_Officer_01_Small.jpg

Officer Slide & Commander Frame

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h196/onexco/Gun%20Collection/Colt_Officer_Commander_01_Small.jpg

[Hill]

Absolutely!!

The thing I like about the CCO cofiguration is that it closely resembles the original,and to me most attractive proportions of line.

The Commander, though attractive in it's own right distorts the proportion of line which makes the Government models such a beautiful pistol:http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/firearms/80seriesCommander.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/firearms/70_GOVMTb.jpg


The CCO is a simple reduction of an object with the proportion maintained while the commander appears to be cut off, shortened artificially.

I've sometimes wondered if there might be a hidden psychological factor involved in the often expressed preference for the "short" pistol, but I'm not fully qualified to make such an analysis.:) and it's probably only a matter of artistic sensibilities anyway.

You've clearly got an eye for proportion, Landman, Great Project!! Colt misses the boat by sticking with their abbreviated pistol when they could answer the demand for a smaller pistol with a model that stays true to the origins of the 1911 - the CCO http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p263/twagger/firearms/CCO5.jpg

[Hill]

Wow, all this and it hadn't occured to me until after I'd posted that with the New Agent I have the opportunity to 'create' a dark or blued CCO by using the New Agent frame under a commander slide. Hmmm....

[elijdub]

Looks great, Landman! I've been meaning to give this a try also...

[Landman]

Hill, you are right the Commander slide and Officer frame is the most pleasing to the eye...and probably the most reliable configuration.

If I were running Colt I would offer a package like this...two pistols with a similar finish that the slides and frames could be interchanged to make different configurations. Of course, if I were running Colt they would probably go bankrupt because I would focus on making traditional pistols like they use to and leave all the enhanced stuff to the other guys :)

I was originally going to try this with my New Agent but when I got my new model stainless Commander configured the way I wanted I noticed how similar the look and finish was to my Officer so I used them instead. However, I bet you can put together a very nice looking CCO package with your New Agent and one of your Commanders.

[Landman]

Thanks Eli.

[EchoBravoKilo]

Seems you've created the CCO and the Commando. If I remember correctly, the Commando was Commander frame with Officer's slide. Looking good there!

[Hill]

Seems you've created the CCO and the Commando. If I remember correctly, the Commando was Commander frame with Officer's slide. Looking good there!

That's right! I was trying to think of the name I'd seen on a pistol from Colt that was O slide with full size frame - "Commando".


Hmmm, NA frame + 9mm Commander slide = blued 9mm CCO.
LW Commander frame + NA slide = blued .45 Commando!

[A.B.]

Dang! What a dynamic duo! :appld:


The Defender Plus was made for a while--I think with a shorter dustcover (overbite! :p I've tried it ;) ) on the Commander frame...

[ButchKent]

They look great. Let us know how they shoot. Think I'll try this also.

[elijdub]

That's right! I was trying to think of the name I'd seen on a pistol from Colt that was O slide with full size frame - "Commando".
There was also the "Tank Officer" ...and i think one more too :confused:

[Hill]

Right, what was the name given to McCormick special editions? Commanding Officer?

I think I've seen quite a few names applied to short run editions that combined an officer slide with a commander frame now that I start thinking about it. Almosr always stainless, and often having the Hogue style rubber finger grip stocks.

[Landman]

Thanks everyone for the compliments.

The Defender Plus was the only name I could remember for the Officer slide and Commander frame. Now that you mention it I do remember the Tank Officer. I don't think I've ever heard of a Commando though.

Hill, post a picture of your New Agent/Commander. I know you tried it 2 seconds after it dawned on you :D Is the shorter dustcover a problem?

[elijdub]

Landman, Here are a few Commando's..
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=106491320
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=106790317
http://www.gunsamerica.com/922802124/Guns-For-Sale/Gun-Auctions/Pistols/Colt-Automatic-Pistols/COLT_COMMANDO_45_ACP.htm
http://www.gunsamerica.com/976991561/Guns-For-Sale/Gun-Auctions/Pistols/Colt-Commemorative-Pistols/Colt_Commando.htm

Doesn't this Night Officer look like it has a full-sized frame too...?
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=106798575

I think I've seen quite a few names applied to short run editions that combined an officer slide with a commander frame now that I start thinking about it.
I've noticed that too. Here's a limited run Lew Horton. I can't find any Commanding Officers, but i've seen a few for sure. Forum member Rich D has a nice one.
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=106491570

[clughog]

They all look fantastic. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite. Nice.

[Hill]

Thanks everyone for the compliments.

The Defender Plus was the only name I could remember for the Officer slide and Commander frame. Now that you mention it I do remember the Tank Officer. I don't think I've ever heard of a Commando though.

Hill, post a picture of your New Agent/Commander. I know you tried it 2 seconds after it dawned on you :D Is the shorter dustcover a problem?

Did not!! ..... yet. The idea of a put-together 9mm CCO has me afraid that I'd like it so well that I'd never want to put each pistol back to it's "correct" format. I don't think it would matter much to the New Agent but the old LW Commander would be a loss. Besides I don't have any of those 80 series fillers ($4.25 at Brownell's)

[jeff1124]

Heres' a pic of my Commanding Officer:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/Colt%201911/COACP5.jpg

Landman, yours look great in both configurations! :)

Hill, your'e better off not ruminating on the long and the short of it all, though I agree that the CCO has nice porportions, that's why I acquired my Baer Stinger! :D

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/ajaxpearl.jpg

[A.B.]

Jeff, that Stinger really goes with your signature photo. :D Nice stocks, too!

[jeff1124]

Jeff, that Stinger really goes with your signature photo. :D Nice stocks, too!
thanks AB, though the Stinger now wears Horned Lizard Stocks!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/hornedliz.jpg

[Hill]

Ya, that's a beauty, Jeff - the Stinger.

There's been a used one of those in GB for months that tempts me every time I see it because even though I like my stainless CCO a lot and it's as accurate a pistol as I own I prefer blued or black guns over stainless and can do just fine without front slide serrations.

[A.B.]

thanks AB, though the Stinger now wears Horned Lizard Stocks!Thanks! Larry Davidson (Lazza), right?

[elijdub]

...the Stinger now wears Horned Lizard Stocks!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g207/jeff1124/hornedliz.jpg
Very, very nice Stinger Jeff!!! I know this is the Colt forum, but how does it shoot :o :)?

[jeff1124]

Very, very nice Stinger Jeff!!! I know this is the Colt forum, but how does it shoot :o :)?

Eli, it shoots way better than I can!!!

[Landman]

Eli, thanks for the links.

Jeff, great looking pistols.

Creighton, if I had a blue Officer I could have a match set :)

[groo01]

Groo here
Some time ago [years] my old gunsmith wanted to build the final word in
ccw guns.
I had an old worn combat Commander that we used as a starter.
First we took a hybrid barrel and cut the frame for the ramp
and the slide for the barrel ports, then we took an Officers slide and hybrid barrel from Caspian and mated it up.
The Commander was 45acp and the Officer was 38 super!!
Both are very heavy with the bull barrels and very loud with the ports,
but you can shoot ether all day.

[clughog]

Creighton, if I had a blue Officer I could have a match set :)And just think of the combinations you could come up with! Blue frame/stainless slide, or maybe the matte blue slide on the stainless frame? Those ivory grips on your stainless officers would look pretty good on a blue frame, too. :D

[clughog]

Groo here
Some time ago [years] my old gunsmith wanted to build the final word in
ccw guns.
I had an old worn combat Commander that we used as a starter.
First we took a hybrid barrel and cut the frame for the ramp
and the slide for the barrel ports, then we took an Officers slide and hybrid barrel from Caspian and mated it up.
The Commander was 45acp and the Officer was 38 super!!
Both are very heavy with the bull barrels and very loud with the ports,
but you can shoot ether all day.Have any pictures? Sounds interesting!

[Landman]

Creighton,

I've got another set of ivories for that blue Officer. Seems I've got an addiction to ivory grips....it is so bad that I buy guns to go with the grips...instead of the other way around :(

[d90king]

Very nice setup. They look great with the ivory. I just put a pair on a BSS GCNM that I got from John Harrison (the grips) and they look great. They certainly add a nice touch to a pistol.

[Landman]

Thanks D90. I'd like to see your GCNM. I bet it looks great. Is there a pic somewhere?