Weld a cracked slide?

[CherryRiver]

My beloved old Colt Combat Commander turned up with a crack starting in the slide just where the scallop ends, on the port side.
I can't bear to retire the gun, but finding a matching 1972 slide seems as though it could be difficult.
Going to a non-matching slide doesn't have much appeal, because the gun has sentimental value- it was my first gun, bought on my 21st birthday.
I know a superb welder with about every qualification in the book, including aircraft. I trust him.
But I read where Jerry Kuhnhausen thinks a slide shouldn't be welded.
Any further opinions and experience?
Thanks
Bill

[usajeep1]

I would suggest contacting Colt. They would be the ones I would got to if I wanted to keep my 1911 a "number matching" original. They might be able to TIG weld it for you and reblue it to keep its value. I would only trust this procedure to a competent and experienced gunsmith. No offense to your friend, but if he makes one mistake, it could be deadly to the shooter and anyone around. If you are just wanting to shoot the gun, just buy a replacement slide to shoot with, keeping the original in a safe place, there are many slide barrel aftermarket combos that are very accurate....jeep..

[Mtrclass]

It is completely possible to successfully weld a slide but there are several things you have to do. Remember the slide has been heat treated.

You will need to have it welded by a very good welder using a Tig and preferably 4140 welding rod. You will then need to anneal the whole slide and then have it reheat treated. Of course by the time you have all of this done you will have spent a lot more then a new slide would cost you.

You would probably be better off trying to find another Commander slide, (there are a lot of them out there), and then having it refit.

Good Luck...........

[Harlie]

Have a lifetime warranty on their products? Contact Colt for a opinion and correction. Or retire as an old friend. If a lifetime warranty isn't available from Colt, time shop for a new old friend.

[Hawkmoon]

You might contact Caspian and inquire if they can make up a slide that duplicates the markings on your old one. (Maybe not -- if the markings are proprietary to Colt it may be illegal, but it never hurts to ask.)

[stans]

I don't think Caspian will do it, the Colt rampant colt is their trademark and duplicating such is illegal in the U.S. Best to send the pistol back to Colt.

[CherryRiver]

I finally forced myself to send the old Combat Commnader back to Hartford for the factory folks to repair it if possible.
The tech who looked at it called me and said that since they no longer have blue Commander slides, they couldn't help me and just sent the gun back.
Ironically, all of those blue Commander slides that we all thought were out there mysteriously disappeared from view.
Guess it's just a .22 conversion frame, for now, but my wife likes it that way and went through a brick of Super-X the last time we went shooting.
And I didn't even have to load the magazines for her.
Bill

[chuckshoun]

Well! The old gun's not finished yet, is it? Still shooting and still giving someone lots of enjoyment. Great! And, you can get a new one!

[Hawkmoon]

???????

They are still selling blued Commanders. In the 1991 series, Model 04691 is a blued Commander. The roll marks won't match yours, but it will be a Colt slide. I suggest calling the 800 customer support number and just ask about buying a slide. If they are making them, they must be selling them.

Otherwise, contact Caspian. They have some info on their web site about replicating "classic" pistols. I suppose they can't put the rampant pony on there, but I think they can make up a slide that's very close to what yours looks like.

I think a skilled welder could repair yours. The actual welding isn't the tough part -- the difficulty will be clamping the slide in a jig to ensure that both frame rails are parallel and properly aligned before grinding the notches and firing up the welder. Might be fun to play with after procuring a replacement.

If you decide to give up on it -- send it to me, I'd like to play with it. (Seriously.)

I finally forced myself to send the old Combat Commnader back to Hartford for the factory folks to repair it if possible.
The tech who looked at it called me and said that since they no longer have blue Commander slides, they couldn't help me and just sent the gun back.
Ironically, all of those blue Commander slides that we all thought were out there mysteriously disappeared from view.
Guess it's just a .22 conversion frame, for now, but my wife likes it that way and went through a brick of Super-X the last time we went shooting.
And I didn't even have to load the magazines for her.
Bill

[CherryRiver]

All I can say is what the Colt tech said to me- they don't have slides for my gun anymore. I have to wonder if he was taking things too literally.
I will call again. I do see the 1991 Combat Commander on the Colt site.
I do know a superb welder whom I would trust. Since the gun has high sentimental value, being my first, I would prefer to keep it original.
Bill

[stans]

The 1991 is a Series 80 firing pin safety slide, your old Commander is a Series 70 with no firing pin safety system, so perhaps the gentleman at the Colt factory was correct. They may have only Series 80 type slides in stock. Yes, you can put a Series 80 slide on a Series 70 pistol, just put your Series 70 internal parts in it and ignore the hole in the bottom of the slide.

[Hawkmoon]

Roger to what stans wrote. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. Yes, the 1991 series is indeed a Series 80 design, but the slide will work just fine on a Series 70 (or older) frame if you just omit the firing pin safety parts.

I am all in favor of sentimental value. I think if it were mine I would buy a new slide to use for shooting, and repair the original slide just for showing. That way, the repair doesn't have to be structurally perfect, and you don't risk breaking the repaired slide by shooting it again.

[Hawkmoon]

I had to call Colt customer service about some sights, so while I had Kathy on the phone I asked about your slide. She said the factory does not run all models continuously. Rather, they produce in batches, then stockpile enough guns (and a few spare parts) to last for awhile. Once the stock is gone, it's gone until the next production run.

She confirmed that at this time they have no Combat Commander slides available in spare parts. However, she said that they sell parts to two vendors, one of whom might have something. Oddly, she said that Colt will not take an order that must be back-ordered, but the outise vendors can and will do so.

Pittsburgh Handguns -- 412-766-6100
Gun Parts (Numrich) -- 866-686-7424

My suspicion is that a slide is not likely something these vendors would have, but it never hurts to ask. I think you would have better luck having one made up by Caspian Arms. If you haven't already checked their web site, please do so.

[CherryRiver]

Numrich does indeed have slide assemblies, listing both "slide assembly, dull blue, .45", for $200, and "slide assembly, enhanced, .45, blue" for $232.
My 1972-built Combat Commander has polished slide sides and so I don't know that "dull" would be good.
I have to confess I'm not sure what they mean by "enhanced." I used to think it related to the barrel being different for target models. If that is so, I am not absolutely positive that's right, either.
Could some kind soul enlighten me?
Thanks
Bill

[stans]

The Colt "Enhanced" series usually feature angled cocking serrations at the front and rear of the slide and Novak style rear sight cut. I don't know if Numrich's slides are genuine Colt or if they are Essex, I would hope that for $200 they are Colt.