Different production CCO

[dreampiper]

Hello,

I just found you guys and really like the forum. Seems like great people here. By way of introduction I'll ask a question I've been wondering about.

I have a Colt CCO that I bought from a gunsmith friend. He had the same model, I bought another for my wife, and a friend of mine bought one also. The gunsmith told me that these were a govt' overrun from the custom shop. This was in '99. I have seen more CCO's since, but they are different from mine. Mine had hogue rubber grips, heinie low profile sights, wilson hammer and trigger, ejector port lowered and flared, beveled mag well, etc... All this from colt. The more recent models seem to be production guns in quality.

Any one familiar with the story behind the earlier guns?

[RandyColt]

The Colt CCO is in my opinion the best carry gun Colt has ever produced. The combination of the shorter Officer's Model frame and the 4 1/4" Commander slide makes for a very balanced and concealable weapon. I have both the earlier enhanced model made in 97-98, and the XS model made in about 2001. The earlier enhanced model had a black coated aluminum frame and a rough bead blasted stainless slide with all the usual enhanced features, flat top rib, high cut grip, dovetailed front sight and a rear sight that was not either a Heiney or a Novak, but was a knockoff made to resemble them. Early grips were Hogue rubber with finger grooves. The XS model has a nickle/teflon plated aluminum frame and a stainless slide with polished sides and similar features to the earlier model. The XS grips are double diamond rosewood. Both models have a upswept beavertail grip safety, much nicer than the grip safety Colt currently uses. I have never heard of any "gov. overrun CCO's" . Colt is currently making a Gunsite CCO.

[John]

Dreampiper,

Welcome on board, I am sure you will enjoy the ride. You are new here, so you may not be aware that ...

:wl:

[SAWBONES]

"The Colt CCO is in my opinion the best carry gun Colt has ever produced."

I'd agree with that, and I think the general concept of pairing a Commander-size barrel and slide with an Officer's Model frame makes for a very nice CCW package.
The Colt CCO and the Les Baer Stinger are the only two 1911 designs that offer this in current or recent production, AFAIK, though I believe the Dan Wesson CCO was similar.

[RickB]

I think of the CCO, along with the Defender, as prototypes for the later XS series guns. The CCO had the sights and the beavertail, the Defender had the round-top slide and the finish. The XS CCO looks like the offspring of the two earlier guns.

[John]

If I remember right, Wilson Combat SDS is of the same concept, Officers frame Commander slide.

[dreampiper]

Ahh. I have the earlier enhanced model. I do use it as my main carry weapon, and feel it is perfect for the job. It isn't quite as pretty as it once was from 6 years of close contact with my hip, but I like to see a well worn piece. Means it was actually used for it's purpose.

I'm getting a digital camera soon, so I'll be able to participate more fully.

Thanks much for the info.

[Brian D.]

From gossip picked up at the SHOT Show a couple times, in the second run of Defenders and CCOs too perhaps, Colt went back to their more traditional type of sights and thumb safety for a good reason: They never paid the supplier(s) for the upgraded parts on those early guns!

Sounded like it could be true, given some of Colt's fiscal difficulties.

[dreampiper]

Heres the pics John. I've changed the grips, mag catch, and slide lock.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c391/dream449/IMG_0300.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c391/dream449/IMG_0298.jpg

[warmrain]

dreampiper,

For the ignorant (me... :o ) what is the frame material...? :confused:
It looks like it could be alloy...

BTW, it is drop dead gorgeous!

[OD*]

That's good lookin' dreampiper.

[dreampiper]

Thanks. Alloy it is. The grips are beautiful bookended walnut, but have darkened from years of use. I should see if there is a cleaner out there. Looks better with blued grip screws, but they are hard to keep from rusting during the summer.

[warmrain]

...The grips are beautiful bookended walnut, but have darkened from years of use. I should see if there is a cleaner out there...
They must be oiled? I think if they were varnished with something like a polyurethane you would not have any darkening. There are some restorative products for bleaching teak back to the natural color, but I don't know if that could be used (Teaka or Teak Wonder). Even Oxolic acid (powder) is used to get teak back to it's original lighter color.

For me... I'd leave them. They have the look of an old friend.

[dreampiper]

That it is. :)