I finally decided that my SA 1911A1 in GI configuration was to big for carry.
So I bought an Essex Arms Commander Enhanced slide with Novak sight cut.
I am trying to figure out what is the best drop in commander replacement barrel.
I also plan to replace the grips and the arched mainspring housing as I like the flat better, so if you have any suggestions for those I would appreciate if you could add a link in your responses please.
How do you use the pistol?
I've built two pistols using Essex Commander slides and Sarco "Roto" barrels. Most of the illuminati diss the Sarco barrels, but they're affordable, and they work. For a general purpose and self-defence pistol I think they're a good deal. I probably would spend more for a "name" brand barrel if I were building a bullseye pistol.
Can you just drop a Commander slide on a government frame? I know the "dust cover" is shorter on the Commander, but I thought that the area where the recoil spring guide rests is also in a different position.
Well I normally carry it when I got to the big city, which in my case is anyplace outside of the little county here int he foothills of Nor. Ca..
But it is just too big to carry on the hot day's in the summer when the temp is over 90, so I wanted something I could wear more confortably under a Hawaiian shirt since that is my favorite thing to wear in the summer.
I've tried a Roto barrel, but there is too much gap around the chamber end and the slide for my tastes and I think the lockup is a bit sloppy.
That was my first choice and at least it wasn't an expensive test.
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Can you just drop a Commander slide on a government frame? I know the "dust
cover" is shorter on the Commander, but I thought that the area where the
recoil spring guide rests is also in a different position
Doable, but usually problematical to some degree. A COLT Commander slide produces less slide travel than on a Commander frame. The center rail doesn't even uncover the disconnect. That's not really a problem, per se but it demonstrates how short the runup is before the slide gets to the magazine.
The timing of the event between the slide hitting the impact abutment and returning to battery is advanced... making the magazine timing more critical. Ejection tends to get a little erratic, even with the correct Commander dogleg offset ejector. Other weird things can pop up... like premature slidelock that doesn't come from the bullet nose contacting the slidestop. Failures to go to/return to battery... due to the short runup and reduced slide velocity and mass unless the feeding is optimized. Installing a stronger spring to compensate usually brings on other issues.
I've done it... but I don't recommend it for the beginner.
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Can you just drop a Commander slide on a government frame? I know the "dust
cover" is shorter on the Commander, but I thought that the area where the
recoil spring guide rests is also in a different position.
The commander slide will work just fine on a government. The recoil spring position is exactly the same. The shorter dust cover of the commander doesn't change anything else. The one thing Colt thought was a necessity was an extended ejector which they included in 1949 when they brought out the commander. Hope that helps
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The commander slide will work just fine on a government. The recoil spring
position is exactly the same. The shorter dust cover of the commander doesn't
change anything else. The one thing Colt thought was a necessity was an
extended ejector which they included in 1949 when they brought out the
commander.
The recoil spring position is not exactly the same. In the Colt Commander and Officers ACP pistols, the rear impact surface is moved back compared to where it is on a Government model. A Commander slide can be made to work on a Government model frame, but you give up about 1/10th of an inch of slide travel compared to a true Commander, so timing becomes more critical.
The fact that the rails and the rear impact surface is forward doesn't really affect the commander slide because the spring plug seat on the commander slide is shorter. I have put commander top ends right onto governments for customers and never had a problem as long as I used an extended ejector. Once combat commanders came out in 1969 it was no longer a viable project, financially for customers because you could then buy what they wanted which was an all steel commander. In lieu of doing that some people had other pistolsmiths, i.e. swenson, do what was known at the time as a "bobcat" which was a shortened Govt slide to obtain the same effect. Try it. I think except for the ejector, you will find it will it will work just fine.
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The fact that the rails and the rear impact surface is forward doesn't
really affect the commander slide because the spring plug seat on the
commander slide is shorter.
Oh, but it does. Check the position of the breechface relative to the disconnect on a real Commander, and then check it with a Commander slide on a 5-inch frame.
Go ahead. We'll wait...
Now... So you understand why the slide's travel and runup is reduced so much with only 1/10th inch difference in the rail lengths?
Can a person shorten the rails on a Govenment frame 1/10 and be ok or is there more to it than that?
Why not just get a commander frame from Essex too, then you don't have to worry about the fit. I know it sounds too easy, but thats what I would do.
Numrich arms has a nice commander barrel for $75.00 with link and pin
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can a person shorten the rails on a Govenment frame 1/10 and be ok or is
there more to it than that?
It's not quite as easy as that. If you look at how the rails inside the commander slide narrow toward the fron, kinda' like a little waterslide, you'll see that in order the get the breechface past the disconnect you need to not only shorten the full size frame rails but reshape them as well. It's a cut - try - cut -try kind of day.
I have a Brommeland IWB holster that I use when carrying either of my full size 1911's. I use an undershirt and Hawaiian shirt or Columbia fishing shirt for CCW all the time down here (I live in southwest Florida on the coast). I use Galco Concealed model OWB pancake holsters for 3, 4, and 4 1/4"pistols. I also have the same in a 5" size that I use occasionally, but with the IWB you don't have to worry about reaching way up, bending over, etc.
Anyway, a good IWB holster will probably be much cheaper than the project you propose, and reliability won't be an issue.
Since you're a new member, here's a little friendly advice:
I'd go with Tuner and Hawkmoon's advice on this one, for sure!