Monday, January 24, 2011

Well... I done done it

You guys on the internet didn't do a very good job at talking me down off of buying a Colt Commander.

Things that clinched the whole scheme... The grip safety didn't have that little bump and there was no little keyed lock as part of the gun like many manufacturers have these days.  (frex: Springfield has theirs in the Mainspring Housing.)

So I got a new heater.  This goes to my "Buy a Gun Day" purchase for the upcoming April 15th gun holiday.  I doubt another heater could tempt me in the meantime.

So, first things first.  Shoot it to see how it runs.  Then modify it to suit me.  Nothing permanent, of course. Slim grips will be tried.  I'll probably take it in to get the thumb safety ground down on the left side of the gun to more closely look like the classic safety, but not right away.  I don't use that side, and it's just something to catch on things as far as I'm concerned.  I might swap out the Slide Release with a forged one.  Oh, and the guide rod will go toward the classic regular length.  The mainspring housing is, indeed, plastic, so that get's swapped.  Then shoot it again.  See if those few changes screws anything up in performance or feel.

Future items... I'll need another decent holster at the earliest convenience.  In the meantime the Galco IWB or Serpa will have to do if I carry it.

Another future item... A bit honking tritium front sight.  That would be gunsmith work, too.  Might get a white bar rear sight instead of the 2 dots, but we'll see.

So, more money poured into an expensive gun, but none such needed to get it running.  Just preference.  Lots of money.  ~sigh~

8 comments:

Laura said...

if you want a NICE holster, talk to Michael about it. i can't sing his praises enough...the guy knows his work.

Kansas Scout said...

Congrats on the new gun. I wish I had a lightweight Commander myself.
I would lean towards a Colt too.
Are you a lefty? I am

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

Yup, lefty. I'm fine with the placement of everything on a 1911 except the safety and need the ambi. The mag and slide release positions are fine. They might even be better for lefties. A righty has issues, sometimes, reaching these parts with the thumb, while we can get there with a finger.

Guffaw in AZ said...

I had high hopes for mine (with similar mods), but the trigger sucked and barrel bushing wasn't tight enough. Translation: couldn't hit much, accurately. Traded it away. Hope you have better luck with yours. In retrospect, I should have had the trigger messed with and custom fitted a bushing. Oh, well...

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

What kind did you buy, George?

Kansas Scout said...

Like you, I find being a lefty that the slide release and mag release actually is better for me using my index finger than the thumb. I had an ambi safety put on my Kimber and was good to go.
The Colt Lightweight Commander they have out now really calls to me but being long term out of work, it's not happening this year.

Old NFO said...

Congrats! Enjoy and please keep us updated.
r,
jim

JB Miller said...

I have a new 1911 holster you should try.