Colt Commander: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:26, 7 June 2022

Revision as of 10:29, 7 June 2022

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==History==

The pistol that would eventually be named the Colt Commander was [[Colt's Manufacturing Company]]'s candidate in a U.S. government post-post–[[World War II]] trial to find a lighter replacement for the [[M1911 pistol]] that would be issued to officers. Requirements were issued in 1949 that the pistol had to be chambered for 9&nbsp;mm Parabellum and could not exceed 7&nbsp;inches in length or weigh more than 25 ounces.<ref name= Ayoob2010>{{cite book |last =Ayoob |first =Massad |title=Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World |authorlink= Massad Ayoob |publisher =Gun Digest Books|year= 2010 |ISBN = 978-1-4402-0825-6 |pages=33–44}}</ref>

Candidates included [[Browning Hi-Power]] variants by Canada's [[John Inglis and Company|Inglis]] and Belgium's [[Fabrique Nationale]], and [[Smith & Wesson]]'s [[Smith & Wesson Model 39|S&W Model 39]]. Colt entered a modified version of their [[M1911 pistol]] that was chambered for 9&nbsp;mm Parabellum, had an aluminum alloy frame, a short 4.25-inch barrel, and a 9-round magazine. In 1950, Colt moved their candidate into regular production. It was the first aluminum-framed large frame pistol in major production and the first Colt pistol to be originally chambered in 9&nbsp;mm Parabellum. The first year's production included .45 ACP and .38 Super chamberings.<ref name= Ayoob2010/>

In 1970, Colt introduced the all-steel "Colt Combat Commander", with an optional model in satin nickel. To differentiate between the two models, the aluminum-framed model was renamed the "Lightweight Commander".<ref name= Ayoob2010/>

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The "C.C.O." or "Concealed Carry Officer's" pistol mated the slide and barrel assembly of the stainless-steel Commander with the shorter frame of the blued Lightweight [[Colt Officer's ACP|Officer's ACP]].

[[File:Commander XSE.jpg|thumb|The XSE variation of the Colt Combat Commander]]

A limited run of the Colt Commander in [[7.65×21mm_Parabellum65×21mm Parabellum|7.65mm Luger]] was made for export in the early 1970s.

==References==