Colt Combat Commander Questions

bigJ · January 19, 2010, 12:07 PM

Thanks in advance to anyone providing guidance on this question.

A friend of mine decided he no longer wanted his Colt Combat Commander and offered it to me. I accepted immediately and have a few questions for the forum.

The pistol fires and is in "decent" shape. The finish, nickel satin, is covered in blemishes and is very dull looking. In short it hasn't been cared for aesthetically.

Any ideas on how to clean the finish?

In addition does anyone have any personal recommendations on replacing the grips? If you can recommend someone, or a company, I would appreciate it.

doc540 · January 19, 2010, 12:22 PM

Congrats on a classic shooter and my favorite semiauto Colt!

I'm sure someone here will chime in with good advice on the finish.

Grips are as varied and popular as custom wheels on a car, so just search the net, look at pics posted here, but, most importantly, see if you can actually hold and shoot different "stocks" to see what fits your hands and helps you shoot best.

Good luck!

My shooting preference (not bling preference) is the factory, rubber, Colt wraparounds. Be be aware that they will RUST under them if you don't remove and oil once in a while.

GONIF · January 19, 2010, 12:32 PM

Send it to Fords to be hard chromed in satin finish. It will look better than new and is the MOST durable finish you can get .
http://www.fordsguns.com/

Toolman · January 19, 2010, 07:48 PM

A lot depends on what the blemishes consist of. Are they holster wear marks? Is the nickel plating chipped? I'd suggest you clean it first & see how it looks before deciding what the next step will be.
I clean my series 70 satin nickel combat commander with breakfree CLP & it looks as good as new. Mine has the rampant Colt wood grips.
You might consider contacting Colt Mfg., Cylinder & Slide or Richard Heinie for advice before doing anything to it that could decrease the value of your firearm.

RickB · January 19, 2010, 09:59 PM

I have heard of people lightly bead-blasting a matte nickel finish to hide slight blemishes on the surface. I can see how it would work, but can also see how it would be possible to go too far and remove the plating altogether.

bigJ · January 20, 2010, 08:07 AM

Thanks for all the replies!

January 19, 2010, 12:07 PM	#1
bigJ Member Join Date: January 14, 2010 Location: Sierra Charley Posts: 17	Colt Combat Commander Questions Thanks in advance to anyone providing guidance on this question. A friend of mine decided he no longer wanted his Colt Combat Commander and offered it to me. I accepted immediately and have a few questions for the forum. The pistol fires and is in "decent" shape. The finish, nickel satin, is covered in blemishes and is very dull looking. In short it hasn't been cared for aesthetically. Any ideas on how to clean the finish? In addition does anyone have any personal recommendations on replacing the grips? If you can recommend someone, or a company, I would appreciate it. __________________ bigJ NRA member Editor - Handgun Hourly

January 19, 2010, 12:32 PM	#3
GONIF Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2009 Location: PHOENIX IT'S A DRY HEAT AZ Posts: 844	Send it to Fords to be hard chromed in satin finish. It will look better than new and is the MOST durable finish you can get . http://www.fordsguns.com/ __________________ WHO ME ?

January 19, 2010, 07:48 PM	#4
Toolman Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 514	A lot depends on what the blemishes consist of. Are they holster wear marks? Is the nickel plating chipped? I'd suggest you clean it first & see how it looks before deciding what the next step will be. I clean my series 70 satin nickel combat commander with breakfree CLP & it looks as good as new. Mine has the rampant Colt wood grips. You might consider contacting Colt Mfg., Cylinder & Slide or Richard Heinie for advice before doing anything to it that could decrease the value of your firearm. __________________ Crime Control. NOT Gun Control.

January 20, 2010, 08:07 AM	#6
bigJ Member Join Date: January 14, 2010 Location: Sierra Charley Posts: 17	Thanks for all the replies! __________________ bigJ NRA member Editor - Handgun Hourly

January 19, 2010, 12:22 PM	#2
doc540 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,430	Congrats on a classic shooter and my favorite semiauto Colt! I'm sure someone here will chime in with good advice on the finish. Grips are as varied and popular as custom wheels on a car, so just search the net, look at pics posted here, but, most importantly, see if you can actually hold and shoot different "stocks" to see what fits your hands and helps you shoot best. Good luck! My shooting preference (not bling preference) is the factory, rubber, Colt wraparounds. Be be aware that they will RUST under them if you don't remove and oil once in a while.

January 19, 2010, 09:59 PM	#5
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	I have heard of people lightly bead-blasting a matte nickel finish to hide slight blemishes on the surface. I can see how it would work, but can also see how it would be possible to go too far and remove the plating altogether.