Series 70 (1973) Satin Combat Commander. - Page 2

RickB · June 13, 2019, 10:33 PM

Bar-Sto made collet bushings for their Commander barrels, so there are Commanders with collets, just not from Colt.

Jim Watson · June 13, 2019, 11:01 PM

I think one cause of collet breakage was horsing the bushing around with a wrench and not retracting the slide to let the fingers relax. That and yanking the bushing off the barrel.
Mr Stone said the latter was why he quit offering Barsto Commander collet barrels.

SIGSHR · June 14, 2019, 01:43 PM

The version I read said Colt found the collet bushings didn't work that well on the Commander.

rock185 · June 14, 2019, 05:27 PM

Sarge, that is a clean example. I bought a new "Satin Chrome" Combat Commander in .38 Super back in the early '70s. Definitely regular nickel over a coarse surface prep. The later electroless nickel versions had a much finer finish. Had a Government Model with the electroless finish, much different. As already mentioned, though BarSto did produce Commander barrels early on with with collet bushings, the Commanders did not have factory installed collet bushings.

Take care of that one. I occasionally ran across "SC" Commanders out on the street or in the property and evidence room, etc. and would have to agree with Jim Watson that Commanders with that finish show every little scuff, scratch, wear, and lack of maintenance more than any finish I'm aware of.

RsqVet · June 14, 2019, 10:03 PM

Had one similar -- A Bobby Shipley special -- basically that gun with high polish flats and gold cup fire control group. Man I am sad I sold that...

cw308 · June 15, 2019, 08:24 AM

I have a 70 series mark IV came with the collet bushing , the barrel OD at the muzzel down about one half inch is slightly larger , the commander wasn't set up for the collet bushing . You could rack the slide nuch easier . Both are great pistols .

smee78 · June 15, 2019, 07:49 PM

I have one of the Combat Commanders in satin nickel and it is a great shooter. One of my all time favorites.

Hammerhead · June 16, 2019, 09:14 AM

Handsome pistol, congrats

sarge912 · June 17, 2019, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raikiri

Cool Colt satin, i have been looking for one for a long time now, checked GB for quite sometime but haven't been so lucky.

I was stunned to find one in this condition for a price that I could afford. I wish the box had still existed but if it had it would have probably been out of my reach.

sarge912 · June 18, 2019, 12:13 PM

Yea! Got my Colt back from my buddy. As usual, he did a masterful job. The trigger is now excellent (but really not better than my ATI)

One thing I noticed after yesterdays trials. After about forty rounds or so, accuracy began to drop off of bit. This could easily be operator error but I didn't seem to get the same with my ATI.

Am I glad I found it, you betcha. I suspect it will see a lot more safe time than my ATI. Mostly this would be because the more I use the Colt the more likely I will damage the finish and decrease the value.

sarge912 · June 18, 2019, 12:15 PM

One other thing. For some reason the Colt hates Federal Aluminum and groups open way up. Not so much with the ATI. Both are equally accurate with standard ammo and my favorite carry round from PPU.

dgludwig · June 18, 2019, 07:22 PM

Quote:

After about forty rounds or so, accuracy began to drop off of bit.

Quote:

For some reason the Colt hates Federal Aluminum and groups open way up.

The type of ammunition used in terms of accuracy shouldn't change much over time. Other factors (shooter fatigue, increased fouling, etc.) would seem to me to be much more relevant if accuracy is "dropping off" or if groups begin opening "way up."

texagun · June 24, 2019, 09:19 AM

I bought mine new in the box in 1978 for $260 out the door. First thing I noticed was that the satin nickel sights were very hard to see in daylight. Took the gun down to the MMC shop in Ft. Worth and watched the guy install MMC Combat sights on it. Best mod I ever made. Still have the original sights in a box somewhere. It's been a great gun.

sarge912 · June 24, 2019, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texagun

I bought mine new in the box in 1978 for $260 out the door. First thing I noticed was that the satin nickel sights were very hard to see in daylight. Took the gun down to the MMC shop in Ft. Worth and watched the guy install MMC Combat sights on it. Best mod I ever made. Still have the original sights in a box somewhere. It's been a great gun.

your finish seems a lot smoother and 'bluer' than mine. Mine was shipped in 1973 but may have been made in 1972.

silvermane_1 · July 14, 2019, 04:10 AM

Needs more beavertail.

sarge912 · July 14, 2019, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silvermane_1

Needs more beavertail.

Nah, shoots great, if you need more than that you need to work on your grip.

tipoc · July 14, 2019, 01:18 PM

I agree with sarge912 here on the beavertail question.

If the hammer bites you then change it, but for most shooters hammer bite isn't a question with the commander style hammer.

It's also a personal choice. If something irritates your hand while shooting change it out, make it more comfortable. The 1911 is very modular in that regard.

In general I think the extended beavertail thing is played out. They can get so large they make cocking or de-cocking hard and clumsy and add unneeded bulk to an otherwise sleek gun.

tipoc

silvermane_1 · July 15, 2019, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarge912

Nah, shoots great, if you need more than that you need to work on your grip.

I accidentally posted the wrong emoticon, it was supposed to be this one:

, and it was a reference to the Chistopher Walken Blue Oyster Cult SNL skit: "needs more cowbell".

tipoc · July 15, 2019, 10:46 AM

Quote:

I accidentally posted the wrong emoticon, it was supposed to be this one: , and it was a reference to the Chistopher Walken Blue Oyster Cult SNL skit: "needs more cowbell".

Alot of fellas seem to think so it seems. They look at a 1911 and think: Needs more cowbell.

tipoc

silvermane_1 · July 16, 2019, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoc

Alot of fellas seem to think so it seems. They look at a 1911 and think: Needs more cowbell.

tipoc

Well tipdoc as per my sigling, my SR1911 CMD has a large beavertail, i see it as personal preference, those whom like small or no beavertail on their 1911/s, i don't put them down for it like a Fanboy or gun snob, but then again i don't like 1911 "purists" types doing the reverse. And my "needs more beavertail/cowbell" comment was meant in a lighthearted/in jest way.

tipoc · July 16, 2019, 09:48 AM

Quote:

And my "needs more beavertail/cowbell" comment was meant in a lighthearted/in jest way.

That's what I figured. My remark was also lighthearted!

tipoc

silvermane_1 · July 17, 2019, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoc

That's what I figured. My remark was also lighthearted!

tipoc

I pretty much figure that tipdoc, but a lot of folks tend to get "bent out of shape" these days over their favorite gun/s and calibers.

bamaranger · July 18, 2019, 05:23 PM

I owned one for a number of years in the early '80's, at the time my only auto pistol, but could never get it to run reliably. Went thru a variety of mags and ammo combo's, but just when I thought I had something, it would burp. Very frustrating.

That said, I found the Commander a nice combination of weight, size and power and highly packable. When my agency went to SIG's, I felt I didn't need a second auto pistol in my life, even as a hobby gun, and sold it.

June 13, 2019, 10:33 PM	#26
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Bar-Sto made collet bushings for their Commander barrels, so there are Commanders with collets, just not from Colt. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

June 14, 2019, 05:27 PM	#29
rock185 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2001 Location: Out West in Rim Country Posts: 1,093	Sarge, that is a clean example. I bought a new "Satin Chrome" Combat Commander in .38 Super back in the early '70s. Definitely regular nickel over a coarse surface prep. The later electroless nickel versions had a much finer finish. Had a Government Model with the electroless finish, much different. As already mentioned, though BarSto did produce Commander barrels early on with with collet bushings, the Commanders did not have factory installed collet bushings. Take care of that one. I occasionally ran across "SC" Commanders out on the street or in the property and evidence room, etc. and would have to agree with Jim Watson that Commanders with that finish show every little scuff, scratch, wear, and lack of maintenance more than any finish I'm aware of. __________________ COTEP 640, NRA Life

June 15, 2019, 07:49 PM	#32
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	I have one of the Combat Commanders in satin nickel and it is a great shooter. One of my all time favorites. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

July 14, 2019, 04:10 AM	#40
silvermane_1 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: Burien,WA Posts: 897	Needs more beavertail. __________________ Rugers:SR1911 CMD,MK 3 .22lr 6",Sec. Six '76 liberty .357 4",SRH .480 Ruger 7.5",Mini-14 188 5.56/.233 18.5", Marlins: 795 .22lr 16.5",30aw 30-30 20",Mossberg:Mav. 88 Tact. 12 ga, 18.5",ATR 100 .270 Win. 22",S&W:SW9VE 9mm 4",Springfield:XD .357sig 4", AKs:CAI PSL-54C, WASR 10/63, WW74,SLR-106c Last edited by silvermane_1; July 15, 2019 at 05:36 AM. Reason: Fixed emoticon

July 14, 2019, 01:18 PM	#42
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	I agree with sarge912 here on the beavertail question. If the hammer bites you then change it, but for most shooters hammer bite isn't a question with the commander style hammer. It's also a personal choice. If something irritates your hand while shooting change it out, make it more comfortable. The 1911 is very modular in that regard. In general I think the extended beavertail thing is played out. They can get so large they make cocking or de-cocking hard and clumsy and add unneeded bulk to an otherwise sleek gun. tipoc __________________ 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot. 4. Identify your target and know what is beyond it.

June 13, 2019, 11:01 PM	#27
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,542	I think one cause of collet breakage was horsing the bushing around with a wrench and not retracting the slide to let the fingers relax. That and yanking the bushing off the barrel. Mr Stone said the latter was why he quit offering Barsto Commander collet barrels.

June 14, 2019, 01:43 PM	#28
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	The version I read said Colt found the collet bushings didn't work that well on the Commander.

June 14, 2019, 10:03 PM	#30
RsqVet Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2005 Posts: 2,474	Had one similar -- A Bobby Shipley special -- basically that gun with high polish flats and gold cup fire control group. Man I am sad I sold that...

June 15, 2019, 08:24 AM	#31
cw308 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2010 Location: Plainview , Long Island NY Posts: 3,863	I have a 70 series mark IV came with the collet bushing , the barrel OD at the muzzel down about one half inch is slightly larger , the commander wasn't set up for the collet bushing . You could rack the slide nuch easier . Both are great pistols .

June 16, 2019, 09:14 AM	#33
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	Handsome pistol, congrats

June 18, 2019, 12:13 PM	#35
sarge912 Member Join Date: May 18, 2019 Location: Beautiful Parma Ohio Posts: 70	Yea! Got my Colt back from my buddy. As usual, he did a masterful job. The trigger is now excellent (but really not better than my ATI) One thing I noticed after yesterdays trials. After about forty rounds or so, accuracy began to drop off of bit. This could easily be operator error but I didn't seem to get the same with my ATI. Am I glad I found it, you betcha. I suspect it will see a lot more safe time than my ATI. Mostly this would be because the more I use the Colt the more likely I will damage the finish and decrease the value.

June 18, 2019, 12:15 PM	#36
sarge912 Member Join Date: May 18, 2019 Location: Beautiful Parma Ohio Posts: 70	One other thing. For some reason the Colt hates Federal Aluminum and groups open way up. Not so much with the ATI. Both are equally accurate with standard ammo and my favorite carry round from PPU.

June 24, 2019, 09:19 AM	#38
texagun Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 230	I bought mine new in the box in 1978 for $260 out the door. First thing I noticed was that the satin nickel sights were very hard to see in daylight. Took the gun down to the MMC shop in Ft. Worth and watched the guy install MMC Combat sights on it. Best mod I ever made. Still have the original sights in a box somewhere. It's been a great gun.

July 18, 2019, 05:23 PM	#48
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,308	I had one I owned one for a number of years in the early '80's, at the time my only auto pistol, but could never get it to run reliably. Went thru a variety of mags and ammo combo's, but just when I thought I had something, it would burp. Very frustrating. That said, I found the Commander a nice combination of weight, size and power and highly packable. When my agency went to SIG's, I felt I didn't need a second auto pistol in my life, even as a hobby gun, and sold it.