Commander slide on full 1911 frame?

yggorf · August 24, 2010, 10:56 PM

Would it work to put a commander slide/barrel on a full 1911 receiver?

HiBC · August 25, 2010, 02:00 AM

No.

Scorch · August 25, 2010, 02:56 AM

It will work, but it will look kinda funny. Colt Combat Commanders have a shorter dust cover. Now if you are talking about some other maker's short-barreled 1911 variant, i have no idea whether it will work or not because different makers make their guns differently. But Commander is a Colt trademark, just like Government Model, so I assume you are talking about an actual Colt.

Jim Watson · August 25, 2010, 08:13 AM

Works sometimes, not others.
The dustcover is the least of it.
A real Commander receiver has the recoil shoulder and rails about .090"-.100" farther back to get back a little of the slide travel lost when the gun was shortened overall. So a Commander has less slide travel than a G.M. and a Commander slide on a G.M. receiver has even less. Sometimes the combination still works, sometimes not.

If it does not, sometimes just thinning the head of the recoil spring guide by about half will get back enough travel.
Sometimes the receiver has to be milled. Read about that at:
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=282897

There is a major name brand whose Commander lookalike has G.M. rails. Most of them probably shoot OK and you never hear about them. Those that don't require about $150 worth of gunsmithing on a $1600 gun. Read about that at:
http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=76359

alland · August 30, 2010, 10:47 PM

This is how I converted a government frame to a Commander frame.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=282897

Allan

August 24, 2010, 10:56 PM	#1
yggorf Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2009 Posts: 125	Commander slide on full 1911 frame? Would it work to put a commander slide/barrel on a full 1911 receiver?

August 25, 2010, 02:56 AM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	It will work, but it will look kinda funny. Colt Combat Commanders have a shorter dust cover. Now if you are talking about some other maker's short-barreled 1911 variant, i have no idea whether it will work or not because different makers make their guns differently. But Commander is a Colt trademark, just like Government Model, so I assume you are talking about an actual Colt. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

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August 25, 2010, 02:00 AM	#2
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	No.

August 25, 2010, 08:13 AM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Works sometimes, not others. The dustcover is the least of it. A real Commander receiver has the recoil shoulder and rails about .090"-.100" farther back to get back a little of the slide travel lost when the gun was shortened overall. So a Commander has less slide travel than a G.M. and a Commander slide on a G.M. receiver has even less. Sometimes the combination still works, sometimes not. If it does not, sometimes just thinning the head of the recoil spring guide by about half will get back enough travel. Sometimes the receiver has to be milled. Read about that at: http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=282897 There is a major name brand whose Commander lookalike has G.M. rails. Most of them probably shoot OK and you never hear about them. Those that don't require about $150 worth of gunsmithing on a $1600 gun. Read about that at: http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=76359

August 30, 2010, 10:47 PM	#5
alland Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Posts: 35	This is how I converted a government frame to a Commander frame. http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=282897 Allan