Customer Reviews for Colt Lightweight Commander .45 ACP 4.25" Blue, G10 Grips, 8+1

In my experience, typical colt quality. That is to say, very high quality. Great finish, straight lines. Slight rattle in the grip safety, but very nice piece. Very satisfied.

Colt 1911. Always a game winner! Some better than others, but really, it's hard not to like and admire a Colt product. You can compare a dozen or so good under or around the $1000 price tag back and forth, pros and cons, (almost all of them shoot reasonably well). BUT, the quality, reliability and long term value of a Colt is very hard to beat. The new I have owned several Colts over the years (why did I ever sell my Python???) and the new Commander is a very nice 1911. Good finish, parts are nicely matched and the overall feel of the gun is above standards. You do need to clean any new firearm to get most of the grit and manufacturing crud off it but once cleaned up, WOW it really feels like someone put a really good firearm together. One overall gripe is that Colt's trigger is a bit sloppy, however a good gunsmith can work magic on the or a $30-$40 replacement can match some of the $2000 price range custom 1911. Colt is a true winner here!

I have a test that I put all of my new 1911 pistols through as I shoot 6 mags of mixed ammo down range as fast as I can and this Colt light weight commander passed with out any problems. This Colt is a pure shooter and the only things about fit and finish are this the trigger has to much play left and right to my liking and as to the finish the finish is a deep blue and very even except on the beaver tail which has wrinkles in it and I have called Colt and they are sending me a new beaver tail . So I am giving this Colt 5 stars because of the pistol and the customer service at Colt. And Buds did a great job shipping out my Colt in out 2 days .

Excellent pistol for CCW. no need to do anything it comes ready to perform from the box

I've been fooling around with 1911s for 45 years now, since I was a teenager, and have owned well in excess of 50 of them. This LW Commander has been one of my favorite examples of the classic design. Here is what you get with this model that you don't get with other brand's version of the Commander, and these things matter: 1. Standard GI field stripping using fingers only. No paper clips or special tools needed. 2. No full-length guide rod allows for press-checking. 3. Actual Novak sights with a proper Novak cut. Other brands offer "Novak style sights" which are NOT the same. 4. New double wound recoil spring system which noticeably reduces recoil AND lasts 10-15K rounds before it needs replacement. 5. Enhanced resale value of the Colt brand name if you need to sell the pistol. There is a reason Colt says "Everything Else Is Just A Copy". Also, while a personal preference, Colt has, on this pistol, mercifully spared us the front cocking serrations which I don't care for. I found this pistol to be accurate and reliable in my standard testing protocol, which goes out to 25 yards. This pistol easily produced 2 to 3 inch groups at that distance, and was simply one ragged hole from closer distances off the bench. I tested it with PMC 230 grain ball, Speer Lawman 230 grain ball, Speer Gold Dot 230 grain JHP, and Remington Golden Saber 185 grain JHP. It shot all the good stuff well, accuracy was mediocre with PMC but that is typical. Trigger pull straight out of the box was right at 5 pounds, but by the end of testing had come down to about 4.5 pounds. This gun has a very usable trigger for a carry gun, and I wouldn't change it. It is a Series 80 mechanism, but to be honest, I couldn't feel any difference when comparing side by side with a Series 70 gun, and I'm an old time bullseye shooter who would know. The only real problem I encountered with this pistol is that it simply refused to reliably feed the last round in the magazine when using the factory supplied blue, flush fit 8 round magazines. I called Colt and they were aware of the problem, and told me they had no good fix for it other than to replace the blued 8 round magazines with either stainless 8 round mags, which were working, or with blued 7 rounders which also worked. I opted for the blued 7 rounders which the representative said he would "get right out to me". Eight weeks and two phone calls later they arrived. Perhaps this level of service is why Colt is in financial trouble. At any rate, the rep told me that they would be shipping this pistol going forward with stainless 8 round magazines. Since receiving the replacement magazines, I've had zero malfunctions of any kind using Colt blued 7 rounders, Colt stainless 7 rounders, Wilson 47D 8 rounders, or even old GI 7 rounders, so the two factory supplied flush fit 8 rounders were definitely the problem. I continue to believe that there is no fully reliable flush fit 8 round magazine for a 1911. Wilson Combat agrees with me, and they know a thing or two about 1911 mags. Overall, this pistol is a keeper. There are a couple of nitpicky things I might change, such as putting a steel mainspring housing on a gun at this price point,but past that there isn't much I'd change on it. I put some prettier walnut grips on it with gold Colt medallions and let it go at that. The one thing I would say to anyone considering this pistol is to try to handle a Commander side by side with a Government length pistol to see which you prefer. You might not think that 3/4 inch of barrel length makes a difference, and it really doesn't in terms of ballistics and accuracy. But in terms of handling, it really does. In my experience, the Commander feels "quicker" to get on target, while the Government Model seems more steady to hold there. Try them both out before you go dropping a grand on a handgun. If you are a real 1911 guy, you will probably end up with at least one of each though. These pistols are addictive.

Another fine weapon from Colt put 500 rounds through it no problems would recommend this 1911 to anyone.

Excellent fit and finish. Perfect function with FMJ and various JHP ammo. Shoots to POA. More accurate than I am. Slight trigger creep at about 6lbs. This will smooth out some with shooting. Trigger pull can be easily lowered by adjusting the spring fingers. Fully met my expectations.

This is my 6th colt and it is as good as it gets. Not one production scratch, made to the highest quality In the market. I changed out the VZ grips too cheesy for a Colt. Ordered the Close Quarter Battle Pistol can't wait for delivery on this bad a--.Buds as always delivers best price and service.

The Commander is a very good value. Fit and finish excellent, and performs well at the range. Buds had the Commander to my local FFL in less than 48 hours. This was the sixth time in two years I have purchased firearms from Buds. They are great to do business with.

I love it, this gun looks great, feels good in your hand, and shoots like a dream. Highly recommend if you're in the market for a 1911.

This colt commander shot excellent right out of the box. I shot two rounds on Friday, took it home and cleaned it up, and took it out shooting more extensively on Saturday. On Saturday I shot 160 rounds through it. about 15 rounds were hand loaded, 100 rounds where Winchester and the rest were Federal. It cycled everything just fine and never had a failure to feed or eject. After it had 120 or so rounds through it, it hung right with one of my friends' full sized Kimber that he has shot about 6000 rounds through. It is a grade A quality gun that I would recommend to anyone looking for a personal protection gun or something to take out target shooting.

Excellent quality product for an excellent price. Finish is excellent, fit is as expected for a production 1911, it is a battle weapon not a precision competition pistol. Even with that said it doe not have the "battle rattle" of the old 1911s. The most important part of the 1911 is the barrel to slide fit and lockup, which is extremely tight in this pistol, the sights will follow the slide and barrel. 2in groups at 25yds is more than adequate for a battle 1911 and combat accuracy. Trigger is good and the thumb safety has a positive snap on and snap off. I love the front strap serrations and Colts new double recoil spring. The only modifications I will be making to this pistol is replacing the polymer mainspring housing with a steel one and swapping the 3 dot sights for tritium night sights. This pistol is ready to go out of the box, and its a Colt! Another homerun from Colt, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck with this. I would recommend this pistol.

Bought this my first colt thought I was buying something good the machining quality for the money is horrible very disappointed will never buy another colt again extremely poor machining I feel like I threw my money away away.

Nice enough. I don't like the grips, but knew I wouldn't going in to the purchase. Colts use of a trendy material for the grips is a non factor. What is a factor is the use of a plastic main spring housing. WTF unacceptable. I wont comment on the magazines, I did not use them. Now that that is out of the way, the finish is quite nice. Both the blued carbon steel slide and the anodized aluminum frame are a solid match to each other and flawless. It IS NOT a deep polished bluing, its a carry piece. The trigger is appropriate for a carry gun as well, crisp 6.5 lbs break and short take up. It is a accurate and reliable pistol through its first 300 rounds. I have fed it some ball, a mag of wad cutters, a few Hornady CD, and quite a bit of golden saber hp. Not a single malfunction. but time will tell. It is light enough to carry all day comfortably. All in all it is a nice pistol and a good purchase. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because of the cheap plastic mainspring housing. Knowing what I know now, I would have still made the purchase. However, I would have ordered a mainspring housing from Wilson Combat at the same time I ordered this gun.

Great purchase! Arrived quickly. The quality of the blueing and the G10 stocks are beautiful, not surprising being a Colt. I have put 250 rounds Federal 230 grain through it and it has worked flawlessly with great accuracy. I recommend this gun. A pleasure doing business with Bud's.

Great gun with the quality you expect from a Colt. Finish is anodized black for the receiver with a blued slide and the fit and finish are spot on. One item to note is the grips are not plastic as noted by a previous reviewer but are G10 fiberglass composite, which makes them lighter and more durable than the standard rosewood on a Government model. Given the availability of after market grips it would be easy to switch these out if desired. Very pleased with the purchase and would recommend Buds to anyone considering this or other arms.

Good but mostly bad. First the good. The firearm and all its parts function properly. Very nice barrel and the Novak sights are great (would have preferred tritium). And the price was attractive. The bad. The finish on the frame is so poorly done that it appears to be lamp-black. Simply rubbing the metal will cause wear marks - and it scratches very easily. The grips are something I have never seen on a 1911 - kind of a plastic, toy-like feel. The grip safety feels limp, it has no strength, and is not confidence inspiring. Overall it is as if Colt built a 1911 as cheaply as possible and threw it out there as a "new" model to get people to buy it. Very poor quality coming from Colt and it might be my last purchase of any of their products. I would not recommend this Commander model. If you want a better quality item I would recommend Kimber.

It's a Colt. That speaks for itself. The Best part of this gun is it's lightweight. The undercut trigger guard makes the grip very comfortable. The front strap is serrated, which provides a secure grip. It also comes complete with 2 - 8 round magazines. The dual recoil spring system reduces felt recoil for quicker follow up shots. I'm a lefty, so I will be adding an ambi thumb safety. I love this gun! Bud's Gunshop provided Super Fast Shipping and No Hassle courteous service. I am a satisfied customer. Thank you!

Awesome gun. Colt has done it right on this new model commander. It has everything I want and nothing I don't. Highly recommend.

Bud's has a great price and supper service making the transaction very smooth. This new model Colt Commander is very nice. I have many 1911's and have wanted a Colt LW Commander for a carry gun. My current carry gun is a Kimber Pro carry II which is a great gun and will continue as a carry gun along with the new Colt after break in. As of this writing I have 275 rounds through the gun in 2 different ranges sessions. 5 FTF were noted from older style mags. Gun is perfect with Wilson 47D mags but not the best with the Colt or Chip McCormick mags i tried. This is not an issue to me as I intend to use Wilson mags or Chip McCormick mags with Wilson springs and followers to give me known reliability. Fit and finish are good. Slide to frame is not as tight as my Kimbers but does not affect accuracy. Overall very happy with the gun and believe it will be a good gun for a carry gun.