Congratulations!!!

 

Very Nice! Would have done that same had I known.

 

Good looking pistol. The photographs make things look dark, blackish. I assume the grips are a brown color

 

Nice.

Congratulations.

Thanks for sharing it.

 

Parts will continue to wear with use, so the more you holster and draw, the more wear there will be.
I'd expect you to have $1500 into the gun, and I wouldn't want to put any additional wear on it.
I'd buy another gun to carry and shoot, especially considering the early Commander grip safety and G.I. style sights.

I was looking for a gun like yours twenty years ago, and they were $800 or more, then. I settled for an early Series 80, and while I can live with the grip safety for limited shooting - 100 rounds, every couple of years - the sights had to go.
Modding a Series 80 is, today, not a sin, but I wouldn't change anything on your gun.

 

I'm a post WWII, Colt commercial series collector/enthusiast. I am not a regular shooter.

In 1951 Colt manufactured 15,700 LW Commanders in three calibers. 45 ACP, 38 Super and 9mm.

While not rare, your 71 year old pistol is in unusually high condition and, because of that, has become rather valuable.

I'd carefully field strip it, clean, lubricate, reassemble carefully and place in a protective cover. There are several excellent quality products out there. Ballistol and Bore Stores come to mind.

Personally, I'd retire the pistol to an existence of being fondled and admired. It's a beautiful thing.

 

Very nice

 

So, I purchased this 1951 Colt Commander on Gunbroker.com the other day

I would leave it in my Gun Safe. Great shape at 70+ years old.

I have others for the range or to carry.

 

I'd say you paid $1,400 to 1,700 and it's in really nice condition. I'd be leery of shooting it much with the alloy frame but a few magazines a year won't effect it

 

I'd say you paid $1,400 to 1,700

In my estimation, the gavel price was considerably more. I recently sold two very high condition pre 70 LW Commanders.

A 1955 38 Super with Colt Ivory grips for $4200 and a 1967 in 45 ACP for $2600. Both with original boxes.

The value add in 1946-1969 Colt Commercial Series pistols is all about condition, condition and condition.

 

Beautifull. Absolutely great. I'd love to have it, but I shoot and modify most all my guns. So that one would do me no good, but it is sure a great specimen to admire. Put it in a case to show off.

 

Nice. Enjoy. That is more than I would spend on one.

 

$1400-$1700 is rural pawn shop pricing. You're not going to get a nice clean old Colt on Gunbroker for that little.

 

I'm jealous. Beautiful pistol.

 

Thanks for the replies. The seller, has a sister pistol to this one in 38 Super on Gunbroker now, that came from the original estate sale in Virginia.

RARE 1951 COLT 1911 Commander Alloy Frame cal. SUPER 38 - not 45 AC 1911A1 - Curios & Relics at GunBroker.com : 940904707

Buy RARE 1951 COLT 1911 Commander Alloy Frame cal. SUPER 38 - not 45 AC 1911A1: GunBroker is the largest seller of Curios & Relics Collectible Firearms All: 940904707

www.gunbroker.com

 

Thanks for the replies. The seller, has a sister pistol to this one in 38 Super on Gunbroker now, that came from the original estate sale in Virginia.

RARE 1951 COLT 1911 Commander Alloy Frame cal. SUPER 38 - not 45 AC 1911A1 - Curios & Relics at GunBroker.com : 940904707

Buy RARE 1951 COLT 1911 Commander Alloy Frame cal. SUPER 38 - not 45 AC 1911A1: GunBroker is the largest seller of Curios & Relics Collectible Firearms All: 940904707

www.gunbroker.com

If you decide to sell that 1911 i would seriously buy it. 51 is my birth year…

 

It's your gun and you can do what you want, but I will never understand people who buy excellent vintage firearms and then tuck them away in a safe for the rest of their lives. Someday someone is going to shoot that thing and enjoy the s*** out of it. Might as well be you.

 

For some of us simply owning a vintage Colt in mint condition is the draw. No need to shoot it and put wear and scratches on it when it shoots like any other 1911. If it was a rare and unusual pistol then I could see the interest in putting a few rounds through it just to get a feel for what it's like.

Besides that, I'll go out on a limb here and state that I have yet to shoot a vintage 1911 that was anywhere near as good a shooter as my modern ones. I can shoot one-hole groups with a basic Series 70 repro or O1911C as they have great triggers and well-fit barrels. The old ones all have sucky triggers and are lucky to group better than 4" at 25 yards even from a rest.

 

Opening bid seems quite hefty on the GB listing. Nice idiot scratch included.

 

Who do you think would win in a shooting accuracy contest, you gentlemen with your newer 1911's or Hickok45 with his antique 1918 model? If the answer is what most people would presume it is, what do you think that indicates?

 

Not trying to brag, but I'm pretty sure I could keep up with Hickok45 using my 1918 Colt as well. Back before these guns all became so valuable and expensive I actually used it to win a vintage military handgun match. With a modern Colt it'd be even easier, as my 1918 Colt has an 8lb trigger pull while the newer ones I have are all less than half that.

As impressive as Hickok45's shooting looks, the reality is the shooting he does isn't too difficult with practice. His famous 80-yard gong is 18" in diameter, and I think most practiced shooters can hit that fairly regularly even with a small pistol. He also shoots right beside his own house where it and the trees block any wind, and the excellent lighting and shooting angle makes it hard to come up with excuses as to why you missed. Not saying he isn't an excellent shot, because he is, but he's not Superman and I'm sure the better shooters among us could give him a good run for his money in a casual shooting contest.

 

Your Commander is definitely collector quality - there aren't many existing in that condition. If I had it and wanted to shoot or carry a 'Commander', I'd get a cheaper modern one to play with and conserve the old one.

 

1saxman speaks the truth.

 

@dsk
The unlimited free ammo which Hickok45 enjoys would likely improve proficiency for most of us.

 

Don't be second guessing yourself. That is a beautiful gun! I wish I had seen it. Don't make it a steady shooter but do shoot it once in a while.

 

OP, your 1951 Commander is a beautiful example. While I was looking at your pictures, I was thinking that it would be great to see it chambered in .38 Super, then I saw your link to GB with the sister gun to yours. I made the mistake of putting off the purchase of a pristine Commander in .38 Super until now they have reached a point where I just don't want to lock up nearly 4K for a pistol that I would only look at, yet I am still tempted.
I say that if you wanted the pistol, and are happy with it, then you have done the right thing in choosing a high condition Colt as you have.

 

If you place the gun in a holster the finish WILL start showing wear but not because the holster is harder than the finish on the gun. What causes the wear is grit and dust in the holster which is a fine abrasive. THAT is what wears the finish. About all you can do is try to keep the holster clean. I blow mine out with compressed air about once a week if possible - or simply never shove the gun in a holster. Years ago I wound up joining a shooting club that had gravel parking lots and every time a car or truck drove across them a fine layer of grit would settle on you and ALL of your gear. Immediately I could see the grit all over my clean truck and see what it was doing to the bluing on my guns. It would settle on your shop rags and then when you wiped the gun down it would be scratched. It's not the holster - it's the grit in the holster. It's gritty world out there.

 

Very nice gun... .45 Commanders of that age and condition will usually bring in the $2K area... .38 Supers, well over $3k especially if they have a box.

I have a 1951, two 1952s and a 1956 all in .38 Super and all "customized" to be carry/shooters...have been carrying the 1952s daily since 1980...

If you want to carry the gun and cut down on bluing wear, try using G96 silicone spray both on the gun and a little in the holster. For holsters for CC I usually use either a nylon REMORA for IWB and a DeSantis Speed Scabbard or MiniScabbard for OTB...

Only thing to watch for is using HP ammo...because the feed ramp is part of the aluminum frame, some HP can ding up the feed ramp. I would just use FMJ-RN for practice and something like the Hornady 230 TC-FP for carry...

Enjoy...Bob

 

Not trying to hi jack the thread, just an opportunity to share ...

 

So, I fired the gun for the first time last week and am really loving this Colt Commander. It feels as good, if not better than my Sig P220 Stainless Elite. It's fairly accurate, feels nice in the hand and the trigger is par excellence.

Anyway, there seems to be a debate on whether the factory mags mar the frame (I noticed a few small gouges). So I decided to buy a new magazine with a captured follower. I purchased the Mec-Gar 1911 Government .45 ACP 7 RD blued MGCG4507B mag, but it doesn't slide right in. I have to press the magazine's release button to fully seat it in the frame. Is this normal for this magazine in a Commander manufactured in 1951? I was under the impression the Government and Commander shared the same magazine type. Does anyone know of a blued or black magazine that will fit correctly without pressing the mag release? Thanks

 

Chances are the Mec Gar mag is fine and the mag catch is tight. I’ve lost count how many Colts that came from the factory with tight mag catch. And yes, Goverment and Commander take the same mag.