[BBBBill]

I am in the process of building a .38 Super on my LW Commander frame ... I find a lot of 6" barrels fairly cheap.

Cheap as in inexpensive or as in poor quality? Be careful of what you lay your hard earned money down for.

Anyone have the experience of chucking one up in their lathe and cutting it off to size? ...

No problem with that. You will also have to cut back the front of the bottom lug for Commander use. Get hold of someone's Commander to examine it and you will see where/how much to cut.

 

[MisterEd]

Thanks for the reply - Cheap as in inexpensive - I'll look into finding out who/what barrels they are before doing anything - BTW - they are on EBAY. Also thanks for the advice - fortunatley I have the whole Commander so I can see what I need to do with the barrel.

 

[ITinker]

Ebay

Before buying anything on ebay, do a search on the forum,here, for the sellers ebay name. If you're looking at the same seller that I saw (with the 38super barrels), searching here will "educate" you in regards to some of the worst out there.

Caveat emptor is Latin for "let the buyer beware". An important slogan when purchasing from that venue.

I too am building a 38super Cmdr, and also considered the same solution.

 

[jlmurphy]

Most barrels have the diameter slightly larger near the muzzle and relieved away from the muzzle to help clearances during cycling, you may need an oversize barrel bushing and a lathe to fit the barrel.

 

[BBBBill]

... Cheap as in inexpensive - I'll look into finding out who/what barrels they are before doing anything - BTW - they are on EBAY. ...

A word of warning to all! trust not what you read on Ebay as to claims of brand, source, quality, etc. Some sellers are upright, honest brokers, some are ignorant as to what they are selling, and some are just downright crooks! Check with others who are knowledgeable as to who are good to deal with and who are to be avoided like the plague. Of course the best solution for a known quality part is to just call Kart.
Not trying to bust your chops here at all. Just don't want to see you get screwed. If you truely want to go that route (Ebay) and/or you have enough experience/knowledge about the 1911 platform, then go for it. There actually are some good deals to be found on Ebay and other auction sites.
Good luck and good shooting!