[Brent Chambers]

I stopped at a local shop tonight and they had taken in a used pre-series '70 stainless Commander in .45 ACP.

Its really cool looking and seemingly stock, but when I took it apart I noticed something odd- if you look at the bottom of the slide the part under the extractor was radiased out so you could see a significant length of the extractor.

Is this normal? It seemed odd to me.

Also, what do you think of the asking price of $570?

Thanks-

Brent

 

[CastleBravo]

There is no such thing as a stainless pre-Series 70 gun. The gun was plated.

I dunno about the hole you saw. The price seems very good to me, assuming the hole is normal & the condition is excellent.

Incidentally, are you sure it isn't a Series 70 time period commander?* I ask because the markings are almost identical to the pre-Series 70 & you see a fair number of them in factory nickel out there.

* Since thechnically a "Series 70" commander" really isn't.

(edited to be more technically correct)

 

[John Forsyth]

I thought Series 70 meant that it included a collet bushing. And to my knowledge, no Commanders where made with a collet bushing. So wouldn't that make Commanders either pre 70 or S80?

And to add, I do not think Colt was making any stainless pistols in either S70 or pre 70, except what they are producing now.

 

[RickB]

Early Commanders, like early Gold Cups, had the slide milled out around the extractor, to take a bit of weight off.
There really wasn't a Series 70 Commander, if you take Series 70 to mean guns equipped with the collet barrel bushing (I saw a reference to "the Mk. IV Accurizor system" in an older gun magazine, so maybe the collet bushing is characteristic of the Mk. IV and not Series 70?). I think the Commanders that were made during the time the S70 Government Model was in production will have a "70" prefix or suffix in the serial number. $570 seems like a good price, if the gun is in top shape.

 

[dsk]

There were no Series 70 Commanders.

There were no pre-Series 80 anything in stainless, until recently when the Gunsite pistols and new SS Series 70 Governments were released.

The exposed extractor indicates an early 1970's or prior Commander slide, which was lightened internally to reduce weight.

 

[Brent Chambers]

I took the gun apart, there was no Series 80 parts. The SN did start with 70.

The rollmark was not the traditional looking Series 70 rollmark, the gun was a Commander (give me a break guys, I've been into 1911's a while! ). My dad's had a blue Series 70 since I was a kid, I know the roll mark.

As for plating, it sure wasn't like anything I've seen before- even the area underneath the scratches was silver, even the nasty scratch from poor replacement of the slide release after take down. I'd bet the farm the bushing was stainless, but it would seem I'm wrong.

I know the owner of the shop well and he said it was sold to the shop by "a pretty old looking guy" who probably doesn't know aftermarket 1911 parts exist.

When I said "pre-Series '70" I was trying to indicate the gun was not marked Series 70 on the slide, but didn't have the Series 80 parts.

Brent

 

[John Forsyth]

Hey Brent, do you think it might have been electroless nickel? Lot's of stuff I have seen that was elect. nickel sure looked a lot like stainless.

 

[Brent Chambers]

I'll bet you're right John- I'm going to run over there again after work to check it out- I'm ashamed of myself for thinking it was stainless!

Thanks-

Brent

 

[AFMan]

Colt was making Commanders before they were making Series 70 Government models, and they were making Commanders WHILE they were making Series 70 Government Models, and they are still making Commanders.

So I don't think it's incorrect to distinguish Commanders as pre series 70, Series 70, or Series 80, especially since the frames of the Commanders shared the serial number changes of the Government models, including the "70" serial number prefix of the Series 70 Government models (just as any commanders in the re-issued 70 series will likely share their "71" prefix).

 

[tipoc]

Technically dsk is right, there were no series 70 Commanders. BUT, common parlance trumps technical savvy.

The only thing that distinguished series 70 GM from pre 70 GMs was the collet bushing, the roll mark and the serial number. The Commanders never had the collet bushing but they did have the serial numbering. But once the series 80s were introduced everything came to be referred to as the series 70 and pre series 70 guns, including the Commanders. Not quite right but what can ya do?

All Commanders, including the all steel Combat Commander, had lightening cuts in the slide till the mid 70's. They stopped doing this probably to save money. The piece is nickel plated.

tipoc