Colt Double Eagle 45
- Thread starter RILEY31
- Start date
Hairtrigger
Member
I have one in 10mm
Cannot find any aftermarket grips
Like my Delta Elite better
Cannot find any aftermarket grips
Like my Delta Elite better
They are different and they are intriguing. In fact I saw one on our Texas gun trading board and they were asking $750. Not a bad price but I put the money towards a Delta Elite that is on its way to me instead. Nice gun by the way.
I also own a .45 Double Eagle but mine is a two tone with a bright blue slide. I like it but Double Eagles were controversial from their introduction and remain so. The biggest fault with the pistol is that 1911 lovers see it as defacing their god. The appearance of the right grip extension that covers the transfer bar didn’t help.
Double Eagles were introduced to compete with S&W’s then new 645. MSRP for both DAs was nearly the same as Colt’s bright blued fixed sighted 1911 .45, approximately $700. To keep manufacturing costs down Double Eagles used as many 1911 parts a practical. The only difference between Double Eagle slides and 1911 slides is the notch their disconnectors rise up into. If you added the notch for the other gun in either slide you’d have an interchangeable slide. Below the slide the only parts I’m aware of that interchange are the magazine, slide stop and recoil spring assemblies.
While my Double Eagle .45 does not feed every thing under the sun like 645s and 4506s it is reliable with all the cast bullet shapes that normally feed in production 1911s. Its factory DA pull is smoother and a lot lighter than factory S&W 645 and 4506s triggers and it has a much lighter and crisper SA let off. On the down side the reach to its DA trigger is too long. That’s the other place where S&W’s were better, especially after they brought out the 4506.
I used to think I had an idea of how many Double Eagles were made, 12,000 to 15,00 total including all 5 chamberings, 3 barrel lengths and the Officer’s barrel length blued ones. The only ones I ever saw with adjustable sights were all stainless 5” .45s. It’s obvious the most numerous variety is the all stainless 5” fixed sighted .45 like yours.
Compared to other brands’ contemporary traditional DA .45s Double Eagles had more good features than they usually get credit for. Enjoy your new .45 and thanks for posting it.
Double Eagles were introduced to compete with S&W’s then new 645. MSRP for both DAs was nearly the same as Colt’s bright blued fixed sighted 1911 .45, approximately $700. To keep manufacturing costs down Double Eagles used as many 1911 parts a practical. The only difference between Double Eagle slides and 1911 slides is the notch their disconnectors rise up into. If you added the notch for the other gun in either slide you’d have an interchangeable slide. Below the slide the only parts I’m aware of that interchange are the magazine, slide stop and recoil spring assemblies.
While my Double Eagle .45 does not feed every thing under the sun like 645s and 4506s it is reliable with all the cast bullet shapes that normally feed in production 1911s. Its factory DA pull is smoother and a lot lighter than factory S&W 645 and 4506s triggers and it has a much lighter and crisper SA let off. On the down side the reach to its DA trigger is too long. That’s the other place where S&W’s were better, especially after they brought out the 4506.
I used to think I had an idea of how many Double Eagles were made, 12,000 to 15,00 total including all 5 chamberings, 3 barrel lengths and the Officer’s barrel length blued ones. The only ones I ever saw with adjustable sights were all stainless 5” .45s. It’s obvious the most numerous variety is the all stainless 5” fixed sighted .45 like yours.
Compared to other brands’ contemporary traditional DA .45s Double Eagles had more good features than they usually get credit for. Enjoy your new .45 and thanks for posting it.
OP
Thanks everyone! So far I really like mine. I appreciate the opinons and info.
I've got one, a Commander in 45 ACP. I have everything it shipped with from the factory including the corrugated outer shipping box and the printed card stock sleeve that goes over the hard plastic case.
As for shootability, it has the best DA trigger pull I have ever pulled on a semi-auto. It eats everything I load in the magazine.
Bought mine used/NIB Unfired back in '94. Serial number is DC032XX.
Class III
As for shootability, it has the best DA trigger pull I have ever pulled on a semi-auto. It eats everything I load in the magazine.
Bought mine used/NIB Unfired back in '94. Serial number is DC032XX.
Class III
It came during time when at least Colt attempted to innovate. The Colt catalog had a healthy variety at that time. The sad thing is that the double eagle most likely has no source of spare parts or support. But I think think the barrels, recoil springs, magazines, magazine catches, and slide stops interchange with the 1911?
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