1968 Colt LW Commander

[SuperMan]

...apparently most of you have no clue about how collectable Commanders are that were made before 1980 or so...

On GunBroker a 9mm Commander in nice condition is over $1500... .38 Super will run more than that... .45s usually quite a bit less as they are very common...

Commanders from 1949 to 1968 had a L.W. suffix in the serial number. 1969-around 1983 an LW prefix. Any guns with those type serial numbers have the original type roll marks and bring big money if they have the original box.

I would have grabbed that gun in a heartbeat....

 

[max503]

Mine doesn't get shot a lot. Bought in the mid 80's. It's too big for my carry style or else I would in a heartbeat.

Mine is very accurate with my cast boolit reloads. That target is at 50 feet.

 

[SuperMan]

I remember many years ago Skeeter decided to do a durability test of a .45 Lightweight Commander using factory ball ammo. At some point, don't remember now, the part of the frame in front of the trigger guard broke off. I am a Colt fan, still have my Series 70 1911 that I bought new back in 1974. I bought one of the early Satin Nickel steel frame Combat Commanders around 1972. Took it to an outdoor range, put up a standard 9"x11" pistol target at fifty yards and carefully squeezed off 5 rounds from a sandbagged rest. Went down to check my group size and found no holes in the target. Sold it to a friend who just wanted a truck gun and bought the Series 70 a bit later.

...not quite...a crack developed on the left side of the frame from the slide stop pin hole to the frame rail...and it kept right on shooting the rest of the test. I had a steel frame gun do the same thing...

My first Combat Commander was exactly the same as yours about 1976. Was very accurate but was later traded for a Gold Cup NM...

Bob

 

[LittleAugieMo]

There are "1911 Guys" out there activley looking for "pre 70" 1911's. Depending on conditionwas worth the money/ offer for trading fodder if nothing else.

 

[SuperMan]

From 1980 to 2007 I carried the same gun every day...a 1952 Commander in .38 Super... In 2006 I had a 1952 .38 Super Commander full hard chromed and night sights made up. Started carrying that gun in 2007 and is still my 99% of the time gun...

The original Commander had no less than 7k rounds trough it...and not the wimpy factory ball ammo.

According to Chuck Taylor, Coltalloy, the alloy in the aluminum frame Commander, is a mix of titanium and aluminum.... Makes sense as titanium was developed just after WWII...

Bob

1952...10 rounds at 10 yards.....custom 1952...

 

[alwslate]

...not quite...a crack developed on the left side of the frame from the slide stop pin hole to the frame rail...and it kept right on shooting the rest of the test. I had a steel frame gun do the same thing...

My first Combat Commander was exactly the same as yours about 1976. Was very accurate but was later traded for a Gold Cup NM...

Bob

I'll take your word for it. I read the article many years ago and was working from the memory of my old brain. My Combat Commander was very inaccurate so I sent it on down the road. My Series 70 Government model has the "faulty" collet bushing but is way more accurate than my Commander was and I still have it.

 

[SAFireman]

I would have bought it for that.

The LW prefix guns are pretty cool. It would be better in Super, but then everything is

 

[SuperMan]

...think I messed up as it has been a while...1969-early 1980s were a CLW prefix, not LW...

 

[Drm50]

I had several 1911s, cut down to 3 now. 2 Commanders and one original series 70 Govt. The Commanders are alloy frame models from 70s. The one I shoot was someone’s project gun. In excellent shape but has 0 collector value because of mods. But I could get $1k in heart beat. A 9mm in high condition will bring $1200. All mine are 45s but still a stocker in high condition would bring same
I’m not a Colt collector but deal enough that I know the pre series 80 era 1911s in high condition will bring more than a new model.
No different than S&W and Colts.