I’ll admit to happily being a dyed in the wool, steadfast, and loyal fan of the traditional 5” .45ACP Government Model... it‘s just something that brings a smile to my face. For carrying, I always liked the idea of the big heavy chuck of steel neatly tucked away in an IWB. And there’s always been a bit of romance about something that effortlessly spits out 230gr hard-ball... it’s just something that sticks with you. But on occasion something a bit off the beaten path perks my interest and produces the same kind of smile that those who have been at the range with me are familiar with.
In this case that “something” is this particular customer’s idea of what a carry gun should be... classic and cool, a two-tone 9x23 Combat Commander.
This is the second 9x23 that I’ve done for this customer with the first being built on a Colt Series 70 Government Model. He’s what some would call a “hard shooter” and is certainly just what you hope for in a customer. He is also well versed with the cartridge and what he wants and needs to do with the gun. I had a solid idea for what he wanted and needed on this build and, with the exception of a few details, most everything was in my hands. The gun is as full-house dose and typical of what we do the pistol has a welded frame and slide fit, Nowlin barrel w/ EGW bushing, C&S ignition set, hand checkered front and rear at 30lpi, Legacy Custom mainspring housing machined into the frame, complete line straightening, S&A grip safety, Wilson ambi-safety, and of course a polished blue slide atop a matte hard chrome frame. But he did have one request in particular that helped to make this gun stand out, a matted slide top and rear.
And this thing is a rocket ship... or maybe better described as a rocket launcher! It’s a ‘100 yard’ gun all day long and at normal ranges gives immediate feedback when used on those pesky steel plates. The 9x23 Commander sized gun makes for a neat configuration that lets you know with authority when you’ve touched off a round... kind of cool that it also lets those around you know too.
Once again it’s nice to put good guns in the hands of good folks and it’s also nice to be able to build something that stretches past our boundaries a bit and enjoy doing it too!
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