9mm Combat Commander - Pistol Dynamics

[lindertw]

1978 9mm Colt Combat Commander





here are the details:

- retain factory sights (they work very well for me)
- silver solder front sight
- open rear sight notch by 0.010", drop rear sight by 0.010"

- 4.5# trigger
- bevel & narrow hammer
- short aluminum trigger

- Pistol Dynamics 9mm barrel
- Pistol Dynamics stainless bushing
- Pistol Dynamics stainless recoil spring plug
- throat/ramp/crown
- tune extractor

- relieve GI grip safety for commander hammer (like Pachmayr Combat Special)

- bead blast & matte blue finish













The wait was ~1 year. She may seem a little plain, but I'm a minimal frills kinda guy, and it's just what I wanted...

[Hobbes]

Yeah, it may be minimal but it looks great.
You know I've never been big on commanders, but I keep seeing these great pics that make me want to add one to the collection!

[Robb Jensen]

Very nice.

I grew up shooting the hell out of my dads aluminum frame 70 series Colt Commander in .45ACP, Dad and I probably put over 20K rounds through it before he later traded if for a 70 series Gov't model.

[lindertw]

thanks for the compliments.

OT - gotm4, I left an AR at the shop tonight - needs a little diagnosis if you get time this weekend. I'll be sure to bring my commander along whenever I pick it up

[Submariner]

Did Colt ever make a 9mm conversion for the Government or Commander?

[Robb Jensen]

Did Colt ever make a 9mm conversion for the Government or Commander?

I don't think so as it requires a different slide, bbl, mag and ejector.

[Ross]

Did Colt ever make a 9mm conversion for the Government or Commander?

Yes, they did make a conversion for the GM, but as gotm4 noted, it also came with the ejector block, which you had to swap as well. Not exactly the best of conversions.

They also offered a 9x23 conversion for the GM as well. CDNN had a bunch years ago.

The GM's .45 ejector is shorter than the 9/38. So the slides are cut out on the GM differently as well to match.

On the Commander, all calibers use the same height ejector block. I don't know if they're actually different parts for each caliber. So you may, or may not need to swap ejectors on the Commander.

[lindertw]

snagged from the 1911 picture thread:

lindertw , what can you tell us about this company, Pistol Dynamics? I've never heard of them but they're only 150 miles from me.

Pistol Dynamics is owned by Paul Liebenberg, one of the most sought after pistolsmith and innovative designer. His career started with Pachmayr Gun Works where he built many custom 1911s. He built the pistols for Ross Seyfried, who was one of the early champions of IPSC, yes IPSC, before there was a USPSA. Pachymayr guns were used by many early pioneers of combat shooting sport and tactical training. People like Jeff Cooper, Ray Chapman, Ken Hackathorn and many others shot Pachmayr guns, many were built by Paul Liebenberg. The classic Pachmayr Combat Special is the most copied style of 1911 custom work. When Liebenberg left PGW, he worked briefly for S&W then started his own company Pistol Dynamics.

[dewatters]

FWIW: Paul's pistolsmithing career started in South Africa, where he worked with Claudio Salassa (now with Briley's Pistol Division.) They had to make most of their custom M1911 parts from scratch or by welding up existing parts. This was because of the UN arms embargo then in place against South Africa due to its racial policies. Paul eventually bugged out for the US where he went to work with Pachmayr Gun Works. He left in the mid-80s to start his own shop: Pistol Dynamics. One of the projects he worked on was Whit Collins' wildcat pistol cartridge dubbed the 'Centimeter', based on cut down 10mm Auto cases. It was this work that led to S&W knocking on his door when they wanted to offer a .40 cal. cartridge that worked in 9x19mm platforms. As a result, Paul became the first head of the S&W Performance Center. Eventually, Paul left S&W and later restarted his own shop, again called Pistol Dynamics.

[Rob96]

This is how I like 1911s. Simple yet functional.