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Officers frame - Will Commander slide/Barrel Fit?

7K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  MSgt Dotson 
#1 ·
I know the FUll size and Commander size slide/barrels
are diffrerent, - isn't the dust cover shorter in the
Commanders? I was wondering when some of these
manufactureers mate the Officer's frame with a Commander
Length SLIde/Barrel, is it 'Drop In' or a modified
COmmander SLIde/Barrel or ???

Randall
 
#2 ·
Hi, Randall. The search feature will pull up this question quite a few times. In a very bried nutshell, though, you can interchange Commander-sized and Officer-sized frames and slideswithout much of a problem. Not so if you throw the full-sized government model frame, barrel, etc. into the mix.

One example of frame differences is the vertical impact surface, which is located in a different place on the government-model fram than it is on a commander or officer frame.

The barrels are also different. If you compare the profiles of a government-model barrel and a commander barrel, you'll see two big contrasts right off. One is the lower lug profile. Another, and one that seems to be frequently overlooked when this question comes up on the web, is the difference in the chamber area of the barrel just forward of the front lug.

As for parts, some are interchangeable between the government model and the others (for example the slide-stop pin), and other parts are not (for instance the barrel bushings).

So, to be safe, just keep frame and slide swaps between officer and commander, and don't swap either out with a government slide or frame (assuming you're not planning to modify the frame). Also, before swapping parts between government and the other, check the specs on each to ensure that they're the same before doing the swap.

Best,
Jon
 
#3 ·
Thanks John,

I knew the full size Goverment model is different
mainly in the barrel lug area. Someone asked a while
back about a Gov't/5" Bbl in a Commander and the
answer is no. I have a full size S&W 1911 at presetn
and have been looking at Commander/Officers models/
makes. I had a Combat Commander in the mid-70s to
early '80s.

Thanks for the simple answer, I'll try the search function


Randall
 
#4 ·
You're welcome. Hope it helps.

And yes, putting a government barrel in a Commander is a no-no. As I said, the lower lugs are different, and also the metal in front of the foremost lug on a government barrel will slam into the bushing if you put it in a Commander slide. There's a very interesting thread on that somewhere (maybe a year or so ago?) where someone did that, and it ended up eventually cracking the frame.

If you want to really have some fun and don't want to actually do a full build, consider getting an officer's model AND a commander-sized model from the same manufacturer, and then swapping the slides and slide parts from one gun to the other.

Best,
Jon
 
#5 ·
Years back, I did a comparison on frame dimensions between my 86 vintage stainless OACP vs. my '91 vintage stainless LW Custom Carry Commander....

As everything seemed identically dimensioned (recoil lug area) and located, I swapped top ends, and each pistol worked like a charm.
 
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