Need help in customizing my Colt Commander

[USN CHIEF]

This was my first gun that I purchased 14 years ago. She has been very reliable and has not once given me any trouble. I would like to repay her by getting some upgrades for her. I please need your help in getting a good trigger/sights/beavertail and anything else that you can recommend that would make her look prutier and perform better. Here are two pics. Let me know if you need close up pics of her to make it easier. Thanks in advance for your help.

[FlyingPen]

Fitted match grade barrel and bushing, dark wood grips, night sights, then leave as is. Please don't bling it up.

[Saigon1965]

14 years and now you want to give her some loving.

Stay basic.

[USN CHIEF]

Fitted match grade barrel and bushing, dark wood grips, night sights, then leave as is. Please don't bling it up.

O.K, that sounds good. I know I will be getting the grips from here http://www.vzgrips.com/grips.html . Where would be a good place to find a fitted match grade barrel, Bushing and Good Night Sights?

[FlyingPen]

I think the big names are Barsto, Ed Brown, and of course Wilson. I would get an oversized Barsto and have a good gun smith fit it.

Of course if you have less than 10,000 rounds on it, I don't really see the point of a new barrel. The Commander was never meant to be a match grade gun... I would just save the money towards a Les Baer or something

[JTROKS]

This is what I did to mine. I had a Wilson speed chute to augment speed reloads with mine. The barrel is still stock on mine the 4" group at 25 yards is more than adequate. I did polish and throated it, with a radiused ejection port to save the brass. The trigger has been worked on to give it a nice 4 lb trigger pull using the stock parts. Nothing extended on this one except for the grip safety. Yeah! Yeah... FLRG, but the recoil reducer came like that. It works and I like it.

[USN CHIEF]

I have maybe about 3k rounds through her. The only things that I really want to change is the grips/trigger/sights and add a bigger beaver tail to her.

I know what you mean about saving the money for a nicer gun, but unfortunately I have many nice guns already and this one kind of feels out of place amongst them.

[Saigon1965]

Dude, different tools. If you feel that bad, sell her to me.

[USN CHIEF]

Saigon, I will never sell any of my guns. Especially this one. Come guys/gurls recommend me some good parts for her.

[Saigon1965]

Go down to your local smith and start talking to him/her. They'll have some package pricing.

[USN CHIEF]

Go down to your local smith and start talking to him/her. They'll have some package pricing.

I did that yesterday, the only problem is that he does not have the parts. He told me to get the parts that I want to put in her and he will do it. That is why I am asking all you experts here.

[BigRich]

Chief,
If you decide to replace the barrel, have the smith polish the inside of the slide where the locking lugs are before fitting the barrel. From the picture it looks like the lug area is rough and is doing a lot of scuffing to the barrel hood area. This rough machining is typical of Colt pistols. Polishing will make the gun smoother and longer wearing.
My 0.02 would be some general smoothing of the internals, a new barrel, bushing, link and pin from Barsto, better sights, a nice high ride beavertail, raising the front strap under the trigger guard (checkering the front strap if it is in the budget, a better quality trigger unit and a trigger job. Some nice thin grip panels with engraved screws would finish it off. I, personally would stay away from extended controls. Keep it low profile and elegant. 600 grit polish and blue looks classy but doesn't wear as well as something like brushed finish hard chrome or NP3. You would then have a handsome companion to shoot and be proud of for the rest of your life.

[Overkill]

Colt has what they call the "O" package that they can perform on your pistol. The package includes a fitted beavertail grip safety, installation of Novak rear sight and dovetailed front sight, dehorning of the pistol and a refinish. I think that the package costs $375, which is a pretty good price considering what they do. You could have them install a match bushing while they're at it.

[USN CHIEF]

Thank you Big Rich for the advice.

Overkill, I never taught of contacting Colt. I will give them a call right now. Thanks.

[FlyingPen]

You can send it to Springfield or Colt Custom Shop for a complete internal deburring and polishing. Maybe also get the slide fitted to the frame for that on greased glass bearings feel.

If it was me, I would just get sights for it and enjoy an American classic.

It's like having an E30 M3 in the garage that's full of new Ferraris and Lambos. Sure, it's not as nice but in terms of cool factor, it's just as good if not better.