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Description

The Colt Commander is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun based on the John M. Browning–designed M1911 . It was the first mass-produced American pistol with an aluminium alloy frame and the first Colt pistol to be chambered in 9mm Parabellum.

The Colt Commander was initially made for U.S. Army trials, who in 1949 started announcing they wanted to seek a 9x19mm replacement for the M1911A1 pistol to keep up with NATO standards. Throughout the early 1950's the U.S. Ordnance Corps tested several pistols made by manufacturers such as Colt, FN Herstal, Smith & Wesson and High Standard. In 1955 the Army wanted to officially open the replacement program, with a $150.000 award for the winning design. However, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics refused to grant the funds for such a high reward, stating that the M1911A1 was more than adequate for the little actual combat use that pistol would see during war time and thus de trials were cancelled. The M1911A1 would remain the sole standard side army for the U.S. Army, leaving it without a 9mm handgun until the Joint Service Small Arms Program in 1977, when the Beretta M92F was adopted as the M9 Pistol. Although not being officially adopted, the Colt Commander would see combat in Vietnam with some officers and special forces.

Colt made several variations of the Commander and offered it in .45 ACP and .38 Super chamberings. Other variants followed with different degrees of factory accurizing and materials.

Source: Wikipedia, historicalfirearms.info

Description

The Colt Commander is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun based on the John M. Browning–designed M1911 . It was the first mass-produced American pistol with an aluminium alloy frame and the first Colt pistol to be chambered in 9mm Parabellum.

The Colt Commander was initially made for U.S. Army trials, who in 1949 started announcing they wanted to seek a 9x19mm replacement for the M1911A1 pistol to keep up with NATO standards. Throughout the early 1950's the U.S. Ordnance Corps tested several pistols made by manufacturers such as Colt, FN Herstal, Smith & Wesson and High Standard. In 1955 the Army wanted to officially open the replacement program, with a $150.000 award for the winning design. However, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics refused to grant the funds for such a high reward, stating that the M1911A1 was more than adequate for the little actual combat use that pistol would see during war time and thus de trials were cancelled. The M1911A1 would remain the sole standard side army for the U.S. Army, leaving it without a 9mm handgun until the Joint Service Small Arms Program in 1977, when the Beretta M92F was adopted as the M9 Pistol. Although not being officially adopted, the Colt Commander would see combat in Vietnam with some officers and special forces.

Colt made several variations of the Commander and offered it in .45 ACP and .38 Super chamberings. Other variants followed with different degrees of factory accurizing and materials.

Source: Wikipedia, historicalfirearms.info