Commander length slide question

[fatoldfool]

I have a RIA 1911 I would like to use for a beater. I would like to put a commander length slide on it (better for coat pocket carry on the farm). If you were looking for a commander slide assembley as cheap as possible, where would you look? TIA

[fatoldfool]

Gee whiz This must be a stupid question....Can I change my question to "Where can you buy replacement parts for a Rock Island?"  or  does anyone else sell Commander length slide assemblies?

[coyotejoe]

Nothing wrong with your question Pard, I just don't know the answer. Well, come to think of it, that is a bad question, how dare you ask a question I can't answer? What is wrong with you? Are you some kind of troll? You're just trying to stir up trouble aren't you!!! Sorry, must be the Oxycontin kicking in.

[SharonAnne]

for a good general supply of replacement parts it is hard to beat Brownells. There are others but it is a good place to start.

[coyotejoe]

How dare you answer a question I couldn't answer. etc, etc, etc!

[fatoldfool]

OK, sorry if I seemed testy I did find from another board that Sarco sells complete slide assemblies much cheaper than anyone else. I can buy a used Commander cheaper off GunBroker than I can buy just the parts anywhere else. So the next question is does anyone know who the supplier might be for Sarco slides? If they are Phillipine (RIA) I would be ok with it, but I would dis-trust anything like Llama.

[Lloyd Smale]

your probably going to have as much into parts as you will a used ria. Keep in mind that theres actually two different comander lenghts depending on what kind of barrel you buy. a commander with a bushing is a 4.5 inch gun and a comander with a tapered barrel would take a 4 inch slide. Bottom line is its a lot of fooling around to get a gun that is between a 1/2 and an inch shorter. Ive allways found that a longer barrel on a 1911 isnt what is a problem with consealing them. Its the grip frame that prints.

[rbwillnj]

When you first posed your question, the first thing I did was check Sarco.  I didn't see any commander length slides listed.  They had some commander lenght barrels, but not in 45 ACP.

You can always call Sarco and ask them where their parts come from.  I wouldn't be surprised if they told you. 

[Boxhead]

You will also have to have the frame machined to function with the shorter slide as I did when I put this one together in the early '90's. In short (no pun intended) it will cost some change as the others have noted.

[fatoldfool]

Boxhead, that is a pretty piece. A commander slide assembly will function on a full sized frame, just looks ugly! I guess I am going to give up on that project and just buy a shorter pistol. You are going to laugh, but I wanted something that would fit in an outer coat pocket when on the tractor.

[Mikey]

fatoldfool:  There's nothing to laugh about with the notion of having a solid, functional pistol in your outer coat pocket while you are out on the tractor.  Join the club.

When I can wear my coat open I can carry one of my beaters in my waist band or in a belt holster and all is fine.  As you know, as soon as you button up it disappears from both sight and any ease of retrieval.  Also, even with a shorter slide I doubt you would notice any reduction in weight and you would still feel like you are lugging a full sized 45 around as an anchor in that pocket. I once had a combat commander and compared the 'heft' it and a government 45 (same size as yours) and I couldn't really  tell the difference between the two - both seemed to weigh about the  same, not at all like my aluminum frame commander.

There is also serious merit to your idea of just getting another gun, one that would fit into your outer coat pocket and if your farm coat pockets are anything like my farm coat pockets they could easily carry most anything, from a 4" revolver, snubnoses of course, small to medium frame autos like the smaller sigs in nice flat shootin' calibers like the 357 Sig, older mil-surps like the Makarov, CZ52s, or my favorite the Tokarev in 7.62x25.  Some mil-surp 9mms should also work for you.

About the only thing that might concern you is how reliable the pistol/revolver will function after working all day and having a bunch of lint and crap load up your pocket and pistol.  JMTCW.  Mikey.

[SharonAnne]

Lloyd, I do believe that a Colt Commander has a 4.25" barrel. It has a conventional bushing.

[Mikey]

SharonAnne - yes it do................

[Lloyd Smale]

you are correct missed the 2 when i typed it. commanders can either be 4.25 with a bushing or 4 inch bushingless Both use obviously use differnt slides.

[Boxhead]

Boxhead, that is a pretty piece. A commander slide assembly will function on a full sized frame, just looks ugly! I guess I am going to give up on that project and just buy a shorter pistol. You are going to laugh, but I wanted something that would fit in an outer coat pocket when on the tractor.

Briley barreled mine and removed material inside the frame well where the recoil spring guide abuts. Of course the front of the frame was cut to match scallops on the slide.