Colt M1991A1 Commander

By Paul Allen

I bought a Colt M1991A1 Commander about two years ago and it’s one of my favorites. The Commander is basically the same as Colt’s full size 1991A1 except the barrel and slide are about 1/2″ shorter and it comes with the Commander-style hammer instead of the traditional spur hammer. It uses the standard 1911 magazine (and it will rust if even slightly ignored). I got mine in parkerized matte blue finish, which is probably why I got it for only $360! Surprisingly, it’s a very reliable gun even with UMC ammo. It has the series 80 slide with firing pin block.

I went to Wilson Combat’s site to dress it up with an extended slide release and high-ride beavertail grip safety. As far as I’m concerned, Wilson’s is a 1911 owner’s paradise and their customer service is excellent. BTW, I got Wilson’s book, “The 1911 Maintenance Manual” and decided to try my hand at complete disassembly. It only took about an hour to disassemble, and about 5 hours to get back together. Talk about stress!