Steel vs. Aluminum & Government Model vs. Commander

by FOG, Saturday, June 08, 2013, 11:52 (4131 days ago) @ Otony

I've owned .45-cal 1911s in all of the 'common' barrel lengths now available, except for 3" and 6", and several had alloy frames.

Currently, I only have two:
1) Government Model (steel frame)
2) Combat Commander (also steel)

Truthfully, I'd rather the Combat Commander was a 5-inch gun, but these are the 'breaks'.

Breaking it down to basics, this is how I see it:
Steel: Range Gun
Aluminum: Carry Gun
Goverment Model: Yes
Commander: Ditto

In other words, I think the differences between the steel-framed Goverment Model and Combat Commander are greatly outweighed by their similarities: both are probably the 'best general-purpose' sidearms extant.

I also believe the true Commander length 1911 − 4¼ inches − is a sort of 'lower limit'. Below that, things get much more...interesting. Many of them work just fine, but none are as versatile as their longer-barreled counterparts.

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