Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... - The Firearms Forum

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 08:21 PM

It shoots good!

mike
gn

bcj1755 · 06-13-2009, 08:54 PM

Short and to the point

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcj1755

Short and to the point

Yeah...i thought that would bring a chuckle...

It cycled every round perfectly. I think it may need a little bit of a break in to be as good as my other lightweight commander. This one is not a so called lightweight. Its about 8 to 9 oz heaver and makes shooting a little more pleasant. I like the front sight on this new one...the white dot is a little more oval which seems to make it easier to see?

I was shooting from a longer distance from normal AND with bright sunlight. My eyes were giving me fits. My eyesight is really getting poor and my glasses are only single vision for long distance only and its impossible to focus closer than 3 feet making it hard to see the sights. So basicly...no bullseyes. I need to get dual vision lenses bad. I have an Astigmatism(sp)?

I think when i get a chance to go to the indoor range my shooting will improve a little bit. The lighting there is better for my eyes.

I didn't take the kimber along because i have not had a chance to clean the barrel out yet. I allways like to clean the barrel before i shoot it the first time. I got called to go shooting at the last minute and didn't have a chance to do anything other than take a shower and brush my teeth. Plus i don't quite know how to disassemble the Kimber yet. Its a little different.... it does not have the barrel bushing.... I'll have to read the book.... dang i hate doing that!

I'll write a report on the Kimber as soon as i get a chance to try it out.

mike
gn

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 09:27 PM

PS

One thing i noticed about this commander... it throws brass all over the place...rather wildly. The lightweight Commander does not throw brass all over the place like this one does. The ejection port looks a little different too. Its not cut out to the same shape...

mike
gn

bcj1755 · 06-13-2009, 09:29 PM

You looked into getting contacts? I'm terribly nearsighted (20/200 uncorrected vision) with an astigmatism and have between 20/20 and 20/15 vision with contacts. I have much better vision with contacts than with my glasses (the glasses are the exact same prescription as my contacts).

If you don't want to clean the Kimber, you can send it my way, I'll clean and shoot it

Glad the new Colt is working out for you. It took a couple trips to the range before my Walther was broken in. Now go shoot that Kimber and give us another range report. Better yet, take ALL your guns to the range and give us a report

ponycar17 · 06-13-2009, 09:35 PM

That's good to hear GN!

I have an astigmatism as well and wear contacts. The contacts are MUCH better than my glasses for the astigmatism correction. When I look through a scope with my glasses on the horizontal crosshair appears tilted about 15 degrees. When I first saw this I thought the dang scope was broken. I later found out that it was just the glasses. I've also noticed that the glasses make things in my peripheral vision appear oblong. I can't stand that...

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 09:51 PM

I've had contacts before...a LONG time ago. They may have improved them since then, i don't know? But since i had the stigmatism the lenses had to be big enough that they actually went on the eye AND under the lids at the same time. They were that large in diameter....unlike normal contacts that don't go past the colored part of the eye. They felt like i had an eyelash in the eye every time i had them in due to them going up under the lids. I hated them.... Glasses are better but boy are they expensive!

mike
gn

ponycar17 · 06-13-2009, 09:59 PM

Mike, you can't tell the difference with modern contacts for astigmatism... My contacts are normally sized just like my wife's that are not for astigmatism.

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponycar17

Mike, you can't tell the difference with modern contacts for astigmatism... My contacts are normally sized just like my wife's that are not for astigmatism.

They must have improved them from long ago....

mike
gn

bcj1755 · 06-13-2009, 10:01 PM

Yeah, my toric lenses are the same size as normal contacts. Only thing I don't like about them is putting them in every morning. Well, that and when they dry out on me.

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcj1755

Yeah, my toric lenses are the same size as normal contacts. Only thing I don't like about them is putting them in every morning. Well, that and when they dry out on me.

Yeah, i have that whole dry eye thing. My tear ducts are plugged...so says the eye doctor.

mike
gn

bcj1755 · 06-13-2009, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glocknut

Yeah, i have that whole dry eye thing. My tear ducts are plugged...so says the eye doctor.

mike
gn

I don't have dry eyes, per se. It's just that my contacts dry out sometimes. I either use eye drops of I just kind of poke myself in the eye

Or make myself yawn so my eyes water.

glocknut · 06-13-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcj1755

I don't have dry eyes, per se. It's just that my contacts dry out sometimes. I either use eye drops of I just kind of poke myself in the eye

Or make myself yawn so my eyes water.

So it would be a double whammy for me... the contacts would dry out even faster on allready dry eyes. I think i will stick with glasses...or maybe someday...surgery. But i hate contacts....

mike
gn

Maximilian II · 06-14-2009, 02:31 AM

I love my contacts. I'm rather incredibly nearsighted, and depth perception and peripheral vision are both hampered with regular glasses.
I fight MMA, on occasion, just for fun these days. Depth perception is really important to me. On the street and in tactical situations, so is peripheral vision.

You guys all wear eye protection when you shoot, right?

RunningOnMT · 06-14-2009, 08:51 AM

Mike,

Just one caution about bi-focals. I've been getting prescriptions for bi-focals now for about the last 15 years or so and I've never liked them. I've never been able to get used to the line that's always in front of my eyes even when viewing for distance. I tried the transitions lenses and didn't like them either. No matter whether looking through the distance lens or bifocals I'm always aware of the blurred image from the other lens.

The other problem is that for some reason my bi-focals although technically the right prescription for my eyes, do not give me clear vision when looking downward through the bi-focals to read. To see clearly I half to lift my glasses with my hand and look straight through the bi-focals to see print clearly. I don't know if that's just a unique problem with my eyes or not.

The bottom line for me is that basically my distance vision is not that bad. I can still drive safely without glasses. I have a strange problem where my prescription seems to change from time to time so that suddenly my vision isn't quite as clear with my current lenses but I get some improvement going back to an older prescription. Then my eyes will seem to change and my most recent scrip works better. I think these fluctuations may be due to either high bp or mild diabetes or both. I do however usually need lenses for reading anything from newspaper type size and smaller.

So for my next glasses I think I'll just get a single lens for distance and buy a separate pair of mild reading glasses from a drugstore for reading small print. Perhaps a very mild reading lens would have enough focal range to be able to see the front and rear sights clearly. I'm going to try that myself the next time I go to the range.

Pistolenschutze · 06-14-2009, 08:56 AM

I have a Colt Commander myself, Mike. Frankly, I like it more, and shoot it better, than the full-length 1911s. Unlike my Gold Cup, it is not fussy about ammo.

TranterUK · 06-14-2009, 09:30 AM

I also have found commanders better balanced than full size 1911s. I have had them in both .45 and 9mm (Lightweight with the ally frame) and found them easy to shoot well.

With a beavertail safety (for quick grip acquisition), anti snag sights and a mainspring housing to taste (flat or arched) they come near as perfect as you can.

RunningOnMT · 06-14-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TranterUK

I also have found commanders better balanced than full size 1911s. I have had them in both .45 and 9mm (Lightweight with the ally frame) and found them easy to shoot well.

With a beavertail safety (for quick grip acquisition), anti snag sights and a mainspring housing to taste (flat or arched) they come near as perfect as you can.

Would you go so far as to say they are more accurate shooters than 1911's with a 5 inch barrel?

glocknut · 06-14-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningOnMT

Mike,

Just one caution about bi-focals....

No...not bifocals. What i meant was regular glasses that help you focus both far and near. Regular corrective lenses. I was cheap and bought a pair that were for long distance only. She said they were "single vision"?? These glasses are not designed to allow me to focus within 3 feet distance.
I will never buy bifocals...ever.

mike
gn

bigbore480 · 06-14-2009, 04:55 PM

You shot just fine none of the neighbors complained about any windows shot out and no one is missing. I want to try a pair of those aperature glasses and see how they work for shooting.

RunningOnMT · 06-16-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glocknut

No...not bifocals. What i meant was regular glasses that help you focus both far and near. Regular corrective lenses. I was cheap and bought a pair that were for long distance only. She said they were "single vision"?? These glasses are not designed to allow me to focus within 3 feet distance.
I will never buy bifocals...ever.

mike
gn

Anything that has two different optics incorporated into a single lens is a bifocal as far as i know. You may be thinking a bifocal has the line that you can see. There are others they call transitions lenses which have no clear line between optics. No one else can tell you have bifocals on. Some people like them, I hated them.

The problem I have found with bifocals is that the part of the lens for distance is not really needed but may help a bit, while the other lens for reading has a much shorter focal range. Neither lens is right for intermediate ranges like arms length or a bit longer. If wearing glasses I have to take them off when I go in a store because I can't see items on the shelf clearly through either lens.

I may just quit wearing regular glasses altogether and just use reading glasses for fine print.

06-13-2009, 08:21 PM	#1
glocknut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: THE FORUM MASCOTT... Posts: 12,482	Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... It shoots good! mike gn __________________ Where O where are you tonight? Why have you gone and left me alone? I searched to world over and a thought i found true love... You met another and PTThhh you were gone.... -->

06-13-2009, 08:54 PM	#2
bcj1755 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: A wretched hive of scum and villiany Posts: 4,357	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... Short and to the point __________________ History is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace, and revolution continue on forever. Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges - Cicero If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. - Samuel Adams

06-13-2009, 09:27 PM	#4
glocknut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: THE FORUM MASCOTT... Posts: 12,482	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... PS One thing i noticed about this commander... it throws brass all over the place...rather wildly. The lightweight Commander does not throw brass all over the place like this one does. The ejection port looks a little different too. Its not cut out to the same shape... mike gn __________________ Where O where are you tonight? Why have you gone and left me alone? I searched to world over and a thought i found true love... You met another and PTThhh you were gone....

06-13-2009, 09:29 PM	#5
bcj1755 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: A wretched hive of scum and villiany Posts: 4,357	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... You looked into getting contacts? I'm terribly nearsighted (20/200 uncorrected vision) with an astigmatism and have between 20/20 and 20/15 vision with contacts. I have much better vision with contacts than with my glasses (the glasses are the exact same prescription as my contacts). If you don't want to clean the Kimber, you can send it my way, I'll clean and shoot it Glad the new Colt is working out for you. It took a couple trips to the range before my Walther was broken in. Now go shoot that Kimber and give us another range report. Better yet, take ALL your guns to the range and give us a report __________________ History is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace, and revolution continue on forever. Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges - Cicero If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. - Samuel Adams

06-13-2009, 09:35 PM	#6
ponycar17 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: South Carolina Contributor Posts: 4,884	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... That's good to hear GN! I have an astigmatism as well and wear contacts. The contacts are MUCH better than my glasses for the astigmatism correction. When I look through a scope with my glasses on the horizontal crosshair appears tilted about 15 degrees. When I first saw this I thought the dang scope was broken. I later found out that it was just the glasses. I've also noticed that the glasses make things in my peripheral vision appear oblong. I can't stand that... __________________ Arm yourself with intellectual Ammunition! Gunfacts 5.1 Myth-Busting Facts JustFacts.com on Gun Control Stopping Power, the Downloadable Book

06-13-2009, 09:51 PM	#7
glocknut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: THE FORUM MASCOTT... Posts: 12,482	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... I've had contacts before...a LONG time ago. They may have improved them since then, i don't know? But since i had the stigmatism the lenses had to be big enough that they actually went on the eye AND under the lids at the same time. They were that large in diameter....unlike normal contacts that don't go past the colored part of the eye. They felt like i had an eyelash in the eye every time i had them in due to them going up under the lids. I hated them.... Glasses are better but boy are they expensive! mike gn __________________ Where O where are you tonight? Why have you gone and left me alone? I searched to world over and a thought i found true love... You met another and PTThhh you were gone....

06-13-2009, 09:59 PM	#8
ponycar17 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: South Carolina Contributor Posts: 4,884	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... Mike, you can't tell the difference with modern contacts for astigmatism... My contacts are normally sized just like my wife's that are not for astigmatism. __________________ Arm yourself with intellectual Ammunition! Gunfacts 5.1 Myth-Busting Facts JustFacts.com on Gun Control Stopping Power, the Downloadable Book

06-13-2009, 10:01 PM	#10
bcj1755 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: A wretched hive of scum and villiany Posts: 4,357	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... Yeah, my toric lenses are the same size as normal contacts. Only thing I don't like about them is putting them in every morning. Well, that and when they dry out on me. __________________ History is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace, and revolution continue on forever. Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges - Cicero If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. - Samuel Adams

06-14-2009, 02:31 AM	#14
Maximilian II Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Northwest GA Posts: 1,385	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... I love my contacts. I'm rather incredibly nearsighted, and depth perception and peripheral vision are both hampered with regular glasses. I fight MMA, on occasion, just for fun these days. Depth perception is really important to me. On the street and in tactical situations, so is peripheral vision. You guys all wear eye protection when you shoot, right? __________________ Karma is just justice, without the satisfaction. And I don't believe in justice. -Joe Sarno, bagman.

06-14-2009, 08:51 AM	#15
RunningOnMT Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Akron, Ohio Contributor Posts: 4,720	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... Mike, Just one caution about bi-focals. I've been getting prescriptions for bi-focals now for about the last 15 years or so and I've never liked them. I've never been able to get used to the line that's always in front of my eyes even when viewing for distance. I tried the transitions lenses and didn't like them either. No matter whether looking through the distance lens or bifocals I'm always aware of the blurred image from the other lens. The other problem is that for some reason my bi-focals although technically the right prescription for my eyes, do not give me clear vision when looking downward through the bi-focals to read. To see clearly I half to lift my glasses with my hand and look straight through the bi-focals to see print clearly. I don't know if that's just a unique problem with my eyes or not. The bottom line for me is that basically my distance vision is not that bad. I can still drive safely without glasses. I have a strange problem where my prescription seems to change from time to time so that suddenly my vision isn't quite as clear with my current lenses but I get some improvement going back to an older prescription. Then my eyes will seem to change and my most recent scrip works better. I think these fluctuations may be due to either high bp or mild diabetes or both. I do however usually need lenses for reading anything from newspaper type size and smaller. So for my next glasses I think I'll just get a single lens for distance and buy a separate pair of mild reading glasses from a drugstore for reading small print. Perhaps a very mild reading lens would have enough focal range to be able to see the front and rear sights clearly. I'm going to try that myself the next time I go to the range.

06-14-2009, 08:56 AM	#16
Pistolenschutze Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 13,094	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... I have a Colt Commander myself, Mike. Frankly, I like it more, and shoot it better, than the full-length 1911s. Unlike my Gold Cup, it is not fussy about ammo. __________________ --Pistolenschutze (Pistol Shooter)

06-14-2009, 09:30 AM	#17
TranterUK Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 5,103	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... I also have found commanders better balanced than full size 1911s. I have had them in both .45 and 9mm (Lightweight with the ally frame) and found them easy to shoot well. With a beavertail safety (for quick grip acquisition), anti snag sights and a mainspring housing to taste (flat or arched) they come near as perfect as you can. __________________ DVC - Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas - Accuracy, Power, Speed. The light at the end of the recession tunnel IS a train coming the other way!

06-14-2009, 04:55 PM	#20
bigbore480 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Okmulgee OK Posts: 49	Re: Range Report on the new Colt Commander.... You shot just fine none of the neighbors complained about any windows shot out and no one is missing. I want to try a pair of those aperature glasses and see how they work for shooting.