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1911 Government Commander Officer Models

bolline
What are the differences between the 1911 models of the Government, Commander and Officer model semi-autos? (regardless of the make or year).

Thanks.
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9 comments

Date Votes
  • 5mmgunguy
    Barrel length for one.
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  • Hawk Carse
    Colt Government: 5" barrel
    Commander: 4.25" barrel, same length butt.
    Officer's ACP: 3.625" barrel, shorter butt.
    CCO (Concealed Carry Officers): 4.25" barrel, shorter butt.

    Other makes mess with the specifications, barrel lengths of 3.5" and 4" are usual. Butt lengths are usually either Gov't or OACP which makes buying magazines easier. But you will have to read the clone labs' catalogs to see what is what.
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  • bolline
    So I have a full size Colt 1911, full size Kimber and the new Remington 1911 R1. I have the original mags for each. So is safe to say a mag from one manufacturer is good to use in any other 1911? Any experiences with using other brand mags with 1911's. Like Wilson Combat, Triple K, Chip McCormick or ProMag, etc. Thanks.
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  • Hawk Carse
    G.M. magazines are SUPPOSED to be interchangeable. But there are so many different companies making guns and magazines, you can run into incompatibility. Easy for you to test Colt vs Kimber vs Remington.

    I have had good luck with Colt, Wilson, McCormick Power Mag, most Metalforms, and have good reviews on Tripp. Pro Mags are spotty and Triple Ks are cheap and I would not bother with them in a common model, only something with no other source.


    7 round magazines are the original design. They have big strong springs and a long service life, have been shot for years, left loaded for decades.
    8 round flush fit magazines have low profile followers and fewer coils of smaller wire spring. My Shooting Star and Metalform 8 round magazines were marginal. They do ok now with replacement springs and SS followers in the Metalform tubes. Springs can and do wear out. I had to change the springs in my older Wilsons about every other year until I got some ISMI chrome-silcon steel springs which are lasting longer.
    The current crop of 8 round magazines has a little protrusion that allows for another turn of spring wire and disguises it with a wraparound floorplate that looks like a base pad.
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  • bolline
    Hawk....I don't want to sound too silly but what's the deal on 7 round vs. 8 round mags. The new Remington R1 1911 comes with 7-rounders and says it has a 7-round capacity (or 7 + 1) but they will be offering 8-round mags later. Obviously a 1-round advantage to get 8's instead of 7's. Most 1911's should be able to take the 8 round mags? Thanks.
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  • 45forme
    The differences between 7&8 are in the magazine, not the gun (with Hawk caveats). Shorter follower allowing 1 more round.

    There are also 10 round magazines that stick out of the butt a little. I have some metalform 10rnd, and some 8rnd and they weren't as reliable as the 7rnd high quality mags. Small sample size though, and they haven't been that bad. I agree with Hawk on the brands as well.
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  • bolline
    Thanks for all the info. Much appreciated.
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  • Spartacus
    and then there's the colt defender, new agent and kimber ultra with 3" barrels and the springfield ultra compact with a 3.5 inch barrel........
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by bolline
    What are the differences between the 1911 models of the Government, Commander and Officer model semi-autos? (regardless of the make or year).

    Thanks.


    As mentioned, its mainly size.

    Govt is the standard 5" bbl gun. Technically these are all steel with spur hammers and fixed sights, etc, though people use the term "gov't" generically to refer to the ordinary full sized guns.

    Commander has a shorter 4.25" bbl, and is also known for having a ring-shaped hammer less prone to snagging (for concealed carry). Butt is the same so this will take ordinary magazines. Technically the true "Commander" guns use an aluminum alloy frame to save weight, though this term is often generically used for all guns of the same size. The Colt issue guns with shorter barrel and steel frame were called "Combat Commander".

    Officer has an even shorter 3.5" bbl with a shorter butt for concealment. Standard mags will stick out of the butt of these guns.

    And to complicate things a bit, now some of the makers are offering guns with 4" and 3" bbls, that aren't quite the standard Colt sizes.

    On magazines, basically the flush-fit 8 rounders aren't quite as reliable or durable as the standard 7 rounders, though the newer iterations of the 8 rounders are better than the older ones. Longer than 8 rounds and they start to stick out of the bottom of the gun.
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