It’s neat to see how things in the 1911 world have changed and evolved over the years. Better parts, better finishes, better work, and more… things have certainly progressed and I’ve always enjoyed seeing the advancement of the gun.
In a somewhat similar way I feel like I have progressed a bit too. As it was only 6 or possibly 7 short years ago when I would have scoffed (adamantly so) at the thought that I could enjoy a 9mm 1911, much less be considering the prospect of building my self one. All of the 1911s I own follow the tried and true format, each one being an all-steel full-size 45ACP Government Model. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember… but still I find myself with a better appreciation for a 9mm 1911 and even a desire to build one as a keeper and this gun has much to do with that.
The owner of this gun has a good way of describing the ”why” of a 9mm 1911 or more specifically a 9mm Lightweight Commander. He says, ‘it’s not a gun you decide to carry, but rather you arrive at the decision to carry this gun’… and he’s got an interesting point. Having moved from a full-size all-steel 45ACP Government Model to a 9mm Hi-Power because of the weight savings and overall smaller dimensions, a Lightweight Commander makes easily as much sense. The caliber transition from the 45ACP Government Model to the 9mm Hi-Power was already a moot point… bullet technology is so good that the difference is between the calibers likely won’t matter when the shooter does his part.
Another factor that really help to swing the decision to a Lightweight Commander in 9mm was the overall carry-ability of the platform and the ease of carrying a healthy payload of spare ammo. Even in an all steel Government Model the 1911 is a relatively easy gun to carry due to its thin profile and balance. In its original format the gun is easy to conceal in a good IWB… making the gun lighter and a bit shorter at the muzzle helps allot of folks who tote around a gun 10+ hours a day.
For this particular shooter another big advantage over the Hi-Power came by way of the spare magazines. The Hi-Power magazine is somewhat ‘blocky’ and in most cases it’s complete with some fairly sharp baseplate corners that can play hell on shirts and car seats. The 1911 magazine, with its thin flat profile, is less intrusive to carry on a day-to-day basis and much easier to put two or three spares on one’s belt. What’s more is that the 1911 magazine is much easier to reload into the gun when compared to the Hi-Power. With its relatively small magazine well opening and the pronounced front corners on the magazine tube itself, precise alignment of the Hi-Power magazine is paramount before insertion into the gun. The 1911 is more forgiving here and, as the owner found, worth trading the 13 round magazine capacity of the Hi-Power for the slightly smaller 10 round capacity of the 9mm 1911.
After the thought and research on what gun the rest was sort of easy. The owner, who happens to be a shooting partner of mine, has some very specific details and preferences that make the gun easier for him to carry and shoot. Since he already knew what he liked and wanted in a 1911 it was the… ummm… ”simple” matter of me translating that onto steel and aluminum. Pictured here are the results… enjoy!
