Colt Commander Light Weight Lightweight .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1952 C&R

Make: Colt

Model: Lightweight Commander Model

Serial Number: 27712-LW

Year of Manufacture: 1952 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Automatic fed by Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 4 1/4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade with a serrated, ramped face fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown “Coltwood” plastic panels. The grips have even light handling wear with a patch of more notable wear on the right panel behind the magazine catch. There are some light nicks and scuffs. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue & Black Alloy Frame

Finish Originality: Most remaining finish is Original. Worn areas of the slide show treatment with cold blue.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is some stubborn fouling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 40% of its metal finish. There is fairly even scattered wear with strongest finish in protected areas or around raised features. Worn areas of the slide show treatment with cold blue which has mostly thinned. There is some minor surface erosion on the left slide flat. There is an “idiot mark” under the slide stop on the left of the frame. There are tool marks around the magazine catch on the right of the frame. There are some other scattered mor minor marks. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The slide has very little play to the frame. The trigger is crisp. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 7-round magazine.

Our Assessment: Introduced by Colt as a lighter-weight version of the 1911, the smaller size of the Commander was popular and soon they were offered in a number of variations including different frame materials and calibers. The original development centered on an aluminum-frame 9mm as a candidate for US Military post-war officer’s pistols, but were also offered in the classic .45 ACP cartridge. This is a fairly early example produced in 1952, and chambered for .45 ACP. The pistol is in Good condition showing scattered finish wear, but retaining a good bore and strong mechanics. Its original Coltwood grips show no shrinkage endemic to this era, but do have some wear consistent with the pistol’s overall condition. While this will make for a nice carry pistol in a potent chambering, it will also make it a neat addition to a Colt automatic collection. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud