Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP 4.25″ Nickel Semi Auto Pistol MFD 1976 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,102.00
LSB#: LSB260630RH006
Make: Colt
Model: Combat Commander, Pre-Series 80
Serial Number: 70SC48567
Year of Manufacture: 1976 / C&R
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action, Semi-Automatic with a Detachable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “COMBAT / COMMANDER”, “COLT”, and “AUTOMATIC / CALIBER .45”, with a Rampant Colt. The right side is marked “COLT’S COMBAT COMMANDER”. The right side of the frame is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A.” and “70SC48567”. The barrel chamber is marked “COLT .45 AUTO”. The magazine floorplate is marked “COLT / .45 AUTO.”.
Barrel Length: 4 1/4″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a low fixed blade with a serrated rear face. The rear sight is a square-notch sight dovetailed into the slide and drift-adjustable for windage.
Grip Configuration & Condition: The grips are aftermarket two-piece checkered wood panels with smooth diamond-shaped areas around the screw holes. They have light handling marks and minor wear to the checkering and edges. There are no cracks or chips. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.
Magazine Quantity & Condition: One nickel-finished Colt seven-round magazine is included. It has scattered small scratches, insertion wear, and areas of discoloration. Overall, the magazine is in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with sharp rifling. There is scattered minor erosion and pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 6-7/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 95% of its metal finish. There are scattered light scratches, handling marks, and small areas of finish wear. There are small dark spots and areas of discoloration on the slide, frame, and grip straps, including patches along the top of the slide. The markings remain legible. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly.
We did not fire this pistol.
As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: One magazine, described above.
Our Assessment: The Combat Commander emerged from two currents in Colt’s postwar history: military interest in smaller service pistols and a growing civilian appetite for shortened versions of the Government Model. Colt had introduced the original alloy-frame Commander in 1950, reducing both length and weight. The all-steel Combat Commander followed in 1970, and contemporary reporting reveals a military connection behind that return to steel. In a 1977 American Handgunner interview, former Colt engineer Ralph Kennedy recalled that early Combat Commanders had been prototypes for a proposed 9mm general-officer’s pistol. The Army pursued its own shortened pistol at Rock Island instead, but Colt had a commercial audience waiting. Customized short .45 automatics were becoming popular, and the Combat Commander brought that general concept into the company’s regular production line.
Made in 1976, this nickel-finished example represents the commercial form that established the model. Its 4 1/4-inch barrel retains the original Commander’s shortened format, while its steel frame reflects the different priorities behind the Combat version. The flat mainspring housing and nickel finish also belong to the configuration described in period coverage, placing this pistol firmly within Colt’s 1970s expansion of the automatic-pistol family. The distinction is useful: the Commander name had begun with an emphasis on light alloy construction, then broadened to include a compact pistol with the material and weight of a steel receiver. This example illustrates how Colt could develop a military proposal into a lasting commercial model by preserving the familiar Government Model’s basic arrangement while changing its proportions and the choices available to its customers.