Colt Commander Reviews

The fact that its full metal and has a hefty weight to it.

If it can be a full auto Colt Commander 1911, which i know won't happen, but other than that, i wouldn't change anything else.

When it comes to field stripping for cleaning/maintenance purpose, it can be a struggle to assemble it back together, especially with the spring, very stiff, but give it time, you'll get the hang of it.

Looks, heft and feel. It handles like the real thing except a little lighter. I also have the real 1911.

Take the warning lettering and move it to the frame in very small letters.

To get the gun to function properly I had to disassemble it and lube it. However it has a few hang ups. When I shoot 5 or 6 rounds the slide goes to the rear like it is the last round. Also when I put in a new co2 cartridge I have to fire the gun 4 or 5 times before it actually sends a bb down the barrel.

Very accurate replica to a real Colt 1911 with some customized features. I'm glad it's not "Commander"? length (1/2" shorter) as the name implies as I like it being a standard full sized 1911 model. Controls, functionality, dimensions, etc., are very detailed and accurate. It's not only just good fun to have a blowback replica bb pistol, but also good practice for real pistol shooting skills.

A few things for me. 1.) Remove the engraved warning paragraph on the right hand side of the slide. I almost didn't purchase do to it, and yeah it really is detracting from this beauty. 2.) The plastic gas nozzle system in the slide has some loose plastic nib thingy moving around that rattles (noisily) around or back and forth which sounds odd and cheap. 3.) Make the sights drift adjustable for side to side windage. Mine shoots off to the right a good bit with all bbs used so far. -These are very minimal gripes, but things I would change.

While there are a lot of decent 1911 replica bb pistols available, this Colt seems like a better overall model/value when you take into account all the features, aesthetics, functionality and price. For me, this gun turned out better (very satisfied) than I thought it would be, compared to the recent revolver replica purchases I've made. Ymmv.

It is almost identical to the real one, I love it!

Just like the real thing

Nothing

Great training gun

like the weight an feel of this pistol

I have not shot this unit yet but what I see it looks an feels very good

Weight and feel close to the powder burner version. Very handsome look. Easy take-down. Black coloring is nice. Classic 1911 that would be right at home in a Humphrey Bogart movie. All metal construction. Has great white dot sights.

Adjustable targeting sights would have been great. The grips were good and felt good but wood simulation and brownish in color would have been better. CO2 consumption is heavy but is the cost of the realistic blowback.

I changed the grips to dark brown wood on my Commander the day after it arrived. I had to hollow out the wood grips to compensate for the CO2 cartridge thickness but it was worth doing. I was able to get good power and shots in two full clips and kept the pattern within a 2" bullseye regularly at the 23 foot distance of my home range. Shooting specs on my Caldwell Chrony were: Hi Velocity 312 fps, Lo Velocity 300 fps, Range: 12, Mean Velocity 305 fps. Standard Deviation: 3.49. Performance was, in my opinion, pretty good. As a reminder, blowback pistols are meant for plinking fun, not for serious target accuracy. My Colt shot consistently below and a little off to the right but it was fairly easy to compensate. I own a number of 1911 replicas. The 1911 is my favorite model and the Commander is a great addition to my collection. If you like 1911s you should go for this one.

It's a very realistic replica of a 1911. Though it doesn't seem to replicate any one specific M1911, it matches a standard 5" GI style with some upgrades. It looks great and feels awesome. The weight is not too far off from the real thing (with respect to different materials used) As far as the actual shooting goes, it's insanely fun. The blowback is lightning fast (some describe it as sluggish compared to other blowback pistols, I find it to be the opposite) and gives off unbelievable recoil for an airgun, similar to a .22 rimfire. I usually load just 7 or 8 BBs for realism but sometimes you just can't beat loading up all 18 rounds and dumping the mag on your target. The accuracy is excellent for a BB gun, though it's easy to forget about groupings when rapid firing. The sights are simple 3 dot and they work great.

The warning markings are quite excessive, and I unfortunately cannot find a way to get rid of them. Also I personally would remove the S/F markings from the safety. The recoil spring plug has a lip at the end which prevents it from sliding out the front of the slide on disassembly, unlike the real steel. However, I'm sure an aftermarket one could fit in place, and I may give it a go. Not a big deal either way. The slide catch doesn't allow me to release the slide by racking it, again a minor issue. The finish is rather poor and will flake pretty easily, but leaves behind a cool 'battle-worn' look.

Buy a few extra magazines so you won't have to stop and reload them as much, it's the only thing that takes away from the fun of shooting this pistol.

I have enjoyed all the features of the gun. Its realism is remarkable. Very accurate for being a smooth bore. I am trying to locate 2 more guns and have them on back order status.

Put into the user manual that the magazine follower can be retracted and held captive in its rear position, while bbs are loaded in the mag, at the top, face opening, while laying the magazine on its back. Use of a thin credit card can facilitate pushing the bb into the exit hole of the magazine. Using a 45 degree angle on the card, while pushing downward, forces the bb into the mag. While holding the mag upright, a light press on the magazine follower tab will free the follower and push the bbs upwards, ready to be chambered , one at a time.

The magazine for this gun can best be loaded with BB's by retracting the bb follower to the rear, and allow it to catch on the lip of the mag where bb's can to inserted. The follower is now locked back and stays back while loading the bb's in the top of the magazine face, while lying on its back. This is the last part of the mag that the bb's touch before entering the barrel. Lay a bb in the opening. The bb will sit there and not roll off. Use a credit card to push down on the bb at a 45 degree angle. The bb will pop into the mag and roll down inside till it contacts the follower. continue in like manner to load 17 more bb's, one at a time. Hold the mag upright. Release the follower tab, by pushing "in" on the tab. The tab becomes free, and The spring will push all bb's upward, in proper alignment, ready for feeding .

Well build, accurate, reliable!!

MAYBETHE WARNINGS IN THE SLIDE, LESS CONSPICUOUS..

If you are a 1911, shooter, you will simply will fall in love...they are that awesome, without the cost and the hazards of shooting real ammo this days...

Heavy, very realistic feel. Fun to shoot. Heavy recoil due to slide weight. With some paint and weathering is looks very real indeed.

Shots per Co2. Seal (last more than a couple of weeks).

It's fun. but won't last long - a paperweight too fast - but if you work on aging it, it's a very good looking one!

Looks and feels like a real 1911

Nothing

You will only get about 50 shots with your co 2

Functions very much like a real 1911, of which I have several and have fired extensively. On this Colt Commander BB gun the thumb safety, grip safety, slide release, and magazine release work like the real thing. The blow-back, reciprocating slide action simulates a cartridge firearm somewhat, although recoil is much less. The slide stays open after firing the last BB, which is an excellent feature. It saves wasting gas when the gun is empty, as happens on other designs. The accuracy is sufficient to hit pop cans offhand at 25 feet or so every shot if you do your part. I have fired about 300 BB's and it has worked fine with no misfeeds or jams. As far as I can tell, the gun is all metal except for the grip panels. The fit and finish of the gun is very good. It is better than at least one of the real 1911's (not a Colt) I have.The white, 3-dot sights are a real aid in seeing the sights and allowing a good sight picture. I am getting about 60 shots per CO2 cartridge.

The gun comes in that miserable plastic clamshell packaging which must be cut open with a knife or scissors. Even a plain cardboard box would be a vast improvement, both in ease of opening and a place to store the gun when not in use. Also, the magazine follower does not have a latched position to hold it against magazine spring pressure. A simple latch to hold the follower in the compressed position would be very helpful.

I am very pleased with the Colt Commander CO2 pistol. The fact that it mimics the controls of a real 1911 is a big plus. It is not a target pistol but it is great for casual plinking.It looks very much like a firearm and could easily be mistaken for one. It even has a false muzzle of about .45 caliber with simulated rifling.

I bought this 1911 replica to train with. The look and feel are very similar to my Ruger. Good accuracy. The blow back makes it fun. Works very well so far.

Nothing

You will save a lot of money in ammo and still be able to practice.

Detailed replica, very good accuracy, field strips just like the real thing. Nice trigger pull, more like a custom job than a stock 1911. My friend bought an Umarex Colt 1911 non-blowback pellet gun (the German-made one) and he likes the Commander trigger much better. And he paid $100 more for his! This gun is really fun to shoot.The owner's manual says to use a 6-o'clock hold, but mine shoots to point of aim at 15-20 feet. I do a lot of plinking with my 17-year old daughter and she enjoys it as much as I do. Its like shooting a .22 auto loader. That being said, you will burn through a lot of ammo and C02 cartridges, but its worth it. A great way to train for the real thing at a fraction of the cost, and you can do it in your own back yard. I have put almost a thousand rounds through this gun without any failures, but see below for more on that. A great air gun for the money! Actually, a great air gun, period. This is my favorite one so far, I have several others.

The only issue I have with this gun is that the sights are not adjustable and they are a little loose. Other reviewers have mentioned this too. I don't know if they came that way or they just progressively got loose, but one reviewer said that he put a little epoxy on both sights and it took care of the problem. The screw on the top of the rear sight appears to be for show, I tried to adjust it but it doesn't work. I don't think the sights being a little loose affects the accuracy that much, but I may try the glue trick anyways. Three-dot system makes target acquisition easy when recovering from each shot. The finish on this gun scratches fairly easily (its paint), so be careful not to drop it or scrape your magazines against it.

When I first bought this gun I used Crossman Copperhead BB's and Crossman CO2 cartridges. Big mistake. The BB's constantly bunched up in the magazine and caused it to jam and misfire, even though I had lubricated the spring and follower. I had to field strip the gun several times to clear everything out. The Crossman CO2 cartridges don't seat very well and will apparently ruin the seal on the magazines. Once I started using Umarex and Hornady steel BB's the problem was completely solved. Not a single jam or misfire after almost 1,000 rounds. I also only use Umarex CO2 cartridges now which give better performance. You get about 3.5 - 4 magazine loads before the power starts to noticeably fade. Others have complained about the magazine being hard to load, but honestly folks, its not that difficult once you get the hang of it. Load over a bowl or something like that and you won't lose a lot of BB's. Buy the extra mags, it's helpful when you are shooting with another person.

Beautiful pistol in every detail of the finish. It work and feel like a real 1911.

To have it for pellets like the Crossman 1911, may be that will make it more accurate.

Feel and weight of pistol

The way BBs are put into the clip is harder than it should be and takes long

Weight, feel and blow-back action replicates a true 1911.

Better system of loading BB's More CO2 power allocated to BB velocity and less to recoil/blow-back action Less sensitive slide lock lever- see comments on "things to know"

As other reviews have mentioned, disregard the loading instructions (loading from the top) as it is very difficult to force-feed BB's and time-consuming. Pull back the mag spring button and load from the bottom opening. Even that process is a pain as it will tear up your fingernails after repeated loading. There needs to be a spring retention slot BELOW the opening to hold the spring back. IF YOU ARE A LEFT-HANDER: be aware the slide will lock back after every shot (like when the mag's empty) and be manually released for each succeeding shot. I had this issue with two of these pistols. It must be shot right-handed to function correctly. Also, while the blow-back action is impressive, it is more forceful than really needed and some of the excess power could have been allocated to BB muzzle velocity. All in all, what could have been an excellent 1911 replica suffers from some serious flaws, hence the two star rating.

First-class replica of a 1911A1. Feels exactly like the real thing. Functions very much like the real thing. Recoil about the same as a similar-sized .22 pistol. Excellent for practice in using a 1911A1. It's not easy to shoot this pistol accurately, but "easy" isn't the point with a trainer, right?

It's a challenge to shoot this pistol well. Trigger is heavy and mushy. It's also a challenge to load. I drop almost as many bb's as I get into the magazine. I am going to try the Umarex loader tool to see if this helps. I'm not sure about the gun's inherent accuracy. Mine groups a little to the right, which is not a problem. I will try drifting the rear a few taps to the left (you can also hold left to compensate). Reguires a 6 o'clock hold. I have to WORK at keeping my shots on a 2" x 2" post it note at 25 feet.

This gun serves a very specific purpose. It allows 1911 shooters to train on their chosen platform cheaply, fairly quietly and conveniently. Be prepared to WORK at making this gun shoot. It's not easy and because loading is a bear it's not particularly "fun" either. Personally, I'm not shooting for "fun" so this gun meets my expectations. Conclusion: It's an outstanding training tool. It is NOT a toy. Also, it looks and acts like a "real" gun, so please be careful. Neighbors and police will NOT be able to tell it's a bb gun.

A good approximation of the real ColtCommander (which I own and fire regularly) but economical and convenient to shoot. The recoil generated by the slide requires the same attention to grip as the .45 in order to achieve accuracy.

Adjustable sights would be nice.

A touch of silicone plumbers grease on the bottom on the CO2 cartridge makes seating much easier.