The Colt Commander line was first conceived as a replacement for the M1911 service pistol during the US Army’s abortive 1949 pistol trials. Instead of a military success, Colt found an overwhelming commercial success.
The Commander, with a shorter 4.25 inch barrel and a lightweight aluminum frame, has continued to bring legendary 1911 ergonomics to the concealed carry market. Close to 75 years since its initial conception, the Commander model has gotten a facelift with the new Colt Night Commander.
Colt Night Commander features: fly by night
In spite of the obvious weight savings over traditional steel frame handguns, Colt is one of the few makers producing an alloy-framed 1911. They do so with their Commander-sized 1911, which features a smaller ringed hammer and a 4.25-inch barrel instead of the traditional 5-inch model.
The Lightweight Commander lineup comes with an anodized aluminum frame, and the Night Commander is the latest in that lineup.
Aesthetically, it has a two-toned theme to denote day and night. You get a Series 80 lightweight 1911 with a blued steel slide, black anodized frame, black checkered G10 Colt grips, and a blued hammer and long trigger. This is offset by the non-reversible magazine release, manual safety, slide release, and grip safety, which are finished in a bead-blasted gray matte color. The polymer mainspring housing, the only plastic piece on the pistol, is also grayed to mimic the dull matte finish.
The sighting arrangement also holds true to the night designation, as the Night Commander comes with drift-adjustable 3-dot Novak tritium sights for low-light shooting.
The mechanics of the Night Commander are little removed from a standard GI 1911. For the sake of reliability, the GI guide rod and barrel bushing assembly is retained, but the recoil spring has been doubled to soak up the recoil of this lighter handgun, whether you opt for the 9mm or .45 ACP version.
In terms of magazine capacity, you get one magazine in the box, and it is either 9+1 in 9mm or 8+1 in .45 ACP. The pistol up for analysis is chambered in .45 ACP.
Shop Counter Impressions
On picking up the new Colt Night Commander, I thought the fit and finish were spot-on as the pistol came without a blemish or burr. The two-tone look is not my personal one, as I like my 1911s with wood grips, but there is an edge to the Night Commander.
Speaking of grips, they are grippy but somewhat sharp in the checkering. The manual safety and extended grip safety work as advertised, and the Commander hammer has no chance to bite the back of the hand.
On testing the trigger on my Lyman scale, it measured an easy 4 lbs. 15 oz. Series 70 enthusiasts will scoff at that number. Series 80 triggers are harder to work on to get down in weight for competition work, but for a carry pistol, the Night Commander’s trigger is brisk with minimal slop.
On the Firing Line with the Colt Night Commander
My subjective shooting experience with the Colt Night Commander can best be described in two ways: solid and sharp. I tested the Night Commander for accuracy, reliability, and ergonomic feedback both off the bench and offhand at distances from 7 to 50 yards with a 300-round count.
The ammunition used includes the following:
- Winchester 230 grain FMJ
- Winchester Personal Defense 230 grain JHP
- Federal American Eagle 230 grain FMJ
- Barnes TAC-XPD 185 grain +P
- Hornady American Gunner 185 grain XTP
Accuracy
The Colt Night Commander offers plenty of usable accuracy in its role as a carry pistol. The Novak night sights pop out immediately, even in low light, and the trigger gives immediate feedback. In other words, it is quick to shoot and drops rounds into a respectable pattern—at least at closer distances.
I started at 25 yards from the bench, and the front sight looms larger. Still, it was not difficult to put eight rounds into a 5-6 inch group at that distance.
By far the standout load was the all-copper Barnes load, which gave consistent 4-inch groups. More surprising is that this load shot to the same point of aim as traditional 230-grain lead ammunition. Offhand at seven yards, the differences shrink, and it was not hard to get ragged holes for groups with all the ammunition tested.
The old school Federal American Eagle 230 grain FMJ load took the accuracy crown with a neat 1.5-inch group.
Reliability
In full disclosure, I tend to do a quick clean and lubrication job before an evaluation. I also keep my magazines under load for a day or two. In my experience, this gives the pistol a fair shake, and the magazines tend to be easier to load on the firing line rather than fresh out of the factory box.
Since the Night Commander only comes with one magazine, I shanghaied two Colt magazines from my Government Model for this test. Throughout my test, I had two failures to feed using the Barnes load within the first 50 rounds through the pistol. The issue resolved itself, and I had no more failures from then on.
Ergonomics
When fully loaded, the Colt Night Commander weighs 2 lbs. 4 oz. Although heavier by polymer pistol standards, it is a lightweight handgun. Certainly, it is light for its caliber, and I expected the Night Commander to be onerous to shoot. The version in 9mm Luger would be a shoe-in for quick and easy shooting, but I am here to report that the .45 ACP version is no chore.
In hand, the Night Commander appears stiff and sharp. The dual recoil spring makes the pistol a little more difficult to chamber and manipulate, which heightens the aggressive checkering and slide serrations. Despite that feeling, the Night Commander won’t make you bleed. But you certainly will have a solid grip, and you will know you have a good purchase on the slide.
The extended grip safety needs to be pressed only slightly to set the pistol off. The beavertail and rounded hammer readily protect my meaty hands from any sort of slide or hammer bite. The manual safety is positive, but it verges on easy when thumbing the safety off to fire. The safety’s enlarged footprint invites the shooter to rest the shooting thumb while taking a full firing grip.
In terms of shooting feedback, I was compelled to shoot the Night Commander against my full-size all-steel Government Model in .45 to have a basis of comparison. The Night Commander retains the same full-firing grip but is an overall lighter and more compact pistol.
The low velocity .45 recoils slowly, but muzzle rise is more pronounced than 9mm in a similar platform. The dual recoil springs dampen the muzzle rise of the .45, so I was able to get on target quickly, but the cyclical rate is sped up. In other words, the Night Commander is a snappy shooter but far from uncomfortable to shoot.
It behaves like a polymer-framed 9mm in terms of recoil impulse, whereas shooting the all-steel 1911 feels like recoil in exaggerated slow motion. The Night Commander handles recoil and shoots more quickly than the sum of its parts would suggest.
Colt’s Night Commander: The Bottom Line
Aside from its styling, the Colt Night Commander is not exactly innovative. The same base design has been around for decades. Yet finding a pistol that fits its niche is surprisingly tough.
Historically, 1911s were popular carry and duty pistols, thanks to their ergonomics, trigger, and the proven .45 ACP cartridge. The main downside is weight, followed by lower ammunition capacity. The latter challenge can be excused thanks to the 1911’s slim profile and the reality that, in some jurisdictions, you may be limited on capacity by decree.
Weight was the overpowering issue, yet lightweight 1911s are somewhat hard to find. Colt is among the very few that offer an alloy 1911 that substantially cuts down on weight.
In the Colt Night Commander, we get a new look and a solid, shootable carry pistol that can actually be carried all day. If you are keen on the 1911 battery of arms but not so keen on weight, you might consider the brand that started it all in the first place.
