Steel is a little heavier. It's a little bit easier to hold a heavier gun steady. Even with rifles.

I have (2) lightweight Commanders. I would never buy a steel one. The weight difference would be so small that I might as well carry my steel Government and benefit from the longer sight radius.

 

Steel will last longer and will feel softer when shooting, lightweight like it’s name implies will be easier to carry some say. Personally I’ve found a good belt and holster is all one needs to carry a steel 1911.

The other drawback to the lightweight gun will be wear, you can have accu rails fit to the gun to extend the life but if you shoot a lot the steel gun will likely last you longer all things being the same.


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I have 17K on an aluminum framed Commander with an aluminum feed ramp and it is still going strong. I am not noticing any additional play in the slide to frame fit.

 

Steel is a lot heavier, lightweight is much better for carry. Same Same for 45.

 

I got scared off of aluminum framed guns in the beginning and wouldn't buy one. I am not a polymer person. I do have steel 1911's. After my first aluminum Commander I will never go any other way for personal carry.

Everyone treats aluminum frames like they are fragile and soft. They are not.

I put a lot of miles on cars every year. The parts that fail are made of plastic and not of aluminum or steel.

 

Eh, these are both 38 super Dan Wesson's and recoil is negligible between the two, people that state that just don't know.

Personally, unless you are a range rat you' never wear out an alloy frame IMHO.

Its way nice carrying the aluminum frame version.

 

I don't like the recoil impulse from a lightweight 45 but 9mm is nothing. I'd imagine an aluminum 9mm would last exceptionally long given how light that round is.

 

I have both 45acp and 9mm aluminum framed Commanders. The recoil difference is negligible.

 

I want an aluminum frame CCO chambered in 38 Super so that as my strength declines with age, I will retain the ability to defend myself for as long as possible without bending my knees to the Eurotrash cartridges as so many of my countrymen have done.

 

Lol I like it. I too want a Super lightweight. I have a steel CCO in 38 but I'd like a lightweight as well. I really like the eurotrash cartridge in the platform as well though.

 

I carry a steel .45 everyday and my 9mm Commander is also in steel. If I intended to carry a 9mm Commander everyday, I would very much consider an aluminum framed one.

 

This is a nice aluminum carry:

With a Sparks Criterion:

 

It's 10ozs from an alum to a steel commander.
I lost 8ozs of weight last week so I'm carrying my steel commander

 

I’ve been edcing a steel commander for the last year and a half, I think I’m ready for a lighter carry or a heavier caliber for a steel frame, I’m being pulled between a gi hellcat and a gi model 3 or 5. Ideally I’d like to have both, anyone have 10gs I can borrow? I will have to sell my kestrel and my dw 15vh to get one. Hard to make these decisions never having held either.

 

In 9mm you will notice very little difference in recoil and frame wear won’t be and issue IMO. 45 is a different story they recoil noticeably more in and aluminum frame.

 

Steel only. Had one aluminum framed 1911, cracked the Colt frame.

My hands are compromised, I like the weight. Don't shoot much 45 anymore, fair amount of 9 and that's light loaded. Carry gun is a Baer Stinger 38 Super in steel. I'm old and broken.

Jim

 

Started with a LWC in 45acp back in 81. When my brother borrowed it years later and wouldn't return it, I happened into a Combat Commander. Last year I bought a LWC in 9mm to see if I'd like it. It gets carried everyday and at my age, I really don't need the abuse of a LWC in 45acp. If I'm headed into a situation that concerns me, I'll wear a 5", 45acp or 9mm depending.

With a Nowlin type feed ramp, it eats anything I've fed it, light and handy and I have a ball with it. It will get replaced this year with another one with a normal barrel and bushing. Not a fan of bull barrels. But I love the Nowlin ramp.

 

I'd say that shooting the lightweight Commander vs steel Commander in 45 ACP is like shooting one caliber higher. It reminds me of shooting a .40 S&W vs 9mm in how it's snappier and noticeable enough that you wish it wasn't true. If I was buying a lightweight Commander, I would get it in 9mm. I'm not that old or beat up, FWIW.

 

I suffer from to many rounds of the old IPSC load. It was "warm"

 

I had a kimber ultra raptor in 45 and didn’t care for it.

 

Now that I have had a chance to shoot my pals Ruger 1911 aluminum commander I am sold on aluminum ..My next purchase after the buying craze goes down will be the Ruger...

 

Alloy frame ...

 

For carry it's much more about the gun belt than frame weight. For shooting steel provides a bit heavier lower for small recoil improvement.

 

For me? Commanders are alloy, govt's are steel. I'm a hypocrite and have been forth and back on this arrangements for decades. For a while it was steel 9mm cmdrs, but now? As stated above, I hope it doesn't change again. I'm set

 

If it's a carry gun, alloy is the way to go. If it's a range gun, steel. It's that simple. As for caliber, if it's carry, why not go with the the ballistics of a 45? The only arguments against the 45 are recoil, which in an emegency, you're not going notice or remember. You give up a round or two in capacity, which just means you need to make every round count. If it's a range gun, shoot whatever you like. All of my 1911's are range guns because condition one gives me the willies. Yes, I know all the arguments for how safe it is but it's still a mechanism and Murphy's Law still applies. For carry, I'll stick with my Shield Plus in 9mm but if I'm feeling really paranoid and follow my own above advice, I also have a Shield in 45.

 

I can't say that I follow you. Maybe its a different mindset but I have never bought a "range gun". I guess the closest to that would be buying a .22 upper for my 1911 to train more cheaply but that upper goes on a carry gun.

You talk about not noticing recoil in an emergency, probably true. What about the tens of thousands of rounds you put through that gun training in case that one day emergency comes up? All those training rounds, you feel. All those training rounds put wear and tear on the gun, more so being an aluminum gun than a steel one.

Not carrying a 1911 because of a fear of condition one.............well to each their own, not going to touch that topic, pretty sure its been beat to death.

 

Same for me, I only have two commanders ,LWT for carry or government model, see no difference between steel commander vs 5 inch in carrying FWIW

 

Hi,
I wanted a steel Commander Series 70, and actually had trouble finding one at a reasonable price, so built my own.

Now, I have just what I wanted, for really close to the same money.

Admittedly, this approach, is not for everyone, but worked for me!

 

After rereading my post, not quite accurate, owned the Colt Combat a long time ,had a Brown barrel fitted, and still carry it if the mood strikes me, I'm lucky to have choices