Tell me about the new Colts

[Scorch]

My brother is looking at a new Colt XSE Commander. What experience (not opinions, or stories about your cousin's friends, please) do any of you have with this pistol?

http://www.coltsmfg.com/Catalog/ColtPistols/ColtXSESeries.aspx

 

[Rugerismisticness]

I haven't shot the commander, but the Govt model XSE is a very nice gun by most standards. I would still go for a DW around that price range, but you can't go wrong with an XSE. The quality is excellent, slide to frame to barrel fit is good, accuracy is acceptable at around 1 1/4" at 25yards, and they frame cuts really make for a better fit.

 

[Pilot]

I don't have a Commander model either but have two, new Colt 01918 WWI Repros. They are flawless.

 

[cecILL]

I have that pistol. Have had not one problem, though not a lot of rounds have been through it. Feels silky smooth compared to some other 1911A1 pistols I have handled.

 

[shanzlik]

I have a Combat Elite (part of the XSE line) and it's a good choice. I ran it through a 1911 course recently and had no problems with it.

I did have a loose plunger tube about 1,000 rounds into ownership. It was restaked and glued with red loctite prior to shooting in the class, no problems since the fix.

Colt uses not only forged frames and slides, but also a forged slide stop and barrel. Many in the price range use cast frames and cast or MIM slide stops.

Lifetime warranty, good quality small parts, should be good to go out of the box. Colt tends to cut their feed ramps deep enough (top to bottom) for reliable hollow point feeding. Some have experienced sharp edges, mine did not have those and was well fit from the factory.

 

[Scorch]

OK, thanks for the input so far. I know Colts are "a step above" other 1911s, I own a 1970s Combat Commander that has always performed flawlessly, but was not too sure about the XSE. Are the triggers like the Series 70 or are they the "new and improved" Series 80 triggers (firing pin block contraption)?

 

[DPris]

Got my XSE stainless Commander a couple years back. The usual razor edges, but it shot fine.
Denis

 

[Dobe]

I do have an XSE and a Combat Elite, both Government models. I do not have a DW, but from what I have seen, the DW QC is higher. As far as shootability, the Colts have been fine, with no malfunctions.

 

[AustinTX]

I know Colts are "a step above" other 1911s, I own a 1970s Combat Commander that has always performed flawlessly, but was not too sure about the XSE.

I know I'll draw fire for this, but that's not really the case these days, in my opinion. Colt makes nice guns, but they're not nearly as nice as they used to be (there is absolutely no comparison in quality and refinement between my 1967 National Match and my 1990s GC National Match), and other great makers have shown up over the years. Slide-to-frame fit on contemporary Colts is usually quite loose, and the earlier claim of 1.25" groups at 25 yards vastly overstates the kind of accuracy you could expect to see with the XSE, in my opinion.

Are the triggers like the Series 70 or are they the "new and improved" Series 80 triggers (firing pin block contraption)?

Yes, your trigger will be the "new and improved" Series 80 version.

 

[Dobe]

Colt's quality has been up and down for decades. They do make a pretty good 1911, but the best in their price range, perhaps not.

Years ago Kimber made a big splash in the 1911 arena (before their QC problems), and showed Colt and other manufacturers, that there need not be a pony on the side of a 1911 for it to be accepted by the shooting public. Since that time, many manufaturers have been producing some pretty good 1911s. I have Norinco, Colt, Ed Brown, Kimber, and recently added a Ruger. The Ruger is nice too. I wanted and almost bought a Dan Wesson, but project mindedness changed, and I've strayed from 1911s. I still have them all, I just don't shoot them as much as I once did.

 

[mikejonestkd]

I bought a 1911 XSE combat elite from Wild west last november and it has run well in excess of 5K rounds without any issues. It as accurate as my gold cup and my Brown.

I would place it at or near the top of the list in the sub $1000 1911s out there.

 

[shanzlik]

He's asking about today's Colts, not Colts from the 1990s. You're comparing something made 1-2 decades ago as if they haven't changed their standards and build quality. They did, and the 2011 Colt's are quite good.

Kimber did the opposite - they were good ten years ago and now have QC problems in 2011. Companies' quality can and often does change over time.

 

[Dobe]

The two I bought last year where good in function, but left much to the desire in fit and finish. While sharp edges may be a common trait of Colt, it still isn't desirable. The NIB Combat Elite I bought last year has a poor frame to slide fit. It will be a project gun, so it's something I'll tolerate. Still, I see better finish work on Springfield and Dan Wesson.

 

[AustinTX]

He's asking about today's Colts, not Colts from the 1990s. You're comparing something made 1-2 decades ago as if they haven't changed their standards and build quality. They did, and the 2011 Colt's are quite good.

That parenthetical comment wasn't really central to my point. When I said "contemporary Colts," I was not referring to guns made 20 years ago; I was referring to Colts made today and in recent years.

But it doesn't matter either way. I disagreed with the comment that Colts are "a step above" other 1911s, and I disagree with that regardless of whether we're discussing Colts made now, five years ago, 10 years ago, or 20 years ago.

 

[Dobe]

Are the triggers like the Series 70 or are they the "new and improved" Series 80 triggers (firing pin block contraption)?

The entire XSE line is a Series 80. The Series 80 has unjustifiably received a bad rap from some 1911 shooters. The trigger pull can be quiet good, and I doubt that anyone other than the most ardent bullseye shooter would be able to tell the difference. These days almost every handgun, including target models, has some type of firing pin block. Most work very similar to the Colt Series 80.

 

[WVsig]

Come on people lets compare apples to apples. Please show me a current Dan Wesson that is under $1200. Unless you are talking about the Pointman or the Guardian you are not touching one south of $1300.

If you want to compare a DW to a Colt then compare it to a custom shop piece like the WW1 Repo or the Special Combat.

Colt still makes a nice gun. Are the perfect no. Do they hold their value better than any other sub $1500 1911? YES! Like it or not in the world of production 1911s they are still the standard by which others are judged.

I have owned SAs, Sigs, S&W, norinco, Dan Wesson, Colt & Les Baer the ones that remain are Colt DW and Les Baer. Ymmv

 

[Tom Servo]

Get a Glock!

There. Now the thread veer is complete.

Colt's quality has been excellent the last few years. Out of a couple of dozen I've seen on the line, only one had a mechanical problem*, and that was a loose ambi safety. Colts don't need to be "broken in," but they do ship a bit dry. Put a light coat of oil on the frame rails and lugs, and you should be set.

* Don't shoot the Eastern Bloc steel case through 1911's. It's not worth it. Around 60-70% of the "problems" I've been seeing with them the last couple of years have been due to this stuff.

 

[varoadking]

 

[Dobe]

Nice patch.

 

[KyJim]

I agree with those who say the current Colts are better guns than what they were building in the 80s and 90s. Colt invested a lot of money about three or four years ago on CNC machinery and, after some initial hiccups, have produced consistently good guns. I have one current production Colt (not an XSE model) and three older Colts.

I'm a big fan of current Dan Wesson pistols but it is a bit unfair comparing them to Colt given the significant price difference in their forged frame pistols and Colt's.

Forged frames, almost no MIM, pretty decent fit and finish, and reliable -- nobody else in the industry meets those criteria at Colt's price point. You can only have a discussion if you change some of those parameters, like throwing in a bunch of MIM parts, and then debate the relative merits.