There are thousands of ways to change this gun if thats what you want.

The purpose was to inform them that the military testing held at Springfield Armory just two weeks prior had concluded and John Moses Brownings 1911 design produced by Colt had come out on top.

Plenty of reviews are done for 1911s from all kinds of manufacturers, but we dont seem to see as many honest-to-goodness Colts put through their paces.

While Colt has reintroduced the Series 70, the gun reviewed here is a Series 80 model, which has an MSRP that is 100 less than the Series 70.

No, it doesnt boast a luxurious, polished blue sheen, but it does have a clean, almost black finish to it.

The entire gun, all the way down to the grip screw heads, has the same uniform finish.

Its a good-looking gun, classic to be sure with cues taken from the original including the spur hammer, solid trigger and non-flared ejection port.

Unlike the stories you hear of pistols that literally rattled in the hands of GIs in WWII, this gun makes no such sound.

Insert a mag, release the slide, and hammer away until the single-stack magazine is empty.

Its that simple. The 1911 was designed to go bang when you need it to, and it does that extremely well.

The almost-black bluing I mentioned previously has a bit of a shine to it on the sides of the slide and frame.

This cuts down on glare when youre aiming the gun in bright sunlight, which is certainly appreciated.

Its an arrangement thats worked for decades and continue to do so.

If youve got older or less sharp eyes, you may find yourself wanting something a little bigger or brighter.

Once that wall is reached, though, theres no stacking or creep to be felt.

That means the gun is heavy, weighing in at more than two pounds empty.

It fires the.45 ACP cartridge as God and JMB intended.

The.45 ACP, regardless of what anyone will tell you, is a harder-hitting round than the 9mm and that difference can certainly be felt when shooting a 1911.

If youre used to shooting 9mm, it might take a little getting used to when you start shooting.45 ACP.

Once you get the hang of it, putting shots on target is just as easy.

As long as you dont have a limp wrist, the 1911 will go bang each and every time you pull the trigger.

But theres something to be said for having an affordably priced (about 750 retail) original Colt Government model thats not much different from the one your grandfather had on his hip when he was in the army.

Simple as that. Ergonomics A 1911 is a whole lot of gun in terms of weight.

Its well-balanced and points easily, but the size and weight can be a bit much for some shooters.

Customize This The platform wasnt designed with customization in mind.

Colt Commander Serial Numbers