Inexpensive Commanders: DE, Iver Johnson, Taurus, Kimber

Among the most popular handguns of the previous 70 years is the Commander-type 1911 45 ACP. The Commander is a shortened version of the original 1911 and was introduced to compete for a military contract way back in the day. Like the modern Glock 19X and Beretta APX, the Colt Commander was not adopted by the U.S. Army, but it proved to be a commercial success, nonetheless. The Commander was a Government Model modified with a shorter slide and barrel and shorter dust cover on the frame. A rowel-type hammer and short grip safety completed the modifications. The original Commander retained the Government Model’s barrel bushing, but the bushing was shortened. Today, there are numerous variations of these features, but the length of the slide and frame are used to identify the pistol as a Commander Model.

The 1911 Commander may be defined as a 1911 handgun with a full-size frame and a 4.25-inch barrel. The standard grip frame is retained, and the Commander uses the same magazine as the full-size 1911. The original Colt Commander used an aluminum frame to lighten the handgun for easier carrying. The barrel and slide, shortened .75 inch, made for easy carry. The steel-frame Commander came later. Today, most Commander-type 1911 handguns have steel frames. Another variant is the bull-barrel type. The development of the 3- and 3.5-inch-barrel Officer’s Model 1911 handguns required the slide and barrel to be considerably modified. The barrel could not tilt sufficiently to feed properly with the original barrel bushing. A belled barrel was adopted for lockup. This design was also adopted for use in specific Commander-type pistols, and a new idiom, the 4-inch-barrel 1911. In this shoot out, we are testing two standard 1911 Commander-type handguns, the Taurus Commander and the Iver Johnson Hawk. These are steel-frame units with 4.25-inch barrels and the standard Commander barrel bushing. We also tested two handguns with the bushingless bull-barrel designs, the 4-inch barrel Kimber Pro Carry and the Desert Eagle 4.33-inch-barrel handgun. The Kimber is an aluminum-frame pistol. The Desert Eagle, with its slightly longer bull barrel, is unique in the 1911 world, as best we could tell with a few hours of research. We feel that one is a Best Buy, but we found two others with credible performance. Here’s how they shot:

Taurus 1911 Commander 1-191101COM 45 ACP, $500

GUN TESTS GRADE: B-

This was a recent price at BudsGunShop.com. We also tested this model in the October 2018 issue. That handgun scored an A-. We acquired another Taurus Commander of the same model and brought it forward as an example of the classic Commander type. However, this one didn’t perform as well.

When you are working with a shortened 1911, the slide is lighter. This may result in higher slide velocity. This slap from the slide may increase recoil. The ability of the magazine to feed at this increased slide velocity may be compromised. The Commander demands a heavier recoil spring. The hammer spring may be heavier as well. When racking the slide, our shooters noted the Taurus Commander is more difficult to rack than a Government Model. All of the handguns tested are similar in this regard.

The Taurus is supplied with a lockable plastic box and a single 8-round magazine as well as a gun lock. Early-production Taurus 1911 handguns were supplied with a Taurus-manufactured magazine. The magazine supplied with this handgun is marked Mec-Gar as well as Taurus. The matte-black pistol is the least expensive pistol tested, and the finish reflects the economy market. The pistol magazine, however, is well finished with a suitable bumper pad. The Taurus features forward cocking serrations. The hammer is similar to the original Commander type. The beavertail is an elongated design. The slide-lock safety is extended. Thankfully, the slide lock isn’t a gas-pedal type. Among the Taurus’s best features are its Novak sights. It doesn’t get any better in all-round fixed sights than these.

Many of the problems with Commander-type pistols are solved in the handguns tested. Hammer bite (sometimes caused by the sharp edges of the tang) is eliminated by the beavertail grip safety and rowel hammer. The Taurus trigger features grooves on the face. The grips are checkered plastic that, along with a checkered front strap, offered help in grasping the pistol properly during speed drills and also for accuracy testing. The checkered front strap is an option usually found only on much more expensive Commander handguns.

During the firing evaluation, we used a hardball load, a +P offering, and bullet weights of 185, 200, and 230 grains to check for feed and cycle reliability. For combat firing, we shot 100 cartridges in each handgun. These were primarily the Black Hills Ammunition 230-grain FMJ, a standard hardball-type loading. We fired 80 of these. We also planned on firing 20 rounds of the Black Hills Ammunition 185-grain TAC +P to confirm reliability with +P loads. We fired these 20 rounds with a Chip McCormick 10-round magazine ($40 from OpticsPlanet.com), but the Iver Johnson did not function with this combination. Firing for accuracy, we used three loads at a long 25 yards: the Black Hills Ammunition 185-grain TAC +P, the Hornady 200-grain XTP, and the SIG Sauer Elite 185-grain V-Crown JHP.

On the combat range, we fired the Taurus at torso-sized targets at 6, 7, and 10 yards. We fired while moving and drew from a Galco Summer Comfort concealed-carry holster. The Taurus pistol is fast into action, and the sights are an advantage. Combat groups were well centered. However, we suffered two malfunctions during the first 20 cartridges. First was a failure of the slide to fully close. That was no surprise because the bullet nose was pointed straight up in the ejection port because it was caught before it fed into the chamber. Next came an odd malfunction we have occasionally seen before. The spent case did not quite make it from the ejection port and was caught in the port perpendicular to the magazine. There were no failures to feed, chamber, fire, or eject with the ball or JHP loads after these malfunctions.

We found the sights to be well regulated for 230-grain loads. Recoil isn’t excessive. When fired off the benchrest, the Taurus was not hard to manage, but it was not a particularly accurate handgun, a contrast to the Taurus Commander we tested last year. Five-shot groups fired at 25 yards averaged 3 to 4 inches. Accurate enough for defense, but not ideal.

As noted, the pistol had two early failures to function, for which we didn’t dock it for. However, there were other demerits. The trigger was heavy at 7.0 pounds even, and we rated the pistol down a half grade based on this trigger action. Another problem was the grip safety. A properly set grip safety, we feel, should release its hold on the trigger about halfway into compression. This grip safety demanded it be depressed practically flush with the grip frame and maintained in this position. This doesn’t leave much margin of error for those who use the thumbs-forward grip, which sometimes results in the palm rising off the grip safety. All of the other pistols functioned properly in this regard.

These problems could be corrected, but they likely would involve the services of a pistol smith. We’ll go through the adjustment we made to the Taurus so you’ll understand the job. First, we unloaded the Taurus and disassembled it. The sear spring controls the grip safety. The finger on the left is bent slightly to either strengthen return or make it lighter. We carefully bent the spring until the grip safety properly released about half way into its travel.

Our Team Said: This particular Taurus Commander had a heavy trigger, middling accuracy, and a grip-safety engagement we didn’t like. Also, the variation between this handgun and the previous test gun has us concerned about overall QA in the line. Most likely, there are some good samples of the Taurus 1911 Commander out there; the trick will be making sure you get one of the good ones if you decide to go this route. Be sure you have a chance to shoot the one you might want to buy. We would also point out that the Metro Arms Co. MAC 1911 Bobcut M19BC45C 45 ACP, $746, was ranked higher than the Taurus Commander in the October 2018 issue, and the Desert Eagle beats it here. Caveat emptor.

Desert Eagle 1911C 45 ACP, $695

GUN TESTS GRADE: A (BEST BUY)

This was a recent price at BudsGunShop.com. This handgun features a unique barrel set up. Like the Taurus, the Desert Eagle 1911 uses a full-length guide rod. But the Desert Eagle features a bushingless barrel. The barrel length is 4.33 inches. The result is the muzzle extending slightly from the slide compared to a standard Commander. The barrel is 0.08 inch longer than the Taurus and Iver Johnson Commander types and 0.33 inch longer than the Kimber Pro Carry’s 4-inch barrel.

Outside, the Desert Eagle features a nicely done blued finish. There are no forward cocking serrations. The sights are high visibility types with a grooved rear face on the rear sight. The front sight is dovetailed in place. The skeletonized hammer is the modern type, and the trigger is also light weight. The grip safety is stainless steel, as is the barrel. Fitting of the grip safety is excellent, with the grip safety properly releasing its hold on the trigger about halfway into compression of the grip safety. The slide-lock safety functions crisply. The pistol is supplied in a locking case with two 8-round magazines with basepads. The trigger is smooth at 6.0 pounds even. The checkered front strap is well done and the sights are excellent.

During the firing test, the Desert Eagle 1911 performed well on torso-sized targets. We suffered a single malfunction in firing the first magazine of 200-grain XTPs off the bench. The slide closed on a round, and when we racked the slide to the rear, locked it, and removed the magazine, the cartridge was pointing upward in the magazine. Other than this, there were no failures to feed, chamber, fire, or eject, and groups were well centered at point of aim, the best of the test. As for accuracy, the Desert Eagle was the most accurate handgun tested. Some groups were as small as 2.0 inches.

A word on the longer barrel. Compared to the nearest competitor, velocity differences with the DE weren’t that big when firing the Hornady 200-grain XTP. The Desert Eagle exhibited 911 fps, the Kimber, 895 fps. Moving to the Black Hills Ammunition 185 grain TAC +P, the difference was more noticeable, 1030 fps for the Desert Eagle versus 989 fps for the Kimber, we found.

Our Team Said: While more expensive than the Taurus Commander and the Iver Johnson Hawk, the Desert Eagle showed good to excellent fitting, a good trigger action, offered good sights, and delivered good performance. It shares positive attributes with the more-expensive Kimber Pro Carry, so on a value basis, it stands a head above the Kimber.

Kimber Pro Carry SLE 45 ACP, $750

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

We always encourage readers to keep their eyes peeled for low-mileage used guns, such as this one, with the SLE designation meaning Stainless Limited Edition. Our price for it was $20 less than a new Pro Carry II model at Bud’s. So, why pay within $20 of the new price for a used Kimber? First, the pistol appeared unfired and may have been used, but lightly. This SLE version features an upgrade in grips and a special stainless magazine well. Also, this is a Series One model, a pistol made before Kimber incorporated a firing-pin block into the design. This isn’t a drawback for most of us, as the pistol features a heavy-duty firing-pin spring that prevents the firing pin taking a run forward if the pistol is dropped on the muzzle. This is a sought-after pistol in some circles and a good find, we felt, well worth the time and effort to test. The performance is no different, we felt, than modern Kimbers we have tested, but this is an interesting variation.

This is a stainless-slide and aluminum-frame pistol with good features. There are no forward cocking serrations. The pistol features excellent sights that offer a good sight picture. Kimber sights are subtly different than Novak sights but work well. The trigger action is excellent at 5.0 pounds even, with no creep or backlash. The finish is good and there are no blemishes. The grips are well turned out. They are both attractive and practical, offering good adhesion and abrasion when firing. The magazine well is another matter that should be carefully considered, as we learned. Some love it and some do not like it at all.

The barrel is a 4-inch-barrel “bull” type with a bushingless lockup. Barrel-to-slide fit is good. During the evaluation, we found the magazine well contributed to speed loads. It funnels the magazine into the grip, and this is an advantage. When running this test, we used all magazines available in all handguns, or at least we tried. The basepad on the Desert Eagle magazines was not compatible with the Kimber magazine well; the magazines would not seat. Using magazines without a base pad, one of the raters pinched his palm slapping a magazine home. So, if you use the proper magazines dedicated to the handgun, then you will be fine. If you have a box of 40 or so 1911 magazines (as we do), then some will not fit the Kimber. Just the same, we did not rate the Kimber up or down on the magazine funnel.

During the firing test, the Pro Carry turned in good-to-excellent combat groups. While the Pro Carry is lighter than the Desert Eagle, results were practically the same. The Desert Eagle had the slightest edge, however, with more holes in the X of the torso-outline target. The Kimber’s smooth trigger and good sights provided good results. While the Desert Eagle should be more secure, given its checkered front strap, the Pro Carry was sure on target. As for absolute accuracy fired from the Bullshooter’s pistol rest, the Kimber turned in good results, with an odd quirk. Typically, the pistol delivered a good, tight four-shot group with the fifth hole in the group spaced away from the center. This is what hurt the Kimber’s score compared to the Desert Eagle in absolute accuracy.

Our Team Said: The Desert Eagle pistol is more accurate, costs less and features a checkered front strap, which earned the Desert Eagle a Best Buy grade. Just the same, there is nothing wrong with the Kimber Pro Carry. If you can locate one in lightly-used condition, we would purchase this handgun and use it with confidence.

Iver Johnson Arms Polished Hawk Commander 45 ACP, $566

GUN TESTS GRADE: C

A matte-finish Hawk Commander 45 was recently listed for $519 at Bud’s. The highly polished version tested here commands a slight premium. Function should not be any different. The Iver Johnson pistol is a Philippine import. It was not lost on the raters that only one of the pistols tested was American made, a reflection of the current market, especially in affordable 1911 handguns. Most Philippine 1911 handguns are Rock Island (Armscor) types; this one is manufactured by Shooters Arms Manufacturing (SAM). Apparently, Iver Johnson imports the slide and frame and fits the parts and finishes the handgun. The slide features angled cocking serrations both front and rear. It is interesting that the two least expensive handguns, the Taurus and the Iver Johnson, featured forward cocking serrations. Since the Commander has heavy magazine springs, this is a good touch, allowing shooters to rack the slide with greater leverage. Commander 45s generally demand 20 to 21 pounds of force to rack the slide.

The Hawk isn’t as tight as the Desert Eagle, but there is surprisingly little lateral play in the slide-to-frame fit. The finish is nice throughout, with a dull matte finish on the stop of the slide and lower parts of the frame. The sights are high visibility types dovetailed into the slide. The sight picture is good with these sights. The rear sight features a Phillips-head screw that may be loosened for adjustment. We did not like the appearance compared to the other sight adjustments, usually a small Allen head screw in the rear sight. Witness marks for setting the sights are dimpled into the slide. One of our raters also works with American Gunsmith magazine, a sister publication to Gun Tests. He rated the beavertail grip safety design and fitting to be excellent. The slide-lock safety is very well done. The trigger action, however, was far too heavy, breaking at 8.1 pounds. We had difficulty managing this trigger in firing for accuracy.

The grips are easily the nicest of the four pistols, even besting the Kimber. They appear to be cocobolo or the very similar rosewood. They are checkered in the double diamond pattern and feature the Iver Johnson owl symbol. The long trigger and flat mainspring housing are typical of modern 1911 handguns. This pistol uses a standard recoil spring and spring guide set-up.

We were impressed by the primary fit and finish of the handgun. The extended slide-lock safety lever of the Hawk was crisp and positive and did not present a difficulty. The beavertail worked properly. We even managed fair combat shooting with the heavy trigger. The combat groups were at the bottom of the list compared to the other handguns, but generally similar to other inexpensive 1911 45s we have tested.

However, during the firing tests, several problems cropped up. The extended slide lock was another thing. We have been of the opinion, tempered with experience, that extended slide locks are best reserved for competition handguns. During recoil, shooters tend to allow the thumb to drift onto an extended slide-lock lever and tie the gun up by pressing it into the locking slot in the slide. Two of the three raters experienced this problem, and it was difficult for them to adjust, even though they are long-time 1911 shooters. Such designs are far less suited to Commander-type 45s than the Government Model. You cannot use the thumbs-forward grip with this slide lock. This technique sends the thumb into the slide lock during recoil.

During the firing test with the Black Hills 185-grain JHP +P rounds, the Hawk tied up when using the Chip McCormick magazines. This occurred on tail end of the firing string, and it was the ninth cartridge that failed to feed properly. It was a typical short cycle. However, when we switched to the supplied ACT magazine, there were no short cycles. But the pistol failed to feed the all-brass hollow point (Black Hills TAC +P) twice in two magazines. In modern 1911s, feed reliability is often taken for granted because most modern pistols feed well. Not this one. Also, when using the Chip McCormick magazine, the pistol failed to feed 230-grain ball on two occasions.

Fired from a solid braced firing position, the pistol’s accuracy was comparable to the Taurus 1911 Commander 45 with some groups, but overall, it was inferior, with groups in the 3.5- to 4-inch range. We were able to control the heavy trigger consistently from the bench rest only with effort. The pistol’s accuracy potential was not realized in full due to the heavy trigger.

One of the raters felt he could “get the pistol up to speed easily.” This would involve a feed-ramp polish and changing the slide lock. We decided to get the piece up to par and operating, if possible, and to determine what this would cost. We ordered a Wilson Combat BulletProof slide lock from Brownells.com ($32). The slide stop fit properly in the other 1911 handguns tested without any adjustment. In the Hawk, however, this slide stop didn’t fit. The arm was too large to fit without careful polish and sanding. In retrospect, we should have measured the slide stop. It is probably a 9mm/38 Super type. Just the same, we were able to adjust the slide stop, and this made the difference.

As for the feed problem, putting on a polish is the classic solution, but polishing properly is minimalist. Never polish a ramp unless the pistol simply will not feed. The process involves carefully removing tool marks or scratches from the feed ramp without removing metal. Don’t change the angle of the feed ramp. There is a small stop of about 0.032 inch between the top of the ramp and the barrel throat that must not be changed. If that angle is changed, the piece will not feed. A permanent marker with a bit of fine-grip sandpaper glued in place is the right size to use on the ramp.

In both cases, we doubt that the average buyer purchasing an economy 1911 is going to be willing or able to work the trigger or change the slide stop.

Our Team Said: The performance exhibited by the Iver Johnson Hawk isn’t acceptable to our shooters. If you were to factor out the problems with the 10-round McCormick magazine and the 185-grain TAC bullet, you still have the problem with the slide lock. The pistol was rated down a half grade based on short-cycle malfunctions, another half grade on a failure to feed the TAC-type JHP combat loads, and another half grade on the problematical slide lock. The heavy trigger was another half-grade markdown. We would not buy this pistol.

Written and photographed by Gun Tests Staff, using evaluations from Gun Tests