by John Markwell | Contributing Editor
The recoil of the Ruger SR1911 Lightweight Commander is “snappy” compared to a full sized Government Model. Shown here in full recoil, the alloy framed LWC is a handful but is still quite manageable. It requires a firm grip and good technique.
We received the new aluminum-framed Commander-sized pistol from the Ruger folks on Jan. 28, just a week after the SHOT Show at which it made its debut. In our opinion, a month is not a very long time over which to really wring out a new pistol, especially in mid-winter. We have, however, shot this new addition to the SR1911 line enough to pronounce it good to go for defense of life and limb.
This new Ruger SR1911 LW Commander is a very nice pistol for the money: $899 at the retail level. Both the aluminum frame and stainless slide are castings. The frame is anodized matte black with vertical serrations on the front strap. We did find one casting flaw (that in no way hindered the pistol’s functioning) that had not been cleaned up at the factory. It is inside the slide stop recess on the left side of the frame (see photo). The slide has a bead-blasted silver finish with angled NM-style cocking serrations only on the rear. All sharp edges of both the frame and slide have been nicely de-horned; even the often neglected front of the nicely beveled magazine well. The slide is topped with a 3-dot sight system featuring a Novak lo-mount rear sight and a dovetailed front blade. Like the previous SR1911 models, the Lightweight Commander is built around “Series 70” lockwork with just the traditional Browning designed safeties, no magazine disconnect and no full length guide rod. The slide is driven by a traditional recoil spring set-up. Thankfully, no full length guide rod is present.
The stainless steel barrel of the SR1911 LWC is 4.25 inches in length and has an inspection port cut into the hood so one can check to see if there is a round in the chamber. One part of the 1911 pistol that many times needs attention is the plunger tube. Most commonly, this part is staked to the left side of the frame and often the tube just shoots loose. The SR1911’s plunger tube is an integral part of the frame and can’t possibly become detached; it is a rock solid idea.
The Ruger SR1911 LWC was plenty accurate for defensive use as this 15-yard six-shot group illustrates.
All the pistol’s controls, except the skeletonized trigger with its over-travel screw, are finished in matte black. The slide stop has been nicely beveled to be easy on the hands and holsters. The magazine catch is extended slightly and nicely checkered for positive manipulation. The grip safety, which is elegantly shaped and well fitted, has a grooved bump at its bottom for positive disengagement. The single-sided extended thumb safety (our preference on carry 1911s), although nicely beveled, overlaps the rear of the frame just a bit when pushed down to the fire position and proved to be a bit tough on the shooting hand thumb joint. If this were our gun we’d take the old Dremel tool to the thumb safety to alleviate this minor problem. The thin stock panels, with their Ruger logo escutcheons, are very attractive and their low profile enhances the pistol’s concealability. We also prefer thin stocks on 1911’s for their reduction in the diameter of the grip which, for us, enhances our purchase on the gun and thus control of recoil. The checkered mainspring housing, as well as being a nice cosmetic touch, also helps to keep the pistol from shifting in one’s grip during firing.
One problem that has plagued alloy framed 1911 pistols since the introduction of the original Colt Commander in 1949 has been the battering of the frame’s feed ramp. This comes about when some pistols are fed a steady diet of high performance hollowpoint ammunition or, in some cases, when certain magazine’s followers kick forward, impacting the feed ramp when their last round is fed. Ruger has addressed this problem by incorporating a titanium insert into the feed ramp of the LW Commander’s frame. Our guess is that if the new Ruger LW Commander is shot a lot, the frame will crack long before any feed ramp battering becomes a problem.
The first thing one notices when shooting the SR1911 LW Commander (like all alloy framed 1911s) is the increased recoil of the 29.3-ounce pistol. The recoil is “snappy” to say the least and that’s one reason folks have always said Commanders were to be carried a lot and shot just enough for you to be effective with them. In keeping with the defensive nature of the LWC, we shot only 230-gr.GI hardball (a mix of TZZ-85 and WCC-93), Federal 230-gr. Hydra-Shok (Phone: 800-379-1732) and a small amount of Cor-Bon’s 160-gr. DPX ammunition (Phone: 800-626-7266) through the gun. Using only the two 7-round magazines provided with the pistol, the SR1911 LWC fed, fired, extracted and ejected every single round without a bobble. Accuracy with the SR1911 LWC was pretty good for a lightweight big bore defensive pistol but was hampered by the trigger action which broke at 5lbs 9oz. The GI 230-gr. ball ammo barely stayed within the “hand rule” with 25 yard 5-round groups averaging about 6.25” for the TZZ and 5.75” for the WCC. The 230-gr. Federal Hydra-Shok ammo did somewhat better with groups measuring around 4.75” while the Cor-Bon 160-gr. DPX printed groups right at 4.5 inches. It is our opinion that the new Ruger SR1911 LW Commander we had for testing is more than accurate enough for its intended use as a concealed carry defensive firearm. We did not, by the way, adjust the rear sight on this pistol even though it shot to right by about 7 inches for us at 25 yards.
This photo shows the Titanium feed ramp insert as well as the casting residue left in the slide stop notch of the frame.
After bench testing the SR1911 LWC, we rambled down to our pistol range with son-in-law Emmitt to shoot a few drills and get Emmitt’s take on the Ruger. We shot drills on both steel and paper out to the 15 yard line using 230-gr. ball ammo. The SR1911 perked right along and, even though it shot to the right for Emmitt also, we were both able to keep most hits within the vital areas of the targets with most shots grouping well within the hand rule. Emmitt, a combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, shot the LWC well but remarked that for a lot of shooting, he’d prefer his Dave Pegram-built full sized steel 1911.
Having carried assorted LW Commanders for many years, we didn’t need to carry the new Ruger LWC a lot. Like all LWCs, the new SR1911 LWC is handy and light on the hip; considerably more so than a full sized Government Model. Those who carry a full sized 1911 daily will find toting the SR1911 LWC quite a refreshing change.
If we were going to keep this pistol (we already have enough Commanders), we would definitely have a nice trigger job done to it, reducing the pull to around 4 pounds. We personally find it difficult to shoot a 29 ounce pistol well when it takes 5lbs + of force to activate the trigger. Also, we would have the front strap checkered at 20 LPI to enhance control of the Lightweight Commander’s recoil. However, as issued the SR1911 LWC is a very good addition to the Ruger line-up of defensive handguns. It has all the necessary features to be used efficiently without being glitzy. The LWC offers shooters looking for a classic carry pistol a reliable defensive sidearm at a very good price. The Ruger Lightweight Commander should be on dealer’s shelves by the time this piece sees print. Take a look at one if you get a chance. We feel that every serious handgunner should own at least one 45ACP Lightweight Commander. If you don’t have one, the new Ruger SR1911 LWC would make a very good addition to your handgun battery. For more information, phone: 203-259-7843; online: ruger.com.Good shooting.
