27 Feb 01

>From a prominent gunsmith friend who does a lot of defensive handgun smithing:

"I don't have much faith in the dual spring, recoil systems. This is why I don't go shorter on the slide length than the Commander on all my 'O' frame pistols. If one considers that the easiest part of the pistol to conceal it is the slide, I would rather endure a few extra ounces of weight and slide length in order to realize (1) a significant increase in reliability, (2) an adequate sight radius, and (3) respectable pointability.

In manufacturing ‘subcompact' pistols, I think many gun companies are simply trying to invent something new for a market of folks who don't even carry pistols and who use them only for recreation. As brevity is the soul of whit, simplicity is the heart of function.

I have a Colt Commander that Armand Swenson built in the mid 70s. It is still perfectly functional after 125,000, plus rounds. By contrast, the ill-conceived Officers' Model features an inherently impractical layout, doubtless designed by someone who hadn't the foggiest idea of what a carry pistol is for. It suffers from a poor barrel/bushing system which generates endless feeding problems, and the recoil spring system only lasts 750 rounds before bending and losing tension.

I continue to believe that the mating of the Commander slide with the Officers' ACP frame is the best system for 'O' frame carry, other than the original Government Model itself."

Well put! Subcompact pistols still have a valid place in the lives of some, but, as I said, all that "compacting" comes at a price!

/John