difference between commander and reg 2011 frame

[amish_rabbi]

i have a chance to get a STI tactical 4.15 in 9mm for a good price with all the gear (6 mags ect). now a commander length isnt my first pick for the gun (if it was 5" it would already be in my safe). im new to 2011 and 1911 in general but what is the difference in the frames? if i wanted to have a full size or maybe 6" slide built for it later would it work?

[HoMiE]

I believe the frames to be the same, should be no problem just get slide fitted to frame later down the road.

[JakeMartens]

i have a chance to get a STI tactical 4.15 in 9mm for a good price with all the gear (6 mags ect). now a commander length isnt my first pick for the gun (if it was 5" it would already be in my safe). im new to 2011 and 1911 in general but what is the difference in the frames? if i wanted to have a full size or maybe 6" slide built for it later would it work?

Commander length refers to the length of the slide, the grip is standard size.

they only offer the chopped frame (2011) on the VIP model if I remember correctly

[diehli]

The difference is in the spring tunnel. If you plan to add a 5" or 6" slide, it's worth a call to STI to see if the frame & slide have been cut to Commander specs or if the slide is just a shortened 5" slide. I doubt STI would run a commander slide on an unmodded full-sized frame as it shortens the stroke, which could lead to reliability issues.

[Quack]

i have a chance to get a STI tactical 4.15 in 9mm for a good price with all the gear (6 mags ect). now a commander length isnt my first pick for the gun (if it was 5" it would already be in my safe). im new to 2011 and 1911 in general but what is the difference in the frames? if i wanted to have a full size or maybe 6" slide built for it later would it work?

When I get home, I'll take a look at my Tact 4.15, vs my Edge vs. My 5" Custom.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[TMC]

Some Commander frames have shorter dustcovers so if you run a 5" slide there may be a gap between the end of the dust cover and the spring tunnel on the slide.

[amish_rabbi]

Some Commander frames have shorter dustcovers so if you run a 5" slide there may be a gap between the end of the dust cover and the spring tunnel on the slide.

the tactical is a fldc frame so no issues there

diehli, so if i understand you right, the commander slide is cut deeper to allow the slide to move farther in order to make up for the shorter slide length. so a 5" slide on the frame would move farther back and create a longer stroke?

[diehli]

Some Commander frames have shorter dustcovers so if you run a 5" slide there may be a gap between the end of the dust cover and the spring tunnel on the slide.

the tactical is a fldc frame so no issues there

diehli, so if i understand you right, the commander slide is cut deeper to allow the slide to move farther in order to make up for the shorter slide length. so a 5" slide on the frame would move farther back and create a longer stroke?

On a true Commander gun, the frame is cut deeper because the spring tunnel on the slide extends more rearward. So if the Tac is a true Commander gun—rather than a full-length slide cut down to Commander length—then it will allow for more rearward travel of the slide, perhaps battering the frame rails (I'm unsure of the specs).

Only reason I know this is because JL Hardy used to build his Commander-length Open guns in 9x19 on true Commander slides with standard frames, which shortened the stroke of the gun. The shorter stroke made no difference with the shorter OAL of the 9x19 cartridge.