By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
While new generations of shooters have adopted carry guns featuring polymer frames, optical or red dot sights, striker-fire mechanisms and sometimes without external safeties, there remain a handful of classic sidearms which have stood the test of time and are still as reliable as they were a half-century ago, or even longer.
I was reminded of this fact the other day by a Facebook post from my friend Jim Wilson, the retired Texas sheriff and balladeer with whom I’ve shot prairie dogs in South Dakota and whose writings have been enjoyed by untold numbers of gun periodical readers.
Wilson’s observation was that three specific handgun models have “solved serious problems” and “can be relied on when things get really bad” certainly struck home. He was referring to the Colt Model 1911 “especially the Commander model,” the Browning Hi Power “especially the Nighthawk Custom version,” and the Smith & Wesson K-frame revolver, especially the 2 ½-inch Model 19.
I happen to own two of the three, and I’ve never quite warmed up to the Browning, though many of my pals own them, and the design is nothing short of genius. I’ve never heard of a Hi Power causing serious problems, and the specimens I’ve fired have all been accurate, and on a few occasions amazingly so.
Different strokes, I guess.
The Colt Commander in .45 ACP is a proven fight-stopper, and I carry one in an IWB rig I personally built some years back with the roughout finish. Add a drop or two of Mitch Rosen’s “Leather Lightning,” a proprietary substance which slicks up a holster interior for an incredibly fast draw.
The Commander—whether the steel-framed “Combat Commander” model or the “Lightweight” with its aluminum frame—is definitely a classic. I’ve carried one for many years, and it is accurate and reliable. My Commanders both wear Trijicon tritium night sights, dovetailed front and rear.
My personal gun is capable of tin can accuracy out to 25 yards and beyond, even with 230-grain FMJ “ball” ammunition, and I’ve found it functions well with handloads using 185-grain Nosler JHPs or 230-grain plated RNL projectiles, all propelled by either HP38, CFE Pistol, Titegroup, HS-6 or AutoComp. Consult the loading manual or Hodgdon’s Annual Manual for specific load suggestions.
I can carry the Commander unobtrusively under a lightweight vest or just an untucked shirt, and it hides very well under a jacket or winter parka. I like 8-round Wilson Combat or Chip McCormick magazines for this pistol and have never experienced a problem with either brand.
Decades ago, I plunked down a few Ben Franklins for a S&W Model 19 with the 2 ½-inch barrel, and have never regretted it. This .357 Magnum sixgun has functioned flawlessly over the years, without requiring an action job, and it came with a decent trigger right out of the box. I’ve carried this revolver in an old Safariland upside down shoulder rig, in a Bianchi “Shadow” pancake-style holster or a similar pancake model from DeSantis, and in a belt rig I personally built.
With a couple of HKS Speedloaders for quick reloading, the Model 19 is a formidable defensive sidearm, capable of 100-yard accuracy if one does his or her part. My personal handloads push a 125-grain JHP out the door propelled by either a healthy dose of H110 or Alliant 2400, and even with this size gun, recoil is quite manageable. The Model 19 has an adjustable rear sight which has helped keep this gun shooting to point of aim for almost four decades.
I quickly replaced the small factory grips with a set of Pachmayr wraparound rubber grips for winter use, and in more pleasant climates, this round gun wears a set of Herrett’s stocks, which fit my hand like they were custom made.
I long-retired game warden pal of mine used his own 2 ½-inch Model 19 to dispatch a badly injured cow elk some years ago, proving the .357 Magnum cartridge is no slouch when it comes to stopping something on the large side, and I’ve read accounts of people using Model 19 magnums to knock down black bears, deer and two-legged varmints, so there is nothing which needs any further said about the cartridge or the gun.
I still carry the Model 19 on the hiking trails, and it goes along with me on woodcutting treks where I’ve spotted enough bear and cougar tracks to keep me always on alert, even when a roaring chainsaw should be adequate for keeping critters at a distance.
All of this said, Wilson knows whereof he speaks. The “old reliables” have earned their keep and then some, and people who carry such classics have no need to ever explain why.
They just plain work, and deliver rounds with the kind of fight-stopping energy which has separated enough winners from losers over the decades to never have to prove their punch ever again.
