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I have a LW Commander from 1975 and one from 1952, were there any differences in these that would make one better than the other as a base for a custom build?

Not really. The condition of the guns could be an issue for final finishing like any pitting, etc...But either would make a nice base gun for a custom build.

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Agreed. I'd say use the '75, all things being equal, just sorta out of respect for our elders!

Thanks guys!

I just finished rebuild/ update on a 1959 LW commander... no issues with that one for a base gun. Good luck with yours.

Mark

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I would suggest using the newer gun. The very old ones had slides that were internally lightened, and can develop cracks earlier in their service life.

Excellent advice, OLM, that had slipped my mind. Any Colt slide with those cuts is not optimal. It's almost like they said, "figure out a way to lighten it that is most likely to cause acrack, and do it".

Well, Ned, using the old one would give you a real lightweight Lightweight.

Interesting...
I already sent the 75 to one of the Smiths from here to wait in line for it's turn but the 52 is still here at home with me.
After hearing about these "cuts"I decided to look in the 52 and see what this was all about so I broke her down and did not see anything different from the best of my recollection (the 75 has the same cuts) but as I did not have the 75 here to do a side by side comparison I went to a friends house to check out his Colt LW Commander that's from sometime in the 70's and guess what???
The same cuts are on there as on the 52.....

Are these cuts you guys mention something that is not apparent to the naked eye? If not then I think they are the exact same, as I said I am looking at a later 70's LW Commander and a 52 LW Commander side by side all broken down and the only thing that was not the same was the lettering and serial # prefix.

As I recall ( I don't have an old one in front of me), the slide forward of the locking lugs is hollowed out up towards the muzzle. In addition, and more importantly, the area under the extractor is machined clear through. In other words, with the slide upside down, you can see through to the extractor. Newer, heavier slides look basically identical to their longer brothers.

Hmm, I think you are mistaken.
I think that all pre series 70 LW Commanders (well, really all pre series 80 as from what I understand there was no series 70 LW Commander) have this. As I said, I compared one from the later 70's right next to the one I own which is from 52 and they were the exact same....

If you can't see the extractor from the underside, you do not have the lightened slide.

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Colt used the lightened slides in the Commander and Combat Commander until sometime in the middle 1970's. I had a 1975 Combat Commander that had the cuts.

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Scott

I think all the 9's have it and some of the .45's....?

I used to own a '51 45ACP that had the lightening cuts, and my buddy owns a late '60's 45ACP that also has them.

I've got an LW Commander that was made in '78. It's got the cuts.