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  1. #1
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    Compensator on a 3"or 4" threaded barrel

    Am looking for information, advice or etc. I have access to a Colt Defender and a SA with a 4" barrel. While the 'kick' is not that bad I am trying to figure out anyway to reduce it further to be able to get back on target quicker.

    I have searched forums, sent emails to Colt and SA and have not been able to find anyone that seems to know even if this is possible, practical or what.
    Bottom line my thoughts are to have a gunsmith 'fit' a threaded barrel with a compensator into my Colt Defender that has the stock 3" barrel and also to put a new threaded barrel into a SA with a stock 4" barrel.

    I don't know what else might be required to change such as springs, guide rods or whatever or even if anyone have ever made a 3 and 4 inch threaded barrel.

    Does anyone have any idea of where to begin???? I have gotten no help from Colt or SA so it appears that they just are interested in what they do best.
    thanks in advance for any thoughts on this too.

  2. #2
    MGO Member Pond Scum's Avatar
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    I am no expert.... but on a barrel that short would Magna Port be a better option??

  3. #3
    I am a Forum User
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    The shorter the barrel, the more effective the compensator at reducing muzzle rise and recoil, all else equal. This is because propellant gas pressure is higher when the bullet exits the shorter barrel. Higher pressure muzzle gas increases the performance of a compensator because it produces higher gas velocities.

    You did not say whether your Colt Defender is chambered for 9x19mm or .45 ACP. The 9x19mm cartridge is a very high chamber pressure cartridge and has much higher muzzle pressure than the .45 ACP cartridge. Double or triple the muzzle pressure, depending upon the exact barrel length and the burning rate of the specific propellant used.

    The Defender is a mini 1911 with a Browning type locked breech where the rear of the barrel has to drop to effect unlocking. Applying a downward force on the muzzle end of the barrel will inhibit this unlocking (think about a teeter-totter on a children's playground), and the compensator will reduce the recoil energy imparted to the slide as well. It also adds mass to the recoiling parts.

    Installing a compensator is going to reduce the recoil kinematics of your Colt Defender - specifically slide velocity. Short barreled 1911's have marginal kinematics without a compensator (designers reduce overtravel at the end of the slide stroke to further reduce overall pistol length), so you will almost certainly have to install a reduced force recoil spring to obtain reliable functioning. Will that reduced force recoil spring have enough force to reliably strip cartridges from a full magazine? You will find out. You are more likely to be successful compensating a .45 ACP Defender than a 9x19mm Defender.

    The good news here is you can get a readily available Commander length barrel threaded and, if it doesn't work out, restore your pistol to original condition. Saw off the threads and you have a spare barrel. Don't MagnaPort. That is irreversible.
    Last edited by 10x25mm; 08-18-2018 at 09:46 PM.

  4. #4
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    It has been suggested but the drawbacks out weigh the benefits (in my mind) and it is expensive to reverse. that is why I have rejected it.

  5. #5
    MGO Member
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    My Colt Defender is chambered in .45acp so have decided to work the the Commander with a 4" barrel to see if this is what I really want.
    I contacted Colt and SA service departments via phone and email and both told me that they do not make barrels that I would have to find someone else that does and start there.
    Have read that the Ed Brown barrel may be what I am looking for but would like to know of some other manufacturers to see what they suggest and have to offer. Any ideas where else I can look???
    thankyou for your response and assistance

  6. #6
    I am a Forum User
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    Bob Serva at Fusion Firearms would be my first choice. His stuff is always outstanding:

    https://www.fusionfirearms.com/1911-commander-barrels

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