[LarryBG]

I recently acquired a Colt Combat Commander, made in 1982. It came with the rubber Colt/Pachmayr wrap around grip. I'm not a fan of rubber grips on anything and I want to replace them with a pair of correct Colt grip panels. Should my pistol have the grips with the gold or silver medallions? Is there a significance to either the gold or silver medallions? The rubber grips had gold medallions.

 

[kenhwind]

Originally the medallions were silver. The 1970 Gold Cups had checkered walnut with gold medallions and the Government Models and Commanders had the sandblasted walnut and silver medallions. In the late 1970s or early 80s Colt started using the checkered walnut with gold medallions on the GC GM and Comm.

Me thinks your pistol would be correct with the checkered walnut gold meds.

 

[nickelplate]

My stainless steel .45 Combat Commander, a little younger than yours came new from Colt to me with a black rubber wraparound grip with silver medallions made by R.J. Renner company, "Radical Grips". A couple of weeks ago I found a set of Colt wood grips on ebay, full checkered walnut with gold medallions that showed little to no sign of wear. I was the high bidder at around $35.00 and they actually look nicer in hand than in the photo. Very few bidders and I think that was because they were being sold by an antique store which headline listed them as having "horse" medallions. Other similar grips on ebay at the same time were headline listed as "rampant Colt" and were drawing a lot of attention and for quite a bit more money. I just lucked out.

 

[dakota1911]

Like the ones on the nearly new pre Series 80 made in 1981 in the picture below which is under my 2007 steel Commander I carry. In 2007 Colt put double diamonds on the Commander but I put the hard rubber grips on as grips take a hit on a carry pistol. Took the picture to show the difference in grip safeties by the way.