Using input from special forces personnel, Colt developed the Colt Combat Unit (CCU) pistol that it introduced earlier this year. This Government-sized .45 ACP is chock full of useful features that make it ideal for law enforcement and military use. The CCU features a stainless steel frame that has been DLC coated to harden its surface and make it corrosion resistant to stand up to the thousands of holster presentations it would be subjected to during an operator’s training. For traction, Colt outfits the gun with aggressively textured G10 grips, and the frontstrap has 25-lpi checkering. The triggerguard is also undercut where it meets the frontstrap, and Colt also uses a high-swept beavertail grip safety. The extended, ambidextrous thumb safety makes the gun southpaw friendly, and the extended mag well funnel provides quick and certain reloads.
The sights consist of a low-profile Novak rear sight and a tritium front sight with a white outline so the eye can pick it up in just about any lighting. Colt also outfits the CCU with one of its excellent stainless National Match barrels as well as a Series 80 firing pin safety. Unfortunately, the trigger wasn’t as clean as I would have liked. It broke with 5 pounds of pressure with some creep and overtravel. It’s nothing a good 1911 gunsmith couldn’t clean up, but with a retail price of $1,499, it should be better.
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There was nothing unfortunate about the CCU’s performance, however. It worked admirably during the accuracy testing, with groups under 1.5 inches for all three types of ammunition tried. Once again, the Hornady 220-grain rounds produced the best five-shot group at 1.35 inches.
For serious hard users of 1911s, the CCU might be the best deal available. Like any 1911, it could use some tweaks, but nothing needs to be replaced, and it has “Colt” and the rampant pony on the slide!
