The Colt Combat Unit 9mm - Sinning has never felt so good



So why 9mm? Ammo is cheaper, I add capacity, I have a good selection of duty ammunition that is made to work out of a 5" barrel, my elbows hurt after years shooting over 250,000 rounds of .45 and plenty more pistol and rifle ammo through every system under the sun... and it lets me go faster with less work. 9mm pistols I can brace. .45s I must pull down via post-ignition flinch to maintain a semblance of a high cadence of fire.



I apologize for the crummy photos in advance.







The CCU is an all stainless steel rail gun with black ion-bond/Decobond finish, 25 LPI checkering, a front tritium sight, single-side safety only and a well-beveled magazine well.







Within 30 minutes of picking it up, I field-lubricated the gun with Geissele Go-Juice (been testing it since a bit before SHOT Show 2016 in conjunction with my normal use of SLIP 2000 EWL) and mounted the Surefire X300. I traditionally shoot with pistol lights if the weapon has the capability to do so, and was using my issued-Safariland 6004 variant made for my M45A1. I checked out the dimensions of both rails, and they are exactly for the same minus the added tolerance of the older Cerakote finish. The X300 was a tad bit wiggly, but the rails are the same on the M45A1 as they are on the CCU, so use your current kydex or other holsters freely. I use a First Spear holster and both guns fit just fine.



Within a span of under an hour I fired precisely 300 rounds, 200 Winchester 147gr. JHPs, and 100 Federal RTP 115gr. FMJs. All rounds fed from five brand-new Wilson Combat ETM-V 9mm magazines, which worked smooth as hell. Having magazines that are sealed up are of huge benefit as I routinely shoot in sand, mud or dirt.



The weapon functioned out of the box with not a single issue, and is freakishly accurate and precise for a production gun. Impacts at 10 yards are centered with a true center mass hold, something I am not used to from any of my issued M45A1s or my personal. Additionally, shooting JHP ammunition early in a weapon's life contradicts the rules about 'breaking in' with FMJ round nose ammo. I believe that either the gun is built correctly and it will run, or it is not and it won't. This barrel is fit well, the hood with minimal clearance, the lower lugs resting on the slide stop pin but easily coming out of battery with no stickiness, and the bushing is far more snug OD and ID than my old M45A1 (bad comparison with now 30,800 rounds through it)



I got the weapon quite hot and did not re-lubricate during firing. The trigger, while I could not weigh it, was smooth, and although it is a Series 80, I can feel sear disengagement via a slight roll in the break that is predictable and likely just at 4 lbs.



I will say this now - as a guy who is used to a smooth M45A1 and drawing it with and without gloves, the CCU doesn't play games. That 25 LPI checkering is grippy, and if you take the time to establish a good grip to begin with, it's bliss once you begin to align sights and prep the trigger. I feel that the checkering makes the gun, and being able to really hang on is a relief. Id you start with a crappy grip and don't adjust... that gun will hold on right there until you stop trying to make it do something it does not want to do!











The Wilson ETM-V magazines ensured positive and complete engagement of the slide stop, and the magazine release is not hard to overcome even though it is new. The left magazine feed lip DOES clear the extended ejector.



The last drills I did were a series of 'The Test'. I believe the 10 yard, 10 round, 10 second from the high ready standard is a fantastic diagnostic drill of determining muscular control and positional endurance, as well as forcing one to not overwork the trigger. Shooting the big 45, sometimes cold and sometimes after all my other drills, you really have to work to hang on and not get weak throughout the string. The CCU 9mm? It was a pussycat, an absolute laser beam, and I often found myself finishing a second or two fast. I did it five (for record anyways) times, four with the Winchester 147gr. ammo and once with the Federal 115gr. ammo for the fifth and final run. The first two were both passing scores, but started low like my M45A1 and started to come up in hold. The third run I was a bit too high, and STILL passed. The fourth run was roughly central and about my average. The 115gr./5th string though? The gun loves those 115s, and it is a dream to shoot at a fast cadence.



Test 1 :







Test 2 :







Test 3 :







Test 4 :







Test 5 with 115s :







Like I said, the damned gun wants to shoot, and it doesn't fight you in some ways like a Glock or other 9mm pistol. Is the slight drop in capacity and increase in weight worth it to me? You're damned right it is.



Now, is it perfect? While a subjective thing, I would like to see a few tweaks done here and there to meet my own preferences that were created by experience. There's nothing that can't be installed later, though. If Colt were to make one change, I'd say install the heavier standard diameter barrels, and that way there's a bunch less muzzle rise again, and there would only be one bushing part number to stock from then on. A touch more extractor tension on all their guns wouldn't hurt, either. The rest can be custom work.



Thus far though, this sidearm seems to be a fine weapon that works without fuss or fanfare. The basics are taken care of, and I wager that out of the box, these are some of the best 1911s one can buy on the market today for hard use. Paul Spitale, Mark Redl, and others have done wonders upgrading their 1911 lineup. The gun performed far more reliably than many Glocks or other polymer guns I've seen lately.



If you're looking for an out of the box gun that's set up well and is a good balance of capacity, ergonomics, etc, do yourself a favor and look into the 9mm Colt Rail Gun and CCU line of pistols.



Thanks to Colt, Wilson Combat, First Spear, Safariland, Geissele, and others for making kit that gives me no excuse not to perform well.



More photos, and firing to come! What are your questions?



S/F Thanks to the fine folks at Colt, I was able to get my hands on a CCU in 9mm recently and have some initial impressions that I think would be helpful to you all.So why 9mm? Ammo is cheaper, I add capacity, I have a good selection of duty ammunition that is made to work out of a 5" barrel, my elbows hurt after years shooting over 250,000 rounds of .45 and plenty more pistol and rifle ammo through every system under the sun... and it lets me go faster with less work. 9mm pistols I can brace. .45s I must pull down via post-ignition flinch to maintain a semblance of a high cadence of fire.I apologize for the crummy photos in advance.The CCU is an all stainless steel rail gun with black ion-bond/Decobond finish, 25 LPI checkering, a front tritium sight, single-side safety only and a well-beveled magazine well.Within 30 minutes of picking it up, I field-lubricated the gun with Geissele Go-Juice (been testing it since a bit before SHOT Show 2016 in conjunction with my normal use of SLIP 2000 EWL) and mounted the Surefire X300. I traditionally shoot with pistol lights if the weapon has the capability to do so, and was using my issued-Safariland 6004 variant made for my M45A1. I checked out the dimensions of both rails, and they are exactly for the same minus the added tolerance of the older Cerakote finish. The X300 was a tad bit wiggly, but the rails are the same on the M45A1 as they are on the CCU, so use your current kydex or other holsters freely. I use a First Spear holster and both guns fit just fine.Within a span of under an hour I fired precisely 300 rounds, 200 Winchester 147gr. JHPs, and 100 Federal RTP 115gr. FMJs. All rounds fed from five brand-new Wilson Combat ETM-V 9mm magazines, which worked smooth as hell. Having magazines that are sealed up are of huge benefit as I routinely shoot in sand, mud or dirt.The weapon functioned out of the box with not a single issue, and is freakishly accurate and precise for a production gun. Impacts at 10 yards are centered with a true center mass hold, something I am not used to from any of my issued M45A1s or my personal. Additionally, shooting JHP ammunition early in a weapon's life contradicts the rules about 'breaking in' with FMJ round nose ammo. I believe that either the gun is built correctly and it will run, or it is not and it won't. This barrel is fit well, the hood with minimal clearance, the lower lugs resting on the slide stop pin but easily coming out of battery with no stickiness, and the bushing is far more snug OD and ID than my old M45A1 (bad comparison with now 30,800 rounds through it)I got the weapon quite hot and did not re-lubricate during firing. The trigger, while I could not weigh it, was smooth, and although it is a Series 80, I can feel sear disengagement via a slight roll in the break that is predictable and likely just at 4 lbs.I will say this now - as a guy who is used to a smooth M45A1 and drawing it with and without gloves, the CCU doesn't play games. That 25 LPI checkering is grippy, and if you take the time to establish a good grip to begin with, it's bliss once you begin to align sights and prep the trigger. I feel that the checkering makes the gun, and being able to really hang on is a relief. Id you start with a crappy grip and don't adjust... that gun will hold on right there until you stop trying to make it do something it does not want to do!The Wilson ETM-V magazines ensured positive and complete engagement of the slide stop, and the magazine release is not hard to overcome even though it is new. The left magazine feed lip DOES clear the extended ejector.The last drills I did were a series of 'The Test'. I believe the 10 yard, 10 round, 10 second from the high ready standard is a fantastic diagnostic drill of determining muscular control and positional endurance, as well as forcing one to not overwork the trigger. Shooting the big 45, sometimes cold and sometimes after all my other drills, you really have to work to hang on and not get weak throughout the string. The CCU 9mm? It was a pussycat, an absolute laser beam, and I often found myself finishing a second or two fast. I did it five (for record anyways) times, four with the Winchester 147gr. ammo and once with the Federal 115gr. ammo for the fifth and final run. The first two were both passing scores, but started low like my M45A1 and started to come up in hold. The third run I was a bit too high, and STILL passed. The fourth run was roughly central and about my average. The 115gr./5th string though? The gun loves those 115s, and it is a dream to shoot at a fast cadence.Test 1 :Test 2 :Test 3 :Test 4 :Test 5 with 115s :Like I said, the damned gun wants to shoot, and it doesn't fight you in some ways like a Glock or other 9mm pistol. Is the slight drop in capacity and increase in weight worth it to me? You're damned right it is.Now, is it perfect? While a subjective thing, I would like to see a few tweaks done here and there to meet my own preferences that were created by experience. There's nothing that can't be installed later, though. If Colt were to make one change, I'd say install the heavier standard diameter barrels, and that way there's a bunch less muzzle rise again, and there would only be one bushing part number to stock from then on. A touch more extractor tension on all their guns wouldn't hurt, either. The rest can be custom work.Thus far though, this sidearm seems to be a fine weapon that works without fuss or fanfare. The basics are taken care of, and I wager that out of the box, these are some of the best 1911s one can buy on the market today for hard use. Paul Spitale, Mark Redl, and others have done wonders upgrading their 1911 lineup. The gun performed far more reliably than many Glocks or other polymer guns I've seen lately.If you're looking for an out of the box gun that's set up well and is a good balance of capacity, ergonomics, etc, do yourself a favor and look into the 9mm Colt Rail Gun and CCU line of pistols.Thanks to Colt, Wilson Combat, First Spear, Safariland, Geissele, and others for making kit that gives me no excuse not to perform well.More photos, and firing to come! What are your questions?S/F Last edited by GS5414; 06-21-2016 at 07:12 AM .