The SS (Short Slide) D&L Professional Model is a commander size 1911 .45 ACP pistol that is not a commander. Experienced / high volume 1911 shooters have learned that the original commander 1911 design has some serious problems. In order to create a midsized 1911 “commander” pistol with a 4.25” barrel, changes were made to the 1911 full size design that altered the timing and stroke distance of the slide. Altering John Browning’s original full size 1911 design caused the “commander” model to have a shorter, choppier slide stoke, and made it more prone to malfunction and mechanical failure than the full sized Government Model. Many high volume shooters know from experience that the “commander” design of 1911 cracks more frames than any other 1911 design size. The short skirt barrel bushing in the commander design is also prone to bushing lug wear to the point of failure. This is because all the recoil spring operating force is placed on the short skirt commander barrel bushing lug every time the pistol is fired. For these, and other reasons, Dave Lauck has never offered a conventional “commander” design in his Professional Model series of 1911 pistols.

Dave Lauck did develop short slide 1911 pistols in the 1980s to work with muzzle compensators, while keeping the overall length of the pistol reasonable. The demand for compensators has fallen, yet the demand for “commander” size 1911s in .45 ACP has skyrocketed. This is where the SS Pro Model fits in. Lauck has redesigned the full size Pro Model to work with a short slide, yet retain the functional slide travel distance and timing of a full size five inch barreled Pro Model. This design work has been so successful that it even allows shooters to use shocks buffs during their high volume training without concern about slide travel distance.

The SS Pro Model is for serious shooters who want a .45 ACP with a short slide, 4.5” barrel, and lighter weight than a Government model, yet a pistol that maintains the functional reliability and durability of a full size 1911.

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