The Colt lightweight commander .45ACP shares many similarities to the gun that served 2 world wars and several other global conflicts. The differences are few, first the lightweight aluminum frame, which makes the gun several ounces lighter for all day carry comfort. The second difference is of course being in stainless steel instead of the military parkerized finish. The extended manual thumb safety and larger upswept beavertail provide added comfort and more control over operation of the pistol, while the skeletonized crisp single action trigger and 3-dot Novak style sights help make the Colt lightweight XSE .45ACP easy and accurate to shoot. The 1911 pistols are a single stack pistol, meaning the ammunition stacks one on top of the other in the magazine making it a very thin pistol to carry.