I know the S&W Forum may not be the best place for this, but I'm asking anyway because I know you guys.

After 18 years of serious use, my trusty Mk IV Series 70 Colt 45 Auto is due for a new top end: slide, barrel, springs, sights, etc. This piece has gotten me out of a couple of tight spots and a lot of sentimental value for other reasons, so I want the work to be minimally invasive. It has always been plain to the point of being drab, like a GI 45. I want to keep it that way, but add night sights and a stainless match-grade barrel & bushing. This is my main carry gun and a strong contender for my favorite general-purpose handgun. Recoil from standard 230-grain ammo is about all I care to deal with, so a 45 Super/460 Rowland isn't in the cards.

My questions are:
1. How much should this cost?
2. Who do you recommend for the work? I'd prefer to keep the work in western Washington.
3. Should I keep any brand names (like Bar-Sto, et al) in mind?
4. Should be considering something else in all of this?

thanks,


Okie John

Okie John - Heirloom Precision is expensive (very) but they sure can turn out some beautiful guns that are just elegant. Perhaps they can help you
without mortgaging the house again.
Heirloom Precision

ok you can keep the same slide, just send it to a good smith and they will be able to tighten it back up. I would suggest a nowlin, ot a barsto barrel. Also new firing pin and ejector extractor combo. Any smith worth his grits will be able to rebuild that gun better than new. and I may be able to give you a lead on one. In particular Dave Severns of Severns Customs.

You could simply buy one of the new Series 70 Colts and modify it with night sights.

Why do you need a new barrel? Is yours shot out? Match barrels aren't generally needed on a carry gun for general use. Wolff sells springs, as do many others. Changing them out in a 1911 isn't hard. Did your slide crack? If so, have your frame checked thoroughly.

Here is one in Issaquah.

Burns Custom Pistols

What exactly is wrong with the top end? If it's just loose a new barrel and bushing will fix that, and if the slide to frame fit is too loose any smith who'll post his number in the yellow pages can fix it for you. They don't require too much to tighten up and it shouldn't cost a lot unless you start throwing a lot of name brand parts into the mix.

Sir, was it me, I'd check out some of the national outfits like Cylinder and Slide, Novak, etc. for pricing on different things and compare that to what the local talent offers. Once you find a 'smith you're comfortable with, have him look over the gun while you discuss what you want. It may not need as much work as you think.

As has been noted, you may not need a new slide or barrel. Often a new barrel bushing and link will correct accuracy problems, and slides can be tightened. None of this should be very expensive. Night sights will run it up a bit, but that also depends on exactly what you want. Some use the factory dovetail in back and stake in the usual way up front; others require milling new dovetails in the slide, plus refinishing.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

You posted a loaded question for sure. Unfortunately the only one that can answer the questions would be yourself.

My experience: I bought a 1911 back in the mid 80's. Shot it a lot. Liked it so much I thought I would have it "tuned" to make a good shooter better.

It was sent to one place for the work on the slide, barrel and such.

It went to another for trigger and hammer work.

By the time I got it back, I had more money in it than I paid for a compact car. In fact, it is now too good to carry and is a range gun. I bought another 1911 for an often times carry gun.

You can buy a Yugo or a Cadillac. It just depends on how much you are willing to spend. You can put a fortune into the gun depending on how many improvements you want.

It all boils down to your taste and desires. If it is a good shooter and a nice carry gun, you could leave it alone and continue to carry it. That way you can justify buying one of the custom guns made by any one of a hundred good companies. The only thing better than owning a good 1911 is owning several of them.

Were it me, I'd send it back to Colt (call them first) with instructions to put it back to stock. From my experience with them, they will send you a detailed list of what will be needed and how much it will cost at which point you have the option of accepting or not.

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John

Second the "Colt factory" route.

Recently had Trijicon install new night sights on a slide. Very reasonable cost & only shipped the slide to them. Wonderful sight for the purpose.

I recently saw a 'smith in another forum discuss his notion of the reasons to NOT require a 'match barrel' in a carry pistol. Match grade tight chamber is not as conducive to the requirements for absolute reliability in feeding all manner of ammo under life-and-death circumstance. You might reconsider that part of your want-list.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

Good advice. Keep it coming.

thanks,


Okie John

It is hard to beat a Series 70 colt for a 1911. I would not separate the frame and slide. Any "Smith" worth using will be able to "re-tune" it to the frame if it has loosened up a little. If you want the accuracy of a match barrel, I would recommend a Kart. Many fine custom pistolsmiths use Kart barrels for their fine creations. Just tell your "smith" it is a carry gun, and he should be able to fit it for 100% reliability. To fit a Kart barrel, including the barrel, replacing the pins, springs, and whatever else needs to be replaced would cost around $200, plus labor which is very variable, but at least another $250 to $300. You should end up with a better than new Series 70, but the finish won't be touched.

I am not familiar with any pistolsmiths in the NE. Cylinder and Slide have been known to do outstanding work, I believe they are in Nebraska.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

all good ideas. schuemann is another excellent barrel . one person i have had do some work for me is alex hamilton in san antonio. work was fairly priced and very reasonable as to time frame. for this job, i would personally do the colt factory route as you are wanting back to stock and not a lot of modification.

I like things that go bang, thus to expand on what I said previously, consider how accurate you really want the gun, and are you willing to take the chance that it might no longer go bang after someone messes with it? There are as many gunsmiths that can and will botch a 1911 as there are ones that can actually tune one. Unless the gun no longer will do 5" groups at 25 yards from a rest, I'd call it good unless you're with Delta or some such and need to do head shots at that distance.

I'd try an ultrasonic cleaning or some such on a barrel before I replaced it if i knew that it worked. I have a Series 70 that left the factory when I was four years old. It's still in good working order.

1911s are modular enough that springs, or even putting in a new barrel and/or slide are things that you can do at home. You can find a new top end off Gunbroker from a gun where a PD destroyed the frame.

If the slide doesn't rattle, the gun goes bang and it holds accurate "enough" I wouldn't mess around with trying to tighten anything.

Call Colt and tell them what you want. Send it to them. As mentioned by several others.

Contact your local FFL and ship the gun to Colt using USPS Flat Rate Box. Have the gun all packed, not sealed with the postage already paid for (you can do this on line). That way there is no effort/work on the part of your FFL.

My local FFL just sent a Python and Trooper back to them and their service is very reasonable.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I have two suggestions:

1) If you want it brought back to stock specifications, as close to new as possible, send it back to Colt (see Colt's web site for their customer service number and discuss it with them). They have excellent service, and are quite reasonable.

2) For custom work (match barrel, night sights, action work, etc.), I highly recommend Springfield Armory's Custom Shop. They do excellent work (some of the best on 1911s in the country, IMHO) at very reasonable prices. They will work on any quality 1911, including Colts, not just Springfield's. I don't have their website address at hand, but Google will bring it up quickly.