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Old 06-02-2019, 05:54 AM
CLASSIC12 CLASSIC12 is offline
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Default COLT’S MK IV / SERIE’S 70 “billboard”

I was at my usual LGS where I intended to buy a 9mm Series 70 I spotted. They also had a nice Sig P210 in 7.65 mm Parabellum (.30 Luger). I ended up buying both.

Then ... in Switzerland you need a permit for every firearm purchased (expect double barrelled shotguns and bolt action rifles). Cost is $ 50. However you can put up to three weapons on one permit, provided they are acquired the same day from the same seller. At gun shows buyers will take advantage of that, by regrouping guns from different sellers at one gun shop.

Long story short, I hate leaving one line on the permit unused, and I knew he had a few more series 70 in the gun cabinet. So I ended up buying this one too; there seems to be no cure to the addiction.

1977 made with the large roll marks, so called “billboard” I believe. Cost was $ 1300.
















Last edited by CLASSIC12; 06-02-2019 at 08:48 AM.
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Old 06-02-2019, 10:03 AM
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I believe the term "billboard" came from Ruger. It started after they started stamping their guns, READ OWNERS MANUAL BEFORE FIRING.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE ONE IS AVAILABLE FREE FROM STURM RUGER & COMPANY SOUTHPORT CONNECTICUT.


That's the "Ruger Billboard". I've actually never heard the term applied to another gun.




Added: Pretty gun.
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Old 06-02-2019, 10:24 AM
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I have the Gold Cup version of that gun and am very happy with it. The lettering does not bother me at all. You got a very nice gun.
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Old 06-02-2019, 10:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CLASSIC12 View Post
I was at my usual LGS where I intended to buy a 9mm Series 70 I spotted. They also had a nice Sig P210 in 7.65 mm Parabellum (.30 Luger). I ended up buying both.

Then ... in Switzerland you need a permit for every firearm purchased (expect double barrelled shotguns and bolt action rifles). Cost is $ 50. However you can put up to three weapons on one permit, provided they are acquired the same day from the same seller. At gun shows buyers will take advantage of that, by regrouping guns from different sellers at one gun shop.

Long story short, I hate leaving one line on the permit unused, and I knew he had a few more series 70 in the gun cabinet. So I ended up buying this one too; there seems to be no cure to the addiction.

1977 made with the large roll marks, so called “billboard” I believe. Cost was $ 1300.















So THAT's where all the nice Colts went to!
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Old 06-02-2019, 11:38 AM
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I had a couple of those. I worried about the collet bushing breaking, but it did improve accuracy.

And in fact, the bushings on my guns never did break.
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Old 06-02-2019, 12:34 PM
simobros simobros is offline
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Default Love series 70's

Beautiful gun! And I learned something about owning guns in Switzerland. My Series 70 was made in 1970 and is in the first 500 built. I accepted it back in 1978 as payment for a $75 auto repair bill. It did not have the original barrel, but was otherwise original. I ended up eventually putting a Kart NM barrel and bushing in it and accuracy was much improved. I've left it un-altered otherwise.
The roll markings appear the same as your example.
Love my Colts just as much as my S&Ws...
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Old 06-02-2019, 02:40 PM
BLACKHAWKNJ BLACKHAWKNJ is offline
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$1300 ! Wow ! I paid $200 for mine in 1978-here in the USA of course.
Not a Colt expert, the "billboard" designation is new to me. I have heard about the collet bushing breaking, hasn't happened to me-yet.
I find a small letter slide for mine, had to use a tiny amount of valve grinding compound to get it to fit.
Lately I have fired mine only with a Ciener conversion unit. Which I recommend.
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Old 06-02-2019, 04:18 PM
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Nice Colt!
Many people worried about the new bushing style but I can only remember a couple that had broken,,and they had been worked on by their owners.
It's a gun, anything can break.

Some of the Military Surplus collectors in the USA call the ATF demanded Import marking a 'Bill Board' on some of the guns for it's large format and overly wordy informative nature.

Many of the semiauto pistols and even the rifles are tagged with one that takes up the better part of one side of an otherwise clean slide or recv'r flat on the gun.

You don't see the discreet smaller markings as first used when the reg was first imposed in '86.
Some were truely micro size lettering stamp in size and placed so as not to be noticable anyway.
ATF was not fond of that practice.

The angry DotMatrix printing feature now commonly used is also not a fan favorite.

Last edited by 2152hq; 06-02-2019 at 04:19 PM.
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Old 06-03-2019, 12:18 AM
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Nice pistol! I have a few of the large font Colts, the slide markings never bothered me. I have had one S70 collet bushing fail on me though, one of the fingers broke off and jammed up the slide on ejection. That being said, I have others that haven't failed. For what its worth, the internet has told me that repeated disassembly involving removing the bushing can lead to its failure. The same people say leaving the bushing on the barrel during takedown minimizes stress to the fingers. I don't know if that's true, just passing on what I've read.

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Old 06-03-2019, 07:05 AM
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The best solution for the collet style barrel bushing is to put that bushing in the box and have a match grade bushing fitted.
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Old 06-03-2019, 07:27 AM
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I had one collet bushing break and observed one other. A match bushing is a good solution, unless originality is important. As I understand it billboard has become kind of a generic term applied to any oversize marking, especially on slides.
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Old 06-03-2019, 02:16 PM
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I bought one brand new in 1973 for $135. Still have it. Looks a bit different now...




Also have one in 38 Super...




I think the bushing breaking is a very rare occurrence.
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Old 06-03-2019, 08:52 PM
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Notice the roll marks and size on this Colt Combat Gov't. 1911 MK/IV 70 Series from 1982. This model was the forerunner to the Elite. White outline rear sight and the sights are raised, has long trigger, enlarged and polished ejection port, enlarged magazine well, Colt style Pachmeyer grips, and this still has the original collet style barrel bushing.
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Old 06-03-2019, 10:39 PM
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We have collet bushings on our GM and GC from 79’ and ‘80.
I usually leave them on the barrel when cleaning but they have been removed.
In a lifetime of making grips from dyed veneers of different colors..... a Colt 1911 with checkered walnut is quite elegant right out of the box.

I bought a K22 8.375” Masterpiece along with the GM that day.
When push came to shove..... the K22 is being fitted for the Leupold DPP and the just arrived Leupold III 2.5-8x 32mm.
My old Colt GC gets the Trijicon when I mod the Elliasons so they both are active.

Red and White might look good as well.
The GM was $225 in ‘79.
The Smith not much more.
The GC and the Ace were a staggering $400 plus per gun and the BHP was in the $400s as well.
Three guns and caught my limit on Snapper and Snook that evening.
Always fished with an M59 after a boat landed with guests arriving from somewhere in the Caribbean unannounced..... but really happy to make it here.

Last edited by Imissedagain; 06-03-2019 at 11:05 PM.
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Old 06-03-2019, 11:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpo View Post
That's the "Ruger Billboard". I've actually never heard the term applied to another gun.




Added: Pretty gun.
We are on the Smith & Wesson Forum.. and you don't know...

SW1911 billboard questions (UPDATED again 6/17, with more pictures)
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Old 04-05-2021, 07:56 PM
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Smith & Wesson makes automatics????? Who knew?
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Old 04-05-2021, 08:31 PM
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I've never heard it applied to Ruger, but I remember a lot of negative comments about the "billboard" lettering on Colt auto's when they came out.

If you look at a lot of the semiauto markings today, it appears to me that Colt was just ahead of the curve by three decades. It's hard to be a trailblazer.
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