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Old 11-28-2012, 04:19 PM
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Default The Good, the Bad, the Ugly.

The good: I finally got my Colt Combat commander sighted in today. It has Novak 'adjustable' night sights; the adjustments are primitive at best. Elevation has a click screw adjustment but they must not think it will hold as there's a lock screw for it. It has an allen head and the allen wrench is the thinnest I've ever seen: it measures 0.035" in diameter; pretty fragile. For windage, there's a large allen screw that bears against the bottom of the dovetail. Loosen this and you can slide the sight right or left. Tighten it and it will be loose again in 20 rounds. I rounded off two allen wrenches tightening it but it still came loose. Finally I put a coat of clear nail polish on both sides of the dovetail, and that did the trick. I had it adjusted well over to the left as my rest didn't make the gun shoot the same as held in the hand. So I took nail polish remover to the sight, slid it approximately to the middle of the dovetail and tightened her down. Out on the range today, three rounds were centered a bit low. I put on two clicks of elevation and the next three were two "X"s and a 9. I tightened the screw, gave the elevation screw and the dovetail two doses of nail polish and called it ready for combat.

The bad. My Colt Series 70 Gold Cup doesn't shoot for sour apples. When it's not feeling tempermental, it puts 7 or 8 shots out of 10 fairly close together, and the rest some 3-4 inches away from the group. When the mood is upon it, they're all over the target. I tried two different handloads: 180 gr and 230 gr bullets; no change. Today I shot some white box 230s; even larger groups, so it's not the ammunition. It's not me either, as another Series 70, this time not a Gold Cup and not accurized in any way shoots better than the target pistol. I'm in two minds about it; should I sell it or should I send it out and get its accuracy problems addressed? I sorta hate to get rid of it: it has a wonderful trigger pull, it's really pretty and has no signs of excessive wear. But I don't know.... Any body know a good 45 gunsmith?

The ugly. On purpose, my avatar doesn't show my picture.
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Old 11-28-2012, 04:34 PM
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I had a 70 series Gold Cup for 25 years. It was one of the most reliably accurate hand guns I ever shot. Assuming I was doing my part, I was always disappointed if the shots weren't touching at 25 yards. I vote you at least have it looked at. It might be something simple like a loose sight.

Ed
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Old 11-28-2012, 04:40 PM
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Well I know how you feel about the your Colt series 70. Almost nothing worse than having a gun you have no confidence in. If it isn't going to cost you a large amount, I'd see about having it looked at by Colt or a reputable gunsmith. I had a S&W 4566TSW, that shot the same way--really wanted to love that gun. Sold it and bought a S&W 1911 and was day & night difference.
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Old 11-28-2012, 06:36 PM
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I'd get it looked at, and after hearing the diagnosis, most likely get it worked on. If you sell and start over, you may wind up going through the same process again.
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Old 11-28-2012, 11:58 PM
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try some 200 gr cast lead at around 800 fps and see if that helps.mine always shot the those better than anything else.
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Old 11-29-2012, 12:10 AM
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Is this the model with a collet bushing? Maybe just a bad bushing. Loose link?

I had a Gold Cup .45 but it was older, with a solid bushing. The front sight came loose, and I got scared after Jeff Cooper reported that the slide was lighter than on the Govt. Model and sold it.

But it'd shoot one-hole 25 yard offhand groups with Federal 230 grain match loads.
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Old 11-29-2012, 12:11 AM
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i have one of the new colt,full size rail guns on the 1911 platform...took some getting used to but...its does VERY well and is beautiful to boot...has the "100 years of service" stamp
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Old 11-29-2012, 10:02 AM
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"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

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