• Update – 12:30 PM EST
    Attachments are now working, and all members can once again upload files.
    We are currently testing URL redirects and other miscellaneous features across the site.
    Thank you for your continued patience and support during this migration.

    Prefer a darker look? You can switch between light and dark modes in your account settings:
    smith-wessonforum.com/account/preferences

Colt 1911, just how I like ‘em.

sigp220.45

sigp220.45

US Veteran
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
8,611
Reaction score
36,314
Location
Colorado
There it was, on the counter with two pals, brought in by an old fella for consignment.

Series 70, circa 1974. Hell, Starsky and Hutch hadn’t even premiered by then.

attachment.php


The Packy’s will have to go, but everything else is just right. Arched mainspring housing, short trigger, lovely blue, tiny sights, and only a hint of an idjit scratch - thoughtfully pre-installed to save me the trouble.

attachment.php



The others were a Kimber and a Colt Commander, but both had whale-tail grip safeties and Millet sights.

I’ve been a little light on 1911s lately and needed a real-deal Colt. This oughta do.
 

Attachments

  • 3286DCFF-B549-4904-9B2C-75BF60BED7D6.jpg
    3286DCFF-B549-4904-9B2C-75BF60BED7D6.jpg
    79.3 KB · Views: 787
  • E4577F24-D7D1-42EE-B8D2-47B084F5B961.jpg
    E4577F24-D7D1-42EE-B8D2-47B084F5B961.jpg
    75.5 KB · Views: 787
Very nice and it looks almost new.

I had two of 'em in the 70s. Both were turned into IPSC match pistols and saw much use. I wish I would have left one of them stock and kept it.

I did buy a Colt Series 70 reproduction a few years ago and while it has the Series 80 FP safety, larger sights and a solid bushing, it is a good replacement to fix my mistakes in the 70s.
 
That’s a sweet piece! I have a ‘53 Govt. model with a less than perfect finish that I often carry, usually with ball ammo. Configuration is just like yours except for the muddy brown Coltwood grips that they used back then. Those old Colts are just cool and yours has just the right amount of wear to allow it to be carryable and shootable. Great find!
 
Nice Series 70 Colt 1911-A1. I'm not a fan of the billboard roll markings, but that's just my taste. I'm also not a fan of Colt's collet barrel bushing. Yes, they do provide a little better accuracy than a sloppy fitting GI barrel bushing, but the fingers can break and when they do, they put a nice gouge along the outside of the barrel and tie up the pistol. A properly fitted solid bushing will provide equal accuracy and better reliability, put the collet bushing in a sealed bag and keep it if you ever decide to sell the pistol.
 
stansdds said:
Nice Series 70 Colt 1911-A1. I'm not a fan of the billboard roll markings, but that's just my taste. I'm also not a fan of Colt's collet barrel bushing. Yes, they do provide a little better accuracy than a sloppy fitting GI barrel bushing, but the fingers can break and when they do, they put a nice gouge along the outside of the barrel and tie up the pistol. A properly fitted solid bushing will provide equal accuracy and better reliability, put the collet bushing in a sealed bag and keep it if you ever decide to sell the pistol.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I did!
 
Very nice 1911 OP. I think the Colt's are the best.
I have the same example made in 1980 NIB, and the slide is a high polished blue. I also have one of the New Govt models that I have not done anything with.

No pics yet. Maybe this weekend
 
Yeah, that's just like I like 'em too.

That's a good usin' Colt.

Thanks for posting it.

I think I like the Series 70s and before best. I have newer Government Models which are fine, but ... Series 80 wasn't required.
 
sigp220.45 said:
There it was, on the counter with two pals, brought in by an old fella for consignment.

Series 70, circa 1974. Hell, Starsky and Hutch hadn’t even premiered by then.

attachment.php


The Packy’s will have to go, but everything else is just right. Arched mainspring housing, short trigger, lovely blue, tiny sights, and only a hint of an idjit scratch - thoughtfully pre-installed to save me the trouble.

attachment.php



The others were a Kimber and a Colt Commander, but both had whale-tail grip safeties and Millet sights.

I’ve been a little light on 1911s lately and needed a real-deal Colt. This oughta do.
Click to expand...

Say, don't you get extra collector points for the large size "billboard" roll markings on the left side of the slide?
 
I have pre-inherited a couple of Colt 1911s. Here is a Commercial Model from the 1930s.

strawhat-albums-strawhat-ii-picture25495-3b393669-0adc-4889-bc94-c07b0bd86fc0.jpeg


strawhat-albums-strawhat-ii-picture25496-a948cb11-8604-4ed4-af2d-b9e8afe1f5b3.jpeg


Well, spit! That is a Series 80, I picked up in a trade.

Here is the earlier one.

strawhat-albums-strawhat-ii-picture25497-f22b902f-dd6a-41a4-9450-08bb48ff6b9b.jpeg


strawhat-albums-strawhat-ii-picture25498-0c73d97e-3c9a-4db0-aad1-517db6479b8d.jpeg


I also have a couple of Caspians and a Dan Wesson. Truth is, I am not familiar enough with any of them to carry them. Much prefer my ACP revolvers!

Kevin
 
I too have an affection for Colt 1911's! I have a bunch of them and have competed for 30+ years with my Gold Cup NM. I have yet to find ANY "Fancy Dan" 1911 that I can shoot any better and the Colt GC's will shoot and will do so just fine with my reloaded ammo - many of the expensive Les Baer's, Ed Brown's, Kimber's, Wilson Combat's etc. will not! I shoot way too much to have too shoot factory ammo! I have seen many of my friends and team members have to send the fancy high end 1911's back to the Factory to be "loosened up" in order to shoot reliably and shoot reloaded ammo. So what is the advantage???

IMHO Colt still makes a damned good 1911. I have 3 friends who have bought new Series 70 Gold Cups within the last 3-4 years and they are really nice, well made guns with great finishes. They shoot anything you feed them and are super duper accurate right out of the box. They are also 1/3 - 1/5 the price of some of the :"high end" 1911's.

Groupings of the size of a Quarter are easily accomplished at 50 feet and once in a while I do a lot better with a Colt Gold Cup. Even my Gov't Models will shoot under a silver dollar at the same 50 feet - and that is with the standard military sights. They say that military versions were inaccurate because they had to be loose to be reliable. I have not found that with the ones I own. I've got a 1943 Military Colt that will (in a pinch) shoot good enough to compete with - except the sights are not conducive for that purpose as I get older. Yes, it rattles and was actually used in WW2 but somehow it shoots like the Dickens!

The target below was one of my best and yes I did lower the rear sight m]by a few clicks afterwards. Still, at 50 feet I can shoot one hole group rather consistently.

While Colt has gone through their hard times, I believe their new parent Company (CZ) will straighten them back out and improve things there. If nothing else, Colt makes a fine 1911 for what I see as a reasonable price these days. Colts are the only 1911's I own.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0715.jpg
    IMG_0715.jpg
    49.5 KB · Views: 42
  • IMG_0452.jpg
    IMG_0452.jpg
    51.2 KB · Views: 47
  • IMG_0716.jpg
    IMG_0716.jpg
    50.7 KB · Views: 33
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top