Amazed by a Colt Gold Cup National Match MKIV 70 Series

[RILEY31]

A few monthes ago I was offered a MKIV 70 series Colt Gold Cup it had less than 100 rounds fired through it and at a price I thought was very resonable I thought why not. I have owned several of the 80 series Gold Cups and they are nice guns and very easy sells but this was the first 70 series I had ever shot and man have I been missing out. This gun has trigger every bit as good as my Les Baer Thunder Ranch or my Wilson Combat CQB and the accuracy is fantastic and it eats everything I put in it. Everyone at the range ask to shoot it and several have tried to buy it. Anyway here it is my 1981 70 series Colt Gold Cup with some fancy grips on it. I wish I woud have known about these sooner it would have saved me a lot of money.

 

[Fishinfool]

Nice 1911. Back about 1980, I bought a LNIB series 70 GC for $500, the most I had ever spent for a gun, up until that point.

Love that Colt Royal Blueing, and it is one of my most accurate 1911's. Never had a problem thru thousands of rounds with the collet barrel bushing people talk about. Only problem is the rear sight pin sometimes works its way out. Mine feeds any bullet style I have tried very reliably.

Larry

 

[Dennis The B]

I own four GCNM's, and the Series 70 is my favorite; and ditto on the collet bushing. Since I bought mine a few years ago, I've put around 1K rounds through it, and not a single problem. I only wish I could shoot as good as the gun!

Love those stocks, too!

 

[Lonestar57]

Great guns! I've had mine since college; bought in 1978. When my PD started allowing semi-auto duty carry in 1980 it went to work with me for a number of years and even into my plain clothes assignment. The only problem you may have as mentioned above is the rear sight retaining pin may break or work out and eventually you'll lose the front sight if you shoot it a lot. These problems are very common with the Colt Series 70 GCNM but are easily fixed.

 

[Watchdog]

Congratulations! That's a nice one and I love the grips.

The Series 70 Colts are a whole different breed as far as I'm concerned. All my 1911s are Series 70 pistols. I've seen some beautiful Series 80 pistols...but I won't buy one.

 

[M29since14]

...The only problem you may have as mentioned above is the rear sight retaining pin may break or work out and eventually you'll lose the front sight if you shoot it a lot. These problems are very common with the Colt Series 70 GCNM but are easily fixed.

That has been my experience too. The last time I put a front sight on my gun I installed it with red Loctite and swaged it, which seems to have helped. One could have the slide machined for a cross-dovetail front sight, but I don't think it is worth the bother. As to the rear sight, years ago I read somewhere that the "fix" was to use the shank of a tight fitting drill bit to make the replacement pin. That has worked well for me. If you do that, be sure to buy a US-made drill bit rather than an import-cheapie. You cannot count on the quality of the steel and heat-treatment being the same with inexpensive import drill bits.

The hubbub about the Series-70 collet bushing always amused me. I have three Colts with that bushing, the first purchased in 1977 and all still in use. They all have been shot - one of them quite a lot. All have worked fine since day-one, and they have been noticeably more accurate than the older guns without the collet bushing - the ones that I have experience with, at least.

My particular Series-70 GC had only one major flaw and that was the serrations on the face of the trigger were so rough and sharp that eventually they would make my finger sore, and then I would think about that instead of paying attention to what I was doing. I took the plunge and polished the serrations off the trigger so that it is completely smooth, like an S&W "Combat" or "Border Patrol" trigger. That solved all my problems. I shot the gun weekly in an informal indoor league for about 5-years - no problems other than those mentioned.

My only "complaint" is that the gun doesn't have a checkered front strap, so I always used (ugly) Pachmayr grips. And of course the little depressor and spring make re-assembling the gun after cleaning a little more challenging than an ordinary 1911. You can make a little slave pin from a brad to keep everything in place which you just push out when installing the sear pin. That takes most of the misery out of that process.

I like the Series-70 guns just fine.

 

[RILEY31]

I have shot about 1800 rounds through mine so far and had no problems but I will keep an eye on the sights

 

[M1A]

You got a really nice pick.
I was just lucky that I purchased my first and only 1911 Colt in the 70's. Brushed nickel. It's not the Gold Cup but it's my carry now, with 60K through it.

 

[Dennis The B]

... And of course the little depressor and spring make re-assembling the gun after cleaning a little more challenging than an ordinary 1911. You can make a little slave pin from a brad to keep everything in place which you just push out when installing the sear pin. That takes most of the misery out of that process.

I like the Series-70 guns just fine.

Amen on the depressor spring! I have two or three of the little buggers located somewhere in my workshop. That happened before I figured out the slave pin, and using heavy grease to keep the little spring in the depressor when re-assembling.

Of course, now I just don't take them down that far, anymore!

 

[Cyrano]

Series 70 Barrel Bushings

I have a spare bushing for my Series 70, but doubt I'll ever use it. Some years back i corresponded with a shooter who was very active in IPSC matches. He had a Series 70. Once he went to a three day match over a long wekend and shot over 1000 rounds. At home, afterwards, he stripped the gun for cleaning and discovered one of the burshing arms was broken and was rattling around inside the slide. He hadn't noticed it at the match and had no malfunctions. The pistol probably wasn't as accurate as it had been, but it was OK for IPSC matches.

 

[max]

I have had this one for over 40 years and over 25k rounds. I always wanted a 2 tone and had the frame done in CPII.

 

[RILEY31]

Was the action on these guns all hand fitted? It is amazing how smooth it is.

 

[M1A]

Was the action on these guns all hand fitted? It is amazing how smooth it is.

I don't think so, as mine shoots a bit better a bit dirty. A bit tighter
Back when I bought mine I had a SS Barstow barrel fitted. At that time I also had the mag well beveled, throat & polish, ejection port enlarged, ambi safety, extended mag release, and beaver tail grip safety work done. It eats anything.
Today it comes that way from the factory.

 

[Aircrewman]

I think that shooters have known about the Gold Cup/National Match for many years. I know that I have. I did not buy one when I was a younger shooter as they were always more expensive than the Government Model and the Government Model was much more available. Still, they were "the gun to have" if you could afford and find one.

They have always been reported to be quite accurate...they should be as the price was reflective as was the reputation! They were also, if I remember correctly, reported to be made with a considerable amount of hand fitting, which made them more accurate and expensive. I found that out several years ago as I was able to find one that a neighbor had and was willing to sell to me.
I have shot that gun and it is, as reported, wonderfully accurate and seems to be hand fitted in the slide to rail fit and in the barrel to slide fit. The gun is well worth having.
And I do believe that it is the basis of all that followed with the "custom" jobs that followed, starting with the Pachmyr Special and the guns made by Armand Swenson. I believe that all of the custom 45's of today owe their lineage to the Gold Cup. Yet, the Gold Cup is still a notable competitor with any Wilson, Baer, Brown or the other factory customs available now. I would buy any one that I could find now....just to have another!

 

[BE Mike]

I had one many years ago. I bought it for bullseye pistol shooting. The finish was beautiful. I got rid of the little spring on the sear and should have gotten rid of the collet bushing and replaced it with a solid one. The roll pin on the Elliason rear sight was replaced with a solid one with just a little kink in it to keep it in place (done by a Colt pistolsmith). The GC was not up to the job of bullseye shooting. The accuracy at 50 yards was pretty dismal. I sold it and got a custom 1911 built on a series 70 Colt Government Model by Jim Clark. I never looked back.

 

[Krell1]

I had one many years ago. I bought it for bullseye pistol shooting. The finish was beautiful. I got rid of the little spring on the sear and should have gotten rid of the collet bushing and replaced it with a solid one. The roll pin on the Elliason rear sight was replaced with a solid one with just a little kink in it to keep it in place (done by a Colt pistolsmith). The GC was not up to the job of bullseye shooting. The accuracy at 50 yards was pretty dismal. I sold it and got a custom 1911 built on a series 70 Colt Government Model by Jim Clark. I never looked back.

I had one back then as well but never had a problem with it or a need to modify it in any way. I did however sell it to buy a custom 45 from John Giles. Never looked back from that deal either and I still have/shoot the Giles. Great gun!

 

[M29since14]

The Gold Cup is a nice gun but it is never going to keep up with a hand-built .45 by one of the better smiths who specialize in their particularly discipline. The interesting thing about the Pachmayr "Combat Special" and Swenson's .45s (mentioned above) is that the workmanship on those guns was usually the equal of a good target .45 but were made to be worn on your belt. Very practical guns, but not something you could walk in and buy off the shelf like a GC. When I placed an order with Pachmayr for a Combat Special they were quoting a 4-year wait. Unfortunately, they sold out - and more or less cancelled my order - before they got around to building my gun. The waiting list with Mr. Swenson was even longer. Those were "the good, old days" - so to speak.

 

[BE Mike]

I had one back then as well but never had a problem with it or a need to modify it in any way. I did however sell it to buy a custom 45 from John Giles. Never looked back from that deal either and I still have/shoot the Giles. Great gun!

Giles built pistols were at the top of the heap for bullseye shooting. He invented a lot of modifications. He even made his own sight rails, etc. The Gold Cup, just by the name, indicated that it was bullseye ready. Although a nice out of the box pistol, it didn't live up to it's hype. Without exchanging the collet for a solid bushing and replacing the roll pin on the rear sight with a solid one, I wouldn't trust it for personal defense. With those mods, it would make a great carry gun. I'm glad the OP is happy with his. That old school hand work (especially the finish) isn't found at gun factories much any more.

 

[RILEY31]

I have spent a fortune in the last 8 years buying custom built and semi custom built 1911 pistols from Les Baer, Wilson Combat, Ed Brown and a few others.They have all been great quality guns.But for the money so far the Gold Cup wich now has around 2300 rounds through it has been flawless is the best bang for the buck.I did not say the best gun I said the best for the money spent.

 

[samnev]

I guess I am the odd man out. I to owned a Series 70 Gold Cup and shot it for many years. it was a very accurate pistol. But one day a shooter in my club let me shoot his Model 52 S&W. It was love at first sight. Very shortly after I bought a 52-2 and rarely shot the Gold Cup again. Ended up selling it a few years ago and never regretted the decision.