Colt 1911, just how I like ‘em.

[sigp220.45]

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.

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.

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.

 

[Xfuzz]

Nice Colt 70 series....w/the billboard logo.

 

[lrb1200]

That's a vey nice 70's, and will be better
when you ditch the Goodyears.

Of my Colt 1911's this one turned out to be
my favorite.

 

[luvsmiths]

Nice Colt 70 series....w/the billboard logo.

I don't know why Colt felt the need to do that!

 

[M29since14]

Good looking old .45. There sure was a lot of worrying about the collet bushing in that model. Both of mine still have their original collet bushings and seem to work just fine - and are more accurate than I expected. Congrats on your new .45 Automatic.

 

[Benton Quest]

The Series 70 guns have a nice mystique to them.

The collet bushings work fine. Until they don't.

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[Scharfschuetzer]

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.

 

[Wyo]

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!

 

[stansdds]

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.

 

[Piwo]

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.

Exactly what I did!

 

[03hemi]

I can't pick my favorite Colt 1911, they're all my babies but this one is up there for me. Colt Wiley Clapp Commander, everything you need, nothing you don't.

 

[Narragansett]

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

 

[bmcgilvray]

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.

 

[TheHobbyist]

That old Colt, sure is nice.

Do you have some nice holsters for it? Please share if you don't mind. Thank you, TH

 

[bmcgilvray]

That old Colt, sure is nice.

Do you have some nice holsters for it? Please share if you don't mind. Thank you, TH

Hey, what Colt are you calling old?!!!

Some of us here are well "pre-Series 70!"

 

[arjay]

I kind of like them too [emoji1]

 

[LVSteve]

Nearest I've ever got to owning a 1911 is a Star B Super.

 

[bmcgilvray]

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.

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.

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.

Say, don't you get extra collector points for the large size "billboard" roll markings on the left side of the slide?

 

[StrawHat]

I have pre-inherited a couple of Colt 1911s. Here is a Commercial Model from the 1930s.

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

Here is the earlier one.

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

 

[chief38]

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.

 

[stansdds]

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!

There are some things that gave the M1911 and M1911-A1 a bad reputation for accuracy. Back in the day, the most experience a great many men had with the M1911 platform was during training as they entered the military. Most had little to no firearms training, especially with handguns, so they did not enter with the skills necessary to accurately shoot the M1911 not did they have sufficient training time to fully learn those skills.

The tiny sights, although I find them great for precision shooting, are not particularly visible in bright sunlight and they do hinder accurate timed and rapid fire shooting.

The trigger pull on military issue M1911's tends to be heavy and gritty, definitely not conducive to accuracy.

Generally speaking, military issue M1911's were not really inaccurate, but were given a bad reputation that is undeserved. A rattling M1911 is capable of reasonable accuracy, the government standard was an average of 5 inches at 25 yards, 10 inches at 50 yards. This is plenty accurate for a loosely fit combat handgun and many issued M1911's were capable of even better accuracy.

 

[StrawHat]

I read an article about a fellow that sent two 1911s off to be customized. He stipulated a few things. Standard chamber, visible sights, straight main spring housing, rowel hammer, and a beavertail grip safety. And it had to be built loose enough to go bang every time he pulled the trigger. He also wanted the solid bushing fit to the barrel.

Sounds reasonable.

Kevin

 

[Golddollar]

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 a Gold Cup of a similar vintage. Seeing your post is giving me some incentive to get it out of the safe and throw some lead downrange.

 

[VictorLouis]

... circa 1974. Hell, Starsky and Hutch hadn't even premiered by then.

One of my academy instructors referred to them as Starsky and Crotch, LOL.
In any case, Hutch carried a Python, but Starksy rocked a M59.

 

[LVSteve]

One of my academy instructors referred to them as Starsky and Crotch, LOL.
In any case, Hutch carried a Python, but Starksy rocked a M59.

In England they were known as Starkers and Crutch. Starkers is UK slang for naked.

 

[4barrel]

The Series 70 guns have a nice mystique to them.

The collet bushings work fine. Until they don't.

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I have 4 spares but never needed them. Most are .583 id. Some of the NM one's are.580.

 

[A10]

Congrats on a great find. Not much better than that old Colt blue. My only 1911 I have current 'll y is a 1948 commercial model. I did see a nice Union Switch and Signal in a local shop today. Couldnt afford it.....

 

[tmd17]

.... I'm also not a fan of Colt's collet barrel bushing.... 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.

^^THAT ^^

Any Colt 1911 is welcome to join the others in my safe, but if it has the collet bushing I will swap it out.

 

[31FordA]

I lost out on a 70 Series Government Model at an auction today, the bidding went beyond what I could justify. It would've been two grand with the buyers premium. I like Colt automatics almost as much as S&W revolvers, but even I have limits on what I'll spend.

 

[Benton Quest]

One of my academy instructors referred to them as Starsky and Crotch, LOL.

In any case, Hutch carried a Python, but Starksy rocked a M59.

Not to be that guy...and it was a horrible show, but Starsky was also known to carry a 1911.

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