Colt 70 Series 1911 unfired I picked up.

[inspcalahan]

Great pistol! I've got a few other Colt's, all revolvers, from 1972 but I NEED to get me a 1911 made then one day.

I made a half-hearted offer on this and the guy took it, darn.

As far as I could tell it was unfired in what looks like the original box. Serial number puts it a 1972 manufacture. Of course I had to shoot it. Was getting some fail to ejects, the spend case caught down in the slide, not high enough to call it a stove pipe. I figure a new recoil spring and new mag should fix it.

Do the grips look original?

Thanks, Mike.

 

[ladder13]

Back in the early 90s my father in law bought a new Series 80. He had been the company armorer when he was in the Army in the 1950s and wanted a 1911 for old times sake. He had similar problems with the 1911. The fourth or fifth round would jam on every magazine. He had the pistol in several times for work. I think the smith eventually figured out the chamber was off center. My FIL eventually sold the 1911 out of frustration.

I bought a stainless S80 back around 1985, I believe made either during or after the Colt strike.. I couldn't put anything on paper 10 yards away. The only Colt 1911 I ever had an issue with, but just limited to the trigger. No other issues or failures.
Sent the gun to a factory Smith named Campbell Irwin in CT. He told me it was one of worse triggers he ever saw, but he smoothed it out nicely for me. I did a few Kings Gunworks mods to it and still have it.

 

[JackM]

Grips look correct for the era. Believe Colt referred to them as "Coltwood."

IIRC, Colt referred to these as "weathered walnut."

 

[chief38]

I made a half-hearted offer on this and the guy took it, darn.

As far as I could tell it was unfired in what looks like the original box. Serial number puts it a 1972 manufacture. Of course I had to shoot it. Was getting some fail to ejects, the spend case caught down in the slide, not high enough to call it a stove pipe. I figure a new recoil spring and new mag should fix it.

Do the grips look original?

Thanks, Mike.

Mike,

Congrats on the Gold Cup!! My Series 70 1974 GC is my most shot and most favorite target gun I own! I also shot it pretty well.

I do not believe those are the original grips though. Every single one I have ever seen has had checkered walnut and a gold medallion. They are all over ebay and not expensive should you decide to put originals on it. Once in a while you will see a silver medallion (I believe they were sometimes substituted when the gold ones had temporarily gone out of stock) but I've never seen smooth grips on a GC before.

Failures to eject are most often fixed by tweaking the extractor. That is done by slightly bending it and if you do a search there are explanations on just how to do it. Worse case scenario, try a different extractor - they are not expensive.

Good luck with it!! IMHO I think the Colt Series 70 is the best bang for the money in an American made target quality 1911! BTW the new ones being made today are EXCELLENT too!

Shoot it in good health!!

 

[824tsv]

^
Gold Cup?

The O.P.'s pistol is a Government Model. The large slide roll marks and the "sandblasted" non checkered stocks with silver Colt medallions are correct for that pistol. In the later 70's Colt changed the slide roll marks to a smaller version and equipped the pistols with checkered walnut stocks with gold medallions.

 

[SC_Mike]

Thank you all for the input. I'll be making small, one at a time adjustments to the pistol as I go. I forgot to mention I did buy a new Colt mag and the FTEs happened with both magazines. The weapon was field stripped, inspected and new lube added before firing. I shot a box of Rem 230 grn and Geko 230 grn and had FTE with each. Since I have a slightly used recoil spring in my box I'll try it next.

Thank you all again for the input, keep it coming!

 

[chief38]

^
Gold Cup?

The O.P.'s pistol is a Government Model. The large slide roll marks and the "sandblasted" non checkered stocks with silver Colt medallions are correct for that pistol. In the later 70's Colt changed the slide roll marks to a smaller version and equipped the pistols with checkered walnut stocks with gold medallions.

Sir, you are absolutely correct!! I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I looked at it! I have Gold Cups on my brain lately.

In that case Mike, your grips may indeed be original! Sorry, I should have put my glasses on - lol! The Congrats still hold though.

 

[les.b]

Here's my Series 70...a Gold Cup. It has the bushing with the fingers, but none have ever broken, and it functions just fine, but I have only shot it with standard ball ammunition (Federal).

Best Regards, Les

 

[bananaman]

I made a half-hearted offer on this and the guy took it, darn.

As far as I could tell it was unfired in what looks like the original box. Serial number puts it a 1972 manufacture. Of course I had to shoot it. Was getting some fail to ejects, the spend case caught down in the slide, not high enough to call it a stove pipe. I figure a new recoil spring and new mag should fix it.

Do the grips look original?

Thanks, Mike.

Congratulations on your Colt! I have 1911's, but no Colt 70 series. You are right that it should not be too hard to get it functioning properly. My 1st 1911 was a used Auto Ordnance. It sure was disappointing function wise. After some spring changes and a new extractor it functioned well. Trial & error. Bob

 

[Texas Star]

Here's my Series 70...a Gold Cup. It has the bushing with the fingers, but none have ever broken, and it functions just fine, but I have only shot it with standard ball ammunition (Federal).

Best Regards, Les

Les-

Have you tried Federal's 230 grain Match load? It shot FANTASTIC groups in my Gold Cup. That was about 1970, but it had the solid bushing. I bought it at a USAF exchange in 1966.

I've never used any but the issue recoil spring, and in four Government Models, a Gold Cup, amd a former British Lend-Lease gun, they all fed everything I tried. I think the exception was occasional failures to cycle right with light 185 grain factory SWC's.

My handload was the 200 grain SWC Hensley & Gibbs No. 68 with enough Unique powder to rate about 900 FPS. I also liked Western's old 210 grain lead SWC load, which was lighter. I never had the jams with it that I did with 185's. Super-Vel's 190 grain JHP fed and shot well. Maj. George C. Nonte killed a black bear up a tree with that round. You may have seen his article in, Shooting Times.

I'm baffled by the members who say they have to change recoil springs with every load. ??

A Colt .45 auto was my travelling gun, because the airlines wanted me to remove the firing pin on handguns in luggage! I could do this with the Colt, but on few other guns. The firing pin and spring went in a small plastic pill bottle.

I did carry a S&W M-36-1 a time or two on SW Airlines, which didn't give me the grief about firing pins.
And when I realized that I had a lockblade German hunting knife in my pocket, I asked the SW counter girl (a hottie!) to unzip my suitcase (behind her on a counter) and insert the knife, she was very accomodating. My Swiss Army knife was within security limits back then. I last carried a knife on a plane in 2000, and my Victorinox Spartan raised no eyebrows. Boy, did things change a couple of years later!

 

[stansdds]

Les-

Have you tried Federal's 230 grain Match load? It shot FANTASTIC groups in my Gold Cup. That was about 1970, but it had the solid bushing. I bought it at a USAF exchange in 1966.

I've never used any but the issue recoil spring, and in four Government Models, a Gold Cup, amd a former British Lend-Lease gun, they all fed everything I tried. I think the exception was occasional failures to cycle right with light 185 grain factory SWC's.

My handload was the 200 grain SWC Hensley & Gibbs No. 68 with enough Unique powder to rate about 900 FPS. I also liked Western's old 210 grain lead SWC load, which was lighter. I never had the jams with it that I did with 185's. Super-Vel's 190 grain JHP fed and shot well. Maj. George C. Nonte killed a black bear up a tree with that round. You may have seen his article in, Shooting Times.

I'm baffled by the members who say they have to change recoil springs with every load. ??

The standard recoil spring for the 1911-A1 Government Model is 16 pounds and works fine with full power ammo. Some may work ok with lightly loaded target ammo, but most will need a 14 pound recoil spring to allow the slide to cycle correctly.

 

[chief38]

Here's my Series 70...a Gold Cup. It has the bushing with the fingers, but none have ever broken, and it functions just fine, but I have only shot it with standard ball ammunition (Federal).

Best Regards, Les

Les,

My GC has the Finger Bushing as well and after tens of thousands of rounds it too has never broken. I did break a Finger Bushing on a Colt Series 80 Gov't Model after over 10,000 - 12,000 rounds of 230 grain Hardball was shot through it - but back then I did not reload. Getting another one was a little challenging but they are available if you look hard enough. Worst case scenario you can easily fit a standard type Bushing and then you never have to worry. That said, the Finger type Bushings seem quite accurate and last a lot longer than given credit for.

BTW, I really like the old Peters ammo boxes!!

 

[SC_Mike]

All this talk of finger bushings had me curious and a little concerned. This 1911 has what I assume is a standard type as on the left and I assume the one on the right is the finger (Collet) bushing?

 

[arjay]

Yep.Ive seen them on eBay and gunbroker occasionally if you want to pick one up

 

[lrrifleman]

I'm baffled by the members who say they have to change recoil springs with every load. ??

Texas Star,

Sorry for confusing you. I need to qualify. Ninety-eight percent of my 45 shooting over the years has been shooting bulls-eye using bunny f@rt rounds to enhance accuracy while reducing recoil and sight disturbance.

I am guessing that my 200gr lead load with about 4.7gr of WW231 pushes the bullet about 725 fps. With anything heavier than a 10# recoil spring, it short strokes and I can get both an FTE or an FTF. With my 200gr TMJ load for EIC matches, a 14# spring is in order to provide reliable cycling and reduce the slide from battering the frame. For full power service loads, I go with the standard 16# spring for the obvious reasons. For the timed and rapid fire strings, where 5 rounds need to be placed on target at 25yards in 10 to 20 seconds, you want to minimize recoil!

 

[Troystat]

Neat pistol, my father has one that looks the same and he purchased it in 1972.

 

[M1A]

I would enlarge the ejection port, bevel the mag well, ambi safety, larger mag release, Bomar sights, beaver tail grip safety, upgrade recoil spring, and polish the ramp.
Really nice find.

 

[one eye joe]

I made a half-hearted offer on this and the guy took it, darn.

As far as I could tell it was unfired in what looks like the original box. Serial number puts it a 1972 manufacture. Of course I had to shoot it. Was getting some fail to ejects, the spend case caught down in the slide, not high enough to call it a stove pipe. I figure a new recoil spring and new mag should fix it.

Do the grips look original?



























Thanks, Mike.

CONGRATULATIONS, THATS A BEAUTY. THE 70s SERIES IS THE CREAM OF THE CROP.....

THE GOVERNMENT MODEL IS THE BASIC 1911. THEY SHIP FROM THE FACTORY, WITH 2 MAGAZINES, MARKED COLT. THE GM DOES NOT FEATURE THE LOWERED EJECTION PORT....

THE PISTOL WAS DESIGNED TO SHOOT GI ISSUED, 230GR, FMJ BALL AMMO. I DON'''

IMHO, THE GRIPS ARE NOT ORIGINAL TO THIS PISTOL. IT WOULD HAVE SHIPPED WITH PLAIN CHECKERED WALNUT STOCKS---UNLESS THIS GUN WAS SPECIAL ORDERED FROM THE COLT CUSTOM SHOP.....

STOCKS LIKE THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED LATER FROM THE CUSTOM SHOP, OR EVEN ON E-BAY........

 

[SC_Mike]

**Update**

I changed out the recoil spring for a slightly used one, used the new magazine and tweeked the extractor to give it some extra grab and only had two FTEs out of another 100 rounds, Remington and Magtech 230 ball. The guy who runs the range says I need to put another 300 through it to "break it in". We'll see.

Thank you all again for your input, Mike.

 

[GRT3031]

Maintaining / tuning / repairing the 1911A1 is not voodoo. Tuning the extractor is a fairly straight forward and easy task. Get one of Jerry Kuhnhausen's shop manuals on the 1911A1, or Patrick Sweeney's book. Or the old -14, or -34 will show you how to do it (TM 9-1005-211-34 M1911A1 Direct and General Support Maintenance Manual June-22-64). I would get a factory weight recoil spring from Wolff, and some good quality magazines first, prior to tuning the extractor. There are several aftermarket drop in extractors out there as well should you still need to replace it.