Help choosing: M&P45 or Colt Gold Cup?

[sasu]

Would you care to throw some ideas to help me choose between an M&P 45 and a mint Colt Gold Cup.

I am in a situation where I was going to place an order for a new M&P 45, but then I saw a mint Series 80 Colt Gold Cup (made in 1995) at the shop. The price for both is practically the same.

I use my pistols for target shooting, load development, IPSC and IDPA.

I already have several 1911 pistols and several S&W 3rd Generation pistols, but no polymer wonders so far.

Should I buy my first polymer pistol now or should I take home the nice Gold Cup? The choices, the choices...

 

[BAK]

same price, easy get the gold cup

 

[safearm]

Go with the Gold Cup at that price! The M&P will be around for a long time and you'll be able to get one later.

 

[sasu]

Originally posted by safearm:
The M&P will be around for a long time and you'll be able to get one later.

You are probably right on that one.

I live in Europe so our used gun market is totally different to yours. That is why we can get even rare used guns for an attractive price, as there are not too many buyers. The permits, the permits...

 

[OU812]

What do you want the gun for? For carry I would go with the M&P but for the safe or range work I would get the Colt Gold cup, it just looks great. Like safearm said they will be making the M&P for years

 

[11e40]

get the colt.

 

[Poohgyrr]

Originally posted:

I live in Europe

What is your situation for repairs & gunsmiths? And what kind of target shooting? The Gold Cup might do better for precise target shooting, and certainly has more appeal for me.

Your other 1911mags (.45 ?) should work in the Colt.

The M&P should do as well at IPSC & IDPA as the other.

 

[M29since14]

I am no great admirer of the Gold Cup pattern. You say you already have various 1911 pistols, so maybe you should consider the M&P45? It is an area you do not have experience in. You might enjoy the variety.

Here in the U.S., the Colt is considerably more valuable, but if it really doesn't work that way in your area, there is no reason to put the Colt on a pedestal. I have always found Gold Cups to be mediocre shooters.

 

[andyo5]

80 Colt Gold Cup

I owner a Gold Cup of that same period and was not impressed. The quality and performance did not justify the price, and there were finer examples at lower prices. A Kimber or Para Ord would be a better bet.

 

[batmann]

Having had a Series 70 Colt Gold Cup, I can say the earlier examples were better than the newer ones. Colt used to take only the best bbls and basicaly hand fit the pistol. They were tuly very accurate. Colt stopped that practice in the late 80's (I think) when the newer Series with the firing pin saftey came out.
The Gold Cups are still fine pistols, but lack what the older models had. That said, I would still go with the Gold Cup over the M&P.

 

[Wes Howe]

Gents,

If your shooting target, IDPA, or one of the "run and gun" type matches the Gold Cup will allow you shorter reset and slightly faster times. Something about shooting speed events with polymer makes my teeth stand on end.
Of course we all know it's the shooter, not the pistol.
MY choice is the Colt.

Wes

 

[harry carey]

having owned at least 50 1911's over the years i would say find a series 70 colt or one of the expensive S&W 1911's. no colt has ever let me down or broken, ever. i had a kimber with a cracked frame out of the box. powdered metal sight, grip safety and plastic mainspring housing does not interest me as i have seen those break. I like Wilson, Brown, Baer,Clark, 1911's but they are more money.the expensive S&W guns have Lother Walther barrels.

 

[Nimble Jack B.]

I'd say most definitely get the Gold Cup.

If you want a "polymer wonder", get an HK45.

 

[harry carey]

how 'bout a KZ 45 Wilson ? for synthetic frame ?

 

[mp357]

Gold Cup all day long...But be forwarned, the pin holding the rear sight will break!

 

[Hammerless-12]

I own two Series 80 Gold cups, one stainless and one blued. I have heard the same thing about not being very accurate for the price, but I can tell you both of mine absolutly will outshoot more expencive pistols. The only thing I did was install a solid guide rod and I do change out the recoil springs depending on the load I will be shooting. The stainless gun is a 1985 or 86 and I did purchase it new. I will say it has had well over 80,000 rounds through it and not one failure of any type. This gun gets a steady diet of light target loads. I also have a Colt Combat Government that is a very costley pistol I am not near as happy with. I have never been able to shoot it as well as the Gold Cups. I would reccomend the Gold Cup any day based one my excperiance with them. They also seem to hold thier value extremly well. Good luck with whatever you get.

 

[glypnir]

I say try the M&P. I don't know if it's better for all the shooting you normally do, but I think it would be good to get out of the rut and try a polymer pistol for a change. You've already got a bunch of 1911 pattern pistols, right?

If nothing else, you will learn something, maybe improve yourself some.

 

[sasu]

I made the choice yesterday. I ended putting a Kimber Tactical Custom II on layaway (I have three other guns to pay for before I get that one). The Kimber is a 5" 1911 with an aluminum frame. I bought its little brother, a 4" Tactical Pro II at the same time. The overall feel of quality on these two Kimbers won me over.

Part of my reasoning against the Colt Gold Cup was: the rear sight, or at least the fastening pin is fragile, 1995 was not the high point in Colt quality, the Gold Cup has a different trigger and hood width thus limiting after market parts choicese.

So I am sorry, no Smith & Wesson or Colt this time, except there is a S&W 945PC 45 ACP on its way to me.

Here's the shorter Kimber

The slide to frame fit is quite good

 

[M29since14]

Kimbers are nice guns! They manage to put decent checkering on the front strap of their pistols, which S&W ought to do, but I think it can only be had on their PC models. As you say, fit and finish are very nice. I can't say I am fond of the Kimber grip safety, and the rear sight is ugly, but all in all, both of the Kimbers I have will lay them in there, and have been trouble-free. I think you made a good choice to pass up the GC, and you can always buy an M&P45 later, if you want one.