New Colt 1911 National Match

[Empe]

Would anyone who has one of the newer Colt National Match models made within the last couple of years care to comment ?
How is the fit and finish ?
How is the accuracy and reliability ?
Other than the adjustable sights and higher gloss blue is there any real difference between the National Match and the other Colt 1911's ?
Right or wrong there is a general perception that the " older " models are better than the new ones . Anyone have one or more of each to make a comparison ?

 

[Hairtrigger]

CZ has improved the quality of Colts

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Colt's new production guns are probably the best they've ever been. While they don't have the Royal Blue finish of years ago (who does have the finish of years go?)...new production guns are more consistent in manufacture with modern manufacturing methods.

About the only way to improve on the new guns is for some serious custom work by talented expert gunsmiths...and work on one's own shooting techniques. The new guns coming from Hartford now are excellent though there has been the occasional QC issue that gets taken care of promptly from what I understand. QC bobbles are simply a fact of life in manufacturing anything.

I know Colt offers several levels of their Gold Cup now...not all do I find appealing. I prefer the more traditional match sights...not the fiber-optic front sight...but that's just me. That simply Colt trying to have a target grade gun in several market segments.

 

[Narragansett]

Colt's new production guns are probably the best they've ever been. While they don't have the Royal Blue finish of years ago (who does have the finish of years go?)...new production guns are more consistent in manufacture with modern manufacturing methods.

About the only way to improve on the new guns is for some serious custom work by talented expert gunsmiths...and work on one's own shooting techniques. The new guns coming from Hartford now are excellent though there has been the occasional QC issue that gets taken care of promptly from what I understand. QC bobbles are simply a fact of life in manufacturing anything.



I know Colt offers several levels of their Gold Cup now...not all do I find appealing. I prefer the more traditional match sights...not the fiber-optic front sight...but that's just me. That simply Colt trying to have a target grade gun in several market segments.

This is an interesting comment. I just happen to have a new 1978 govt and a new 2023 govt to make a comparison, and when done, compare the best of the 2 to a Dan Wesson

 

[Greyman50]

Red box Colts, need to have one to shoot….

 

[Darkenfast]

GunBlue490 has some videos on YT showing how accurate his GCNM is with target handloads. I tried to post the link, but it didn't work.

I handled one of those recently, and it was very nice and had an excellent trigger. Zero need for one, but in my younger days, I really lusted after the Gold Cup, in spite of their issues. These newer ones seem to be better.

 

[rockquarry]

GunBlue490 has some videos on YT showing how accurate his GCNM is with target handloads. I tried to post the link, but it didn't work.

I handled one of those recently, and it was very nice and had an excellent trigger. Zero need for one, but in my younger days, I really lusted after the Gold Cup, in spite of their issues. These newer ones seem to be better.

I'm generally not a YouTube advocate when the topic is guns or handloading, but is anyone aware of published or videoed benchrest or Ransom rest testing of new Gold Cups straight-out-of-the-box?

 

[Rock185]

Mine is within the last couple years. Fit of barrel/slide/frame is actually better than most of my Colts of years past. Finish had flaws that I did not detect indoors at the FFL, but they became apparent in sunlight. Sent it back to Colt. They corrected those flaws in the finish, then created others. Didn't chance sending it back again. After a few hundred rounds of factory ammo, extraction became unreliable. Cleaned extractor and tunnel, checked tension, etc. No improvement. Yes, I could have sent it back to the factory again, but didn't feel like it. I installed an Ed Brown extractor; 100% reliable extraction since.

If you're considering one in .45, feed reliability will probably be fine. Mine is in 9mm. Feed reliability is iffy with anything but RN ball, and one type of factory hollow point.

I still like Colts, and have certainly owned my share. But, seemed it was always something with a number I have owned...YMMV

 

[LEO918]

My Gold Cup Trophy, I acquired LNIB has been flawless.

 

[Rodan]

Earlier this year, I was wanting to pick up a target (adjustable sight) 1911 in .45acp. I looked pretty hard at Colt's Trophy series in stainless. They seemed pretty well put together, but the machined edges were razor sharp, and that ultimately put me off them. I ended up with a Tisas Match, and it has been impressive. All forged, no MIM and put together as well as any Colt I've ever owned.

Older Colts are not always the better choice... I was working in a gun shop in the 1980s and remember pulling a brand new Gold Cup out of the box to find a bullet lodged in the barrel. For me, it's pre-1975 or post 1995 for Colts...

 

[AJ]

I shoot an original Series 70 National Match Gold Cup. It shoots as well as anything that I have shot. Even a few custom made guns. The only thing done to the pistol was I took the trigger down to 2.25 lbs of trigger pull. Shoots well enough for this old shaky guy to keep all in the 10 ring and most of those in the X-Ring when I do my part at 15 yards. Need new Mark 1 Eyeballs issued!

 

[bananaman]

My Gold Cup Trophy, I acquired LNIB has been flawless.

My last 1911 prior to today was a Gold Cup Trophy. Haven't shot it munch but has functioned perfectly! Bob

 

[LostintheOzone]

My Gold Cup Trophy, I acquired LNIB has been flawless.

I have an older S80 GC Trophy from 2012. It's had lots of hard ball run through it without any issues. I've had a few other Colt 1911's but sold them. No point in keeping them because the GC was the only one I liked to shoot.

I'd buy another one if I needed another 1911.

I've heard people complain about Colts but I've never experienced it myself.

 

[chief38]

Colt has steeped up their game in a BIG way! They have now become the best quality production guns in the industry - at least IMHO. Their bluing, grips, fitment and accuracy is all superb! All 3 of the Gold Cup 1911's three of my friends have purchased recently have not had one single hiccup right from out of the box. They even have great triggers and are just as accurate as Ed Brown's, Wilson Combat's and Les Behr's. OK - they might not have all of the fancy checkering but they will work right out of the box with any in-spec. reloads. The higher priced guns will usually not handle hand loads reliably and require loosening up a bit. I own plenty of 1911's and they are ALL Colts. They are the only 1911's I'd buy. Not only are the Colt's superbly accurate, they are half the price! I used my GCNM with great success, for decades in competition against fancy 1911's. Never had any issues and they shot more accurate than I could.

BTW, their Revolver line is second to none now!! The Pythons are better than the originals especially in their strength and lock work. The minor idiosyncrasies of the re-release a few years back were rapidly worked out and corrected. Do NOT hesitate to buy a Colt (1911 or revolver) - you won't be disappointed!

 

[Narragansett]

Colt has steeped up their game in a BIG way! They have now become the best quality production guns in the industry - at least IMHO. Their bluing, grips, fitment and accuracy is all superb! All 3 of the Gold Cup 1911's three of my friends have purchased recently have not had one single hiccup right from out of the box. They even have great triggers and are just as accurate as Ed Brown's, Wilson Combat's and Les Behr's. OK - they might not have all of the fancy checkering but they will work right out of the box with any in-spec. reloads. The higher priced guns will usually not handle hand loads reliably and require loosening up a bit. I own plenty of 1911's and they are ALL Colts. They are the only 1911's I'd buy. Not only are the Colt's superbly accurate, they are half the price! I used my GCNM with great success, for decades in competition against fancy 1911's. Never had any issues and they shot more accurate than I could.

BTW, their Revolver line is second to none now!! The Pythons are better than the originals especially in their strength and lock work. The minor idiosyncrasies of the re-release a few years back were rapidly worked out and corrected. Do NOT hesitate to buy a Colt (1911 or revolver) - you won't be disappointed!

Even though I poke fun at some of your commentary from time to time, I really do enjoy your reviews.

I am still waiting for the laundry soap review.

 

[Valmet]

CZ has improved the quality of Colts

Can’t say that I’ve fired any of the newer ones but I’ve heard this as well.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Colt put a new, first class management team in place before the CZ merger. These are gun people who understand shooters far better than the previous...several previous...ownership ever did. Several previous owners were varying degree corporate raiders who viewed Colt as either for government sales or a tax write-off.

The merger with CZ was really the topping on the cake...CZ wanted the military market inside track.

 

[chief38]

Even though I poke fun at some of your commentary from time to time, I really do enjoy your reviews.

I am still waiting for the laundry soap review.

Ha! Don't think I haven't considered one just to stir you up HA HA!

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy posting my experiences.

I do many things around my home - but laundry and I do not mix! I have been married over 45 years and I have never done laundry. Don't want to take that pleasure away from the Mrs!

The only thing I can say is the marketing teams that advertise for laundry detergent are experts at hyping their products up to all time heights. I don't think my wife has purchased the same laundry detergent twice in a row. Oh, she may come back to what she bought in the past, but I never see the same container as the previous one. Most name brand detergents seem just fine - and that's about as close to a laundry soap review as I get - lol.

 

[Empe]

Lots of good information here and thanks to all who replied.
There's a good chance my original post might cost me some money !

 

[M29since14]

I have handled several of the new guns and they looked great to me. Unfortunately, no opportunity to test fire. They finally replaced that awful Eliason rear sight, which is beyond a welcome change, IMO, but more than that the machining and finishing looked excellent. I wouldn’t mind having one myself, but it would probably serve mainly to make me more unhappy with the Series 70 GC I already own.

Since my grip means hammer bite when a 1911 has a standard spur hammer and grip safety, I wish they had equipped the guns with a Commander hammer. I thought I had seen them that way, but when I last looked at one, not so. That’s probably the main thing that keeps me from wanting to buy one. I have no idea what the new guns are like internally.