Series 80 vs series 70 for a carry gun?

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dpaqu

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 25, 2023
Messages
5
Location
VA
So when I clean my HK USP or one of my Glocks it seams obvious to me that one would want a firing pin block. I guess its what I "grew up" with. When I think about buying a 1911 to occasionally carry I get the heebegebees thinking about that lack of firing pin block. Am I overthinking this? Does the titanium firing pin do anything? It's tough finding a 80 series 1911 these days unless you go to the used market.
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2023
Messages
98
Location
hernando,ms
So when I clean my HK USP or one of my Glocks it seams obvious to me that one would want a firing pin block. I guess its what I "grew up" with. When I think about buying a 1911 to occasionally carry I get the heebegebees thinking about that lack of firing pin block. Am I overthinking this? Does the titanium firing pin do anything? It's tough finding a 80 series 1911 these days unless you go to the used market.
I carried a 45 commander for a few years cocked and locked. I never gave the block a thought. I was younger then maybe that was part of it!
Be safe
 

Paul B

Hunter
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
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Tucson, AZ
I've carried 1911 Style handgun for more years that I can count. Never had a problem with any of them. My two current cusoms made bt the late great F. Bob Chow in San Francisco have never given me any problems. Both guns were built on late 1940s 1911 Colt guns.

My target grade 1911 is based on Caspian frame and Colt Gold Cup slide. Very accurate. No firing pin lock.

My current carry piece is a 70's issue Colt Combat Commander. No firing pin lock on it.

AFAIK, about the only time it might be a problem is if you dropped the gun and it landed muzzle down due to the floating firing pin. Landing on the muzzle could allow the pin to go forward hard enough to strike the prime and set it off.

My normal back up gun is an S&W M60 so no problem there. However, sometimes my back up gun is a Walther PPK/s .380 and it too will fire if dropped. I believe the the Taurus PT-92 and PT-99 are also liable to fire if dropped.'

Those are the only semi-autos I have any real hands on experierience with.
Paul B.
 

diyj98

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 26, 2000
Messages
257
Location
WV
AFAIK, about the only time it might be a problem is if you dropped the gun and it landed muzzle down due to the floating firing pin. Landing on the muzzle could allow the pin to go forward hard enough to strike the prime and set it off.
I agree. On the few times I've carried a 1911, I've never worried about 70 vs 80 series.
 

Biggfoot44

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 6, 2009
Messages
829
The OP obviously Wants an 80 , no reason not too , go for it .

Is it needed ? Not really . With a vaguely fresh firing pin spring , the possibility of AD would range from zero to extremely negligible
 

beentheredone

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 27, 2022
Messages
400
Location
SC
In very solid theory, the gun with the FP safety is safer than the one without; in reality, for 112 years it has not really been a huge problem. Pay money, take choice...
 

hawkeye1952

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 23, 2023
Messages
17
Location
North Carolina
I had a Springfield 1911 Range Officer Champion and it was a series 70 and didn't think much about the hammer block. While in the service I carried a 1911A1 which had no hammer block. Now I got two 1911's both are series 80 but with the side safety and grip safety you can't go wrong carrying cocked and locked with either one
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2023
Messages
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Location
hernando,ms
I've carried 1911 Style handgun for more years that I can count. Never had a problem with any of them. My two current cusoms made bt the late great F. Bob Chow in San Francisco have never given me any problems. Both guns were built on late 1940s 1911 Colt guns.

My target grade 1911 is based on Caspian frame and Colt Gold Cup slide. Very accurate. No firing pin lock.

My current carry piece is a 70's issue Colt Combat Commander. No firing pin lock on it.

AFAIK, about the only time it might be a problem is if you dropped the gun and it landed muzzle down due to the floating firing pin. Landing on the muzzle could allow the pin to go forward hard enough to strike the prime and set it off.

My normal back up gun is an S&W M60 so no problem there. However, sometimes my back up gun is a Walther PPK/s .380 and it too will fire if dropped. I believe the the Taurus PT-92 and PT-99 are also liable to fire if dropped.'

Those are the only semi-autos I have any real hands on experierience with.
Paul B.
Paul both of the ones I carried were also the same model combat commanders. One was satin nickel, the other one blue. The blue one has surface wear around the muzzle and trigger guard areas from being holstered. I don't carry them anymore. I'm retired. But both have seen a thousand and more rounds thru them iver the years. I never really thought about the possibility of one landing muzzle down.

Thanks to all who welcomed me to your forum. I think it will be an interesting read.
Be safe
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2022
Messages
710
Location
Oregon
The OP mentioned HK. Years back I carried a 1911, then transitioned into a High Power. I finally went with a Smith Airweight but only for a short while- I felt undergunned. Searching for a new carry piece I got into HK's. I have to say, for a full size .45 the HK45 is a joy to carry and shoot. I have the DA/SA version, which allows a couple of carry options. Hammer down, safety on. Safety is in the same position as a 1911. Or, hammer down, safety off. D/A trigger pull is your "safety zone". Lastly, you can carry it hammer cocked/safety on, just like a 1911. I love and respect my 1911's, but for a carry piece, the HK45 seems to be the best of both worlds.
 

dpaqu

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 25, 2023
Messages
5
Location
VA
AFAIK, about the only time it might be a problem is if you dropped the gun and it landed muzzle down due to the floating firing pin. Landing on the muzzle could allow the pin to go forward hard enough to strike the prime and set it off.
I wonder about it hitting something while I'm climbing or sliding off a irregular shaped object but like someone said, been working for 112 years as is.
 

Rock185

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
38
Location
The Great Southwest
FWIW, I've carried the Hi Power and 1911 type guns with and without firing pin safeties. While I am comfortable with both, I am not offended in the least by having a firing pin safety. The last Dept. I worked for allowed me to carry a 1911 type pistol on duty, but it had to be a Series 80 Colt, specifically because the Series 80 does have a FPS. The FPS never created an issue of any kind.
Duty pistols 11-13 (640x480).jpg
 

RC44Mag

Buckeye
Joined
Jul 18, 2022
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1,778
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Long Island
I have the 'new' Series 70 and I've never dropped it loaded or otherwise but feel confident it's drop safe.
 

KurtC

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
235
Location
New Jersey
The ones I carried in the army were obviously series 70, but the Colts I qualify with and carry nowadays are series 80. I view them as an improvement.

I also make sure they have Tritium sights and a Commander style hammer/safety for my big hands. All features and markings are traditional.

20230126_113825.jpg
20230126_113847.jpg
 

harley08

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
574
I like the series 70 Better. I had a series 80 took it apart to clean it some how I put it together wrong and it would not fire. I took it apart and figured out to put it back together right then sold it. I have WW2 45's and a series 70 Commander = Brushed Stainless
 

Rock185

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
38
Location
The Great Southwest
I believe the lightweight firing pins do aid in making a 1911 less likely to fire if dropped, etc. That being said, the Colt Series 80 with the FPS all but guarantees the gun will not fire unless the trigger is pulled. And FWIW, factory trigger pull specs did not change from the 70 to 80 Series Colts. And lighter trigger pulls yet, can be achieved with all Series 80 components intact. I realize many don't like the FPS some 1911 types utilize now days, because JMB didn't design it. But there other things on 1911s now days that JMB did not design that many, me included, believe are good things. I was suspicious myself when the Series 80 guns were introduced, and bought one just to see how bad they must be. That early Series '80 was one of the nicest, most reliable, new Colts I ever bought. The Series 80 system is one of those good things JMB did not design IMHO.

BTW, Fools can defeat the best engineered of fool proof systems. I was at a public range years ago, and observed another shooter was not able to get his new Government model Colt to fire even one round. Talking to him as he field stripped his new S80 Colt, I learned he had filed off the S80 plunger lever of his new Colt to do a "trigger job". Well without the plunger lever, the FPS plunger is not cammed upward to allow the firing pin to reach the primer. I wonder if he put it out to the World that the S80 is a terrible, complicated, unreliable system;)
 

George

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Messages
786
Location
New Hampshire “Live free or die”
There's all different ways you can think about series 70 series 80. Anything mechanical can fail yes I've seen them fall a few times I've never seen a dropped 1911 even offices model drop muzzle down not from waist height or higher it always ended up hammer down or magazine down due to the weight of the ammo in the magazine. Granted maybe if you only had one or two rounds in the magazine left the fire that might not be the case. But the way I see it, going down backwards so to speak always tends to hit the grip safety on the tail. Not that that's going to make the gun fire but if a gun's been screwed with and filed on and falls in such a way where it hits the grip safety the impact could drop the hammer and cause an ignition. I've always felt better with a series 80 for carry purposes! I'm sure series 70 just like Browning high powers are safe to carry cocked and locked again if they're not screwed with if they meet Factory specifications! Just my thoughts. Yes I do carry a series 80 offices model most of the time amongst others depending on weather and apparel of course! George
 

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