Thinking about a Colt series 70.... Thoughts?

[george preston]

I've been thinking about ordering a Colt series 70 and having it sent to Colt's custom shop for the "tactical package." I guessing the price will be around $1800. What are your thoughts? Seems like the package price is a lot of work for a reasonable price..... And it's a colt.

 

[Snake45]

I dunno. :? MSRP on the Series 70 is about 11 pigs, so what are they doing to for the extra seven? :? :? :?

There are a LOT of people making quality 1911s these days. I'm pretty sure if you shop around, you could find at least one that comes with just about everything YOU want/need on it for less than 18 pigs.

But, as you say, somebody else's gun wouldn't have the prancing pony on it. :? :wink:

I just read a writeup of the Colt Mk IV Series 70. Near as I could tell, it doesn't even come with the collett bushing anymore, which is what MADE that gun a "Mk IV Series 70." :? :? :?

Personally, I'd rather start with a nice commercial pre-Mk IV, just because I prefer the more understated slide stamping on those guns. But hey, that's just me. :wink:

 

[george preston]

For about $900 colts custom shop will do this:
Action Tuning for Enhanced Reliability – Adjust Extractor and Ejector ; adjust and tune sear and disconnector ; lower and flare ejection port ; polish and contour barrel throat and frame ramp; adjust magazines. (Does not include refinishing of modified parts.)

COLT Tactical Package – Includes action tuning plus complete dehorn; replace grip safety with Smith and Alexander or Ed Brown with/without palm swell; replace safety with strong side or ambidextrous tactical safety; checker front strap (20 or 25 lpi); enhance cut front strap; install flat checkered mainspring housing (20 or 25 lpi); bevel magazine well; tune trigger; install Novak night sights. Complete refinish in customer's choice of available Colt finishes.

I don't care much for the grip safety changes but about everything else is what I'm looking for.... Maybe I'm off on my price a little id figured the pistol would run me around $900- 1000 retail then add another $900 for the work..... Maybe I need to rethink this....

Nothing against other makers, I've just always wanted a Colt 1911

 

[revhigh]

I'll tell ya ... almost allof my 1911's are Colts, and I love them, but I can think of about 1000 better ways to spend that kind of money on guns.

For half that money ... you can buy an equivalent gun right from a factory. Most of those mods aren't worth half what they cost .... IMO.



Bottom line ... I wouldn't even consider that package, but that's just my opinion.

If ya got the money, and your heart is in it .... go for it. Personally, I'd buy a 9mm and 45acp range officer, and either a bunch of ammo or a bunch of reloading components.

REV

 

[Brian48]

Where I live, Colts are hard to come by. Unless something needs to be fixed, I'd keep it as stock as possible.

 

[Snake45]

Yeah, before dropping 18 hun on such a project, I'd look at everthing in at least Springfield Armory's and Kimber's catalogs. I'll bet there's something equivalent in there for maybe two-thirds that money.... :?

 

[UncleEd]

Check out the Remington R1s Carry and Carry Commander:

4.5 pound or less trigger, front night sight, checkered front and rear straps, beavertail, opened ejection port, smooth-smooth-operations such as slide action (like going on butter), ambi safety, very nice stylized grips, and they generally go for a little over $1,000.

What you might not like is it has the Series 80 Colt style firing pin safety but I think that beats the heck out of the Kimber Swartz firing pin safety system.

The Series 70 Colt relies on a titanium firing pin and heavy firing pin spring ala Ruger.

So do Springers.

And, heck, for maybe $400 bucks you could take a stock Ruger SR1911 and sweeten it up a lot, a lot, a very much lot. :lol:

 

[george preston]

What I'm looking for in the pistol is a flat MSH, opened up ejection port, Novak sights, and ambidextrous safety. I don't need the beaver tail grip safety. I have small hands and slide bite has never been a problem for me with the 1911 pistol. Most of the other features in the "tactical package" are nice but not really needed. I've always wanted a colt but maybe I should do a little more research on some of the other makers out there. I just never considered them....I've only ever shot colts. I've had one of my dads on temporary loan for 8 or so years now . It's an older one, factory nickel plated. Great shooter except the sights are smallish and the MSH just doesn't feel right to me.

 

[UncleEd]

George, I forgot to mention that the Remington Carry rear sight is the Novak style, and yes it has a flat MSH along with the ambi safety, etc., etc. as described in my first posting. Another feature of the Remington is that the slide and frame are "melted," no sharp edged anywhere at all.

You might also think of the Colt XSE although I've seen some wags say the letters stand for Extra Sharp Edges.

 

[dakota1911]

Bought a SS new Colt Series 70. Nice pistol. It was a little over $1K. Not sure I would dump more money in it as it is a nice pistol as it sits.

 

[george preston]

Son of a gun! That Remington R1 carry is exactly what I'm looking for (except no pony ). I'm going to give it a closer look. Have to admit, I'm not up on the other makers. How are remington's products?

 

[UncleEd]

Well, I like the Carry a lot or I wouldn't have recommended it. The plain R1 and the orphan stepchild, the Enhanced, are also nice.

I'm sure you may get some negative comments, i.e., the cast frame, but supposedly
the Carry frames are machined (which may mean and I'm not sure a step above castings). Some people just can't stand the idea of a cast frame which is what Ruger also has. (Remington specifically says machined, not forged.) I really don't think you'll find many criticisms of the Remy on the Internet and you know how that goes regarding opinions, informed or otherwise.

The only way you're going to know if you really like the Rem is to hold one, try the action, and compare it to
other makers. I think they sell very well but get lost in all the hoopla, recommendations that always come for Springers, Kimbers and Colts and then the higher end stuff like Les Baers.

By comparison Colts, and I own Colts including a Series 70 recent manufacture, may seem a bit crude, particularly the sharp edges at the magazine well, around the ejection port, the front of the frame.

I don't want to start a guide rod war here but Ruger and Remy do not, at least not yet, offer any full length guide rod models and I like that too.

 

[dakota1911]

I think a Remington R1 has a Series 80 firing pin safety. If you want a Colt Gov or Commander with Series 80 you will be down around $800 down here. I saw both a SR1911 and SR1911CMD a couple weeks ago for $629. Almost bought another SR1911CMD.

 

[UncleEd]

Dakota,

Yes, the Remy has a Colt Series 80 type firing pin safety, but so does Smith & Wesson and Sig. The original Smith 1911s had a variation of the Swartz system which Kimber has but in their "E" Series they went Series 80.

Regarding pricing, the Remy R1 plain jane goes for around $650, same as the Ruger but the Ruger has nice features like the Novak type sights and beavertail while the Remy is GI, but it still comes with a 4.5 pound trigger and does have high visibility sights.

When it comes to the firing pin "safety" system, I'm happy with Ruger and Springers but also Colt, Remy etc.
The Swartz system is the only one I don't particularly like since I think it has more potential to fail. Colt originally had the Swartz system (activated by the grip safety) in their National Matches before World War II.

I'm not saying I'm being logical but my favorite three are Ruger, Remy and Colt.

 

[dakota1911]

By the way, if you want to know if your 1911 has a firing pin safety then lock the slide back and turn it over. Below the slides from a pre 80 series Colt Commander, and Series 80 Colt Commander, a Kimber and a S&W. And yes the new E Series S&W do not have that.

 

[dakota1911]

I have Clawson's books in my collection and have actually shot a pre WWII National Match with a Swartz firing pin safety. You saw the slides. Nobody was unhappy about not seeing the top of the frames? Nobody wanted to see those?. I would. Anyway. Again Colt pre Series 80, Colt Series 80, Kimber Series II and early S&W.

 

[UncleEd]

Dakota, you're right about the E Series. I misspoke.

 

[modrifle3]

I could care less about the cast frame of the R1. That little pistol just has charm.

 

[modrifle3]

I am going to do trigger job on mine and get the country mile creep out. I picked up at set of factory colt parts for another project but may just use them for a trigger job. If I screw up I just put the factory parts back in. Only thing stopping me is the $200 in jigs and stones I need :-(

 

[bentblade]

"For about $900 colts custom shop will do this:
Action Tuning for Enhanced Reliability – Adjust Extractor and Ejector ; adjust and tune sear and disconnector ; lower and flare ejection port ; polish and contour barrel throat and frame ramp; adjust magazines. (Does not include refinishing of modified parts.)"

Let me get this rite, you want to pay Colt $900 to make the gun work the way it should have when it left the factory?

Hmmm?

Doesn't sound like ill be buying a colt any time soon. But if I did I wouldn't be paying Colt to do the work.