1911's Don't really get much better than this...

[Daguerre]

Hey guys. I found you don't really have to spend a huge sum of money to get a totally reliable, highly accurate, and great-looking, nearly-stock 1911.... no gunsmithing required.

If you haven't checked out Colt's new Series 70 production... you are missing something really cool. Here's a pic of mine:

Right out-of-the box this has a clean, smooth 4 lb. trigger pull! All I did to this one is install a longer Colt trigger (I have big hands and prefer an arched MSH with a longer trigger), black double diamond rubber grips (the double diamond rosewood grips it came with are gorgeous, but I just wanted more of a "stealth" look), and an Ed Brown Hard Core Extractor (the newest Colts already come with tool steel extractors right-from-the-factory - not MIM). Otherwise, this is a box-stock, new re-issue Colt Series 70 Government 1911. It reliably feeds and fires FMJ and JHP from a wide variety of ammo makers (PMC FMJ, AE FMJ, S&B FMJ, CorBon JHP, Winchester JHP, and Federal HydraShok JHP) using over a half-dozen different magazine brands (Colt, Shooting Star, Wilson, PowerMag, Mec-Gar, and Wolff).

Of my dozen or so 1911's, this one is among my very favorites. It's proven to be so reliable that it's earned the right to share home and RV defense duty with my best Series I Kimbers and Springfield TRP.

It's a totally reliable, highly satisfying, classic-styled 1911! Now I want another one to customize even a little more, so I can keep this one nearly box-stock! Only trouble is, gee whiz, my new "affair" with Browning Hi-Powers!

Happy New Year to you!

 

[Tamara]

That is gorgeous!

 

[sm]

NICE!!

I- really- really -really want one of those--really !!!!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[ruger357]

Real nice. I'm jealous.

 

[clem]

Cool! Now how do I convince my wife that I need a fourth M1911?

 

[FPrice]

It looks great! But why is it called a Series 70? Did Colt take the firing pin safety out?

 

[MJRW]

I've always wondered what makes one 1911 better looking than another one. To me its like saying the Glock 19 is nicer looking than the G23.

 

[Sven]

Some 1911 newbies might argue with you...



Valtro pix

 

[Sean Smith]

Heck, even the basic guns Colt is making aren't so basic anymore.

The basic S80 Government Models now come with a nice blue job, long aluminum triggers (mine was about 4 lbs out of the box), high-vis 3-dot sights and rosewood grips. Reliable and accurate too.

FPrice: yes. Colt's reproductions of their Series 70 models have no firing pin safety. They also have a gorgeous blue job (as you can tell from the pic).

 

[waterdog]

Cool!, I gots to get one, or maybe 2.

My Commanders need more siblings to keep them company

waterdog

 

[Gewehr98]

That's great news!

Maybe Colt got their ship turned around.

Wonder if they did get rid of the silly-assed Series 80 lockwork with the new Series 70 guns?

If I hadn't defected to Caspian, I'd consider a new Colt, just based on the looks of that picture!

 

[Sean Smith]

Read my above post... yes, the new S70 guns have no firing pin safety. The less expensive S80 guns do.

 

[45R]

Nice Colt, is that a stock trigger?

 

[Nightcrawler]

I LOVE the ones with the traditional spur hammers. Just looks better, to me.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Plastic triggers look fine on Glocks, but are really, really, really grotesque on 1911s.

 

[Sean Smith]

Good thing Colts don't come with plastic triggers anymore.

 

[Gewehr98]

No more plastic triggers?

Woo-hoo! No more plastic mainspring housings, either?

 

[cratz2]

I loved my new-rollmark Colt though it was a Series 80. Beautiful gun and completely reliable. But I really wanted something and someone really wanted my Colt... You know how it goes.

Beautiful gun.

 

[bigjim]

new style old gun

Valtro Pic that I think shows it off well

 

[Kestrel]

Daguerre,

Great picture!

By the way, how can you tell if your new 70 series has a tool steel extractor? Is there a serial number range? A way to eye it?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[OF]

That is a sweeeet piece, Daguerre. And a great photo too.

- Gabe

 

[ArmySon]

Plastic triggers look fine on Glocks, but are really, really, really grotesque on 1911s.

I don't know about that...

*note - STI Ultralight Trigger

 

[dsk]

I agree that the new Series 70 guns Colt is currently making are some of their best. It can even be argued that these are even better than the original Series 70 guns. Here is a full-profile view of mine, completely bone-stock.

 

[Daguerre]

Hey I'm thrilled that you guys appreciate the gun and the photo. Thanks. It truly is a superb pistol... I feel very fortunate to own it and will never give it up. I just need to get another one!

By the way, Colt is considering producing a stainless steel version of the Series 70 in early in 2003. Let's hope the decide to do that! Just be aware that most dealers don't have a clue what's going on with Colt and you have to do your own homework to find out what's going on. There are plenty of Colts available to any dealer through any of a number of firearms distributors... all your dealer has to do is place a call to make an order. Colt's website is terribly out of date and they don't advertise.... so just stay tuned to the 1911Forum/Colt area and you'll get the skinny from people who know! Colt lovers can rejoice.

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=26

SteveW... I'm not sure how to tell how an extractor is made... someone somewhere told me that if there is a V stamped on the extractor that it's MIM, but I'm not really sure. I'm just slowly going through all my 1911's and putting in tool steel extractors as a matter of course. That's the one component on a 1911 which is the most troublesome and which benefits the most from being tool steel. I can live with plastic mainspriing housings (seems most of the production guns have them) and they're so easy to swap out for steel... I like to swap them out for arched MSH anyway, so I just get steel ones. But I'm sure the polymer MSH works just fine anyway.

The trigger came from another Colt of mine, a Combat Commander. The two-hole cutouts are my favorite "look" in trigger shoes. I don't really like any of the other trigger shoe styles. The only triggers with shoes which look like this, that I've seen, are available from Colt and Kimber. My Series 1 Kimber Compact CDP has a trigger shoe which looks nearly identical to this one.

The rubber double diamond grips are off another one of my Kimbers, a Government-size Stainless Series 1. I like switching parts around to make the guns more to my own taste and style. I've also ordered grips and other parts from Kimber to use on all of my 1911's, regardless of brand. Kimber's Eclipse grips are unique and look great on blued as well as stainless 1911's.

 

[Wildalaska]

Colts are still tough to get even for distributors sometimes..took months to get the Series 70 guns (and they are awesome) and Defenders are very scarce..

I guess the new one is gonna be the repro 1920 Commercial...thats the one I want!