Colt Series 70 Reproduction

[saltydog452]

Folks, maybe I'v led a sheltered life, but exactly what is a Colt Series 70 Reproduction?

Lots of companies, make reproductions of Colt products, but how can Colt make a reproduction of its own product?

What would you call such an item, ' Colt Series 70, Mk1, Mod2'?

How do they differ, or do they, from normal Series 70 products from Colt?

salty..
bewildered and confused in Texas.

 

[1911Tuner]

Colt's Blast from the Past

Howdy Salty,

Colt probably noticed a resurgence in the interest of 1911 clones
without lawyer parts, (and in USGI clones) and made a decision to produce a limited run of WW1 and WW2 pistols. Not sure if it was to create some collector interest or to test the market to see if they'd sell well enough to
warrant tooling up for a new line of "The 1911: Just like Grandpa used to own." It seems to have been a success, though. The guns are selling almost as soon as they hit the shelves, and command a price that's nearly double that of a comparable Series 80. I hope that they produce more.
The guns have...according to reports...been very good on average,
though they still have the same MIM parts that are in the Series 80s.

Technically, the guns aren't "Series 70s". Series 70 was a run of pistols with a collet bushing that was supposed to enhance accuracy without having to fit a match-grade bushing to the slide and barrel. When it worked, it worked pretty well. When it didn't, it not only failed to enhance accuracy, it could break and tie up the gun solidly, and possibly do some expensive damage. The collet bushing was dropped when they introduced the Series 80s. Just FYI...there has never been a Series 70 Commander,
no matter what the serial number says. No Commander that I'm aware of has had a collet bushing as a regular production item. Anything is subject to come from the custom shop, but the shortened Commander bushing doesn't lend itself to the collet bushing's fingers.

Colt pistols that are marked Series 70 were produced during a downturn in Colt's quality control, and the overall quality of the guns varied a lot. I've
seen some that were very good to excellent...and others that were terrible.
Most hit somewhere between the two extremes.


Colt's WW1 and WW2 reproductions are technically 1911's and 1911-A1s...
or as some refer to them...Pre-Series 70. They use the "Series 70" designation generically to let the buying public know that the guns don't have the Series 80 firing pin safety parts...that the guns are as per original design...but they're not true Series 70 pistols.

Luck to ya, neighbor!

Tuner

 

[wildehond]

Hi

The original series 70 was made until the early 1980's. It did not have a firing pin block and it had a collet bushing to help the barrel lock-up well without the need to get it smithed to fit well. The reproduction as far as I know does not have the collet bushing, but the standaard solid bushing. It also does not have the fire pin block like the series 80 Colts or many of the other 1911 clones.

The original sries 70 did not have the MIM parts most new pitols have today.

wildehond

 

[wildehond]

Sorry Tuner, I was typing while you replied O'great one!

wildehond

 

[1911Tuner]

re: Series 70

As a side note...Springfield pistols are often referred to by the general public as "Series 70" guns, but they're not. Again, the term is used to
designate that there are no passive firing pin blocking devices in the gun
Series 70 is a Colt trademark, and Springfield can't use it without copyright infringement.

 

[saltydog452]

Series 70

Thanks fellas. Are these 'reproductions' marked any differently than other products from Colt?

If I see a Series 70 Colt and salivate all over the counter to one such an animal, how would I know if it is a ' S70' or a 'reproduction Series 70'?

Or, maybe I'm still confused.

Coffee is perking now. BRB then maybe the cobwebs will vanish.

1911 Tuner, I have/had a series 70 Combat Commander. It now belongs to my #1 worthless wayward son. He left it here before deploying to Korea. I get to shoot my old 'toting pistol' again. Serial # 70BS67XXX.

Later, I hear a cup of coffee calling my name.

salty.

 

[farscott]

The easiest way to determine if the pistol is a repro Series 70 is by the serial number prefix. The serial number prefix for these pistols is "71B". If the pistol is stainless and marked as a Series 70, it is also current production.

Another easy ID is the sights. The new pistols have high-profile sights, especially when compared to the original guns. The sights on the new pistols are the Series 80 sights without the white dots.

 

[saltydog452]

Thanks..

salty.