Colt Series 70 .45

At a local show or shop, I would expect to see $12-1500 on the tag for that gun.

Looks like a Government Model? $900. Gold Cups cost more.

Sold at March auction Gold Cup.

https://www.colt.com/detail-page/1911-classic $899 New. ColtCZgroup.

Box and paperwork?
Still have the original collet bushing?

With those, around here I'd expect $900-1000

Y-T71 said:

Box and paperwork?
Still have the original collet bushing?

With those, around here I'd expect $900-1000

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Yes, the collet bushing is the hallmark of the Series 70 pistols! Many think what denotes a Series 70 pistol is the absence of a firing pin safety. Well, EVERY Colt 1911 made from 1911 A.D. up until the introduction of the Series 80 lacked a firing pin safety. The difference with the Series 70 was the collet bushing (my Gold Cup still has one) as that was the new modification to the Colt 1911.

I still have mine too but, it's in the box.

After reading horror stories about one of the "fingers" breaking off and really tying up the gun (many times causing further damage trying to get it stripped to remove the broken piece) I decided to install a solid bushing for shootin.

DR505 said:

Yes, the collet bushing is the hallmark of the Series 70 pistols! Many think what denotes a Series 70 pistol is the absence of a firing pin safety. Well, EVERY Colt 1911 made from 1911 A.D. up until the introduction of the Series 80 lacked a firing pin safety. The difference with the Series 70 was the collet bushing (my Gold Cup still has one) as that was the new modification to the Colt 1911.

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Well said. The “value” of a Colt is largely in the eye of the beholder(or in this case the buyer). Mechanically the Colt is really not that much better than other large name-brand 1911 makes … except Colt had the original JMB drawings and therefore everything is in the correct location on a Colt.

I’m certainly no Colt expert, but through the years I’ve owned many and shot many more. I’d concur the street value of yours is in the $900 - $1100 range. And the collet busing is really a red herring for your typical shooter. I lost more roll pins to my rear sights than had problems with a collet busing.

I owned a stainless Colt in the '90's... I don't recall if it was a Series 80 or not, but it did have the collet bushing... that promptly cracked after about 500 rounds. It was a typical 1980's Colt... meaning the fit was not very good, so it wasn't the best shooter... but it sure was pretty, and that prancing pony on the side gave me back what I paid for it, even with the cracked bushing.

I recently bought a brand new Colt govt series 70 for just a tad over $1000, all in. I'd probably ask a little more than that to have a little wiggle room to come down. A lot depends on how good of a friend the prospective buyer is and how much he knows about the 1911 market as well as how attached you are to the gun and how badly you need the money. I certainly wouldn't go below $900 unless I was really hurting for $$$.

A Colt is always a Colt. Does my $400 Tisas that looks almost identical shoot just as good? I'd say 95-97% yes. Members of this forum will certainly know the value of a Tisas, but a general guy wanting to buy a 1911 won't know what a Tisas is, but will know Colt.

My Colt govt is a splendid gun and would probably be one of the last 1911s I would sell, even though I have several more tricked out models from other manufacturers. Your mileage may vary.

If this guy doesn't want to give you a reasonable price for your Colt, I'm sure members of this forum would. I will. I can always use another Colt. Best of luck.

With the box and manual, in the current market, probably $1500 retail.

As is, $1100-1200 asking seems fair, especially with 5 extra magazines.

It's not like a person can just go down to the LGS and get a Series 70.

Have you used the Colt Serial Number lookup? This will give you a build date.
https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup
There's some cachet to non-strike production years (1986-1990), so that can matter.

I just realized I have no idea what bushing is in my series 70 gold cup. Never fired it, never had it apart.

FL-NC said:

I just realized I have no idea what bushing is in my series 70 gold cup. Never fired it, never had it apart.

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At the risk of sounding condescending (I absolutely really don't want to come off that way and apologize if I do) check out Google and/or YouTube if you do.

Of course your bushing probably won't break; personally I do believe it happens but I have some reservations about the frequency and circumstances of it happening, but on something as nice as a series 70 Gold Cup I wouldn't take any chances.

The design lasted 14-15 years IIRC and, in my opinion, most manufacturers wouldn't have kept that part in production for that long if it was that big of a problem, but that's just some guys (mine) opinion.

There is a slightly different way of stripping it where you get the bushing end of the slide behind the slightly belled end of the barrel at the muzzle taking the tension off of the "fingers".

Now I'm not speaking from experience here but it seems to be when the slide is in battery, and you try to spin it that the bushing is at it most vulnerable.

I freely admit to posting only what I've read over the years, NOT from experience, YMMV.

BTW, I took my measurements and ordered an EGW solid bushing that fits and works flawlessly.

Slightly tight at first but "shot in" nicely after a few mags.

Whattaya know- I practically grew up in gunshops and this is the first Ive ever heard or seen of that style barrel bushing- though, to my way of thinking, collets are 2-piece bushings, so I think "spring bushing" would have been a more accurate term.......but it is what it is.

While doing research on the Colt "collet bushings" I also stumbled across information on the (hereto unknown to me) Swartz Safety 1911s.
I guess its true what they say- you learn something new every day.

Y-T71 said:

At the risk of sounding condescending (I absolutely really don't want to come off that way and apologize if I do) check out Google and/or YouTube if you do.

Of course your bushing probably won't break; personally I do believe it happens but I have some reservations about the frequency and circumstances of it happening, but on something as nice as a series 70 Gold Cup I wouldn't take any chances.

The design lasted 14-15 years IIRC and, in my opinion, most manufacturers wouldn't have kept that part in production for that long if it was that big of a problem, but that's just some guys (mine) opinion.

There is a slightly different way of stripping it where you get the bushing end of the slide behind the slightly belled end of the barrel at the muzzle taking the tension off of the "fingers".

Now I'm not speaking from experience here but it seems to be when the slide is in battery, and you try to spin it that the bushing is at it most vulnerable.

I freely admit to posting only what I've read over the years, NOT from experience, YMMV.

BTW, I took my measurements and ordered an EGW solid bushing that fits and works flawlessly.

Slightly tight at first but "shot in" nicely after a few mags.

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Understand- it doesn't matter because that gun hasn't been fired and I have no plans to fire it anyway.

I would start at $1200 and see what they come back with as a counter offer. The lowest I would go would be $1000.

Breaking fingers is not really from disassembly, these are spring steel parts.

The collet bushing is only "tight" (as in just touching) at the fingers, the muzzle end makes no contact. So, the bushing is free to spin.

There is the tiniest of flares--a few thousandths--at the muzzle of a Series 70 barrel. The collet bushing with "hang" a bit as the fingers clear it. But, it's not like you need three hands to get it loose.
So, a Series 70 and a broken finger bushing

So, collet bushings, busted and not busted

Series 70 barrel

Note barrel and pistol have survived a broken finger on a bushing.

1970 was the first semi-auto I bought. I was an E3 but I wanted it so badly. $190 seems like a steal now but that was, I think, at least 2 weeks pay back then. I won't say I've put a ton of rounds through mine, but more than a few thousand. I still have original finger bushing and haven't had a problem. I never liked shooting it and in the last couple of years figured out why. First is the short tang. I put in a skeleton-ized hammer and a beaver tail tang. I also put in a new trigger, changed the grips a new long mag release and I built up the grip safety to make it more reliable. Of course new sights. But other than than.... Here is it part way through the renovations. Apologies to the collectors, but I bought it to shoot.

Terry G said:

I thought it would be in the $600.00 $700.00 ball park. I showed my Friend the figures quoted here and on Gun Broker. I would give him a break, but not a $400.00 break, and wouldn't know it. I shot it, which I haven't in several years (Glock 21 and CZ 97b), and I think I'll keep it.

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Since you're the original owner and you've had it this long I'd be afraid that you'd eventually regret letting it go.

I am speaking from experience here

Also, sorry for taking your thread a little off topic, I just asked the question about the collet bushing to help determine value.

TerryG

I shot it, which I haven't in several years (Glock 21 and CZ 97b), and I think I'll keep it.

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Good decision! You would be hard pressed, somewhere down the line, if you ever decided to replace it with another Colt Series 70!

If it runs great and has decent accuracy maybe take it out to the range more often, if nothing more than to see what you have been missing out on for the last several years!

Paid $200 for mine-used-in 1978. No problems with the collet bushing, but mine did lock up on me, had to take it down completely to clean out the residue in the trigger area. Mine came with the large letter slide, found a small letter slide-had to use grinding compound to get it to fit properly.

I had a collet bushing break on my duty gun. 1985 or so. During a Shooting school.

You would have sworn that slide was welded in place. About 1/3 back.

Fiddled with it enough to get the slide stop out. Pushed. Nudged. Wiggled and finally slammed the rear of the slide with my palm.

That’s went it let go and I sliced my palm open on the ejector.

I think I replaced it with one of those NM bushings from a gun show.

CapnMac said:

So, collet bushings, busted and not busted

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Oddly enough, my cracked bushing cracked through the piece... between the fingers, not actually breaking one of the fingers.

Terry G: what are the brands of the five extra magazines?

For what it's worth, I bought a new Gold Cup back in 1974 (for $205.07, plus tax!) and, despite thousands of rounds fired through this pistol in many, many Bullseye matches, the collet bushing is still colleting.