Colt Combat Government let down

[rklessdriver]

I would strongly caution against fooling with the link in a 1911 unless you fully understand what it does....

Changing the link does alot more than just affect the in battery lock up of the barrel, which BTW is NOT the barrel links job at all... it is intended to control the barrel ttiming in and out of battery.

Too long of a link could put the barrel in the position of when being in lock up, where its sprung between the longer link and the bushing.

Also a longer link without the aid of the correct length barrel feet can allow the barrel to cock to one side in battery or in worst case scenario it will break the slides stop or link itself as the pressure from camming the barrel into battery is concentrated on the small area of the link instead of the barrel feet as the 1911 was designed.

In short somebody that didnt know what they were doing messed it up already, so best thing to do is take it to someone who knows what they are doing. At worst, it'll need a new barrel and bushing fit.
Will

 

[tipoc]

I tend to agree with Restless Driver here. You bought a gun that some fella messed with and messed up. As soon as you saw that Ed Brown bushing it should have been a warning sign. It told you that the gun was not stock. Since they did not sell it with papers attesting that a well known smith had done the work then you had to assume a home job and you took on all the risks associated with that.

Can you post pics of this gun? If you can load up some good clear pics of the top of the locking lugs on the barrel and the lugs on the slide. As well as the gun as a whole.

That there is slight movement of the hood means almost nothing.

tipoc

 

[AndyJ]

Nah,

Seems like the main subject matter is to ridicule me for making a bad purchase. I came here looking for solid advice which is scarce. FWIW, the Gunbroker pics prior to purchase showed nothing but a solid gun from a reputable seller.

 

[JTQ]

No, I think the main point is you need to take it to somebody that knows what they are doing. As I've mentioned, I'm not a gunsmith either, I would need to take it to a gunsmith too. There is not shame in that. The 1911 is not a Glock, parts don't just drop in.

I do think the problem is the barrel bushing was not done properly when the previous owner replaced the collet bushing, as I mentioned earlier in post #5. However, there have been a bunch of different suggestions for what the problem is, but we are all just guessing. A professional gunsmith, that knows his/her way around a 1911 could probably figure out the problem in just a few minutes.

Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

[tipoc]

Well, I'm not ridiculing you. But you have to realize that you began this thread by denouncing a factory made Colt. Only after a post or two was it possible to figure out that the gun was a used gun that had been worked on by someone else before you got it.

I'm not making fun at all. Never buy a gun without the right of return. Period. It takes time to see the difference between a stock gun and one that has been added to.

You bought it from a reputable dealer and you had the right to expect it was what he said it was. But it wasn't.

In this case you have your work cut out for you.

Pics would help folks some in making useful suggestions beyond just suggesting swapping out parts. It would give folks here a chance to see what might be wrong or worn.

One of the better suggestions is to take it to a gun smith who can look it over and at least give an experienced opinion on the gun.

tipoc

 

[Drail]

If the barrel is damaged or worn internally playing with different links isn't going to help (and as mentioned could cause much more serious issues). I would order a Storm Lake match barrel and have it fitted with a new bushing if you want to squeeze the best accuracy out of the gun. Storm Lake also makes a "drop in" barrel that won't be as tight as a hand fitted barrel but will almost certainly be much better than the barrel Colt installed. I have installed them in a lot of guns over the years and the difference in accuracy was amazing. Colt made some really good barrels (if they fit) and they made some not so good ones. You could have bought this gun brand new and still had the same issue.

 

[tipoc]

Storm Lake also makes a "drop in" barrel that won't be as tight as a hand fitted barrel but will almost certainly be much better than the barrel Colt installed.

Drail, right now we don't know if the barrel is original. If it is original we know that someone, not Colt, installed a replacement bushing for the original collet bushing and apparently fit that to the barrel that's in their now. So it's definitely not "the barrel Colt installed" well definitely not the way Colt installed it anyways.

Other changes may have been made.

A Storm Lake barrel might help, especially if gunsmith fitted.

tipoc

 

[Delmar]

IIRC, the series 70 barrels with the collet bushing had a gradual step up in the last inch or so before the muzzle itself. That way, the collet was supposed to be squeezed by the barrel while in battery, then the collet fingers would relax while the slide cycled.

If the barrel was replaced, its probably a constant diameter to the muzzle-easy enough to check with calipers. If so, the collet would have a tough time keeping the muzzle tensioned between the collet fingers.

 

[sgt127]

Help me out a little. Is it shooting 2 ft off of point of aim with a decent group or is it shooting 2 ft off of point of aim and shooting a garbage can sized group?

It's easy to start "chasing" the shots. Leading to a horrible group. Particularly if you are trying to make the bullets go in one spot and you're a decent shooter (and it sounds like you are) Try bench resting it and aiming at the exact same spot for 5-6 rounds.

It's actually harder than you may think to ignore the bullets hitting where they are not supposed to. You keep making subconscious corrections and wind up with a huge group.

I swear I'm not trying to be condescending. It's happened to me.

 

[JTQ]

Delmar wrote,
IIRC, the series 70 barrels with the collet bushing had a gradual step up in the last inch or so before the muzzle itself. That way, the collet was supposed to be squeezed by the barrel while in battery, then the collet fingers would relax while the slide cycled.

If the barrel was replaced, its probably a constant diameter to the muzzle-easy enough to check with calipers. If so, the collet would have a tough time keeping the muzzle tensioned between the collet fingers.

A worthwhile point, except the OP has mentioned the collet bushing has been replaced with a Brown bushing. We don't know if the barrel has been replaced too.

 

[orionengnr]

I see you are in North Texas, as am I.
I have used the services of Ken Crawley (www.crawleycustom.com) on several occasions, and can wholeheartedly recommend his work.
He is in Kemp, TX, a bit south of the DFW area.

 

[jmorris]

In battery, If I push down on the rear of the barrel of the Combat Government -- the barrel hood in the ejection port, there is a tiny bit of movement. The Gunsite barrel is rock solid at the same location.

Mr. Clay had your answer in #6 last month.

Contact Gene Williams 214-673-5510 he can fix it for you, without much wait and it won't cost you an arm and a leg.

 

[Mainsail]

I don't think I'll ever understand the surprise people feel when a product fails to live up to its hype.

Yes, Colt made the 1911, and was the sole source for many years. Then other companies started making them; some to the original specifications, and some tinkered a bit. I've been reading about and listening to people talk about handguns for over 30 years, and the consensus seems to be that Colt *was* the go-to 1911, but that ended in the late 70s or early 80s.

Whatevs. I like my Rock Island and my Sigs. I'm never going to pay more money for a gun just because it has a certain name. I'm not wealthy enough to buy guns just to impress others; my gun buying is purely utilitarian. I buy guns I might need to use. That prancing pony looks awesome on the slide, but if I'm dead because it jammed, or because it couldn't hit a barn door if I threw the gun at it, then it has no purpose for me.

I don't own a "range gun" or a "safe queen" - I own guns that fulfill a purpose in my personal safety plan, and a couple that found their way to me at no expense. Hey, I like a good Colt 1911 as much or more than the next guy, but I still have never bought one because I feel I can get a better built more reliable 1911 for less from those 'other' manufacturers. YMMV

 

[Paul7]

I had an original Series 70 that did the same thing, shot way left.

Recently I bought a new Colt Gold Cup National Match that is a tackdriver.

 

[JDR]

IMHO, the fixes recommended here would justify the $60.00 it would cost to have my gunsmith test fire & then detail strip the gun and do a complete written inspection of the gun along with repair costs.

 

[Paul7]

I don't think I'll ever understand the surprise people feel when a product fails to live up to its hype.

Yes, Colt made the 1911, and was the sole source for many years. Then other companies started making them; some to the original specifications, and some tinkered a bit. I've been reading about and listening to people talk about handguns for over 30 years, and the consensus seems to be that Colt *was* the go-to 1911, but that ended in the late 70s or early 80s.

Whatevs. I like my Rock Island and my Sigs. I'm never going to pay more money for a gun just because it has a certain name. I'm not wealthy enough to buy guns just to impress others; my gun buying is purely utilitarian. I buy guns I might need to use. That prancing pony looks awesome on the slide, but if I'm dead because it jammed, or because it couldn't hit a barn door if I threw the gun at it, then it has no purpose for me.

I don't own a "range gun" or a "safe queen" - I own guns that fulfill a purpose in my personal safety plan, and a couple that found their way to me at no expense. Hey, I like a good Colt 1911 as much or more than the next guy, but I still have never bought one because I feel I can get a better built more reliable 1911 for less from those 'other' manufacturers. YMMV

IMHO the Colt is a better gun than the Rock Island, it has forged frame and slide for one thing. Look around, you can get used deals for not much more than the RIA.

 

[Jim K]

It would take a really bad bushing fit to do that. It sounds very much like a messed up barrel at the exit point, either a burr or the end of the rifling messed up, resulting in the bullets tipping as they exit the barrel and going off in unpredictable directions.

Jim

 

[Mainsail]

IMHO the Colt is a better gun than the Rock Island, it has forged frame and slide for one thing. Look around, you can get used deals for not much more than the RIA.

LOL

I would hope so for almost triple the price!

My dad has a Colt 1911 in .38 Super he bought probably in the late 50s or early 60s. I want it.

But yes, the Colt 1911 is a good gun, as are the Kimbers. Unless you get a bad one. If you do, ask yourself why you didn't go with a Sig or a Springer.

 

[HexHead]

I don't think I'll ever understand the surprise people feel when a product fails to live up to its hype.

Yes, Colt made the 1911, and was the sole source for many years. Then other companies started making them; some to the original specifications, and some tinkered a bit. I've been reading about and listening to people talk about handguns for over 30 years, and the consensus seems to be that Colt *was* the go-to 1911, but that ended in the late 70s or early 80s.

Whatevs. I like my Rock Island and my Sigs. I'm never going to pay more money for a gun just because it has a certain name. I'm not wealthy enough to buy guns just to impress others; my gun buying is purely utilitarian. I buy guns I might need to use. That prancing pony looks awesome on the slide, but if I'm dead because it jammed, or because it couldn't hit a barn door if I threw the gun at it, then it has no purpose for me.

I don't own a "range gun" or a "safe queen" - I own guns that fulfill a purpose in my personal safety plan, and a couple that found their way to me at no expense. Hey, I like a good Colt 1911 as much or more than the next guy, but I still have never bought one because I feel I can get a better built more reliable 1911 for less from those 'other' manufacturers. YMMV

You might find it interesting that Colt is making the best guns now that they ever have. Without going to a semi-custom like a Wilson, NHC, Baer or Wilson, another Colt would be my first choice.

And what makes you think you didn't pay more for the one that says Sig on it?

 

[JTQ]

Paul7 wrote,
IMHO the Colt is a better gun than the Rock Island,

Mainsail wrote,
I would hope so for almost triple the price!

I'd say "triple the price" may be somewhat of an exaggeration. I'd expect double the price is a closer estimate.

 

[1911Tuner]

After watchin' for a spell...maybe I can offer a little...somethin'.

Colt's early Series 70 days were rife with problems within the company. Skilled machinists and armorers were retiring, quitting, etc...and you could get a very good pistol or the 1911 from hell as it were.

On two separate pistols from that era...a Series 70 Government Model and a Combat Commander...I found slide lugs that were machined off center...both to the right as viewed from the rear of the slide.

And both guns shot to the left. If memory serves me...about a foot to the left at 25 yards.

This is why it's a good idea to thoroughly inspect any Series 70 Government Model, Gold Cup, or any Commander/Combat Commander with a B70 or S70 serial prefix.

 

[Paul7]

I'd say "triple the price" may be somewhat of an exaggeration. I'd expect double the price is a closer estimate.

Its a gross exaggeration. I saw a used Series 80 M1991A1 on GB recently for $500, it was in good shape. Granted this one has been bubba'd, but current bid is $375. I'll take a forged slide and frame any day over a RIA.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=435196609

I had a RIA that was a POS, it went back to the factory several times before they gave up on it and sent me a new one, which I sold. I also was unable to get an arched MSH on it, my local gunsmith said the RIA was slightly out of spec to most 1911s.

 

[JTQ]

Paul7 wrote,
Its a gross exaggeration. I saw a used Series 80 M1991A1 on GB recently for $500, it was in good shape.

In all fairness to Mainsail, I'm sure he's talking about new guns, not the used market.

I'd rather pay the premium for a new Colt over a new RIA, since I believe the extra cost is mostly due to better parts and how they are put together, rather than the name on the slide. I believe the up charge is worth it, to me at least.

On the other hand, I'd rather have a new RIA, cast frame and all, than a used Colt that shows any signs of being worked on by somebody that doesn't know what they are doing. I'm not a gunsmith, and I don't have the skills to fix something that has been ruined by somebody else. RIA makes a good gun and they have a fine warrantee.

 

[AndyJ]

After watchin' for a spell...maybe I can offer a little...somethin'.

Colt's early Series 70 days were rife with problems within the company. Skilled machinists and armorers were retiring, quitting, etc...and you could get a very good pistol or the 1911 from hell as it were.

On two separate pistols from that era...a Series 70 Government Model and a Combat Commander...I found slide lugs that were machined off center...both to the right as viewed from the rear of the slide.

And both guns shot to the left. If memory serves me...about a foot to the left at 25 yards.

This is why it's a good idea to thoroughly inspect any Series 70 Government Model, Gold Cup, or any Commander/Combat Commander with a B70 or S70 serial prefix.

It is a B70X serial number

 

[harvester]

Probably too simple but are the sights loose?