Colt Disappointment

[Rangegod]

First let me say I like Colt firearms and carry a Defender as my primary every day. I also love 1911’s owing every thing from Norinco to Heinie custom, Para Ord to Valtro, STI to - well you get the idea. Anyway, I went to the FT. Lauderdale gun show today and after perusing through all the usual chaff I came upon something I would have bought in a NY second. A new Colt Gunsite CCO. IMHO the perfect carry gun, commander slide on an officer frame. Upon initial examination the gun was very nice, great slide frame fit, excellent barrel fit, safety on-off snick just right, nice trigger and a beautiful melt job. However, as I was about to start dickering over the $1199 asking price I notice the front sight dovetail has been cut too shallow and there is at least 1/32†of daylight under the front sight. Plus the bluing in the dovetail was gouged from a very poor installation. The rear Novak sight was not mounted as low as I would have liked but at least there was no gap under it. Overall, this gun may have been functionally perfect but owning it would have been like having a girlfriend with a big wart on her nose, no matter how beautiful she was I’d always be fixated on that wart. Sure Colt would fix the problem but I feel a $1200 gun should never have left the factory in this condition nor should I have to spend the time and effort required to have it fixed. OK, I’m way too old to let thing like this get to me but I was disappointed by (this) Colt.

JAC

 

[DorGunR]

Sure Colt would fix the problem but I feel a $1200 gun should never have left the factory in this condition nor should I have to spend the time and effort required to have it fixed. OK, I’m way too old to let thing like this get to me but I was disappointed by (this) Colt.

As an old guy that owns several Colt firearms, I agree with you......what ever happened to QC???

 

[Parker Dean]

....what ever happened to QC???

As with so many things and companies, not just Colt and firearms, the customer is now the primary QC inspector. It's just the world we live in.

 

[akviper]

Tell me about it. I bought a Colt Gunsite Pistol full size last fall. You can slide a business card under the sight. I called Colt and the customer rep said to send it in. I got the pistol back with a slip saying the sight did not need repair as it " was within factory spec". Of all the many handguns I own this is the only one with daylight between the sight and slide. I love the pistol otherwise and it functions 100%. I plan to have WWG put night sights on in the near future so the problem will go away at my expense. I'm amazed Colt considers that a proper sight fitting job.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

and a beautiful melt job

Huh? What's that?

 

[texagun]

I recently read a review of the new Colt 70 Series 1911 by a web gun writer. He praised the pistol as being very nice and a good shooter but in the first paragraph of the article he said he look at and rejected the first 3 models that he looked at because of their poor quality control observable on his initial inspection. He finally found one that he considered acceptable in the 4th one he looked at...and that is the one he bought and evaluated. That is a sad observation and one that I would agree with. Out of 4 examples of a particular model Colt that you look at, you MIGHT fine one that you consider "perfect."

 

[paul45]

" I bought a Colt Gunsite Pistol full size last fall. You can slide a business card under the sight. I called Colt and the customer rep said to send it in. I got the pistol back with a slip saying the sight did not need repair as it " was within factory spec". Of all the many handguns I own this is the only one with daylight between the sight and slide. I love the pistol otherwise and it functions 100%. I plan to have WWG put night sights on in the near future so the problem will go away at my expense. I'm amazed Colt considers that a proper sight fitting job.".......I have heard the same complaints about S&W 1911's. But let me play devil's advocate....You love the gun otherwise and it functions 100%? Has the sight fallen out or moved? I guess not, since you say its 100%. Then why are you complaining? I guess I am being insulting so I apologize, but goodness gracious! AND...just to be fair...I would say the same thing if we were talking about a Kimber or other make...

 

[larry starling]

my only question is, Why didn't you notice this defect when you got the pistol? And if it is a problem now? How come it wasn't when you bought the pistol? Im not trying to insult you or attack you. But I never buy a pistol unless I can examine it before hand! My best friend and I kind'a have a policy we will never buy anything unless we check it out first

 

[model 649]

Sounds like he left it on the table to me.
Josh

 

[paul45]

Sounds like he left it on the table to me.....I think he was talking about akviper.

 

[deltaopwong]

Saw a Colt SS Gunsite Govt. at my local shop for 1499. I'd rather send a Springer MilSpec or GI to Yost and get a better gun at the end then purchase the GSP model. I own a NRM and ORM 1991 blued Govt. and I think the base Colts are a better platform to start off and build up with the same bells and whistles from a quality pistolsmith than a Colt GSP.