Colt's Rail Gun?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello all!

It's time. My God, is it ever time. I am buying my FIRST EVER 1911!!!

But... I don't know so much about them!

I do know I like them... a LOT, and have been looking at all different kinds. I've settled in on the roughly $1000-1200 retail market, no more than that. Just can't afford it, and wouldn't care to be using a more expensive 1911 for what I plan to use this one for, which is primary home defense gun and also while traveling and in the field as a protection piece while hunting. I also don't mind spending that amount vs going lower because I do want a quality piece that I can be proud to own.

So... I think I'm about set on the Colt Rail Gun... at least I'm set on how it looks and the features of it! I do very much like the rail, as this will be great for a primary home defense handgun so I can mount a light. It appears to be a pretty straight forward railed 1911, and I just love that fact that it's a Colt (all others are copies, right? ) but I need to know some things about the Colt Rail Gun before I commit to buying one.

First off, this is the exact model I want:

http://buynfdn.com/colt/colt.colt-o1980rg-rail-gun-45-acp-5-bbl-cerakote



It is the cerakoated black model with the black dyed wood grips. SO cool!! But like I said, I've got some questions for you 1911 shooters out there:

1. Are these Colt Rail Guns reliable out of the box? This is by far the 100% most important thing for me, since this will be a defensive pistol. Are these prone to jamming? How is Colt's quality control? Are they making good 1911s these days? If the gun doesn't work, will Colt fix it?

2. This is a series 80 gun... is that deal killer for you? Why or why not?

3. Will this gun feed hollow points? I plan to use Federal HST 230 grain hollow points for home defense and field carry with this gun.

Again, this will be my first 1911 and while it looks good on paper and I really dig it, I'd like some input from you all so I can get your opinions on this particular Colt 1911 pistol. If you all would be so kind as to help me out on this, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks so much!!!

Cooldill

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I have four recent Colts. No problems with any of them. I haven't had occasion to make use of their customer service, but from what I hear it's as good as anybody's.

I have Series 70 and Series 80 1911s. In my opinion, the complaints about Series 80 guns are overblown. I can feel the difference in the trigger pulls if I'm looking for it, but in practice it doesn't make any real difference. Maybe if I were going for a highly tuned bullseye gun I'd care, but this is a fighting gun. Series 80 is fine for that.

Any modern 1911 using quality magazines should feed any typical hollow point. Plenty of old ones feed them just fine; a new Colt ought to too.

 

[justin22885]

dont worry about it being a series 80 so much, theres a spacer you can buy to install in place of the series 80 firing pin block mechanism that effectively deletes the feature and gives you back your normal trigger pull.. so if you dont like the firing pin block, remove it

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Removing a safety feature on a defensive weapon is a really bad idea.

 

[rondog]

Nice looking pistola! I personally don't care for railed 1911's, but that's just me. Lots of people do, that's why every maker offers them. I just prefer the original look. You'll probably need a different type of holster for it, and carrying one with a light attached might be challenging.

 

[bannockburn]

Cooldill

Several years ago I bought four new Colt 1911s and all of them were very well made, probably the best ones I have seen coming out of the Colt factory in a very long time. One dealer who specializes in custom work on 1911s agreed with me; great fit and finish and ready to go right out of the box. I have several other older Colts and there's not a whole lot of difference (at least to me), between their triggers and the Series 80 triggers. If you like the rail version then I would say go for it and let us know how it does when you get done putting it through it's paces.

 

[JTQ]

The following are "the book" answers. Every gun could be an exception to the rule, but this is what you could expect.

1. Are these Colt Rail Guns reliable out of the box? This is by far the 100% most important thing for me, since this will be a defensive pistol. Are these prone to jamming? How is Colt's quality control? Are they making good 1911s these days? If the gun doesn't work, will Colt fix it?

Current Colt 1911's are as good as they've been for the past few decades. Colt's customer service has a decent reputation. Not as good as some (Springfield & S&W), but better than others.

2. This is a series 80 gun... is that deal killer for you? Why or why not?

Nearly every auto pistol produced has a firing pin safety. The Series 80 1911 is just another one. You'll never know there is a firing pin safety in the gun unless you drop it or detail strip it. Can a professional shooter with years of 1911 experience tell the difference between a Series 80's trigger and a 1911 without a firing pin safety, probably. Can you, me, or mostly everybody else, probably not.

3. Will this gun feed hollow points? I plan to use Federal HST 230 grain hollow points for home defense and field carry with this gun.

It should. Current production Colt barrels have dimple in the chamber throat that improves feeding of odd bullet shapes.

http://ezine.m1911.org/showthread.php?81-Colt-1991-Combat-Commander

 

[Bama Drifter]

As has been said, the new Colts are about as good as anything they've made since WWII. I only dicker over the lack of hand polishing the newer ones get (any postwar gun is newer to me). My main advice: buy 4 or 6 Chip McCormick or Wilson Combat magazines, the standard factory mags from Colt will also work fine. Good quality magazines will give you a lifetime of happy shooting. Just don't be tempted to go less than $15-$25 on cheapo-crappy mags. They will embarrass you every time! Not something to trifle with in a home defense gun.

 

[PabloJ]

I picked up little used second hand sample thus saving $400. The trigger is not very good having some creep and brown puke-a-cote is not to my liking. Green, gray or black would be nicer. The gun has been accurate and reliable with 230gr ball ammo. Naturally I only used the best ammo available from Advanced Tactical Armament Concepts LLC. I didn't bother with JHPs because military handguns are usually designed for FMJ ammo JHP ammo being banned from combat use by international convention.

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[Olympus]

As a dealer, the recent Colts I've bought and sold leave a bit to be desired. Loose and rattling grip safeties and plenty of forum posts about stainless models developing rust. I sell them, but I spend my personal money on other brands. You'll find a lot of die-hard Colt fans on the forums, but my opinion is that the current Colt company is skating on the reputation of the Colt from a several decades ago.

In your price range, a Dan Wesson Heritage will be a higher quality gun that other competing brands.

 

[justin22885]

Removing a safety feature on a defensive weapon is a really bad idea.

ive honestly never heard of anyone, anywhere, ever losing a self defense case because they took the firing pin block out of their series 80.. if you ACCIDENTLY shoot someone and have had a safety feature removed, maybe, but deliberately shooting someone in self defense a DA would have to have absolutely no case to try to grasp at those straws and even then i SERIOUSLY doubt its going to make any difference in a self defense case

never heard of anyone lose a self defense case either because they had hand-loaded ammunition either.. just another gun myth

 

[justin22885]

anyway.. im not sure if its the lighting or a different finish, but the handgun the OP attached a photo of in his first thread looks a hell of a lot better than the one in the link he posted.. is that really the same pistol?

 

[PabloJ]

The bottom line is if you want more pleasing hand fit and very good trigger on 1911 than something like Les Baer is a better choice. Not being military grade firearm I'm not sure how reliable something like that would be, but I bet it would produce tighter groups when fired from an experienced hand(s).

 

[WC145]

The new Colts are really nice guns, well put together with very good fit and finish compared to the competition in the same price ranges. I bought a new Commander at the end of last year and was quite impressed with it. I haven't heard any complaints about the Colt rail guns and I'm sure one would serve you well.

Personally, I've never been a fan of railed 1911s but I traded into a Springfield MC Operator last year that I use as a dedicated house gun since I can mount a light on it. I don't use it for concealed carry, too heavy/bulky with the rail, but it fits perfectly in a Bianchi M12 holster and it may find occasional outdoor use since I sold my "work around" 1911 to help finance a different one. That Colt should fit in the M12 just as well.

 

[Panzerschwein]

As a dealer, the recent Colts I've bought and sold leave a bit to be desired. Loose and rattling grip safeties and plenty of forum posts about stainless models developing rust. I sell them, but I spend my personal money on other brands. You'll find a lot of die-hard Colt fans on the forums, but my opinion is that the current Colt company is skating on the reputation of the Colt from a several decades ago.

In your price range, a Dan Wesson Heritage will be a higher quality gun that other competing brands.

I do not want a stainless 1911. They just look wrong to me. But thanks!

 

[justin22885]

As a dealer, the recent Colts I've bought and sold leave a bit to be desired. Loose and rattling grip safeties and plenty of forum posts about stainless models developing rust. I sell them, but I spend my personal money on other brands. You'll find a lot of die-hard Colt fans on the forums, but my opinion is that the current Colt company is skating on the reputation of the Colt from a several decades ago.

In your price range, a Dan Wesson Heritage will be a higher quality gun that other competing brands.

ive gotten the impression that since theyre sliding by on government contracts they really dont give a damn about the consumer anymore.. either you'll by their stuff based on their name or not, either way i doubt they care since theyre in a position where the consumer isnt their largest source of business... so... screw colt

 

[Panzerschwein]

ive gotten the impression that since theyre sliding by on government contracts they really dont give a damn about the consumer anymore.. either you'll by their stuff based on their name or not, either way i doubt they care since theyre in a position where the consumer isnt their largest source of business... so... screw colt

...

Well that escalated quickly. I'm sorry, but I want a Colt 1911. They were the first to make the gun, and to be frank I would like to own a real Colt, not a copy. The others have said that the current Colt 1911s are good so what gives?

 

[justin22885]

...

Well that escalated quickly. I'm sorry, but I want a Colt 1911. They were the first to make the gun, and to be frank I would like to own a real Colt, not a copy. The others have said that the current Colt 1911s are good so what gives?

and thats why people pay so much for them.. a name, they really are skating on a reputation from decades ago

 

[Olympus]

...

Well that escalated quickly. I'm sorry, but I want a Colt 1911. They were the first to make the gun, and to be frank I would like to own a real Colt, not a copy. The others have said that the current Colt 1911s are good so what gives?

If you know you want a Colt, get one. But it does sound like you're making the choice based on name and nostalgia. Do you own an AR? Unless it's an Armalite, you've got a copy. Nothing wrong with that though. Copies can be better than the original.

 

[Panzerschwein]

If you know you want a Colt, get one. But it does sound like you're making the choice based on name and nostalgia. Do you own an AR? Unless it's an Armalite, you've got a copy. Nothing wrong with that though. Copies can be better than the original.

No, I don't own an AR.

 

[Olympus]

But you see my point. Les Baer, Ed Brown, Wilson Combat, etc are all "copies" of the Colt but are significantly higher quality and better built than the Colt.

 

[Bama Drifter]

Colt is still the best...

In my opinion I'd still rather keep my collection of Colts than spend $2000+ on one of the boutique brands. If I'm shelling out that money and not using it in competition or whatnot, I just don't see the point. In fact as you tighten up the fit of a 1911 to make it into a Match Grade gun, you decrease reliability. The only "aftermarket" upgrade on my Kimber Custom is having the full length guide rod snatched out and replaced w/ GI style rod and spring plug. Keeps it simple. Simple is good.

Cooldill came asking if Colts are still good. Answer: Yes.
The guy wants a Colt, let him get his Colt!

Note: the Kimber is one of several 1911s I have and the ONLY one that doesn't have a pony on the slide

 

[JTQ]

But you see my point. Les Baer, Ed Brown, Wilson Combat, etc are all "copies" of the Colt but are significantly higher quality and better built than the Colt.

I think you are correct.

I also think the Dan Wesson guns you constantly push are also better than Colt's. However, they are all significantly more expensive than Colt's. The Dan Wesson guns by several hundred dollars and the Baer, Brown, and Wilson guns by $1,000+. If price were equal, I'd take a Wilson over a Colt, and maybe a Dan Wesson over a Colt, but the prices aren't equal.

 

[Olympus]

I was using Baer and Wilson to illustrate my point regarding "copies". I wasn't trying to say they were priced similarly.

The OP said is budget was $1200 max. The Dan Wesson Heritage will be under $1200 and it will be a better built gun than any Colt model in that same price range.

I think it's funny that people assume that tight fit means unreliable. I own some of the tightest fit 1911s there is and I've never had reliability issues with any of them. Let's face it, 99.9% of us are not taking our 1911 in combat conditions.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I was using Baer and Wilson to illustrate my point regarding "copies". I wasn't trying to say they were priced similarly.

The OP said is budget was $1200 max. The Dan Wesson Heritage will be under $1200 and it will be a better built gun than any Colt model in that same price range.

I think it's funny that people assume that tight fit means unreliable. I own some of the tightest fit 1911s there is and I've never had reliability issues with any of them. Let's face it, 99.9% of us are not taking our 1911 in combat conditions.

The Dan Wesson Heritage is tempting, but I dont want a stainless 1911.