I've noticed Colt is offering Gold Cups again. Jeff Cooper wrote in an article years ago that Gold Cups were accurate but not durable when full power rounds were run through them. He claimed that they would have to be taken to a gunsmith every few thousand rounds to be tuned. He recommended getting a mil spec gun and having it tricked out. I've got an accurized Colt 38 Super and a stock 45 Commander but I'd still like to get a Gold Cup. Any advice?
Gold Cup?
- Thread starter Backfired
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molonlabe
Member
Nope, The goldcup come with a 11 lb recoil spring and to shoot hardball in it you should go to an 18 lb spring to keep from beating the crap out of the frame. Some people also change the FP spring to a heaver one but you may or may not get consistant fires. I have not had a problem. The reason is Main spring is lighter in the GC for trigger pull. Don't beleive it? Get it from the horses mouth. the GC is a match 1911.
my load is 200gr SWC with 5.7gr of 231 clocks about 870~ 880fps with a 18lb recoil spring and a kings shock buffer.
Been shooting that forever (since 1983). Puts the brass in a neat pile to my right.
my load is 200gr SWC with 5.7gr of 231 clocks about 870~ 880fps with a 18lb recoil spring and a kings shock buffer.
Been shooting that forever (since 1983). Puts the brass in a neat pile to my right.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
In my experience, the Colt Goldcup is overrated.
My preference would be to go with a Springfield.
My preference would be to go with a Springfield.
molonlabe
Member
Have to agree, I bought it because I wanted a colt and I didn't know any better. It is a match pistol designed to shoot lo power wadcutters around 750fps. It is ramped and ported and I'm slinging power loads through it. But since I am, I have taken the steps necessary to do this. I am of the school you should train with what you will use for defense. My favorite 45 is my DA/SA CZ.
Black Majik
Member
I'd have to agree the newer production Gold Cups are pretty overated, the ones with the stainless steel/blead blasted rounds.
The older Gold Cups were really nice however, with the polished blued flats. To me it just seems the older Gold Cups were fit better. I just feel Colt is using the reputation of the Gold Cups to continue their line, but still lacking some with their QC problem.
Older GC > Newer GC
The older Gold Cups were really nice however, with the polished blued flats. To me it just seems the older Gold Cups were fit better. I just feel Colt is using the reputation of the Gold Cups to continue their line, but still lacking some with their QC problem.
Older GC > Newer GC
XavierBreath
Member
I bought a $7 Nowlin 18.5 pound recoil spring, put it in my Gold Cup National Match and shoot 230gr hardball all day long with it.
Unless I'm mistaken, when Cooper wrote his article, Gold Cups had lightened slides. That is no longer the case. They used to have Eliason sights with a roll pin that would reportedly shear off with hardball. Mine never has. The Gold Cup Trophy offered today had Bomar sights, so even that roll pin is not an issue. The Gold Cup Trophy also does not have the sear depressor that confounded so many trigger tweakers in the past.
If you want a Gold Cup, then get a Gold Cup. They are great pistols. If you want a Gold Cup and subsitute something else, you will never be satisfied.
If I were to spend that money though, I'd go for the Colt Gunsite.
Unless I'm mistaken, when Cooper wrote his article, Gold Cups had lightened slides. That is no longer the case. They used to have Eliason sights with a roll pin that would reportedly shear off with hardball. Mine never has. The Gold Cup Trophy offered today had Bomar sights, so even that roll pin is not an issue. The Gold Cup Trophy also does not have the sear depressor that confounded so many trigger tweakers in the past.
If you want a Gold Cup, then get a Gold Cup. They are great pistols. If you want a Gold Cup and subsitute something else, you will never be satisfied.
If I were to spend that money though, I'd go for the Colt Gunsite.
dfariswheel
Member
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The "weak" Gold Cup business was addressed back in the 1960's by the late Skeeter Skelton.
He'd heard all the stories that the Gold Cup had lighter springs and would batter themselves to death if shot with standard ball ammo.
Also, there were stories that the tightly fitted Gold Cup didn't keep it tight fit long, and was a "shop Queen", having to be rebuilt often.
To find out, Skelton got a new 60's Gold Cup, and checked Colt factory records.
Surprise, the Gold Cup had the EXACT same recoil spring as used on the Government Model.....no light "soft ball" springs.
Next, Skelton acquired 10,000 rounds of 230 grain ball ammo and a group of friends, and proceeded to fire the entire 10,000 rounds through the Gold Cup.
Results of the test: Under magnification, the slide and frame showed burnishing of parts from firing, the rear sight pin broke, and the gun was actually MORE accurate than at the start.
According to Skelton, the gun showed what he called being properly broken-in.
NO excess wear, NO damage from being shot with full power ball ammo, and it actually got MORE accurate.
He'd heard all the stories that the Gold Cup had lighter springs and would batter themselves to death if shot with standard ball ammo.
Also, there were stories that the tightly fitted Gold Cup didn't keep it tight fit long, and was a "shop Queen", having to be rebuilt often.
To find out, Skelton got a new 60's Gold Cup, and checked Colt factory records.
Surprise, the Gold Cup had the EXACT same recoil spring as used on the Government Model.....no light "soft ball" springs.
Next, Skelton acquired 10,000 rounds of 230 grain ball ammo and a group of friends, and proceeded to fire the entire 10,000 rounds through the Gold Cup.
Results of the test: Under magnification, the slide and frame showed burnishing of parts from firing, the rear sight pin broke, and the gun was actually MORE accurate than at the start.
According to Skelton, the gun showed what he called being properly broken-in.
NO excess wear, NO damage from being shot with full power ball ammo, and it actually got MORE accurate.
Gordon
Member
Yep a real urban legend! I allways replaced the sight pin with a roll pin, and NEVER had a problem. Of course the Wilson Replacement rear sight is the shiznitt , if you so desire! The main spring was a $5 dollar issue and of course you put in a hardball mainspring if you were shooting wadcutters!
The lightened slide of the early GCs just gave you an extremely slight edge on a quick cycling hammer
The gun is fitted a little tighter initially , but if kept clean works fine. After thousands of rounds it is perfect. I am on my 5th GC.I have one of the first stainless ones produced. Course I don't like the 80 series fire control, so John Lawson put the finest 70 series stuff in
The sear depressor spring and plunger are too small for me. All my early 70 series GCs had that removed and a good trigger job with a lighter trigger put in , by Armand Swenson
All in all I love Colt GCs BUT a nice custom government model with good fixed combat sights is at least as good-I quess
The lightened slide of the early GCs just gave you an extremely slight edge on a quick cycling hammer
The gun is fitted a little tighter initially , but if kept clean works fine. After thousands of rounds it is perfect. I am on my 5th GC.I have one of the first stainless ones produced. Course I don't like the 80 series fire control, so John Lawson put the finest 70 series stuff in
The sear depressor spring and plunger are too small for me. All my early 70 series GCs had that removed and a good trigger job with a lighter trigger put in , by Armand Swenson
All in all I love Colt GCs BUT a nice custom government model with good fixed combat sights is at least as good-I quess
Sheldon
Member
Mine is a Series 80 stainless one and its original roll pin on the Eliason rear sight sheared off a couplt times before I replaced it with a solid pin. I still have had that break, but it takes a lot of shooting to do it.
I like the flattened serrated top of the slide and the better stock trigger pull of the Gold Cup. I also like the wider triggers on them as well.
I like the flattened serrated top of the slide and the better stock trigger pull of the Gold Cup. I also like the wider triggers on them as well.
AZ Jeff
Member
I have a stainless steel Series 80 Gold Cup that I bought new about 10 years ago. It shipped from the factory with two recoil springs.Rockstar said:
The spring that came installed was a standard 16# spring. There is a second (green colored) spring that's obviously of lighter weight, probably around 11#, that I suspect is a "softball" target spring.
Of course, in true Colt tradition, the manual mentions NOTHING about this second spring.
Bullet Bob
Member
I have a stainless Gold Cup bought new within the last year; it came with springs for hardball and wadcutter, and instructions for them. I like the look of the top of the blued Gold Cups, but the stainless came with a Bo-mar rear sight which did it for me. Mine is well fitted and accurate.
I have had a Series 70 GC since the 70's. There was a very good article in one of the gun mags that said the GC was just as strong as it's brothers. Of course, I also read Skeeter's test on the GC. I keep track of my 45 reloads and have fired approx 15k rounds thru my GC without any problems. I replaced the collet bushing with a solid model and had the extractor tuned many years ago. It is one of my favorite guns and I never worry about it not going bang.
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