Series 70

Status
Not open for further replies.

Hk Paul

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Messages
145
Location
MI
I found a series 70, used. I want to buy it but the action has a smudge of play in it.

Are all Colt series 70s like this?
 
Is smudge a technical term?

Seriously, if it's in good shape & and at a good price, buy it, any good smith can work that "smudge" out easy enough.
 
Careful, many Series 70 Colts were made cheaply. Here's a warning by Hilton Yam, Moderator over at www.tacticalforums.com , may help you differentiate between lemon & a keeper.

"The big letter rollmark guns, with the 70G and G70 serial numbers, are typically the more desired guns. The B70 and later 70B number guns, with small rollmarks, tend to show more mechanical issues. The MAIN problem with the later 70B guns is the slide lug cuts are shallow and rolled. Take a look at a really bad slide (left) from a 70B gun, and a new production SA slide (right):

Note how the cuts on the right slide are deep and square. This is good. The left one is bad, and that gun never worked right with it. That slide is now a paperweight.

As with all used 1911's, check that the feed ramp hasn't been buggered up. If necessary, a bad ramp can be recut or welded up. If you want a good specimen, look hard to see that the gun has not been refinished. Smeared rollmarks are typical. Rollmarks are often shallow or crooked on some Series 70's. Most typical QC issues were cosmetic, though some horror stories are out there about holes and tunnels in the wrong place.

Overall, a good specimen of the Series 70 is something wonderful to have. Just be careful not to walk into a lemon, or someone's Frankenstein."
 

Attachments

  • lugs.jpg
    lugs.jpg
    30.8 KB · Views: 64
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top