I have this series 80 Colt. I have never had a problem with the Collet bushing in this pistol, but I have had Collet bushings crack, and a collet finger came off in another series 80. I was very fortunate that it did not get jammed into the locking lugs, which it could have damaged the barrel or the slide. I never really thought much of the collet bushing.
If you have a Colt series 80, you will notice that the end of the barrel is flared. Standard one piece bushings are too small. However Ed Brown makes a replacement solid bushing for the series 80 Colts.
I measured the end of my barrel, I called Ed Brown and asked them what they considered an acceptable inside clearance between the bushing and barrel. They said .002”. Since the Colt series 80 barrel is tapered, I never could figure out just where the bushing end would go. After much head scratching, I came to the conclusion that as long as their 0.581 bushing would slide over the end of the barrel, it would work. And so it did.
Ed Brown recommends installation by a gunsmith. After all, they cannot guarantee or certify the dimensions that Colt machined their barrels and slides. I was a bit worried that it might not fit, but it turns out that my bushing was a drop in part on my pistol. It turns up tight, if it was a little tighter I might have needed help.
I was really concerned that it would change my point of impact. This pistol has fixed sights. If it shot too low, the only way to change elevation is by adding height to the front sight, which is impossible. Or if high, by filing off some of the front sight, which is undesirable. The rear sight is drift adjustable, so windage could be compensated for.
So it was with heart pounding that I fired off my first round with the new bushing.
This is my first shot at 25 yards . That was close enough to center that I ran out to my target and took a picture.
Subsequent shots were not nearly as well centered, and are not shown.
Now this pistol is not the most accurate of 45’s, it will shoot within 3 to 4 inches at 25 yards, It takes everything I can do to keep it on my 12’ gong at 50 yards. Incidentally I only shoot offhand.
I fired about 200 rounds of 230 LRN, no malfunctions. This weekend I shot about 200 rounds of 200 LSWC, also no malfunctions.
As best as I can tell, it is as accurate as it was before.
So, I am very lucky. That part dropped in, and absolutely no changes were needed on the sights. And I have avoided a potential failure mechanism.
Win, win, win.
If you have a Colt series 80, you will notice that the end of the barrel is flared. Standard one piece bushings are too small. However Ed Brown makes a replacement solid bushing for the series 80 Colts.
I measured the end of my barrel, I called Ed Brown and asked them what they considered an acceptable inside clearance between the bushing and barrel. They said .002”. Since the Colt series 80 barrel is tapered, I never could figure out just where the bushing end would go. After much head scratching, I came to the conclusion that as long as their 0.581 bushing would slide over the end of the barrel, it would work. And so it did.
Ed Brown recommends installation by a gunsmith. After all, they cannot guarantee or certify the dimensions that Colt machined their barrels and slides. I was a bit worried that it might not fit, but it turns out that my bushing was a drop in part on my pistol. It turns up tight, if it was a little tighter I might have needed help.
I was really concerned that it would change my point of impact. This pistol has fixed sights. If it shot too low, the only way to change elevation is by adding height to the front sight, which is impossible. Or if high, by filing off some of the front sight, which is undesirable. The rear sight is drift adjustable, so windage could be compensated for.
So it was with heart pounding that I fired off my first round with the new bushing.
This is my first shot at 25 yards . That was close enough to center that I ran out to my target and took a picture.
Subsequent shots were not nearly as well centered, and are not shown.
Now this pistol is not the most accurate of 45’s, it will shoot within 3 to 4 inches at 25 yards, It takes everything I can do to keep it on my 12’ gong at 50 yards. Incidentally I only shoot offhand.
I fired about 200 rounds of 230 LRN, no malfunctions. This weekend I shot about 200 rounds of 200 LSWC, also no malfunctions.
As best as I can tell, it is as accurate as it was before.
So, I am very lucky. That part dropped in, and absolutely no changes were needed on the sights. And I have avoided a potential failure mechanism.
Win, win, win.
