WTK Diff Btw WW1, WW11, Ser 70 & Ser 80 Colt 1911s

[BerettaNut92]

What are the mechanical and aesthetic differences between the WWI, WWI, Series 70 and Series 80 Colt 1911s?

All I know is the Ser 80 has a trigger safety and assabout it....

 

[Dr.Rob]

1911.. wide spur checkered hammer, smaller safety, long trigger, tiny sights, flat mainspring housing.

1911A1 narrow serrated hammer, larger safety, arched mainspring housing, bigger sights.

Series '70- arched MSH, commander hammers avail on full sized guns, short triggers.

Series 80 Additional "drop" safety, short and long triggers, plastic parts here and there, taller sights. Undercuts at trigger guard, lowered/flared ejection port, beveled magazine well.. etc. Series 80's have lots of little nuanaces like that.

Did I miss anything?

 

[SDC]

A WW1 1911 was manufactured without the "finger-relief cuts" (half-moons) behind the trigger, and came with straight mainspring housings; 1911A1s (the type issued during WW2) added the finger-relief cuts and an arched mainspring housing; the Series 70s can be distinguished by their serial number ranges, and the Series 80s added an internal firing-pin block that is automatically disengaged during the trigger-pull.

 

[dsk]

M1911: Characterized by no finger relief cuts on the frame behind the trigger. Flat mainspring housing, long smooth trigger, short stubby grip safety. Hammer and sight profiles varied.

M1911A1: Finger relief cuts added, MS housing made arched, trigger made short, grip safety tang made longer. Again, hammers and sights varied.

Series 70: Like the M1911A1, except the barrel and barrel bushing were changed to a new type with spring fingers on the bushing that gripped the new barrel like a collet to improve accuracy.

Series 80: Firing pin safety system was introduced.

The Series 70 collet bushing was abandoned a few years after the Series 80 models came out, so early S80 guns still have the collet bushing. To further complicate matters, the new Colt Series 70 guns currently being made use the standard (non-collet) bushing and barrel like most other 1911's. Therefore they are mechanically a pure M1911A1 (w/o a firing pin safety of course), although Colt insists on calling them Series 70 models.

If you're thoroughly confused it's okay. A lot of other folks are.