1911-difference?

deadman

deadman

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didn't want to add a text-only post to the colt #### thread, but it brought a question to mind. i'm a big fan of 1911 pistols, but don't know a whole lot about them.
colt series 80, etc...what's the difference? is one series more desireable, and why?
 
Google is your friend for next time but the only difference between the series 70 and 80 is that the 80 has a firing pin block. Good feature if the pistol is for carry but some argue that the trigger pull isn't as nice as on the series 70 cause of it.
 
carsmovies said:
Google is your friend for next time but the only difference between the series 70 and 80 is that the 80 has a firing pin block. Good feature if the pistol is for carry but some argue that the trigger pull isn't as nice as on the series 70 cause of it.
Click to expand...

Actually the trigger pull on factory Colt series 80s are not that bad. The one I have has a very nice trigger right out of factory.

They are just a little bit more difficult for gunsmiths to tune, so have been hated by some gunsmiths, and also some 1911 purists.

Ordinary people can't tell any difference when they shoot them.
 
--Terry-- said:
Actually the trigger pull on factory Colt series 80s are not that bad. The one I have has a very nice trigger right out of factory.

They are just a little bit more difficult for gunsmiths to tune, so have been hated by some gunsmiths, and also some 1911 purists.

Ordinary people can't tell any difference when they shoot them.
Click to expand...

Well said!
 
Thr trigger on my series 80 has been tuned to perfection. I have found some Colt 1911's made in the 70's to be very shoddy. Some of the commanders made in the early 80's displayed great workmanship. For the average shooter i doubt you could tell that there was a trigger difference between them.
If a Colt Commander 9mm with a BS80 suffix came up for sale I would sell my iron lung to buy it!
 
--Terry-- said:
Actually the trigger pull on factory Colt series 80s are not that bad. The one I have has a very nice trigger right out of factory.

They are just a little bit more difficult for gunsmiths to tune, so have been hated by some gunsmiths, and also some 1911 purists.

Ordinary people can't tell any difference when they shoot them.
Click to expand...

Oh I know. I just bought a brand new Colt 1991 series 80 and the trigger is very nice.
 
The defining characteristic of a Series 70 1911 is the collet type barrel bushing with four "fingers" that grab the barrel to provide a less expensive way of tightening up barrel fit without a hand fitted bushing. The drawback of this setup is that the fingers can break, tying up the gun.

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?p=1988077

Series 80 guns (which incorporated a firing pin block) made up until 1988 also incorporated the collet barrel bushing.

Colt's current "Series 70" reproduction is really a reproduction of a pre-Series 70 gun, as it has a regular solid barrel bushing.
 
My point is that Colt using the Series 70 designation for their current production 1911 without a firing pin block is not consistent with what it meant when the Series 70 was introduced in the 1970s. Yes, Series 70 1911s lacked a firing pin block, but so did every other 1911 produced prior to that (with the exception of a very small number with the Swartz safety in the 1930s).

It just doesn't make any sense to me to call a pistol a replica of a Series 70 gun when it doesn't have the feature that defines the Series 70, i.e. a collet barrel bushing.
 
Love my Series 80. The trigger is like a glass rod. It was not stock mind you, Neither are a few other things. A GREAT GUN! Looks very sharp to except for the 'noob' scratch some idiot 15 year old kid put on it.:redface:
 
--Terry-- said:
Well if that collet bushing is not necessary any more for accuracy, it was smart for Colt to remove it. It also made the Series 70 reproduction more desirable (helping sales).
Click to expand...

I certainly agree that the collet busing was not one of Colt's better ideas, given their tendency to tie up the gun if they broke.

I suppose that the choice of the Series 70 name for what is really a reproduction of the superior pre-Series 70 1911 was driven by marketing. Someone likely chose a snappy name without really thinking much about its meaning.
 
The Collet bushing makes a 70 ser gun harder to take apart,I sent one off with a LNIB Colt series 70 Combat Comander and the guy sent it back saying there must be something wrong with it! I took the Bushing out and sold the gun the next day!

Bob
 
I prefer my Colts in this order....

1. Pre WWII era 1911A1's commercial models [pre Series 70]
2. WWII era USGI model 1911A1's [pre Series 70]
3. 1960's Government models & NM [pre Series 70]
4. 1970's Government models & NM [Series 70]
5. Pre 1922 mfg Government models [pre Series 70]
6. 1980's/1990's Delta Elites 10mm's [Series 80]

2007-10-27_091302_1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
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