Repro - 1911 Series 70

jonnynitro

jonnynitro

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Hey Fellas.
Could someone please explain what a "repro" Colt Series 70 is.

I am picking up a colt series 70 this week and am curious what the term repro means.

I have heard a few people talking about Colt reporoductions. How does this impact price and are the really made by Colt or are they some sort of copy????


Thanks for any input.

Jonathan
 
jonnynitro said:
Hey Fellas.
Could someone please explain what a "repro" Colt Series 70 is.

I am picking up a colt series 70 this week and am curious what the term repro means.

I have heard a few people talking about Colt reporoductions. How does this impact price and are the really made by Colt or are they some sort of copy????


Thanks for any input.

Jonathan
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Colt stopped making the Series 70 in 1983, I believe, and replaced it with Series 80. The main difference between the two is the addition of the firing pin safety to Series 80. Colt started making the Series 70 replica a couple of years ago, because some diehard 1911 fans see the firing pin safety as a bad thing. The new Series 70 is not an exact replica of the original – it has better sights and a solid bushing (the original had a collet bushing which had a tendency to break). The new guns also have a "dimpled" barrel, which feeds hollowpoint ammunition better. From what I read on the net, the new Series 70 is a more reliable gun than the original.
 
If you mean the new Colt Series 70 reproduction, it means that they are re-producing their own Series 70 (1971-1982), which was replaced by the Series 80 in 1983. The addition of a firing pin safety block placed in the Series 80 was considered to adversely affect the trigger action compared to the Series 70, but Colt stuck with it for liablity reasons (until now). Other manufacturers did not adopt it. There was also a minor change to the half-#### notch in the hammer of the Series 80.

The Series 70 also used a split-finger collet bushing which improved accuracy but was difficult to manufacture precisely and caused problems with some guns. I'm lucky enough to have an original Series 70 Gold Cup National Match with a great collet bushing that is still snug as the day it was made after way more than ten thousand rounds. The Elliason adjustable sights on it, though, are every bit as troublesome as their reputation.

The re-issued Series 70 does not use the collet bushing but does revert back to the original trigger mechanism without the safety block. This allows for a better trigger action for pulls under about 4 pounds.
 
You can call Colt and they'd be able to tell by the serial number. You should also be able to tell by the sights and bushing (collet bushing, small sight on the original and solid bushing, larger sights on the repro), but those things could have been replaced.
 
i've got an original in nickel 45 and replaced the sights, grips, guide rod, safety , hammer, and slide stop- about the only thing factory is the barrel/collet bushing and the rear end of the slide-i should imagine there's a lot like mine
 
Repro Colts

If I had lots of extra coin the throw around I'd like to get the Colt repros on the original USGI's 1911 & 1911A-1 and an spankin' new repro Series '70 Government model.
 
colt

NAA said:
If I had lots of extra coin the throw around I'd like to get the Colt repros on the original USGI's 1911 & 1911A-1 and an spankin' new repro Series '70 Government model.
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I agree, a new Colt series 70 in Stainless would be my first choice in a 1911
 
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