Colt Gold Cup

tddeangelo

Handloader
May 18, 2011
2,019
2
I have the chance to own a Colt Series 80 Gold Cup National Match 1911. The Series 80 fps was removed and bushings installed to keep things tight. Seems in pretty good shape...90-95%. No papers or anything, and the S/N dates it to 1984. It has the collet barrel bushing.

Not sure what the cost will be.....any gotcha's with this era of Colt pistols? Seems like opinions vary on the web, figured I'd ask here, too. :)
 
Yes. My police department issued stainless steel Colt 1911's in the late 1980's and early 1990's and almost all of them REQUIRED gunsmithing before they were reliable.

Colt was going through some HUGE problems then. Their machinery dated from WWII and was in poor condition. Their products often looked good, and functioned poorly.

I have a 1984 Colt Officer's Model (first year of that 1911 version) that works wonderfully. BUT I also was issued a stainless Government Model in 1994 that required a fair bit of attention to be reliable. It wasn't the only one, it was typical of Colt products in that time.

Their poor quality control in that era led directly to the success of KIMBER and Springfield Armory, both of whom offered a superior product for less money. Kimber in particular invested heavily in CNC machinery in the early/mid 1990's and offered one heck of a gun, which is exactly why I retired my issued Colt and bought a brand new Kimber in 1997, the first year of the Yonkers NY Kimbers. It's been a GREAT gun, with about 80,000 rounds through it now.

So... MAYBE the Gold Cup you have been offered is good. And MAYBE it isn't. Buyer beware.

Guy
 
Tom +1 what Guy said. The 70 sires 1911 Gold Cup was the most desired as were the standard sires 70 1911. The firing pin block caused lots of malfunction problems and miss fires plus you couldn't get a decent trigger pull on them. There is ways to make it work but if you can find a 70 sires you would be better off. The collet barrel bushing fingers would brake off and jam the slide and that would be the first thing that would have to be replaced with a solid bushing fitted to the barrel and slide.
 
The Series 80 fps was removed on this one with bushings fitted to keep everything in place. It has a good trigger, I think.

I'm going to side by side it with my other 1911 at the range this weekend and decide from there.
 
Also, that Colt Eilason (did I spell that properly?) rear sight was noted for being fragile and not holding up to the recoil of standard hardball loads.

If shooting mild 180 - 200 gr semi-wadcutters, I think they did much better.

All this is old info, dredged up from deep... :)

Guy
 
What I plan to do is take it and run a box of ball ammo through it, and a box of the same ammo through my current 1911, and some of my 185gr SWC handloads in both (mild loads). Should give me a good feel, literally, for the Colt and help me decide if I need to own it.

Right now, I'm leaning away from it, but I've been given the chance to shoot it, and shooting is always fun. :)
 
Outstanding that you get to "try before you buy"

That would have saved me a couple of rifle and handgun purchases... Now I look at those as learning experiences. Yes, those are the right words, in a polite discussion! :)

You may find that you really like it. Enjoy your shooting!

Guy
 
Honestly, I'm gonna have to be wowed, because the more I think it over, the less I'm chomping at the bit for the Colt. I have some other things the money should be used for, so I'll have to be really awed by it, lol.

The M1A is a foregone conclusion. I've needed an M14-clone for a while for my military collection, and I won't get a better price on one, so that will happen.

I currently have an XDs in 9mm, a Glock 23 (40SW), 1911, and a S&W 57-1 in 41 Mag. I don't really have much "need" for the Colt, but a match gun would be fun if the price is right and it runs properly. So we'll see....
 
Need a 1911 and BHP for the military collection.[emoji3]

Just trying to help.[emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Tom you never have too many 1911s. I have five, two. 45acp, .38 Super, .38 Wad cutter and a DCM war horse .45acp with a Bob Marvel .22 conversion on it.
 
Dang....

Hey, since you mentioned DCM.......apparently regs were changed. The CMP could potentially sell military 1911's if the army chooses to surplus them and if they let the CMP have them. But the regs that previously prevented that have apparently been changed.
 
Ill say it again... There are two kinds of pistols. 1911's and everything else. Yes I am an admitted 1911 snob! hehe. You can never have to many. I have 2 currently working on a third.
 
tddeangelo":29fbdc1i said:
Dang....

Hey, since you mentioned DCM.......apparently regs were changed. The CMP could potentially sell military 1911's if the army chooses to surplus them and if they let the CMP have them. But the regs that previously prevented that have apparently been changed.
I'm sure if obumer realizes it that will change and I'm sure it will differ from state to state.
 
26NosFan":xs5cwozq said:
Ill say it again... There are two kinds of pistols. 1911's and everything else. Yes I am an admitted 1911 snob! hehe. You can never have to many. I have 2 currently working on a third.


Lol!

I looked at a Glock 41 the other day, and I think I'd really enjoy it's brother the Glock 40 in 10-mil.

I know.... Blasphemy to shoot 1911's and get a glock. But I already have a G23..... Lol.
 
tddeangelo":8nh05j0o said:
Already have one 1911. The question is if I want two.....

:)

Tom,

A pair and a spare is always nice.

If the Colt shoots well and the price is right....... :wink:

JD338
 
The external dimensions on the Gold Cup are slightly fatter than a Govt. Mdl., so holster fit can be a problem unless you go with Kydex or a more generic type of rig.
 
Shot the Colt and my current 1911 today. I ran my handloads (200gr swc light plinker loads) and Magtech factory ammo (230gr ball ammo).

No stoppages on my Interarms/GI parts gun. I'm out of practice, but it shot well.

The Colt didn't fully go into battery twice with my handloads, but ran the ball ammo just fine.

Accuracy was about the same between the two guns. Maybe slightly better with the Interarms, to be honest, but regardless, it was not conclusively different shooting the two.

Better sights and trigger on the Colt, but end results don't seem to show those things made much difference.

I am likely going to pass on acquiring this handgun. It's sure not bad, and my Interarms gun has always shot better than its supposed to, so I'm not seeing much to be gained from getting the Colt.

The M1A put a big silly grin on my face, though. That one shoots.
 
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