Getting my first 1911

[Hammer059]

I would really like a Colt Government model series 70 with a blued finish. As of now that's what I'm planning on buying.

Are there better (more reliable) options out there for a 1911 around this price range? Not looking to spend more than $850-900 total. Is Colt's customer service on top of their game if I would unexpectedly have an issue with the gun out of the box?

Other options I've considered are a Springfield GI model, Ruger SR1911, and Kimber Custom II. The Ruger seems nice and I trust the company, but I'd rather have blued. I've heard enough bad things about Kimber that I've pretty much decided against the Custom II. I don't have anything against the Springfield but I feel like I should spend the extra $100 or so and get the Colt.

Would you choose the Colt over the Springfield, as I'm planning on doing?

This will be my first 1911 I've owned, but I have about 350-400 rounds experience shooting them so I'm somewhat familiar with the platform.

 

[nettlle]

I bought my first Colt Government model this summer. It is a 70 series. I have put over 3,500 rounds through this gun so far. It had three failures to return to battery in the first 300 rounds. Since then it has run through 3,200 rounds without a single issue of any kind. It's more accurate than I can ever hope to be.

 

[Hammer059]

Glad to hear that, frogfurr. I think the Colt is by far the most visually appealing, too. I'm excited to get it.

 

[Old Dog]

Go for the classic. The blued Series 70 repro would be the ONLY 1911 I owned IF I could own only one. The original, and still The King.

 

[ROAshooter]

the Colt is sweet....but was out of my budget at the time...so I went with the SA Mil-Spec....a step above the SA GI....with better sights...lowered ejection....and I wanted the matt/parkerized finish....has been a very reliable/accurate shooter....have NO regrets...

 

[bannockburn]

Hammer059

A short while back I went to a local shop looking for a Remington R1 or an RIA 1911, wanting a relatively inexpensive 1911 for the range and possibly for home defense. Now this shop had 1911s of every make and configuration, both new and used. The shop owner also customized 1911s and I had done business with him before so I trusted his knowledge and expertise in this matter.

He said while the Remington and RIA guns were alright he thought the guns Colt was currently making were some of the best built ones he had seen in quite a few years. Build quality and overall fit and finish were outstanding and for the money he thought they were a great buy. So after looking at several different models I settled on a Colt Lightweight Government. It had the best feel and balance to it and I liked all of the enhancements Colt added to the gun like the beavertail grip safety and the Novak sights. I liked it so much that a short time later I went back and bought another one, this time a standard Government Model. Both guns have been great and I am very pleased and more than satisfied with these two, along with two more Colt guns that I have purchased new over the last couple of years.

 

[Quentin]

It really does sound like you want a Colt 1911 and I wouldn't want to talk anyone out of a Colt. I still love the Series '70 I bought in 1976 and sure am glad I didn't buy a cheaper model like a Star or Llama. But today there are so many excellent choices you might as well look at them all. And I have to admit my under $500 Remington R1 functions just as well as my old Colt Series '70. But it's not a Colt!

 

[MICHAEL T]

Get the Colt I have bought several new in my life and never regretted it I carry a Lite weight Commander or my Defender majority of time

 

[Delmar]

Dont be afraid of the Series 80 Colts. Some make much ado about the firing pin safeties, and the early models had some issues, but Colt corrected the problems a while back. If it bothers you to no end, there are a few companies who sell spacers in order to replace the 2 levers.

I have purchased 3 Colts in the last year-two Government models and a Gold Cup National Match, and there is no detectable difference in the trigger pull with the firing pin safeties in or out of the weapon. Buds Guns has the basic Government model for a pretty good price and they are good to deal with.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/..._id/36291/Colt+O1991+1991+Series+7+1+45ACP+5"

 

[Hammer059]

My LGS has the Government series 70 blued model for $799, which is exactly what I want. I'm gonna go put it on layaway tomorrow!

Thanks for all the responses. I'm happy to hear positive feedback on the Colts.

 

[Big Bad Bob]

Since you say that you are familiar with the platform, and you want a series 70 gun, (that cuts out the remington, series 80, btw I have no issue with 80 vs 70) Its kind of toss up IMHO between the Colt series 70 and say the Springfield Mil Spec. Its going to come down to the finish, between a blued gun or parkerized. Springer makes good guns, in that price range you could a Springfield Range Officer that comes with some of the standard custom options, beavertail, commander hammer, etc.

The colt is nice, but at the price it is still a base government model. Nothing wrong with it if thats what you want. My first 1911 owned was Remington R1, I wanted a government model so that I could learn the platform and see if I wanted all the basic custom options and I got it on a black friday sale for under $500. Three years into owning it, I ended up having it customized to my desire. No issues with Remington, its a good base to build on, much in the same way the Colt is.

Like others I have seen some of colt's latest offerings and they are pretty nice guns.

 

[Hammer059]

I don't anticipate changing anything on the gun. I'm happy with the stock 3-dot sights, and the grips look good. Can't think of anything else I'd want to change.

 

[Deanimator]

My first handgun, bought in 1979 was a Series 70 Colt.

I carried it in Korea and carried it as a pay officer at Ft. Knox in '80s when they withdrew all of the .45acp ammunition and forgot to first procure replacement ammunition. I carried my Series 70 and my own HOT Hornady 200 CT handloads in preference to schlepping an M16A1 around.

It's now my bullseye wadcutter gun with a Weaver rail and UltraDot. It's the one on the bottom:

 

[stoky]

You can't go wrong with a Colt Series 70 IMO. The imitators validate the presidence of the original.

 

[JTQ]

Hammer059 wrote,
My LGS has the Government series 70 blued model for $799, which is exactly what I want. I'm gonna go put it on layaway tomorrow!

I don't anticipate changing anything on the gun. I'm happy with the stock 3-dot sights, and the grips look good.

It may have changed, but I don't think the Series 70 guns come with white dot sights. They are basically the same sights as the 1991 Model, but while the 1991 has the 3-dot sights, the Series 70's are plain black.

http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols.aspx

 

[Hammer059]

You're right, JTQ.

I mistyped previously. I went in about an hour ago and ended up putting a series 80 Government model on layaway. I'm pretty happy with my choice

Is it normal that the magazine release is pretty tight? It seemed pretty hard to press so that the magazine would come out. When I go back this Saturday to get it, I think I'll ask to check the other series 80 Governments they have in stock. If they're all like that, no big deal. But if it isn't normal for it to be that tight, obviously I'll grab a different one of the same model.

 

[JTQ]

You're right, JTQ.

I mistyped previously. I went in about an hour ago and ended up putting a series 80 Government model on layaway.

I was going to ask if you were talking about the 1991, since your price is more in line with that model. Typically, I see the Series 70 models for about $100 more.

I think you'll enjoy it. Congratulations.

 

[Sistema1927]

Deanimator,

I thought that I was the only one who ever carried a personally owned 1911 during duty at Ft. Knox in the '80's. It was easier to carry my own than to draw one out of the arms room, even though mine was a .38 Super.

(I now hate to think what trouble I would have been in had I ever used it.)

 

[Cemetery21]

Yes, to my old arthritic thumbs, the mag releases are sprung too heavily. I just got a new Gold Cup and one of the few mods I did was to cut 2 coils off the mag release spring.

 

[Jeff White]

A MK IV Series 70 Government Model is the first handgun I ever bought back in 1976. I paid $208.00 for it tax included. I still have it and carry it.

 

[highpower]

You will like your new GM. I bought a series 80 a couple of years ago and the only FTF I had with it was through a beat up magazine I had laying around. That mag was trouble in every gun I tried it in and I finally crushed it so I would never try it again.

Be careful though, 1911's tend to breed in you safe and pretty soon you have a bunch of them.

 

[Reloadron]

I would really like a Colt Government model series 70 with a blued finish. As of now that's what I'm planning on buying.

Are there better (more reliable) options out there for a 1911 around this price range? Not looking to spend more than $850-900 total.

I'll tell you what, if you can find me a 70 Series Colt Government in the Lebanon County PA area for that price range and you don't want it let me know and I'll take it. Just have them send it to my friends FFL (Shop).

I have several Series 70 Colt Government models including a few Gold Cups and they are among my most treasured 45 Autos. My advice? If you can manage to buy a Series 70 Colt, buy it! Also, as mentioned, there is nothing wrong with the newer series 80 guns. They perform just fine.



Ron

 

[jlr1962]

I got my first 1911 recently. It is a different animal. It has helped with my accuracy with my other hand guns. A short pointers session with an experienced range officer, and watching every 1911 tips video I could find has me shooting it fairly well. What I did like was seeing was the RO shoot it perfectly.
The range bag is noticeably heavier what with the additional pistol and .45 ammo.

 

[Deanimator]

(I now hate to think what trouble I would have been in had I ever used it.)

The battalion XO authorized us to carry personally owned weapons in lieu of an M16A1, which would have been a monumental pain, when also carrying an accordion file full of cash. In Reagan's Army, hanging onto the money was more highly valued than the alternative, regardless of the tool you used to do so...

 

[Big Bad Bob]

I don't anticipate changing anything on the gun. I'm happy with the stock 3-dot sights, and the grips look good. Can't think of anything else I'd want to change.

I'd say you can't go wrong with the Colt then.