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***The Official Colt Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Thread***

637K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  dsk 
#1 · (Edited)
Series 70 vs. Series 80

The term "Series 70" originally referred to the spring-collet "Accurizor" barrel bushing and matching reverse-tapered barrel used in Government Model and Gold Cup pistols starting in late 1970 (see post #5 below). Prior pistols became known as "pre-Series 70" guns, and since the collet bushing was not used in the Commander models there were technically never any Series 70 Commanders. The collet bushing was finally phased out around 1988 or so, several years into Series 80 production.

The aftermarket began using the terms "Series 70" and "Series 80" to identify parts they offered for pistols with or without a firing pin safety, such as extractors and firing pins. Eventually the use of "Series 70" to identify any 1911 without a firing pin safety caught on and even Colt began using it in that manner as well, calling their Series 70 reproduction, Wiley Clapp models and various WW1/WW2 replicas by that name even though none of them use a collet bushing.

**

Historical background:

Colt is the original manufacturer of 1911 pattern pistols, having made versions for both the military as well as commercial market since regular production began in January 1912. The commercial versions were nearly identical to the military ones, differing only in markings and finish. Following World War Two military production ended, but the commercial guns remained in production with only minor changes such as deletion of the lanyard loop and a larger thumb safety shelf. These pistols are known to collectors as "pre-Series 70" guns, as they pre-dated the Series 70 guns introduced in 1970. It was during this year that Colt introduced the first major design change to the Government Model in nearly 50 years. In an attempt to improve the accuracy of production guns the barrel bushing was redesigned, along with the barrel. In this system the bushing utilized four spring-steel "fingers" that gripped the enlarged diameter of the muzzle end of the barrel as the gun returned to battery. By tightening the fit of barrel and bushing in this manner Colt was able to improve the accuracy of the average production gun, without going through the expense of hand fitting the older solid barrel bushing to the barrel and slide. Models using the new barrel/bushing setup were the Government Model and Gold Cup, which were designated the "Mark IV Series 70" or simply Series 70 pistols. It should be noted that the shorter 4 1/4" barreled Commander pistols retained the use of the older solid bushing design and thus were never designated Series 70 pistols, although one hears the term erroneously applied to Commanders from time to time. The new "collet" bushing (as it came to be known) generally worked quite well, however it was occasionally prone to breakage (see post #5 below) so it was eventually phased out around 1988 as Colt reverted back to using the solid bushing in all of their pistols.

The single biggest change to the 1911 design came about in 1983, when Colt introduced the "MK IV Series 80" pistols. These guns incorporated a new firing pin block safety system, where a series of internal levers and a plunger positively blocked the firing pin from moving until the trigger was pressed, thus eliminating the possibility of the gun discharging if dropped onto a hard surface or struck hard. In this instance however, ALL of Colt's 1911-pattern pistols incorporated the new design change so even the Commander and Officer's ACP pistols became known as Series 80 guns. With the previous paragraph in mind, it is important to know that from 1983 until 1988 the early Government Model and Gold Cup Series 80 pistols used the Series 70-type barrel and bushing as well, although they were known only as Series 80 guns.

There was one other design change made to the Series 80 guns as well, and that was a re-designed half-cock notch. On all models the notch was changed to a flat shelf instead of a hook, and it is located where half-cock is engaged just as the hammer begins to be pulled back. This way the half-cock notch will still perform its job of arresting the hammer fall should your thumb slip while manually cocking the pistol, yet there is no longer a hook to possibly break and allow the hammer to fall anyway. With the notch now located near the at-rest position, you can pull the trigger on a Series 80 while at half-cock and the hammer WILL fall. However, since it was already near the at-rest position the hammer movement isn't sufficient to impact the firing pin with any amount of force.

Regarding the "clone" guns (1911-pattern pistols made by manufacturers other than Colt), so far Para-Ordnance, SIG, Auto Ordnance, Remington, and Taurus have adopted Colt's Series 80 or a similar firing pin block system as well. Kimber's Series II pistols and most models of S&W 1911s have a FP safety also, but it is a different system than Colt's and is disabled by depressing the grip safety. No manufacturers aside from Colt ever adopted the Series 70 collet bushing/barrel arrangement, so technically there are no "Series 70" clone guns. What this means is that design-wise most of them share commonality with the pre-Series 70 guns, using neither the firing pin block NOR the collet bushing. Because of this it is important to remember that only Colt Series 80 models, and a couple of "clone" 1911 makers use a firing pin block. Older Colts and most other clone guns lack a firing pin safety and can possibly discharge if there is a round in the chamber and the gun is dropped on a hard surface, or if struck a blow hard enough to allow the firing pin to jump forward and impact the primer of the loaded round. Typically, use of an extra-power firing pin return spring and/or a titanium firing pin will significantly improve safety in these older designs. By the way, for the past decade Colt has been producing new pistols out of their Custom Shop that lack the S80 firing pin safety. These are the Gunsite and Wiley Clapp models, WW1 and WW2 GI replicas, and a reintroduced original-style Series 70 in both blued and stainless steel that should appeal to 1911 purists. Interestingly, all of these use a solid barrel bushing, so mechanically they are more similar to the original pre-Series 70 models despite being advertised by Colt as having a "Series 70 firing system".

Regarding the controversy involving getting a decent trigger pull on a Series 80 gun, it is only of importance if the gunsmith attempts to create a super-light pull (under four pounds) for target or competition use. In defense/carry guns where a four-pound or heavier pull is necessary, the added friction of the Series 80 parts adds little or nothing to the pull weight or feel. A good gunsmith can do an excellent trigger job on a Series 80 and still leave all the safety parts in place, although he will probably charge a little more than if the gun were a Series 70 since there are more parts to work with. But any gunsmith who tells you that you can't get a good trigger on a Series 80 without removing the safety parts is likely either lazy or incompetent.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
1991 vs. 1911

In case you are wondering what the differences are between these pistols..... there really aren't any significant ones. The M1991A1 (or simply "1991") is just another version of Colt's 1911-type pistol, and as its name implies was introduced to the market late in 1991. The name "M1991A1" was little more than some Colt marketing exec's clever spin on the original US military M1911A1 designation. It was a basic Series 80 pistol with less frills than a standard blued Colt Government Model which enabled it to sell at a lower price point, and thus better compete with the Springfield Armory and Norinco pistols that at the time were starting to chip away significantly at Colt's market share. The 1991's no-nonsense military appearance was actually promoted in Colt's advertisements for the pistol, and in fact the serial number range purposely picked up where the original US military contract pistols left off in 1945. This was in spite of the fact that the new pistol was a modern Series 80 version of the 1911, and not a truly accurate reproduction of the original government-issue pistols. "No frills" features included the matte Parkerized finish (later changed to matte blue after a couple of years), black plastic checkered grips (which had a tendency to crack and were soon replaced with similar ones made of rubber), a nylon mainspring housing (flat serrated type) and nylon trigger pad (long smooth-faced style), plain black high-profile sights and a simple "COLT M1991A1" slide rollmark. Aside from these changes they were made to the same quality standards as all other Series 80 Colt pistols of the same era, although a year after the M1991A1 was introduced the rest of Colt's 1911 line received some pretty radical external changes in the form of their so-called "Enhanced" line of pistols. Around 1995 or so a stainless version of the M1991A1 was also introduced.

Technically the 1991 is still in production, although in late 2000 it was upgraded with a semi-polished surface on the flats, stainless barrel, aluminum trigger pad and checkered wood grips (stainless models retained the checkered rubber), and is no longer officially called the "M1991A1". It's now simply a Series 80 Government Model, and as such the newer slide rollmarks reflect this change. Because of this Colt enthusiasts now refer to the older pistols as "Old Rollmark" (ORM) guns and the newer ones "New Rollmark" (NRM). The SKU's are still the same however, #O1991 for the blued model and #O1091 for the stainless. The earlier guns are easily identified by having "COLT M1991A1" in large block letters across the left face of the slide. The NRM Colts will have three smaller lines of text saying "COLT'S-GOVERNMENT MODEL-.45 AUTOMATIC CALIBER", along with Colt's rampant horse logo.

The Series 70 reproductions differ from the current 1991 line in that they are better finished (finer degree of polish on the flats), have steel triggers and mainspring housings, and lack the firing pin safety. Because of the modest upgrades they are priced slightly higher, but the overall quality of either the 1991 or Series 70 models are about the same. Differences are primarily cosmetic.

Enhanced, XS, XSE Models

In 1992 Colt modified almost their entire catalog of 1911 pistols to include features that they felt would "update" their product line in the face of the increasingly popular factory-custom 1911 market. The changes were:

*Flat-topped slide with a plain rib and angled Gold Cup-styled cocking serrations
*Narrow-hood Gold Cup-style barrel
*Undercut front strap below the triggerguard
*Oval-cut round hammer and flat "duckbill" style grip safety
*3-dot high-profile sights
*Beveled magazine well
*Lowered and flared ejection port
*Short or long nylon-faced trigger and flat or arched nylon serrated mainspring housing depending on model
*Pebbled rubber wraparound medallion grips (supplied by RJ Renner Corp.)
*Serial numbers ending with an "E" suffix

All Government, Commander, and Officers ACP pistols underwent the change except the budget-priced M1991A1, which remained Colt's sole "classic" offering for many years. While some customers liked the new changes, others didn't. Those opposed fell into two camps: the 1911 purists (including yours truly) who opposed such radical changes to such a timeless and classic design, and those who felt that the "upgrades" Colt made still left much to be desired in the face of what other companies were offering. Sales of the new Colts remained lackluster until Kimber came out with their own 1911 in 1996, after which sales of Enhanced pistols dropped like a rock. Colt's response was to quietly replace the Enhanced line in 1998 with the new XS series, which added a proper beavertail grip safety, proprietary wedge-style rear sight (by C-More Corp.), extended thumb safety and a return to the round-topped slide (but still with the Gold Cup-style barrel and angled slide serrations). Unfortunately Colt had trouble maintaining their relationship with C-More, and just a year later the XS series were replaced with the XSE line, which dropped the beavertail and wedge sight and replaced them with the standard Colt "duckbill" safety and plain-jane 3-dot rear sight. Finally by 2010 the XSE line reached its current form with proper Novak-style front and rear sights, a true S&A style beavertail safety, alloy 3-hole trigger, full-length guide rod and checkered wood grips which are now standard equipment.

More on Colt and C-More:

Daniel Watters said:
The XS was a result of the short-lived Colt Competition partnership between Colt and C-More. The custom sights and safeties were patented designs from C-More's Ira Kay. Besides the XS parts, Colt Competition also offered C-More optics in rail and carry handle mounts for the AR-15 family of rifles. In return, Colt assisted in development of C-More's LSS underbarrel breaching shotgun, now adopted by the US Army as the M26 MASS.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Materials used in Colt's pistols:

Made From Forged Steel:

Slide, Frame, Barrel

Made From Machined Barstock:

Barrel Bushing, Slide Stop, Extractor, Ejector, Firing Pin, Hammer, Recoil Plug, Barrel Link, Plunger Tube, Grip Screw Bushings, Sights, Series 80 Plunger, All Pins

Investment Cast:

Thumb Safety, Grip Safety, Mainspring Housing (Series 70 Models)

Stamped Steel:

Firing Pin Stop, Leaf Springs, Series 80 Actuation Levers, Trigger Bow (alloy or steel finger pad)

MIM (Metal Injection Molded):

Magazine Catch, Mag Catch Lock, Sear, Disconnector

Molded Nylon:

Mainspring Housing (Series 80 1991 Models)

Anodized Aluminum:

Trigger pad (Series 80 1991 and XSE Models)
 
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#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Colt recall information

http://www.coltsmfg.com/recall.aspx

Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC has determined that the Slide Lock Safety and the Recoil Spring Guide Pad in certain Colt model pistols were not manufactured to Colt specifications and must be replaced. All of these Colt models were sold after March 2007 and the range of serial numbers affected by this product recall is as follows:

1911 WWI Replica (O1911) From: 4597WMK To: 5414WMK
1918 WWI Replica (O1918) From: 1001WWI To: 3431WWI
New Agent (O7810D) From: GT01001 To: GT04505
Combat Elite (O8011XSE) From: CG10000E To: CG11293E
Defender (O7000D) From: DR33036 To: DR35948
Talo Night Defender (O7000NDF) From: NDF0001 To: NDF0400
 
#5 · (Edited)
Collet barrel bushings

Audio equipment Rim Automotive wheel system Fashion accessory Metal

L- standard solid bushing, R- Colt collet bushing

I often see threads started by members asking about so-called "collet" barrel bushings, usually in reference to Colt pistols. The collet bushing was introduced by Colt in 1970, and is easily identified by being made of spring steel with four "fingers" at the rear. The last batch of standard commercial Governments in 1970 incorporated the new barrel bushing and matching barrel (which has a slightly belled muzzle) as a test run. These pistols (approx. 1500 made) had conventional post-war commercial markings, but had a special "BB" marking underneath the serial number. Later that year the new system was formally introduced as the "Accurizor barrel and bushing" with the new Mark IV/Series 70 models later that same year, which included all 5" barreled pistols (Government Model and Gold Cup). The shorter 4.25" Commander models continued to use solid bushings. How they worked was that the spring "fingers" of the bushing were pushed out by the belled end of the barrel during lockup, and wedged between the barrel and inside surface of the slide to tighten the fit and improve accuracy. For the most part it worked great, as the accuracy of a typical box-stock Series 70 usually exceeded that of earlier commercial pistols with standard bushings. It was basically a means of improving out-of-the-box accuracy on production pistols without going through the expense of hand-fitting match bushings like those used on custom accurized pistols.

The collet bushings remained in use past the the introduction of the Series 80 models in 1983, but were eventually phased out around 1988 or so when the solid bushings were reinstated. The reason for them being discontinued was due to a rare but potentially serious issue with the bushings. During the manufacture of any mass-production item the matter of keeping within allowable tolerances is always an issue, and in the case of the Series 70 bushing system it was critical. As mentioned in Jerry Kuhnhausen's excellent book The Colt .45 Automatic, a Shop Manual Vol.1, if the slide inside diameter (ID) was machined too large the fingers of the bushing couldn't wedge between the slide and barrel snugly, and accuracy would be lackluster. If the slide ID was machined too small then the fingers would have insufficient room to expand during lockup, causing them to flex and buckle at a point just ahead of the pads that contacted the belled end of the barrel. Other contributing factors could be a slightly oversized bushing (creating the same clearance problem) or a lack of squareness at the front edge of the slide. Eventually one of the fingers could break off due to being overstressed, with the broken piece floating around inside the weapon. Since the pistol would continue to operate normally it would likely go unnoticed by the user, at least until it jammed somewhere inside the pistol, possibly locking up the pistol while it was still loaded. Gunsmiths weren't usually too happy to receive a still-loaded Colt that was jammed up in this fashion, especially given the fact that freeing it up usually involved putting the pistol in a vice, taking a rawhide mallet and banging the slide back and forth until things came loose. It wasn't healthy for the gun, and it wasn't healthy for the gunsmith either if there still was a round in the chamber.

There are many owners out there who say they've already put thousands of rounds through their pistols without experiencing a broken bushing. Odds are they won't, because the vast majority of pistols were manufactured within tolerances. It's just that hypothetical "one in a thousand" that may end up having a problem if the pistol was slightly out of spec and fired enough to overstress the bushing. But that is why I usually tell people to replace the collet bushing with a solid one anyway just to be on the safe side. Your pistol will probably never have a problem, but the fact is you really never know when it'll fail. It may a long time before the fingers finally succumb to fatigue and break off. Maybe after 5,000 rounds, maybe after 50,000. I've kept the one in mine simply because it's more a safe queen than a shooter, but if it were being used for competition or defense I'd replace the bushing with a standard solid unit.

One frequently-heard comment is that you should never pull the collet bushing off the barrel, otherwise you may stress the fingers further and cause them to break. Just my opinion, but I feel that this is not really the case, as you can be rest assured there are far greater stresses imparted on the bushing during actual firing than if you simply popped it off the end of your barrel! However it is true that when disassembling a Series 70 you should retract the slide at least 1/4" when trying to rotate the bushing, as you'll be releasing the bushing from engagement with the slide/barrel and thus making it a whole lot easier to turn.

And yes, to answer another frequently-asked question, a standard non-oversize solid bushing will work on an early Series 70 or 80 pistol. The belled muzzle on a Series 70 barrel is still the same outside diameter as a conventional "straight" barrel, so a factory Colt solid bushing should drop in without fitting. Aftermarket oversized units (Wilson, Brown, etc.) will of course require gunsmith fitting to the slide and barrel as with any other type of 1911 pistol.

Once again, the only factory pistols you're likely to see them in are Colt's Government Models and Gold Cups made from 1970 through 1988. Commander and Officers ACP models never used them nor did any of the so-called "clone" makers, although I am aware of some aftermarket companies (such as Bar-Sto) who offered collet bushings for Commander-sized pistols for a short time during the 1970's.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Regarding break-in and factory tolerances

In talking to Mark Roberts a few years ago, who then was in charge of Colt handgun manufacturing, he advised that "if a gun does not run, out of the box, it's broken - send it back". This was in response to a question of why Colt did not fit up their slides and frames ultra tight like Kimber, etc. He advised that there is a "correct" tolerance for an accurate, reliable 1911 - and that tighter is not better, and gives no worthwhile advantages.

He contended that the miniscule gains in accuracy vs. the headaches and unreliability of a tight 1911 made super tight a bad practice for all but target range only guns that are never used for defense. The pistols sold to the military were purposely built with certain clearances incorporated into the mechanism to ensure reliability under battlefield conditions. Reducing these clearances may make the pistol shoot more accurately, but it will also detract from its serviceability as a combat arm.

If it needs break in - it's fitted wrong by people who don't understand the design - or are chasing that last 1/4" on a 2" at 25 yd weapon - foolishly.

Having said that, it would also be foolish to go to war with a totally untested weapon, and Basic Training and qualification did find any problems before deployment for our GIs. But having to spend your own time and ammo breaking in a new gun before it will run right seems obviously wrong to me. It should run, right out of the box. I pull down, inspect, clean lube and reassemble all new (to me) weapons before first use. It's just common sense to make sure it works before going into harm's way. CC
 
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#7 · (Edited)
Series 70 Reproduction vs. Series 80 1991





Series 70 Reproduction (above photos):
Mfr. SKU: O1970A1CS (blued), O1070A1CS (stainless)

Features:
No firing pin safety system
Solid barrel bushing (originals made 1971-1983 used the collet barrel bushing system)
GI-type small ejection port with wide GI-type chamber hood on barrel
Blued barrel on blued pistols, stainless barrel on stainless pistols
Plain black hi-profile sights
400-grit polish on slide and frame flats (originals were usually finished to a higher degree of polish), sandblasted rounds
Short steel serrated trigger and arched steel serrated mainspring housing
No magazine well bevel
Slide marked "Colt's MK IV/Series 70 Government Model .45 Automatic Caliber" on LH slide and "Colt Government Model" on RH side
Checkered double-diamond wood grips on both models
Currently available in Government length and .45ACP caliber ONLY







Series 80 Government Model (above photos), aka "New Rollmark (NRM)" 1991:
Mfr. SKU: O1991 (blued .45), O1091 (stainless .45), O1092 (stainless 9mm), O2091 (stainless .38S), O2991 (blued .38S), O1992 (blued 9mm), O4091U (stainless .45 Cmdr.), O4691 (blued .45 Cmdr.), O4610 (blued 9mm Cmdr.), O2071ELC2 (bright stainless .38S Gov't.)

Features:
Series 80 firing pin safety system
Solid barrel bushing (originals made 1983-1988 still used the collet barrel bushing system)
Lowered ejection port with narrow Gold Cup-style chamber hood on barrel
Stainless barrel on both blued and stainless models
3-dot hi-profile sights
Surface-ground slide and frame flats, sandblasted rounds
Long alloy serrated trigger and flat nylon serrated mainspring housing
Beveled magazine well
Slide marked "-Colt's- Government Model .45 Automatic (or 9mm, or .38 Super) Caliber" on LH side and "-Series 80-" on RH side (changed to "Colt Government Model" since ~2013)
Checkered double-diamond wood grips on blued models, checkered black rubber on stainless guns
Currently available in either Government (5") or Commander (4.25") length.

Aside from these differences the two models are made to the same specs and exhibit the same overall quality. The Series 70 models have a slightly higher retail price due to the extra polishing on the flats and the steel trigger and mainspring housing.
 
#8 · (Edited)
The 10mm frame modification

One difference some 1911 enthusiasts often see with Colt frames is the modification to the slide stop cutout. What I call the "10mm style frame" is what current Series 80 pistols all use, with the full cutout of the frame at the slide stop tab. It was first introduced in the 10mm caliber Delta Elite in 1988, as the old style frames could crack where the bridge of metal crossed the frame cutout due to the harsh recoil of full-power 10mm rounds. That style of frame was eventually phased into all of Colt's 1911 production regardless of caliber as a production expediency.



When the limited-edition WW2 Reproduction was released in 2001 it used the same style frame, much to the indignation of purists. Colt also did the same thing with the first couple hundred Series 70 Repros as well. As a result of the negative comments Colt re-introduced the older traditional .45ACP style frames with the bridge of metal above the cutout in select models. They upgraded the last batch of WW2 Repros with these and then phased them into the Series 70 production, and of course later the WW1 Replicas as well.



Currently all Series 80 models (1991, XSE, Commander, New Agent, etc) as well as many new Series 70 models (Competition, Classic) use frames with the 10mm cutout. Pistols in Colt's "retro line" (Series 70 Reproduction, WW1 Replica, etc.) use the older-style frames with the traditional cutout.
 
#9 · (Edited)
M1911A1 Reproduction Production Figures

Copy of a post from rworthin:

The paragraph below is from my article, "History of the Colt World War II Reproduction Pistol Model 1911A1 and a comparison to an original 1943 Colt 1911A1" published in the Spring 2005 issue of The Rampant Colt. I hope this helps. Bob

Following this trend Colt began making through its custom shop its WW II reproduction 1911A1 pistol, which it called the model 01911A1, retailing for just under $1000. Production began in June 2001 with a planned run of 4000 pistols. Actually only 2473 were made in two slightly different versions. The serial number of the first version began with the capital letters WK followed by the numbers 01000 and ended with WK01948. The second version began with serial number WMK01000 to 02525. The initials are those of retired USMC general William M. Keyes, current CEO of Colt. The reason the SN did not begin with 00001 is to allow Colt to come back later, if desired, to bring back the gun, perhaps for a special production model. Production ceased in January 2003.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Colt WW1 Replica/Anniversary Model identification:

O1918 (L) and O1911 (R):



The earlier O1911 had a bright Carbonia blue finish and were serial numbered xxxxWMK. The later O1918 had a standard black oxide (blued) finish were serial numbered xxxxWW1. There were no other differences between the two models.

O1911/O1918 Production Figures:

"Posted by EagleArmsHBAR 23 April 2010

There has been some debate on production figures on the 1911 reproductions. I decided to call Colt and see if they would shed any light on the subject. They gave me the serial number ranges of production for each 1911.

01911: 1001WMK-5414WMK (appears they made 4,413 01911 models)
01918: 1001WWI-~5069WWI (appears they made just over 4,000 01918 models)..."

ANVIII





ANVII






Only one ANVI was made, and it was sold at an NRA auction in 2011.


 
#11 ·
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Last week I had been shooting a few of my Colts and when home cleaning them I thought I would add another and take a few pictures to compare and contrast. So here are four sizes that are commonly available in gun stores. Of course the Officers (In this case a Compact) is no longer in production.

So from the top a 2013 new Series 70 Government Model. then a 1991 SS Commander. Next a 2000 Compact (Officers ACP) in SS. And on the bottom a 2002 Defender. Only the Gov and Defender were bought new and the stocks have been replaced on all of them. I put new triggers in the Commander and Compact and lots of other new guts in the Commander like a new sear and disconnector plus Cylinder and Slide Series 80 parts in Gold color (Titanium nitride).



And the frames in the same order. All are steel frames except of course the Defender.



And the tops of the slides in the same order. I did replace the rear sight on the Defender with a Novak I ordered through Brownells that works with the stock front sight.



Next the barrel and bushings, if the pistol had one in the same order. 5" (Government), 4.25" (Commander), 3.5" (Compact/Officers ACP), 3" (Defender/New Agent).



And the recoil spring assemblies in the same order. The Compact (Officers) is using an aftermarket Wolff spring. These would have had dual recoil springs (one inside the other) from Colt.



Finally the tops of the frames and here I am going left to right. I put a brass rod through the slide stop/ barrel link hole and a smaller rod through the top screw hole on the frame. On the left the Gov, which is the only non Series 80 pistol, then the Commander. Next the Compact (Officers) and on the right the Defender.



And a closer view of the same thing.



And next time I do this it will not be when it is 102 degrees F outside. Also when I get a new dark Defender I can do the series in blue and dark colors.
 
#13 ·
#14 · (Edited)
O1991, O1911C, O1970A1CS Features Comparison Chart

Just a quick n' dirty comparison chart showing the differences between three nearly-identical models currently in Colt's lineup as of mid-2019:

 
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