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Colt MK IV 70 Series ?

10K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  jwilson09 
#1 ·
I have a really nice Colt MK IV 70 series that I'm think about sending to Colt's Custom shop to have some work done on.

I checked the serial # (70 G72**6 ) and found it was made in 1974 so now my question is would it be a mistake to send this one out for custom work ?

Are these early Mk IV 70 series guns collectible ? Would I be better off to keep it original and find another 1911 for the custom work .

The gun is in very good condition about 85%-90% (not going to sell it) any one have a idea what these early 70 series guns go for ?


I know the new guns have been built to feed hollow points out of the box any idea if Colt was doing the same ramp work on the early 70 series guns ?


Thanks guys for any help .
 
#3 · (Edited)
Do not do it!

I have been collecting and shooting Colts for a very long time ,over the last few years I have noticed older Mark IV Series 70:s are getting fewer and fewer to find,people are holding on to them. I attend a lot of gun shows and the prices for the good ones are around $1100.00 and up here in TEXAS. The Colt Mark IV series 70 has always been my favorite 1911 and always will be,I bought my first one in 1972,when I got out of the U.S.M.C. Buy yourself a custom built 1911 if you want a gun to shoot and keep you Series 70 Colt to pass on in your family you will not be sorry. Just the imput of a Old Marine Colt lover. SEMPER FI !
 
#7 ·
Hello smg, I've owned a number of '70 Series Colts. They were throated to feed hollow points. The current NRM Colts, with that later "Dimple" style feed ramp, are even better at feeding hollow point ammo though, than most of my '70 Series guns.. I did own one '70 Gold Cup and one Pre-'80 Commander that were, and still are, excellent guns. I know there are a lot of folks who believe most any out of production Colt should not be touched. I guess I've owned too many '70 Series Colts, since about 1970, to think each and every one is special. I had several '70 Governments, Gold Cups, Lt. Weight Commanders and one Combat Commander. They were not consistently nice guns. I think it's good they would be considered collectible now, because some that I had sure weren't very good shooters. If I owned a '70 Colt in 85-90% condition and wanted to have work done it, I would. Now, as pyunker and dakota mentioned, If I had a 98% or better gun with box and papers, I might just leave it stock. But a 85-90% gun, not so much. One of my co-workers sent his Govt. Model to the Colt Custom Shop for work, and I have to say it turned out real well. I had, and have, guns that, unmodified, would be worth more money someday. If I don't sell or trade them first, my heirs will just have to get what they can someday out of my old, uncollectible, and probably almost worhless, modified Colts ;-)
 
#9 ·
I am curious, you described it as a Colt MK IV 70 Series, is the slide marked like that or are you just letting folks know it doesn't have the FPS ?

Before the 80's Colt didn't mark them that way right ? Just Colt MK IV

Pics are always nice, I only ask cause if the slide is marked with 70 Series wouldn't that indicate that it's not all original at this moment giving you an all clear to modify at your hearts content. I only started messing with Colts this year.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I bought this Series 70 - made in 1970 - nearly NIB, fired very little, with manual - in 2006 - looking like this - the slide is marked as can be seen and the serial number 70G042XX is on the right side of the frame -



The slide is marked as can be seen and the serial number identifies it as a Series 70. Having carried it - alternating with a "second generation" series 70 - it shows wear - sights replaced - and a low mount thumb safety added -now looks like this -



This is the "repro" - then - serial number 71B30XX



And now -



I shoot both every week (I'm retired) and alternate carry by the week - I don't even like to think how much enjoyment these Series 70s have provided me - which I would have never experienced - if I put them in glass cases -

They are such a joy to shoot - accurate, reliable, and just great fun to shoot - though I realize we all have our own way of enjoying our guns. Malfunctions are practically non-existant.

YMMV

My vote is to shoot it and really enjoy it -
 
#11 ·
I would have the work done if it were mine

You have the basis for one of the finest semi-custom 1911 models. Look at the work that many of the fine pistolsmiths on this forum prefer to work on. It is the Series 70 original Colt Government model. You will have a reliable weapon that you can shoot and treasure.

Even when the gun was new, it needed to have the collet bushing replaced, the action worked on, modern sights and the ejection port lowered. From there the Colt Custom Shop or a variety of great pistolsmiths will make you a treasured gun. This was a $500 gun when new and at that time you needed to spend $500 or more to have it perfected. If it now a $ 1000 gun and you spend another $ 1000, you will have a great gun equivalent to any semi-custom.

I would go for it. Just be patient as Colt will have it 6-9 months.
 
#12 ·
Thank you all for the info and comments .

Now that I have a better idea what the Colt is worth and where it would stand as a collectible, I'm looking forward to sending it out for the custom work . This is a really nice clean original gun but it seems without the original box, paperwork and a little better condition it would not be worth enough as a collectible for me to keep it original.

Now I need to start working on a list of what custom work I want done .


Again thanks for the help .
 
#17 ·
I vote shoot it enjoy it the way it is.... Then send it to the Colt Custom Shop and after the long wait and you get it back it will be like getting a new gun! Thats what Im doing with my Delta just waiting patiently while the Custom Shop works its magic.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Price question I didn't address - $800 for the original and $900 for the second generation -- I should also mention they were both birthday gifts from my wife - my situation seems different from many here in that she is always more than glad when I find another gun I like - gets her off the hook of the dilemma of what to get me for my birthday - now, if she would only do something similar for me -----

We all have different likes and such - which I view as good since, if we all liked the same thing, we could be all driving Yugos - and lack of competition would price them out of range for most of us.

Mine do show wear - which I love - means we're old friends - and, with my eyes closed (dry firing, of course) I can't tell any difference in anything about which model I have in hand. to me, they look great now that they're broken in - Only repairs I've done is replace the firing pin spring in the original when the stop started sliding down preventing the slide from going into battery - and the extractor on the repro when it started stove-piping -

I put at least 50 rounds per week through each - more if I feel I need improvement - that adds up to over 2000 rounds each minimum - and I've been doing that over six years now for at least 12000 rounds through each - approximately.

I admit my attitude may be in the minimum since I regularly read posts by shooters who think some guns should be in glass cases rather than shot - OK for them - I regularly shoot this Winchester 95 in 30-06 most weeks and it shoots even better than it looks -



This she gave me for our 25th anniversary almost 8 years ago -



I think we should enjoy our guns however we like -
 
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