[SHUZ]

I almost bought one of these a couple of months back. Im thinking of buying one now for a 1991A1.

I called CDNN and the guy told me they were true 70 series and all are were marked 'Competition'. I did a search on the site and found a couple of posts about them possibly being out of spec, but nothing from anyone who had used one. Just curious if anyone has built anything using one of these slides and how they worked out. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[This message has been edited by SHUZ (edited 11-29-2001).]

 

[James]

I have a few of them. They are reproductions of "true 70 Series slides" as I think these were made long after the 80 series guns were in production. Colt never installed these slides on their production guns and they are stamped "Colt Competition" They don't have the series 80 holes. Only problem I have found so far is that the ejector slot isn't fully machined on all of mine. I'll either have to file down the top of the ejector or get into the slide somehow. I haven't done anything with them for this reason.

 

[Hilton GZ]

I've built a gun on a Caspian frame with one of the Colt Competition slides. It fit up ok, but had some problems:

-front of the slide rails are not wide enough to properly clear frame, causing peening of front of frame rails and guide rod head
-end of recoil spring tunnel not machined flat, peened spring guide in recoil
-breech face very rough

The positives:
-very pretty rollmark, deeply marked
-extra meat (.020"+) at rear of slide for blending to frame
-it says "Colt"

I addressed all the deficiencies, and with some additional work, it'll be a fine top end. Buy it b/c you want it to say "Colt", but otherwise you'll be better served with a Caspian slide.

 

[Metal Smith]

Hi Shuz & James, I just bought one the other day, I figured for a $148.00 I couldn’t go wrong and it couldn’t be any worse than some of the other stuff out there. I never got around to fitting it yet and don’t have any plans for it.

I think these slides came from Colt Competition parts in VA. I’m not sure who is running it now but Ira Kay, the C-More sight guy, bought a CNC and started a business turning out Colt Competition parts, licensed by Colt, I think they are making these slides, not the Colt factory.

The slide appears to be nicely made. It is surface ground by machine. It has a nice smooth flat grind on the flats like a Caspian’s i.e. not polished like factory Colt. It is rolled with the original “Colt Series 70 “ and the Colt horse. The rolled lettering is slightly raised. The upper locking lugs are nicely machined and centered in the slide.

I can’t tell if the slide is forged or bar-stock, but I’d bet on it being bar-stock because it Rockwell on the soft side, RC-37, I never checked a Colt slide this soft. Most are RC-40 or above.

I just went to the shop to take some measurements for your post.

James is right about the extractor cut, it should be about .009 deeper compared to original Colt or Springfield, they maybe running this cut to minimum dimension.

The rest of the slide checked out pretty good.

Rear hood width .439

Bolt face is located in the center of bore the channel.

Barrel channel gauged @ .700, good.

Lower slide rail thickness: .116, OK

Bolt face width: .484, and is centered the barrel channel. All the Colts and Springfield’s
I’ve checked have .484 bolt faces, and without consulting the print I believe this is the maximum dimension, which is good.

Firing pinhole: is about .010 off center favoring the ejection port side, which I don’t care for.

The inner slide rails gauge @ .758 which is average for most slides, I slid it on a Caspian frame and it was a tight gauge fit. With a little lapping it be a perfect fit. The Caspian frame rails averaged .756.

I will put a post on soon about fit and function of slide measurements.

I just read Hilton GZ's post, my slide looks good. I don't doubt his slide is out of spec, you have to take your chances with any of this stuff!

------------------
Metal Smith

The only thing I know for sure is what I can measure!
NRA Life Member

 

[James]

Thanks for the info Metal Smith.

After I took my ejector off, the slide went right on and fit up good with several Colt Factory Barrels.

The only thing that keeps me from putting sights on and using it it that I don't know how to easily fix that ejector cut.

 

[Metal Smith]

Hi James, it looks like you'd have to go in with a carbide slitting saw and re-cut the track, not hard to do, I have to check if I have a saw the right size, if not a HS-saw would be about 30 bux, carbide 50, or it may not hurt to just mill down the ejctor. Pete

------------------
Metal Smith

The only thing I know for sure is what I can measure!
NRA Life Member

 

[meusoc45]

Metalsmith, any updates on the Series 70 Colt Competition slides?
I'm thinking about getting one of these from CDNN and having it fit to a Caspian Pre 1911A1 type frame. I like the look of the frame without the trigger relief cuts. Are these a bad investment because some might be out of spec, or should I just get a Caspian slide and save my smith a bunch of trouble? Thanks for any input .

 

[Paten]

I had read somewhere that Colt wanted to get back into the parts business. Does anyone know if it would be possible to order a new replacement 70 Series slide directly from Colt?

 

[Metal Smith]

Hi meusoc45, I'm sorry to say I never installed the slide yet, I really don't have any plans for it yet, I just bought it to see what it looked like.
I personally would put the Colt 70 slide on your 1991-A1 just because it's a Colt and you would not have a mismatch gun.
I slid a Caspian slide on and it's little bit better fit, not match grade, but better than the Colt. So you may want to get the Caspian, your call.

I just matched the Colt 70 slide with a 1991-A1 slide and it looks like the rails are machined identical around the recoil spring tube. I slid it on the 1991 A-1 frame and it fit about the same and there was no bind when I pushed it all the way to the rear like Hilton experienced, everything looked good in that area, but that's not to say the one you get may be a lemon, usual, they just don't make one bad one, there may be a few that got out, but if you do get a bum one send it back, point out the problem and ask for another. The top of the ejector will also prabably have to be cut down about .010. Hope this helps, Pete

 

[Dave Sample]

Do yourself a big favor and use a Caspian slide with a Caspian lower end. Unless you meant to say you had a Colt lower end which are very hard to come by. Caspian makes alot of stuff that I don't know about. I'm just a fan of theirs. I've never had a Caspian frame crack or come back to me in 20 years.

 

[George Smith]

Wile Reluctant I will agree with
Capt Eagle

We recently had a Customer send one in to be used on a bullet launcher and it was uncorectable. Sent it back to him.
If your investing in a custom gun I do not think it wise to save on one of the two largest components only to have grief later.

I believe the Colt slide are induction hardened. take a strait edge along a rail of a colt slide. see the light front and back? ok grab a different one. you will see the light Hardening after the machine process has it's price. Now fit that to a strait rail on the frame. Say a Caspian frame which is harder than some brands and strait.

Caspian Is making Great stuff! 4340 has worked out extremly well. They are great people to deal with and have reputation that is unsurpassed. So vote with your wallet. Also consider they are made from bar stock and machined in the hardened condition. they may move around a Little but not much.
Or you can save 30.00 and machine it to correct some of the issues with the slide and contend with the other short comings. Or take your thumb, stick it in the car door, now slam the car door. The savings of seconds? not sure on that one.

geo ><>

 

[BBBBill]

...Or take your thumb, stick it in the car door, now slam the car door....

Or just drop the whole car on your hand while doing a brake job. Dang cheap Chinese hydraulic jacks!!!
Like George and the others said, go with the Caspian. You'll thank yourself later.