[Mike PT1911]

Recently I acquired my first series 80 Colt Gold Cup NM. I love it so much that I decided to order a Commander to keep it company. As of late I've been hearing some guys saying that the series 80 is junk. Can someone please elaborate on the meaning of this. I have read that some really prefer the series 70. Is it because the series 70 is closer in design to the original? Is there really anything wrong with the Series 80 design?

 

[Tombeis]

Recently I acquired my first series 80 Colt Gold Cup NM. I love it so much that I decided to order a Commander to keep it company. As of late I've been hearing some guys saying that the series 80 is junk. Can someone please elaborate on the meaning of this. I have read that some really prefer the series 70. Is it because the series 70 is closer in design to the original? Is there really anything wrong with the Series 80 design?

No.

 

[damwong]

It's not junk. Some of the die hards here don't like the firing pin safety.

 

[Ugly-Jeep-Truck]

In an ideal world a Colt should not have the firing pin block, but it is not a deal breaker for me and I much prefer it over the Kimber system. My only beef is with putting it back together, not a big deal, just lay the frame on its side when you put the little parts back in and it's a piece of cake.

 

[dubya]

I have a couple of several manufacturers but favor Colt. The thing that is more disconcerting is the Swartz safety on Kimbers requires you rubber band the grip safety when field stipping or you can mess up parts. Some people hate the new S&W revolvers with a key lock they do not have to use and will never see the insides of but the S&W revolvers without the lock are worth much more. I don't think it's a big deal on Colts. I did buy a WWI repro but certainly will give it more caution because of the missing safety.

There are a lot of guys on here who know a lot more than I do. There are some strenghts to older production in guns and cars and you name it. Are some of the older 1911s better made? Yes. Are some worse? Yes, but not in general. I bought a new Gold Cup Trophy that I have not shot yet but I expect it to be a good shooter; you never know until you see how that pistol is fitted. Perhaps someone with an-indept knowledge will elaborate but I like them all old and new.

Good shooting with your new Colt!

 

[pyunker45]

Recently I acquired my first series 80 Colt Gold Cup NM. I love it so much that I decided to order a Commander to keep it company. As of late I've been hearing some guys saying that the series 80 is junk. Can someone please elaborate on the meaning of this. I have read that some really prefer the series 70. Is it because the series 70 is closer in design to the original? Is there really anything wrong with the Series 80 design?

The answer is no. I have both and like both. My bet is those "guys" couldn't tell a series 80 trigger from a series 70 trigger.........

 

[ACP.45.45.45]

The answer is no. I have both and like both. My bet is those "guys" couldn't tell a series 80 trigger from a series 70 trigger.........

+!. My new XSE has as good a trigger as any stock Colt 1911's I have owned over the last 40+ years.

 

[larry starling]

The answer is no. I have both and like both. My bet is those "guys" couldn't tell a series 80 trigger from a series 70 trigger.........

I go to go along with Paul on this one. I believe the rumor/myth was started by some below average gunsmith's who are to lazy to work on the S80's because of the extra parts. I own both and can't tell that much difference between the two....

 

[russel5150]

the series 80 is a proven design. i have had several and it doesnt make a good gun bad.

i wouldnt trust a gunsmith who says you cant get a good trigger pull with the series 80 parts installed.

russel
SDMF

 

[Chuck S]

I've removed Series 80 parts based on the poor trigger pull nonsense. And put them back as the interlock works as designed. You can buy ti coated, highly polished parts if you want, the gold color finish will give you a warm fuzzy feeling every time you look at them.

-- Chuck

 

[dsk]

I believe the rumor/myth was started by some below average gunsmiths who are too lazy to work on the S80's because of the extra parts.

Any decent gunsmith can work around the FPS parts and still create an excellent trigger. The only time it becomes a problem is with competition pistols with pull weights below 3#. Since those are strictly match guns removing the FPS is no big deal anyway. But I've seen more than my share of magazine articles penned by gunwriters and so-called gunsmiths berating the Series 80 system for a multitude of reasons, from lousing up the trigger pull to being a failure-prone design. Considering that my most-fired handgun is a Series 80 Colt, and at nearly 80,000 rounds I've never had a problem with the firing pin safety, I'm convinced that these folks were talking out of their ventilation shaft and hate the FPS for no other reason than it wasn't part of Holy Moses Browning's original design.

 

[Brian48]

My personal opinion, I don't believe it's the design of the series 80's that is responsible for the perception that they are "junk". Sure, some die-hards don't like the firing pin safety, but I don't think that's the main knock. I think it has more to do with the fact that the series 80's coincided with a period of years in which Colt had some labor issues and problems with Q/A. Unfairly, this seems to equate to the design of the series 80 rather than to that dark period in the company's history.

 

[Captain America]

... As of late I've been hearing some guys saying that the series 80 is junk. Can someone please elaborate on the meaning of this....

Could they be referring to the quality control issues with the current
crop of Colt pistols, rather than the series 80 system itself? I would
not buy a new Colt without giving it a complete hands-on inspection
before purchase. Most of today's Colts are outstanding pistols, but an
occasional lemon does make it into circulation.

I'm one of the Diehards who detests the series 80 mechanism. Primarily
because it was not part of Holy Moses Browning's original design. It's not
needed, serves no function other than to complicate assembly. It's
easily removed and replaced with a $4.25 metal shim, so it's not that
big of a deal and I would not let the series 80 stop me from buying one.

The series 80 system debate is similiar to the full length guide rod debate.
Some people like them, some don't. The traditional 1911 had neither one
and worked just fine. I consider both to be solutions looking for a problem.
The good news is that both can be removed, tossed in the trash and the
pistol will still function perfectly.