[Shay]

I picked up this sweet looking MK IV series 70 that is finished in Satin nickel and the safeties, slide stop are black and the grips are pachmayer with gold colt medalion on them.
anyone know if this was a special run or model?

 

[M1991A1]

Your kiddin' me!? Thats the exact same Series 70 I'm lookin' at trading with my friend's dad. I can't believe that. That makes two of us that would like to know this guys. This one is unfired NIB. He is the first owner and just threw it in a safe and forgot about it and is now lookin' to trade or sell it.

In addition to the first question, what would be a reasonable price? I'm tryin' to get him to trade for my Bushmaster postban flattop carbine in excellent condition.

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"They all fall to hardball!"

 

[Shay]

M1991,
mine doesnt have a box, look at your freinds box and see what it says? i saw one like this on guns america for $1200!

 

[M1991A1]

Shay....Unfortunatly, I haven't seen it yet, but my brother has. He's the one that described it to me. When we saw my friend's dad this weekend I asked if he was interested in tradin' and he said to bring in the Bushy and let him see it and thats when I can check out his Series 70. He's always askin' me "So whats for sale/trade this time?" I just so happened to remember this pistol after hearin' my brother describe it awhile back. He's very forgetful, so I'm not going to waste my time asking him what it says on the box. I'll just make sure he brings it with him and look for myself. I made sure he was correct about buyin' it new and that everything on it was from the factory. He said it was, but knowin' how forgetful he is I still wasn't sure.......until your post Shay. Thanks for makin' my day! I'd love to have it because I'm just tryin' to get as many 1911s as I can get my little grubby hands on right now!

My brother said it has adjustable sights also. Is this the same as yours? They weren't big 'uns like Bomars, more like MMC's style he said, but he's not as good identifing that kinda stuff as I am.

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"They all fall to hardball!"

 

[TEX'N]

I have seen these that I know were factory produced models, and others that were made up from satin nickle guns and blue Colt parts. Don't recall them being a special model number or name--maybe yes, but I never heard that. If I remember right, the grip would be the old style Pachmayr with the mag lip at the bottom of the frontstrap, and thumbrests.

 

[Roger D]

Gentlemen:

Bought the exact same Series 70 "model" (?)on Auction Arms a couple of nights ago. Currently awaiting its arrival at my FFL. Suprising how I've not seen pictures of these until this week and now there are three of you discussing this same Colt.

Regards,

Roger D

 

[M1991A1]

Well, I talked to the guy today about this Series 70. Bad news is he doesn't have the box, he was thinkin' of his Series 80 Sts. Officers. Good news is it is definetly NIB. He said the sights were MMC and that the safety is ambidextrious(sp?). We are meetin' Sunday to look at each others guns and hopefully swap. Wish me luck guys!

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"They all fall to hardball!"

 

[Shay]

MMC and Ambi safety, thats much nicer then mine. someone told me it is called the "Pachmayer Combat Special".
who knows?

 

[M1991A1]

I guess we could call Colt. But I'm bettin' that would be a waste of time, huh? I sure would like to know also Shay. That "Pachmayer Combat Special" sure does sound familiar though.

BTW....Tex'n hit the nail on the head describing those grips. Even that little mag lip thingy at the bottem front of the grip.

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"They all fall to hardball!"

[This message has been edited by M1991A1 (edited 05-25-2001).]

 

[TEX'N]

Just had a thought. I don't recall if Lew Horton was doing this kind of thing that long ago, but it might be worth a call to them to find out. If they didn't do it you might ask them who did. Also, Colt charges a few bucks for a records search but if I had a new one of these I'd risk a call and ask them what they could tell me. This was a really nice gun, and a rare one. Definitely a keeper.

 

[John T Wylie Jr]

I bought mine exactly as you described there guys...it was my first 45...it was slightly used but ever since shooting my dads satin nickel commander I wanted a satin nickel 45.
Ended up buying a commander & gov in satin nickel. The Combat Commander is all satin nickel while the gov (ser 70 ) is satin with blued controls.
It is definatly a keeper ( as well as a shooter). I will be watching to see what you guys turn up....as well as looking into where I put the box that came with mine.

 

[webley 455]

That was arun of Gov't. Models made up by Colt around 1983 or 84. No special model number or name was assigned.

 

[Patrickl]

Originally posted by webley 455:
That was arun of Gov't. Models made up by Colt around 1983 or 84. No special model number or name was assigned.

Actually it was earlier than that, I bought mine in 1980, with production starting in 78 or 79. The satin nickle finish is called "Colt Guard" it is nothing more than electroless nickle. There was no special name for these and they did not have special serial numbers.

I still have mine.

 

[M1991A1]

Well guys I got her! Pretty dang nice lookin' too. This is the way this one is equiped.......satin nickel finish(Colt Guard?), blued slide release, trigger, and grip safety, Pachmayr wraparound grips with the lip at the bottom. Now for the bad(?)news, as far as being original. The sights, I'm pretty sure, are not original. They are MMC, fixed, with a vertical white slash on the front sight, and a white "U" shape rear (like a Glock). It looks like the magwell was bevelled, not bad lookin' either. And lastely, the safety has been replaced with an ambidextrious, extended low profile type. The best part is the safety is made my Armand Swenson, its marked on both sides with A.D. Swenson Fall Brook Calif. I know of Swenson and how he was one of the first 'smiths to start buildin' 1911s back in the 60s. What's his status these days, I swear I remember hearin' he passed away?

Also, if anyone can check some lists for me, I'd like to know when it was made. The SN is 8278BXX. Thanks!

One more thing, the grips don't have any medallions but do have thumbrest and the Swenson safety looks to be stainless, its shiny anyway. And the barrel, bushing, and recoil plug are blue also.

After finally gettin' to see it and talk tradin' he tells me he did buy it used, but hasn't shot it himself since he got it about 20 years ago, in about the late '70s or early '80s. The previous owner didn't have it long, and either didn't fire it or fired it very little. He was the one that had modified it and also the reason there is no box. It still looks brand new, the only thing I don't like is there are what I can only describe as small flakes, or spots, on the right side of the slide, mostly near the muzzle. It looks like its actually in the finish, not on it. I tried to remove them, but I didn't want to try anything too abrasive because I didn't want to harm the finish. Any ideas what it might be?

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"They all fall to hardball!"

[This message has been edited by M1991A1 (edited 05-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by M1991A1 (edited 05-27-2001).]

 

[Patrickl]

M1991A,

Yes, it's been modified. The original safety was blued and not an ambi. The grips on mine had a gold Colt medallion. The sights are supposed to be standard Govt. Mod. sights.

The flakes are rust. I have tracked this problem back to the factory. Between polishing and plating some of the early guns sat around too long during a humid summer and devoloped light rust, which wasn't caught by the factory. They plated over the rust and it pop's from the inside out giving the appearence that there is something wrong with the finish.

 

[SamColtFan]

M1991A1......
Your gun was produced in 1979.

Shay.....
Patrickl is right about the configuration of this Series 70 Colt. Mine is as described by Patrickl and was produced in 1980.

This is a factory collet bushing gun.
SamColtFan

 

[M1991A1]

SamColtFan, thank you for the date of manufacture. I really was wonderin' about that. I'm pretty sure I'm goin' to have some slight work done to this pistol. I like it the way it looks, but all my recent 1911s have standard grip safeties and I'm just gettin' chewed up somethin' fiece! Plus the flakes in the finish and the way it jammed on me the first time out.......

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"They all fall to hardball!"

 

[SamColtFan]

M1991A1.....
You're welcome.
This particular Series 70 was an excellent gun. The factory trigger was oh so sweet and it's accuracy was excellent. Hope you enjoy yours too.
SamColtFan

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"An ultimate goal of the United States is a world which is free from the ... dangers and burdens of armaments;" 22 USCS SEC. 2551

 

[M1991A1]

You know, your right. It did shoot pretty darn good. The MMC sights the first owner had put on had me aiming at near the top of the pop cans to hit them. I say that just because I'm use to a six o'clock hold with my other 1911s. The original magazine, which is satin nickel like the gun, is the one that gave me problems. The jams I described in one of these posts of mine only occured with it. If anything gets done to this thing, the extractor is going to have to be adjusted and a beavertail installed. Also a flat mainspring and long trigger (this combo is best for my big hands). The factory trigger pull is nice like you described though.

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"They all fall to hardball!"

 

[Roger D]

My satin nickel finally showed-up. Blue safties, bushing, plug, slide stop, trigger and pachmayer grips w/ gld med. I'm not sure the black plastic beveled mag well goes w/ the pistol?? Sights look to be standard S70's. Ser# 55xxxB70.

The slide/frame fit on this pistol is extremely tight - it'll take some breaking-in.

Does anyone have an idea on production numbers? (I contacted Colt and they weren't much help.)

Regards,

Roger

[This message has been edited by Roger D (edited 06-09-2001).]