If it's in excellent original shape I'd leave it alone, to be honest. While not rare, 99% 1st-gen Series 70's are starting to climb in value. Aside from that, it's your pistol so do what you want with it. I'm just telling you what I would do. A $550 Springfield Mil-Spec is easy to find, and closer to a real MEUSOC since they used Springfield slides in the rebuilds.

 

+1 get yourself a Springer, keep the Colt as is. Just my 2 cents. BD

 

Thanks - I'm definitely on the fence. I've been looking at the SA 'Loaded' PX9109LP which is very close to a MEU-SOC. These are $750 minimum - I saw several at the Nations Show last week. The more I thought about it though, I just didn't want to buy another pistol with three other 1911s sitting there looking pretty. One is a nice Remington Rand, one is a 1953 Gov Model refinished by Bill Adair and the last is the 70 GM. The thing about the 70 is, it's the most accurate one - shoots right to point of aim every time and is flawless in function. But, they're really not worth much right now unless they're new-in-box according to what I see on GB. Of course, ten years from now will be different, that's true, and a modified one will have little value after the first cut. Plus, I have done some shopping around and have concluded that with gunsmithing, converting the Colt will cost around $450, which makes the Springfield start to look better. Okay, I'm really rethinking this deal now! Let's say I have $600 in the Colt and sink another $450 in it - now I have $1050 in it and it's still worth $600. In other words, every cent I put into it will be a dead loss, where if I leave it alone and get the SA, at least the Colt will gain value in time while I get to enjoy a MEU-SOC clone. I think I need to put up some good pictures of the Colt. I hate to take up so much bandwidth with this decision, but after all I'm always the one advising everybody to 'keep them original', and here I am getting ready to cut up a 26 year-old Colt.

 

I'd say keep the Colt and buy a Springer to satisfy your MEUSOC fix. If you can't swing it then trade the Colt in. Either way the S70 will be worth more if you leave it stock.

 

For the money it will take to convert an otherwise perfect gun, you could buy a Rock Island Armory Tactical, change the grips & be done.

If you're set on having a Colt, you can find one in need of some TLC for cheap and make it a MEU(SOC). You'll have saved one, not cut up the other and own 2 pistols.

Your MkIV/S70 is worth more now that it will after your conversion.

But it's your pistol.

 

Here's the subject of discussion.

Yeah, I think I'll have to leave this one alone. BTW, SA has even more of a MEU-SOC than the 'Loaded' - it's the 'MC Operator' PX9105MLP. It has everything, even the Pachmyers and built-in rail, but they painted the receiver olive drab! I guess they were trying to make it look like a black slide on an old, greenish M1911A1 receiver.

 

Yeah, I think I'll have to leave this one alone.

Wise decision. Cutting this baby up, would be a serious mistake...

 

Me too. Leave it alone. Wonder how many votes before they had seen it? Was 10 and 10 with my vote to leave it.

 

This Gov Model is in excellent shape and is all-original, but not really collector-grade.

It may not have the box and papers, but it sure looks mint to me. Yes, you'd definitely be a fool to have somebody take a file to it.

 

WOw good read, I am in the same fix, covert it or leave it alone.

 

If it's beat up/rusty/already been refinished or modified, maybe it wouldn't be so wrong to do it. You could put a matte black or Parkerized finish on it in the process and have a stunning pistol. If it's 'new in box' or 'excellent' like mine, maybe you shouldn't. In ten years they'll be going for $1500.

 

I'm the second owner and have had it about 4 years. The first owned a small gun shop. I'd say this pistol had been put into a holster a few times because of the bright front edges, and maybe fired about 100 rounds. Aside from a couple of tiny nicks, it's pretty much new. Yes, I agree, it's not going to be messed-with at all. Thanks for all the replies! I'm glad you helped me come to my senses.

 

Just trying to save the world, one Series 70 at a time.

 

HA! That's pretty good.

'you could buy a Rock Island Armory Tactical, change the grips & be done.'

I looked at one at the show, and I had a RIA GI which was a good pistol. My problem there is the sights are not Tritium. They don't even have white dots. By the time I put night sights on it, I'd be about up to the SA Loaded. It did look good, though. No, this is the second time in two weeks I have abandoned the MEU-SOC project. I'm just going to put it on the back burner and watch out for new developments - you need some kind of reason to keep going to gun shows! I have some Heinie night sights on the way for my Taurus 24/7 .45 to replace the white dot Heinies already on it. I might go for the RIA Tactical if I could find one for $100 less. They were tagged at about $520 at the show.

 

The sights on the RIA Tactical are MEU(SOC) copies, but if you want tritium you can have the vials put in these sights. And $520 for one is a bit on the high side; they go for about $470 in my neck of the woods.

 

I'm going against the grain here and say "Go For It!!"

Why would you purchase a tool and expect to gain money from it?
The financial value goes up long after you are gone.

The real value in life is to enjoy it while you are here.

Mod it and enjoy every minute of shooting it.
Then when you pass your kids will probably modify it anyway; If not it will be worth more to them if "this is the way dad customized it."

As far as "the price going up in ten years" , the cost of living will go up faster than the cost of the already shot pistol.
The cost of toilet paper will also go up in ten years and I bet you'll find few here that admit to hording toilet paper now to sell at an imaginary fanancial gain later.

 

Good points, particularly since I'm an 'accumulator', not a 'collector'. Still, this is a near-mint example that works perfectly and is very accurate. Notice in my pics how the slide is not scratched by the receiver alongside the recoil spring tunnel like many new Colts seem to be. This pistol has had several hundred rounds fired. Nothing is crooked or out of line. It's like a 'blueprinted' MK IV Series 70. I'll keep it as-is for awhile and work on something else if I can't resist the MEU-SOC bug. Hey, I have a 95% Remington Rand I could use for the receiver! :biglaugh:

'The sights on the RIA Tactical are MEU(SOC) copies, but if you want tritium you can have the vials put in these sights'

I don't remember where I got the idea that the latest MEU-SOC had night sights. I would want them on the pistol if I made a 'copy'.

 

NOOOOO!!!!!

Sell me the S70, then go buy something else to modify!

P L E A S E ??????

 

yeah, now with pix i voted 'no'. a springfield GI clone is a much better choice.

 

I'm with the guys. Leave that beauty as is.

 

I already have my eye on a possible candidate, and it's NOT a Colt. I can't say much about it yet, but if I win the auction I'll do a thread on the conversion. I now know I have to build one.

 

A pretty nice Colt. I do not have an original Series 70 (yet) but I am pretty finicky about the Colt handguns that I have. Colts all seem to appreciate in value and I can not imagine having any modifications done to mine. Many on this forum will disagree with my attitude but I very rarely (if ever) fire these guns. Springfields, on the other hand are very nice and and I shoot the snot out of mine and have had a few of them modified. Just my 2 cents added.

 

Saxman, nice MkIV! Good call on leaving it as-is. I have one with a later ser#. I wonder what the last serial number was on a S70. Anyone know?

 

I don't know - I thought mine was the last one . What's your number? The charts don't go high enough, so I guessed it is 1983. Maybe someone here knows more precisely, but I doubt they kept making 70s after '83.

 

Until I saw the photos I was typing "Go for it!" Now I'd not touch it.

A Springfield Loaded Parkerized would be my starting point if I wanted the MEU-SOC. Which I don't. My Loaded is set up to my "specs." It came from the original owner with a "drop in" magazine funnel which I pulled within days. Tried an arched MSH with lanyard ring, but put a flat housing on to match the grip angle of my carry M1911.

As received. Standard Loaded Parkerized with magazine funnel and EGW barrel bushing.

First iteration:

Current configuration:

But, every time I think I've got everything perfect something comes along and causes me to rethink things! I had some problems with the Gunsite Low Thumb Safety during training earlier in the summer when shooting left handed -- the lever was pushed up onto safe several times. I'm now working with an Ed Brown wide low angle safety on this pistol.

I strongly recommend taking a good three day pistol course at least annually. The challenges presented in the later portions of my last class made me rethink my equipment yet again! You don't get that just practicing by yourself, or at least I don't. I need someone to challenge me.

The pistol is the cheapest part of the triad. Good training is expensive and requires lots of ammunition.

-- Chuck

 

Let our people go! Errr... sorry, forgot where I was for a moment. I meant go buy a beater for your project gun and preserve the S70 Colt would be my vote.