[theraptur]

Well I went on a spree this morning because I ran across two deals that I could have, but didn't pass up. NIB with a slight factory blemish/nick you can see on the left trigger scallop - doesn't bother me. The price was right.

One was this Colt competition series 70 with fiber optic sight and adjustable rear. Colt's Manufacturing LLC

Tips, tricks, issues to watch for?

 

[Fairbanks007]

Nice pistol! Give us a report when you get it to the range.

A similar pistol, only blued, was my first handgun back in 2017. Loved it then, still love it. At the time I was only shooting indoors and struggled with the fiber optic front. I replaced it with a gold bead which wasn't really any better, but I thought it was a more classic look.

I also put a pair of Novak white dot rear sights on it because I struggle with vertical stringing and I thought it would help. They do. Now I shoot primarily outdoors and both the FO and gold bead work fine (well, as fine as they can when I'm the one on the trigger).

Of course, grips and sights are personal preference items, much like grips and a saddle on a mountain bike.

 

[ruffdup]

Can't wait to hear more...

 

[Frank Vaccaro]

Waiting for the rest of the story.😉

 

[theraptur]

Can't wait to hear more...

I went stoopid this morning...I also picked this up SOLD - Kimber TLE Two- Tone 45 ACP *price drop*

 

[Hawkeye fan]

Very nice

 

[Fairbanks007]

I went stoopid this morning...I also picked this up SOLD - Kimber TLE Two- Tone 45 ACP price drop

I like the checkering on that front strap. Very nicely done.

Potentially a very stupid question, but what's the purpose of the notching at the bottom of the front strap. I've not seen that before.

 

[theraptur]

Probably for those slam pads people attach to the flush mags? My Tisas have them to varying degrees.

 

[fnfalman]

Well I went on a spree this morning because I ran across two deals that I could have, but didn't pass up. NIB with a slight factory blemish/nick you can see on the left trigger scallop - doesn't bother me. The price was right.

One was this Colt competition series 70 with fiber optic sight and adjustable rear. Colt's Manufacturing LLC

Tips, tricks, issues to watch for?

View attachment 673467

The biggest thing would be the extractor not tuned and the gun bounces brass off your forehead. More than likely this will happen. When it does, either tune the extractor yourself or buy a Wilson pre-tuned extractor and swap it out. . YouTube the tuning the process.

The next annoyance woukd more than likely be a stiff and/or gritty thumb safety. Those two items tend to be my main gripes for modern production Colts.

You shouldn’t have an issue with feeding hollow points through that sucker.

Oh, and if you want, get a GI guide rod and regular single recoil spring to replace the double springs setup when it wears out.

 

[theraptur]

The biggest thing would be the extractor not tuned and the gun bounces brass off your forehead. More than likely this will happen. When it does, either tune the extractor yourself or buy a Wilson pre-tuned extractor and swap it out. . YouTube the tuning the process.

The next annoyance woukd more than likely be a stiff and/or gritty thumb safety. Those two items tend to be my main gripes for modern production Colts.

You shouldn’t have an issue with feeding hollow points through that sucker.

Oh, and if you want, get a GI guide rod and regular single recoil spring to replace the double springs setup when it wears out.

I can deal with that, extractors are my first love. I took @Steve in Allentown article to heart and consider myself pretty decent at it now, I can usually beat a stock extractor into shape when fitting the fps. I have a small radius fps already waiting for a donor pistol LOL. And a 14lb recoil spring. And I have a spare full length guide rod and a GI guide rod.

 

[Old Dog]

I went stoopid this morning...I also picked this up SOLD - Kimber TLE Two- Tone 45 ACP price drop

While I'm mostly a Colt guy, I have a sneaking fondness for some Kimbers. My TLE II (blued) is a great 1911. For some reason, the finish work off the thumb safety and the grip safety real quick, making those areas look silver, but the gun itself was excellent. Accurate, has never malfunctioned in twelve years. Really.

I like that Kimber, at around the same price point as the comparable Colts (i.e., the Competition) includes factory night sights and nicely executed frontstrap checkering. Plus, the edges (bottom of slide in particular) are not sharp like the Colt's. My Competition has the black finish. I just noticed a couple days ago that it's selling for about $150 more than when I picked mine up (couple years ago).

What better way to exercise one's 2nd Amendment rights (particularly these days with all the state's going nuts with anti-gun legislation) than to buy TWO 1911s in one day?

 

[Evil_Ed]

The only major (heh) issues I've had with new-purchased Colts in the last 10+ years have been extractors incorrectly tensioned from the start, since they're just dropped in - easy enough to fix; before taking it out for the first time, do some basic tension tests, and tension the extractor as necessary. IMO their extractors are good and more or less dimensioned right, just not really tensioned for the gun. I've had a couple other brands of 1911s and those I never felt bad about immediately replacing the extractor...but for the new Colts I've had pretty literally since 2007 or so, it's just been making a slight bend and going from there. This is specific for 45s - 38 Supers and 9mms may be a little more involved.

The other issue has been the sear spring leg that interacts with the grip safety has been under-tensioned - you might need to pop out the sear leaf spring and slightly bend back the right-most leg - if your grip safety rattles...this is probably the cause and fix.

Beyond that - a thorough disassembly/detail strip and detail clean has always been the first thing I've done. If it's an S80, detail strip the slide and firing pin safety and make sure you get out all the Colt preservative gunk; it can gum it up. Swab out the firing pin channel with a q-tip soaked in Hoppes, then clean it out with a dry q-tip or two. Same for the extractor channel. It won't hurt to remove the detents and spring from the thumb safety/slide stop spring tunnel and make sure it's cleared of gunk. Other than that, I've never had an issue with clunky thumb safeties or anything. I've had a couple that have over-traveled in the "off" position a bit, but short of silver soldering or straight up replacing the thumb safety, not much you can do there and it's never been a show stopper or even something I've noticed when shooting.

 

[theraptur]

What better way to exercise one's 2nd Amendment rights (particularly these days with all the state's going nuts with anti-gun legislation) than to buy TWO 1911s in one day?

I have bought more guns in the last 3 years than ever in my life...partially because I want to exercise that right more than ever, partially because I am at a point in my life where I can afford to do so as well.

 

[Old Dog]

The only major (heh) issues I've had with new-purchased Colts in the last 10+ years have been extractors incorrectly tensioned from the start, since they're just dropped in - easy enough to fix; before taking it out for the first time, do some basic tension tests, and tension the extractor as necessary.

Same here. Both on my stainless Series 70 Repro and Black Army. I keep a stock of Ed Brown extractors on hand, which the last time, came perfectly tensioned, dropped in and the pistol was magically flawless.

partially because I am at a point in my life where I can afford to do so as well.

Same here. It's crazy though, because now I can't find the time to actually shoot everything I have, so I now plan my range trips as "theme days," one session all 1911s, another all revolvers, another just the regular carry pistols, etc. I'll probably have to organize a spreadsheet to make sure I rotate everything equally (I'm all about DEI).

 

[USMM guy]

Nice pistol! Give us a report when you get it to the range.

A similar pistol, only blued, was my first handgun back in 2017. Loved it then, still love it. At the time I was only shooting indoors and struggled with the fiber optic front. I replaced it with a gold bead which wasn't really any better, but I thought it was a more classic look.

I also put a pair of Novak white dot rear sights on it because I struggle with vertical stringing and I thought it would help. They do. Now I shoot primarily outdoors and both the FO and gold bead work fine (well, as fine as they can when I'm the one on the trigger).

Of course, grips and sights are personal preference items, much like grips and a saddle on a mountain bike.

View attachment 673470 View attachment 673471 View attachment 673472

Looks like it was a really good day!

 

[moparclan]

Have two Competitions, one 9mm and one .45acp. The .45 has worked perfect out of the box, the 9mm not so much. Magazine follower would hang up and lock the slide closed. Contacted Colt and they said they had problems with magazines and sent me a new one. Same problem, I then replaced the slide stop with one from Fusion and problem solved. Hundreds of rounds later and no problems since. Oh well got a free magazine and decal from Colt.
Enjoy

 

[fnfalman]

Looks like it was a really good day!

He didn’t even have to use an AK.

 

[USMM guy]

He didn’t even have to use an AK.

Best part about it I guess.

 

[pete177]

Great gun. Bought one last summer. I didnt like the way the grip felt and the rounds felt gritty. I took some mothers to it and it feels better in hand. Trigger parts took well to a light stoning. Hammer hooks and sear were good.

 

[jetrinka]

@theraptur Beautiful pistol! Hope you enjoy it.