A Tale of Two Colts: Part Two

A pawn shop score – Colt 01911C – in .45acp – I’m going to take a comparative look at this “government” model- when I did the serial number thing through Colt’s website, I found this was made the same year as the M1991A1 – I admit I was quite surprised to find it to be that old and almost zero rounds through it.

No deep scuffing anywhere – bushing to barrel – barrel hood – slide to frame – very low round count. I just can’t wrap my head around buying a firearm and not firing it. That just doesn’t fit in my head . . .

Perfect parts fitment just isn’t possible – even on high end 1911’s – “scuff” marks show up with just a few rounds – bushing to barrel – slide to frame – even with the “best practices” lubrication with enough use – finish wear spots will start showing up. Reality is a bitch!

New or used – no real difference – spray the piece down with Breakthrough Battle Born solvent – Check It Out <<<HERE>>> – thorough scrub down and then a light spray down – let it sit for a day or two – then go back and do it again – New – gets all the little kibbles and bits left over from manufacturing and gets the shipping oil cleaned out / used gets any firing gunk cleaned out of the cracks and crevices . . .

Folks – this thing is 31 years old, and I have to admit I can’t wrap my head around the lack of wear – very low round count.

as dry as the pistol was when I got it – I don’t think it was fired when new – rather just put up in a closet shelf and found during clean out for an estate sale – had a few rounds put through it and then sold . . .

the wear you see is it – no real “high” spot wear – just light scuffing . . .

very light wear on the rails . . .

no feed ramp wear to speak of . . .

very light scuff marks on the back end of the ejector – tiny bit on the front of the rail . . .

The bluing was real flat looking – So I spent the day soaking down the bluing with CLP – then wiping dry – then soaking it down again – 4 trips through that and the bluing is starting to show some depth – actually something the bluing department would claim – LOL!

just keeps “floating” dirt up out of the finish . . .

If you think of all the mating surfaces in your gun as “bearing” surfaces – similar to the main bearings of your car engine – you can start to wrap your head around what is going on inside a gun when firing. In your car engine there is NO metal-to-metal contact – everything rides on a film of oil which is refreshed by an oil pump and filtered and used again and again. A film of oil on the mating surfaces of your gun will only stay intact for a few cycles – and then your metal-to-metal. In order to mitigate that accelerated wear issue I use a thin film of Breakthrough Battle Born grease – Check it out <<<HERE>>> – the stuff will pretty much stop the wear cycle on a used gun and a new one? If the gun is built accurately and kept clean it will go hundreds of shoot/clean/lube cycles and barely show scuff marks on the wear surfaces – no metal wear to speck of – just finish wear.

Case in point: here is the slide out of my CZ 97 BD – right at 3500 rounds through it . . .

Ain’t the little darlings pretty together?

I hope to get out to Gary’s Guns and shoot the newest member (the 1911) of the family – I’ll run about 50 rounds through it – bring it home and clean / lube it.

as good as the bluing is coming out, I will probably be reluctant to stuff it in a holster and carry it – and that’s just wrong – it deserves to be carried!

And a quick shout out to Great Plains Pawn – a good assortment of stuff and very competitive prices!

Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!

A Tale of Two Colts: Part One

Don’t mind my rambling – it’s one of those weeks – This may actually drag out longer than I’m thinking – it might take a day or three to get it put together – from your point of view you probably won’t notice – LMAO!

So, in response to consumer pressure (yep, I was shocked as everyone else!) Colt released the M1991A1 – in 1991 obviously. Many people were wanting a new production Colt “GI” 1911 – Several U.S. manufacturers were producing them as well as the importation of different brands at that time -It was a truly “must have” item at the time – even allowing for the 80 Series firing pin block . . .

These were not inexpensive for the time – Norinco 1911’s were referred to as 2fers – 300 bucks for 2 Norinco 1911’s – a GOOD used car for 300 bucks -or 308 bucks MSRP for a Colt M1991A1 – and depending on which distributor your FFL was dealing with, the Norinco’s could be had for less by purchasing more – at the time SKS’s could be had for a little as 90 bucks a copy (and YOU clean the cosmoline off – LOL!) if you were buying 5 at a time.

Most everyone out there sorta knocks Sig for coming out with 3700 or so variants of the same gun – who do you think they learned that trick from?? If you said Colt – you’re right! Think about it – Colt only made 3 basic guns like forever – S.A.A. – Single Action Army / Double Action revolvers / and 1911’s – all of them in about a zillion variants – but the same 3 guns! The 1911 had gotten so far from what it started as – a straightforward no frills duty / combat pistol – this plain Jane was almost a breath of fresh air . . .

interesting side note: Colt started numbering them from the end of WW2 production numbers . . .

It was a brand new “government” model – as Colt envisioned one to be produced – circa 1991 – they were mucho desired by most 1911 fans – myself included. And in all honesty – for a “duty” or “combat” pistol – the firing pin block difference in the trigger pull quickly fades into the background for the majority of people – except the bullseye/target freaks. But let us not go down that rabbit hole today – OK?

The real appeal? It was not an attempt to produce yet another “upgrade” model – it was strictly a duty /combat pistol – almost a down grade model – essentially if Colt were to produce base government models again – this would be it – no high polish deep blue that you wouldn’t even think about putting in a holster – no burl wood grips – just hard rubber grips- no adjustable sights (you can drift the rear sight – that’s it) – just straight utilitarian.

A delrin/nylon straight mainspring housing – serrated – the trigger is the same material and smooth – but the serrations on the MSH and the high profile standard sights are the limit of the fancy stuff.

The finish is in black – a parkerized variant – but smooth – the lettering on the slide is a real blocky style – again nothing fancy . . .

And it shoots like a 1911 – round after round in an 8 inch circle at 25 feet – pretty much point and shoot – it will eat 230 grain ball all day – super high-tech jet fighter space force hollow points? I wouldn’t know – it was designed for hardball and I have no issue using them in any given circumstance – they simply run through the gun and make .45-inch holes in just about anything you would shoot with a handgun.

What are YOUR thoughts on this pistol? Carry with no hesitation? Too plain Jane? Something with a little more bling to it? I feel the same way about 1911 pistols (and clones) as I do about S&W revolvers – for a given piece to scratch a definitive “itch” I could talk myself into an “upgraded” variant (and I have on more than one occasion) – but – I have gotten to the point where if it ain’t gonna be used (think carried and shot regularly) – my interest drops off considerably . . .

Seriously folks – if the price point was “there” I would not mind a war production “GI” model. However the prices have gotten to the point where my nose starts bleeding just stumbling through listings on Gunbroker . . .

I know a gentleman that carries a 1911 that his great-grandfather bought new in 1925 or 6 – that’s a little beyond me . . .

Part 2 of this will be a look at the newest rescue – the Colt 0911C . . .

Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!

Another Rescue – A Colt 1911 (of course)

What did you do now, Bruce? Well – I went to the pawn shop alone – my Blushing Bride was not with me – the little darling followed me home – I know! – No Adult Supervision! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it . . .

A Colt 01911C / Blued Finish / In God’s caliber (45acp) of course! ( I was all alone – no other Colts – just wasn’t playing well with the others )

An interesting piece from Colt – it’s what they are calling a “Government Model” “Classic” series- the slide cuts are 80 series, but it has no firing pin block – so it’s a 70 series – right?

Let’s us dive headfirst in it shall we?

This is pretty much a new pistol – a few scritches – very light – on the right side of the slide (see the pics above) – no blemishes on the finish (more on that later) – no slide to frame break in scuffs – slide to frame fit really tight – if I had to guess? Less than 50 rounds through it . . .

Colt is calling this a “Classic” – it comes across with an interesting “pick and choose” blend of features . . .

In no particular order – – –

SIGHTS – Colt calls them “High Profile Standard” – they are not 3 dot – they are not “GI” sights – the Cimmaron nickel sights are “GI” pattern . . .

The front sight is obvious – higher and wider / the rear sight is taller and has a deeper and wider notch . . .

Black on black – but – much easier to pick up (see) than “GI” sights . . .

TRIGGER – It has a definite “short” trigger – short vs long being how far does the trigger comes forward into the trigger guard – the “shorter” the trigger – the easier a gloved finger goes in is the easiest way to put it . . . Damn Bruce – that don’t even sound right!

LEFT TO RIGHT – short trigger on the Colt Classic – GI trigger on the Cimmaron nickel – Current production RIA long trigger on the flat dark earth – and I have no qualms using the Cimmaron as a base for a “GI” model – they are close enough that the S.A.S.S. allows them to be used in “Wild Bunch” competition . . .

It has an aluminum serrated trigger – there is the ever so slightest creep through to the break – maybe 2 thousandths or so – you really have to be looking for it to notice it – either take it all apart and do a light polish or go to the range and put a couple hundred rounds through it to get everything and everyone happy and playing well together – the actual trigger break? Not too shabby – here’s the average for 10 pulls –

The finish is blue (?) – quite good with zero inconsistencies or blems – quite a bit of black in it to just call it blue – and it’s not just camera color saturation or your monitor color settings – it’s hard to call it “blue” when you are holding it – but blue is what Colt is calling it . . .

A few things that make you go – Say What??

70 series – 80 series – “Classic” Government Model – GI Model – or what exactly?

The barrel hood profile is 80 series – it’s about 13 thousandths narrower side to side than the “GI” barrel . . .

Disassembly notch – “GI” top vs 80 series / bottom – the 80 series makes it easier to field strip without pulling the spring plug out – you don’t have to move the slide as far to the rear . . .

The grips appear to be laminate – not slab cut – but good looking but laminate.

Main Spring Housing is serrated – originally the MSH was smooth – it’s also some type of delrin or nylon – not metal – at least it’s not arched (remember Colt is calling it a “Classic”) – for an EDC my personal preference is arched . . . see the pic of the RIA flat dark earth above

So . . . it’s not a straight up 1911 – it’s not an A1 (1917) – it’s not a 1926 civilian – it’s not a 70 series – it’s not an 80 series – BUT – it is current production that feels real good in the hand – all of that – and some other stuff – almost like a committee of schizophrenics put it together – what’s the bottom line??

Again – looks good and feels good in the hand -reminds you of a mid to late 80’s Norinco (if you ever get a chance to fondle AND shoot a good one? Just WOW – close to a religious experience) – it’s a 1911 and it’s a Colt – at this point what’s not to love – I do believe a range trip is coming up soon – LOL!

If you run up on a gently (and let me emphasize – GENTLY!) used one on the market, you can save 1/3 or more the cost of a new one – if you just must have a new one – by all means – you have my permission – no doubt worth the 1200 monies retail – it just depends on what and exactly how YOUR boat floats. Just to let you know – KYGUN.COM has them with no sights and I believe that’s also no roll marks either, not sure on that – they are listing at $849 . . . And yes, I know they are not roll marks – they are laser engraved – more cost efficient – not as much “personality” as roll marks – but progress is progress – sigh . . .

I will get a few boxes of 230 grain hardball in the next week or two and run it a little – just to see how it runs – I have every 45acp magazine I possess loaded and I’m down to my bottom limit on 45acp stash of 2000 rounds – so at this point it’s buy and shoot – just won’t go any deeper into my stash – Remember folks – It is far better to have two thousand or so rounds of a particular caliber and not need it than to suddenly have a need for a large quantity of it and only have 50 or so rounds on hand . . .

And since I’m feeling particularly generous today – one more bit of free advice – An empty magazine does you absolutely NO good!

There you go – no extra charge . . .

I’ll pick up some more 45acp and run about 200 or so rounds through the little darling – do a deep clean on it – then get you a post up with some final thoughts on it . . .

Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!

No Friday Music this Week – TRUE SPEAK from Melanie King Instead . . .

“Sanctuary” Chaos: Looters EMPTY Walmart Stores — Cities COLLAPSE Into Third-World Disaster

I urge YOU ( and YOU as well ) to go to Melanie King’s YouTube Channel and check out her videos – some of the best stuff out there . . .

I really don’t have a lot to add – except chances are NO ONE is coming to save you – if YOU are not prepared at this point – YOU ARE FUCKED . . .

Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!