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Thread: Colt Gold Cup

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    Senior Member Viking350's Avatar

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    Colt Gold Cup

    Good morning all. I need some clarification and/or information on the Gold Cup. I’ll give the abridged version of the background. When I was young, my Dad had a Gold Cup. It was his favorite handgun and was his go to for personal defense. This was in the early 70’s. He passed in 1979 and all of his handguns were stolen before I could travel to his home. I’m looking to buy a Gold Cup like his. I did a little research since I know almost nothing specific about them. Because of the timeframe, I believe he had a Series 70. I searched on Gunbroker and found this one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/780601131

    It says it was manufactured in 2016. Do they still manufacture Series 70’s? If so, is there any differences between a current manufacture 70 and one made back in the 70’s? I would like one the same as the one my Dad had.

    TIA for any input you may have.

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    Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012** Richard Simmons's Avatar

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    They switched to Series 80 in 1983. They may have changed again since then. Not sure if the current production is considered 70 or 80?
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    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    they make both series 70 and series 80 now. I believe the series 70 no longer uses the collet bushing. Not sure about the gold cup models. I'd love to have a current production but they are verbotten in my state.

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    Senior Member Viking350's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Simmons View Post
    They switched to Series 80 in 1983. They may have changed again since then. Not sure if the current production is considered 70 or 80?
    Yeah I found this in Wikipedia. It hardly mentions the Gold Cups.

    Colt Government Mk. IV Series 70 (1970–1983): Introduced the accurized Split Barrel Bushing (collet bushing). The first 1000 prototypes in the serial number range 35800NM – 37025NM were marked BB on the barrel and the slide. Commander sized pistols retained the solid bushing.
    Colt Government Mk. IV Series 80 (1983–present): Introduced an internal firing pin safety and a new half-cock notch on the sear; pulling the trigger on these models while at half-cock will cause the hammer to drop. Models after 1988 returned to the solid barrel bushing due to concerns about breakages of collet bushings.
    Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911/Mk. IV Series 70/Mk. IV Series 80 MKIV/Series 70 Gold Cup 75th Anniversary National Match/Camp Perry 1978. Limited to 200 pistols. (1983–1996) Gold Cup MKIV Series 80 National Match – .45 ACP, Colt-Elliason adjustable rear sight, fully adjustable Bomar-Style rear sight, target post front sight, spur hammer, wide target trigger, lowered and flared ejection port, National Match barrel, beveled top slide, wrap-around rubber stocks with nickel medallion.[40]
    Colt 1991 Series (1991–2001 ORM; 2001–present NRM): A hybrid of the M1911A1 military model redesigned to use the slide of the Mk. IV Model 80; these models aimed at providing a more "mil-spec" pistol to be sold at a lower price than Colt's other 1911 models in order to compete with imported pistols from manufacturers such as Springfield Armory and Norinco. The 1991–2001 model used a large "M1991A1" rollmark engraved on the slide. The 2001 model introduced a new "Colt's Government Model" rollmark engraving. The 1991 series incorporates full-sized blued and stainless models in either .45 ACP or .38 Super, as well as blued and stainless Commander models in .45 ACP.

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    Senior Member Viking350's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by NAPOTS View Post
    they make both series 70 and series 80 now. I believe the series 70 no longer uses the collet bushing. Not sure about the gold cup models. I'd love to have a current production but they are verbotten in my state.
    Thanks NAPOTS, I was wondering about that.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Viking350's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Viking350 View Post
    Thanks NAPOTS, I was wondering about that.
    Scanning down the threads in the forum I ran across this one.
    https://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.p...h-Should-I-Get

    Reading the article, this line leads me to believe that they still use the collet bushing.

    “The defining characteristic of an actual Series 70 is the collet bushing, which is only offered by Colt on the Colt Series 70 pistol that they sell right now.”

  7. #7
    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Viking350 View Post
    Scanning down the threads in the forum I ran across this one.
    https://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.p...h-Should-I-Get

    Reading the article, this line leads me to believe that they still use the collet bushing.

    “The defining characteristic of an actual Series 70 is the collet bushing, which is only offered by Colt on the Colt Series 70 pistol that they sell right now.”
    I believe you are right in that the big thing that made it a series 70 instead of a government model was the collet bushing but since the series 80 came out series 70 is often, somewhat incorrectly, used to refer to models that don't have a firing pin block like springfiel armory, Ed brown, wilson combat. Less Baer etc. It's nice that colt is making "series 70" guns again. The 1991 had cost cutting measures and I believe they used plastic main spring housings and triggers. As far as I know the new colt series 70 guns don't have the collet bushing.

  8. #8
    Team GunsNet Gold 07/2012 / Super Moderator Gunreference1's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by NAPOTS View Post
    I believe you are right in that the big thing that made it a series 70 instead of a government model was the collet bushing but since the series 80 came out series 70 is often, somewhat incorrectly, used to refer to models that don't have a firing pin block like springfiel armory, Ed brown, wilson combat. Less Baer etc. It's nice that colt is making "series 70" guns again. The 1991 had cost cutting measures and I believe they used plastic main spring housings and triggers. As far as I know the new colt series 70 guns don't have the collet bushing.
    I believe the Colt S70 Government still uses a collet.

    https://www.colt.com/detail-page/col...ood-grip-blued

    Take a look at item #9 on page 47 of the owner's manual.

    Steve
    After today, it's all historical.

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    Senior Member Viking350's Avatar

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    Okay next question. In your opinion, are the current manufactured S70 Gold Cups of similar quality to ones manufactured in the 70’s? I can get a new one from Bud’s for a little under $1200. Shopping around for a used one they are all over the place in price, generally higher. Also there is the issue of not seeing it until after it arrives (Gunbroker). Opinions?

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