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Old Colt, my first

3K views 25 replies 11 participants last post by  OD* 
#1 ·
I traded with a LEO today for this Colt 1991. It's a Series 80 that has been used. I traded something that I didn't want anymore and don't really get much joy out of... she will be missed just due to cool factor, but this Colt will become something I love and carry.
Well, the finish on it is really rough, but I figure this will be a great platform for a build. I want some better sights, too. It already has the single sided thumb safety, so that is good. I don't like the double for carry. My Kimber paperweight and my RIA both have it and it bugs me for carry.

The slide action is slick as snot and the trigger really isn't bad. Oh, the last guy put on a rounded mainspring housing and I don't like it, so I guess I will get a new one. He replaced the grip safety with a Wilson and the hammer with a Brown, so those are good. It's got the old roll mark, which I know is very unpopular, but I happen to dig it. So anyway, here is what you really clicked this thread for...



Well I just got done with a 2 hour cleaning of this thing. I have never seen a gun so dirty and gummed up. There was goop that I could run a fingernail through... the line of junk around the grips after I took them off had to almost be sanded off... I scrubbed and scrubbed. That stuff was years old. I pulled the extractor and was very surprised that it was, in fact, stainless... it was black when I pulled it out. I went through 10 q-tips (both sides) before that hole was clean.

I put on some Miltac grips, an EGW bushing and an extended magazine release. It's looking better already (updated pic to come). Now for refinishing options...

Edit: I do not mean to make the gentleman that I got this from sound bad... I am much indebted to him for the opportunity to trade for something I will really enjoy.
 
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#5 ·
Good advice we should all live by my wise friend:congrats:
 
#3 ·
Good starting point

You could do a lot with that gun if you are willing to put in the time and money to improve it. It is a good base to build upon. Here is a used Colt series 80 Gold Cup that I have "messed with" a little:

 
#4 ·
I seriously doubt the extractor is Stainless Steel because, really, SS does not make a good extractor. Here is where you want spring steel. You want some flexibility that SS does not offer. It might be polished up and maybe look like it could be SS but it should be Spring steel to work properly. SS is normally too brittle for this application. Some of them are MIM construction, which most do not like and change out but I have not seen any use of SS in these parts. I could be wrong. If it was me, and it WAS Stainless Steel, I would be changing it.
 
#8 ·
Nice looking Pony, and as stated, a good base gun if you want to go custom.



Actually, Wilson Combat does offer their "Bullet Proof" slide stop in stainless or blue... there are others too (I am pretty sure Ed Brown offers theirs in stainless as well). Wilson's page
 
#6 ·
Actually that is not bad looking just the way it is.
That appearence is pretty typical for a carried Colt in Stainless Steel.
You could pretty much bet your bones on that pistol exactly as it is configured right now.

As long as you intend to switch out the mainspring housing....you might as well opt for a flared Mag Well like a Smith & Alexander in checkered Stainless & Flat.

See the pistol photo posted by Pogo above.

Even for a Carry Colt I think adding the extra .25" to the pistol butt for the flared mag well is worth it for the speed increase of hitting the mag well faster for quick reloads.

Though when I carried it - I would carry with a magazine that had no slam pad and make sure that my spare mags did have slam pads.
 
#7 ·
Though when I carried it - I would carry with a magazine that had no slam pad and make sure that my spare mags did have slam pads.
That's a good idea. I have wondered how one would carry mags like that.

Now I need to decide if I want to bobtail it or go with the extended magwell.

After cleaning, grips, bushing and mag release... I think I will Melonite the slide and bead blast the frame. I have always loved the reverse two tone look.





This is the part of the finish that is rough:
 
#11 ·
WW have you thought about putting a few rounds downrange before doing any Mods????? If you mod first then there is a function problem you may find yourself chasing things that may or maynot have been there to bgin with. Just my .02
 
#14 ·
Yes sir, I will certainly do that before I mod it. I was looking at all the things EGW has listed that they will do to a gun... man I could spend some coin there. I am currently thinking of only doing a different trigger, a flat mainspring housing and a new finish... though I would like a qualified gunsmith to take a look at it to tell me if the sear or anything has been screwed with... just so I know it is actually safe to carry.

Man, I could have saved you all a lot of time if I had said what I meant about the extractor... I didn't mean to say stainless steel, I only meant that it was in fact, not blued, as I originally thought it was due to the color.
 
#12 ·
Much depends on the specific Stainless alloy and how that Stainless steel is hardened and then tempered back.
That determines its ultimate flexibility.

As an example - My recoil springs in all of my 1911 pistols are Falcon Arms Chrome Silicon Stainless and they are rated at twice the compression cycles of Carbon steel recoil springs.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Good looking 91A. :congrats:

If you are planning to return her back to stock, you will need a long trigger also, and Cylinder & Slide Inc. is the only company I know of currently offering spring steel extractors, Colt hasn't used them in years.


I think I will Melonite the slide and bead blast the frame. I have always loved the reverse two tone look.
Actually, blue over silver isn't reverse two tone , it's the original, silver over blue is reversed. :wink:

They looked similar to this;

 
#18 ·
Good looking 91A. :congrats:

...and Cylinder & Slide Inc. is the only company I know of currently offering spring steel extractors, Colt has used them in years.
That is indeed where I got mine. Do you know if Colt is still using spring steel in the latest guns or not? I had heard MIM now. So I replaced my Defender with a C&S but wonder if the one I took out might have been. I still have it as a spare... can't tell though by looking at it.
 
#23 ·
I do know that Springfield seems to be still using them. First thing I changed out on that one was to a C&S spring steel. Made all the difference I think. The one that came in the gun was not tuned properly anyway. I was able to get it tuned just before changing it out though. Some Monkey had to have bent that one oddly. So I didn't trust it. But, after that, the thing is flawless.

Do you have any experience with Cylinder and Slides trigger tuning kits? And or their work? I was considering sending that Springfield to them for a total Mimectomy of sorts.

Also, if you don't mind, are there any other particular parts Colt is using that are suspect and should be changed out? New production I mean.
 
#25 ·
I do know that Springfield seems to be still using them. First thing I changed out on that one was to a C&S spring steel. Made all the difference I think. The one that came in the gun was not tuned properly anyway. I was able to get it tuned just before changing it out though. Some Monkey had to have bent that one oddly. So I didn't trust it. But, after that, the thing is flawless.
I did something similar with a Springer GI WWII,

1) Replaced cast sear with a Colt's®.
2) Replaced cast disconnector with a Colt's®.
3) Replaced cast slide stop with a Colt's®.
4) Replaced the small hammer with a Series 80 Colt's®.
5) Replaced titanium firing pin with a steel ED Brown®.
6) Replaced cast firing pin stop with an EGW flat based.
7) Replaced MIM extractor with a King's Extractor (didn't have a C&S handy).
8) Replaced trigger with a machined one piece, checkered USGI.
9) Replaced cast thumb safety with a USGI.
10) Replaced the ILS mainspring housing with a late war 8 rib Remington-Rand.
11) Replaced the baby poop brown stocks with a set of late W.W.II Ithaca's, made by Keyes Fibre Co.


Do you have any experience with Cylinder and Slides trigger tuning kits? And or their work? I was considering sending that Springfield to them for a total Mimectomy of sorts.
Yes and no. :wink:
Not in my personal weapons but I do have a couple buddies the swear by the C&S drop-in hammers and sears. They truly did make a heck of a difference in their pistols.

Also, if you don't mind, are there any other particular parts Colt is using that are suspect and should be changed out? New production I mean.
The current parts materials in Colt's,

MIM
sear
disconnector
(Colt actually knows how to make quality MIM parts)

CAST
Thumb safety
grip safety
mag catch

FORGED
slide
receiver
barrel
slide stop

MACHINED from bar stock
hammer
all pins
bbl link
bbl bushing
trigger finger piece
ejector
firing pin
firing pin stop
extractor
plunger tube
guide rod
 
#24 ·
Ok, guys, since there are so many in this thread who seem to know a lot about 1911s, I have a safety question.

I was over on the 1911 forums reading a thread about home trigger jobs and how one could create a very unsafe weapon by not knowing what they are doing. This has me concerned. I know nothing about what was done to this gun except that there was an aftermarket trigger installed, which suggests that at least part of the trigger group was toyed with. How do I know how much was messed with? How do I find out if things were cut down or anything? Would it be wise to tear the thing down to its components and post some pics for people to gasp :gah: at? Will a series of function tests be all I need to do to know it is ok?

Or do like one gentleman said and just shoot it? This will be a carry piece, so I need to know it is ok...
 
#26 ·
How do I know how much was messed with?
That is difficult, if you are a novice to the 1911 platform.

How do I find out if things were cut down or anything?
If you know someone with experience in the 1911, have them look at it for you.

Would it be wise to tear the thing down to its components and post some pics for people to gasp :gah: at?
Couldn't hurt. :wink:

Or do like one gentleman said and just shoot it? This will be a carry piece, so I need to know it is ok...
If you have some place you can do so safely.
 
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