free 1911

[74elko]

grandfather gifted me a colt mk4 70 series 1911! its my first 1911, first thing i did when i got home was clean and inspect it. only wear is on the barrel so can someone tell me a little about my gun, like usual problems or things to look out for?

[bjl333]

Ah ... the series 70 Colt !!! Great gun and especially granpa's old gun. Nothing really to tell you except to go and shoot it. Some of'em won't shoot hollow points well, most should be great with ball ammo. Take it out and bring different ammo to see what she likes to digest. Keep the gun lubed ... have fun and be safe !!

[forgiven]

Congrats!

[Blackhawk556]

Congrats on the gift I wish someone gave me a gift Like that

[1JimMarch]

Suggestion: buy and install a titanium firing pin. Won't cost too much. Should drop right in - test it of course.

Here's the deal: if a 70 or prior is dropped in JUST the wrong way (mainly barrel-down) it can go boom. The firing pin is floating. The hammer is fully locked up by the safeties, that's not the problem - the steel firing pin can develop enough momentum on the wrong drop to set off a primer.

The series 80 solution was to add a new bit that freezes the firing pin. Also leads to a slightly funky trigger pull.

The smarter cure is to reduce the mass of the firing pin - less momentum. *Might* still go boom if you toss it off a 3rd-floor roof or something. But for all practical purposes, drop-discharge accidents vanish.

Cheap insurance.

[den888]

Post some photos when you can !

[74elko]

i wish i could post pics but i use my phone for calguns, if someone wants to i could text the pics and they can upload them. and the bottom of the magwell seems pretty tight, like i can feel friction with the magazine when i first insert it. is that normal?

[Chief-7700]

i wish i could post pics but i use my phone for calguns, if someone wants to i could text the pics and they can upload them. and the bottom of the magwell seems pretty tight, like i can feel friction with the magazine when i first insert it. is that normal?

The magazine is pushing past the mag release or hitting the trigger bow. A common test is to see if an empty mag will drop our of the mag well. Insert empty mag hold weapon in the firing position press mag release and see what happens.

The serial number will tell you when your Colt was made.

[pyromensch]

i have a series 70 also, never had an issue, shoots most anything i have put in it. jeff cooper used to say that you should replace the collet bushing with a solid one, because one of the "fingers" might break, and cause it to jamb. i've owned mine since 79, fired countless rounds through it, and haven't had that problem

[resident-shooter]

I like!!!

[74elko]

so i press the mag release and the mag drops about 2 inches, it stops and i have to pull it the rest of the way. also when the mag gets towards the bottom of the mag well there's some resistance. normal?

[foxtrotuniformlima]

not normal. Most likely not the gun though. Try a different magazine like a Wilson Combat 47D

[74elko]

yeah i was thinking it was probably the magazine. now i just have to find another one..

[Colt]

Awesome! Congratulations.

[Mute]

Should be good to go. Only thing I would consider checking is the barrel bushing. If it's a true Series 70, it may be a collet bushing, in which case, I would consider replacing it with a solid bushing.