Series 70 Colt

[FNH5-7]

Can I put a National Match barrel in a regular Series 70 Colt?

Will I have improved accuracy even though I will be keeping the fixed sights?

Will the accuracy be comparable to my S70 Gold Cup?

[Q619]

Can I put a National Match barrel in a regular Series 70 Colt?

Will I have improved accuracy even though I will be keeping the fixed sights?

Can YOU do it?.......probably not. Can a 'smith do it? Most definitely. There are multiple companies making excellent match grade barrels out there. You just need to have the barrel and bushing fit to your gun and each other.

If you can outshoot the gun (meaning you can shoot tighter groups/more accurately than the gun is currently capable of) then you will notice improved accuracy. If not, then I can't really say. It's too subjective. While the gun is at your gunsmith's you can have better sights installed. There are some nice white dot sights you can have put on the gun as is custom made by people like gunsmith John Harrison that are cut for the current configuration on your gun or you can have the slide cut for Novaks, Bomar....etc. Whatever sight combination/type you want.

Personally, I could shoot better with some type of three dot sights rather than the standard GI's.

In terms of customizations, you've got the perfect blank slate there. There's a whole number of things you can do to customize your gun.

Probably the most basic upgrades I might do would be a better pair of custom made 3 dot sights made/installed for the existing GI cuts and just have a Harrison medium legnth trigger with a good trigger job put in by John Harrison. Between the trigger and the sights you should be getting better accuracy. If you combine those two things with a new match barrel and bushing then it's going to be a sweet gun!

Other popular upgrades would probably be a beavertail safety and a skeletonized hammer. The parts already in the gun are of good quality being from Colt. The one thing I'd probably do apart from having performance added to the gun is have a spare slide stop and extractor fitted to the gun. Something high quality like EGW, Wilson, Ed Brown. Those are the two parts that will likely wear out/break before anything else. It's nice to have spares on hand so you don't have to go through the expense of possibly having to ship your gun out and also being apart from it for a while. Easy enough to change out yourself in a couple seconds.

[Q619]

In regards to your Gold Cup, I would think it would be similar assuming it's in good condition wear wise and shooting tight like it should. Probably even be more accurate with better sights and a good trigger job on top of the barrel/bushing addition. Assuming a very good smith did the work. There are some great 1911 guys out there that can work wonders.

[Q619]

I've gotta say though, series 70 Colt's are sweet guns! I'd probably keep it as is Colt's have their charm.

[Colt]

If it's an original Series 70 rather than a reproduction, and if it's all original, I'm not sure I'd mess with it. On the other hand, they're great for full customization as well...

The collett bushing was designed to provide greater accuracy due to the way the "fingers" grab the barrel.

If you have the repro, or if you have a solid bushing on the S70, you may get an increase in accuracy from a match barrel, but you may also get nearly the same result from having a good smith fit a match bushing to the original barrel (assuming the barrel is still in good shape).

[FNH5-7]

Damn, I thought switching barrels was as easy as just dropping it in. 1911's are a special beast.

[para38super]

Damn, I thought switching barrels was as easy as just dropping it in. 1911's are a special beast.

If you just drop in a barrel you accuracy will get worst instead of better. A barrel has to be fitted. Before installing a match barrel, test your gun it may be more accurate than you are. My Colt XSE is way more accurate than I am. So there will be no improvement if I had a match barrel installed because I am not capable of better. Your gun is only as good as you are! Your series 70 should be pretty accurate. Practice and once you have good group (3 inch, which your gun should be capable of) at 25 yards than go for match barrel. Just my opinion.

[para38super]

Also adjustable sights don't improve your accuracy, they just allow you to adjust them easier than fixed sights.

[Steyrlp10]

Can I put a National Match barrel in a regular Series 70 Colt?

Will I have improved accuracy even though I will be keeping the fixed sights?

Will the accuracy be comparable to my S70 Gold Cup?

Just adding to what everyone else has said so far...

Yes, I agree a good smith will be able to fit your Series 70 with a NM barrel. Bob Chow had a reputation of doing very fine work in such a way with his target pistols.

Personally, if I were to spend the money on improving the barrel, I'd go for the complete package and get the adjustable sights, trigger job, etc. But that's because I want a Bullseye gun

Good luck and have fun with your "tinkering."

[doc540]

I followed the experts advice regarding the fitting of upgraded parts and sights on my Commander.

Made a world of difference and was a fun project.

[Steyrlp10]

I followed the experts advice regarding the fitting of upgraded parts and sights on my Commander.

Made a world of difference and was a fun project.

Nice

[FNH5-7]

My Colt XSE is way more accurate than I am. So there will be no improvement if I had a match barrel installed because I am not capable of better.

Doesn't the XSE already come with a National Match barrel?

[para38super]

"National Match" isn't a specific type of barrel or parts. The case used to be that "national match" GI 45's used to be made by the military armorer in order for people to compete in the national matches at camp perry and similar military camps across the country. They would basically fit a tighter fitting barrel bushing, weld up the barrels lugs and lap them into the gun and tightening up the frame/slide fit. I think the military armorers later came out with specific barrel bushing and barrels that were oversized and cut to tighter tolerances as to have to be hand fitted into the slide in order to gain accuracy so they wouldn't have to modify a stock gun. I doubt any of these original barrels and bushing are available anymore. Since then, the term is basically used for any parts for a 1911 that is oversized to have a snug fit when lapped into the slide or cut to tighter tolerances in order to accurize the gun.

I don't think he really meant "national match". He probably meant, just match barrel.

[para38super]

Doesn't the XSE already come with a National Match barrel?

Maybe, I don't know. My barrel doesn't say "match". I think you are confusing a "National match" barrel with a "Match barrel". Like I said earlier just shoot you series 70 like it is and then go from there. If you think it needs improvements just send it to a gunsmith and get a whole custom job( trigger, barrel, bushing, and sights). You will have a full Bulleyes gun. It wont be a self defence gun no more because you will have a light trigger and adjustable sights. Which are not advice for a self defence weapon.

[FNH5-7]

Maybe, I don't know. My barrel doesn't say "match".

This picture is from a SS Colt XSE.



Says N.M. on the barrel which means National Match.

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On another note, damn I really thought Colt 1911 parts were interchangeable at least within the same series (S70). I was wrong. I'm used to too many modern guns I guess..