Why no Colt raceguns?

[Chuck Anderson]

Colt also sponsors the NRA NAPC (AKA Bianchi Cup) very heavily. They started doing a lot for three gun in the last year or two as well.

[Powder Finger]

This thread is the most I have heard Colt mentioned in about a decade.

and a wichita in about 3.

[benos]

Here's a colt from 1984. It's a stainless Gold Cup, one port compt, wichita adjustable rear, magweel and checkering everywhere.

That's awesome. I wish I still had one of those.

be

[chirpy]

Had 2 raceguns built of Series 70 frames. Had both turned into ss when the high caps came out. Have 3 ss now...2 in .45 and 1 .38 Super. The thing I like about Series 70 Colts is that you are ptobably not going to have trouble making weight like other newer mfgs.

Richard

[mildot1]

Ive been into uspsa/idpa for a bit now and just wondering why there are so few colt guns used for limited and open class? Some people regard them so highly but the action pistol community seems to be more into sti/svi and a host of other custom 1911/2011 builders. Any paricular reason why colt doesnt have a following in these sports?

Edited November 6, 2012 by mildot1

[outerlimits]

first one is a series 70 commander steel gun. lots of fun. 2nd one a series 70 with a SA slide. back in the pre-hi-cap day, this was the bomb.

[Guest]

^^^^

Very cool stuff. And yep, those were the bomb! Love the old single stack race guns from the days of steel frames, wood grips, and iron men!

This single stack .45, (built around '90 when they called them a Tactical gun) was built on a 70 series Colt. No wichita but it does have a bo-mar and soldered on front sight. Did checkering and internal work myself, and had a friend with a mill do the the front serrations and cut outs for the bo-mar. The really beat up old gun is a 1945 Remington Rand frame with a Colt National Match hard slide (about 1967, I believe) from the CMP program. All the correct NM part numbers on the barrel/bushing/slide, the sights were changed out to wilson combat sights. Shot quite a few "IPSICK" matches with this and an old Gold Cup when I was first starting out. By the time I got to getting a compensated gun made Springfield Armory had the gunsmith kits that were very reasonably priced compared to the whopping 400 bucks for a Gov't Model Colt.

[Sheperd80]

Thats what im talkin about! Very nice.

[Chuck Anderson]

Colt also sponsors the NRA NAPC (AKA Bianchi Cup) very heavily. They started doing a lot for three gun in the last year or two as well.

So after I posted this I hit up Colt Competition for a small little auction we're doing for the NW Chaplains organization. I never heard back but the guy who's running the auction had a call offering up a $1600.00 rifle less than 24 hours after I sent the email.

[leas327]

Does Colt still have a huge contract with the Government? I thought somebody finally figured out that Colt wasn't the only game in town and split the contract so one company wasn't getting all the work. I thought some gun mag had that in it a few years ago.(I am gonna have to loosen up the duct tape strap on my tin foil hat )

I am no business man, but if I could sell all of my product to a government agency before I had even made it I wouldn't worry about anything else either. I worked in a shop that did some government work. The profit margins were a little higher because there were some hoops to jump through. But the main thing was that it was guaranteed work with reasonable deadlines and plenty of advance notice.

Anyways, glad to see Colt getting back into it.

Love seeing the pics of the old Colt Race Gun stuff. I shoot pins and steel with a guy that shot "ipsick" back in the late 80's and early 90's. He got burnt out and gave it up in the early 90's. Last year he decided to start shooting again. He brought out some of his old stuff a while back. Colt, 38 super, small comp, lightening cuts that look timid, goofy old Aimpoint. Colt, .45, small magwell, hard chrome lower, frame had been drilled and tapped. He said he had another barrel that was comped by Clark at home. He took off the optic to shoot stock class in pins. I could buy a new custom open gun, mags, and pile of ammo for what he paid for those guns to be built in 1990. I will have to get some pics of them some time.

I had to laugh at him one time, he knew that Second Chance had died off. But he asked me if the Soldier of Fortune matches still had a following. I just looked at him with a goofy smile and said "I don't even know what that is."

[leas327]

Outerlimits,

Thanks for posting the picks, I hope someday we meet and I can buy you some beers and you can tell me about the early days. It makes my day when you post new stuff in the "Hell, I was there" section. I love that stuff.

That SV trigger looks like Marty McFly skateboarding on a peachbox scooter though.

Edited November 6, 2012 by leas327

[chirpy]

Yes, Colt just got a new contract for up to 12000 .45 w/rail from the MC.

FWIW

Richard

[GregSmith]

colt canada wont even sell to civilians, not a single thing. we have to import everything from the states, our military guys cant even buy a copy of their duty rifle in semi-auto to practice with.

tell me again how they care about civilians?

Apparently, they care enough about civilians to know NOT let Canadian civilians have guns!

[silverfoxdj]

colt canada wont even sell to civilians, not a single thing. we have to import everything from the states, our military guys cant even buy a copy of their duty rifle in semi-auto to practice with.

tell me again how they care about civilians?

Apparently, they care enough about civilians to know NOT let Canadian civilians have guns!

That's the Canadian Government's job exclusively...

[Bob DuBois]

Still have a Single stack pre 70 series Colt comp gun, double port comp. Built just as the Para's were coming out so it was out of date when it was delivered. Think I shot three matches with it. Good shooter and as most Colt build ups everything but the slide and the frame was replaced. Now you can buy an off the shelf pistol with the extra's already factory installed that shoots as well out of the box for a heck of a lot less money.

Still take it out once in a while the lower power factor ammo, Super 38, is fun to shoot.

[G-ManBart]

Oh, and obviously all the guns they make are crap. Which is why they have several models on Hilton Yam's list of acceptable 1911 duty pistols.

I'm not sure that has much to do with "race guns"

Other things on H Yam's list are,

•Full sized Government Model 1911 format with 5" barrel length and steel frame for increased reliability and durability.

•Chambered in .45 ACP, as that is the caliber in which the gun was designed and functions best. The greatest number of magazine options are available in .45 ACP.

•Standard Browning barrel without integral feed ramp. Ramped barrels typically have very steep feed ramps that don't feed well. Wide mouthed hollowpoints can also catch at the bottom of the integral ramp, creating further feeding issues.

•Standard milspec short recoil spring guide rod and plug.

•Recoil spring rating of 17-18.5 lbs to improve durability with full power duty loads.

•Availability of ambidextrous safety for left handed users.

•Type of firing pin safety system, if any. See below for further.

•Light rail or standard dust cover.

•Type of finish.

Wow, sad that he has so many things wrong...

[gino_aki]

This Colt racegun now looks like this and I used it to shoot the 2012 L-10 Nationals.

[lmccrock]

A single stack 1911 could make a decent race gun for steel matches.

My ownership of a Series 80 Gold Cup pretty much turned me off to Colts. A lot has changed since that gun was made in 1985 but there are so many choices today.

Yeah, Colt....they don't do anything......except for that whole Clint Upchurch sponsor, and the 3gun ready rifles. Yeah no hi cap 1911/2011, but they have single stacks that are good for that division

And they helped and donated to matches, not a ton but they are doing more.

I was waiting to see if someone would bring up Clint.

Yup, they definitely do absolutely nothing for the sport and they don't care. Wow... pay no attention to http://coltcompetitionrifle.com/

My understanding is that is a license to use the name and has little to do with Colt as a whole. Nothing wrong with that, but do not confuse "we will take your license fee" for a firm desire to support the sport.

[Jadeslade]

I have two Colt Series 70 SS guns. One has been been worked on by Wayne Novak and is my carry gun. It's black,but it is still a Colt. The other one is my current single stack gun and is Nickel Plated, in the process of putting in a better trigger. I have a Colt SP1 c. 1972 that is my best rifle. It has a special rack at home. Very accurate. No one envisioned the amount of practice an IPSC shooter would be likely to do in trying to better their performances, and original Colts are not made to withstand 20,00 rounds a year without replacing parts. A stock Colt .45 out of the box shoots well, and is a reliable gun. Excellent gun. Loose is good in mud and sand. Colt's are good guns, just not made for competition. In twenty years, let me know if your STI is worth 4 grand.

[Scott_Sweeney]

I think i saw a Tripp research framed 2011 go for around 3k in the classifieds not too far back.

My thoughts on colt are this. They and hk can kick rocks. They basically abandoned the civilian market in pursuit of over paying gov contracts. So they have screwed me twice.

Not a dime of my personal cash for either one.

[gino_aki]

I think i saw a Tripp research framed 2011 go for around 3k in the classifieds not too far back.

My thoughts on colt are this. They and hk can kick rocks. They basically abandoned the civilian market in pursuit of over paying gov contracts. So they have screwed me twice.

Not a dime of my personal cash for either one.

You might want to take a look at their new convertible AR platform...which seems to be pointed straight at the civilian competition and hunting market.

[PistoleroJesse]

colt canada wont even sell to civilians, not a single thing. we have to import everything from the states, our military guys cant even buy a copy of their duty rifle in semi-auto to practice with.

tell me again how they care about civilians?

Have you considered the possibility that there's a massive overabundance of bureaucratic hoops to jump through to sell guns in Canada?

It's pretty bad in California even, and we have the 2nd Amendment... I can't imagine how bad it would be in a country that still recognizes the Queen

I probably wouldn't bother if I was in charge of Colt, either.

Nope, because we have had 3 new canadian gun manufacturers pop up this year, and they are all much smaller than colt. Clearly its not that hard.

Making it in Canada is likely a lot cheaper than shipping it to Canada. And making another factory just for Canadians might not pencil in to their plans very well...

Edited December 9, 2012 by PistoleroJesse