So my Father in Law broke my heart yesterday when I went to visit him.  He was a nationally ranked benchrest shooter for years but as hes getting older he cant really take the 5th wheel trailer out for longer distance shoots. He sold that and most of his projectile making dies (he actually made his own bullets for shooting - not just reloading but made the projectiles).  He was an old time bullseye shooter before that and recently  bought a nice 22 and has been using that but 3 weeks ago he said he wanted to get back into 45.

The Gold Cup National MAtch he showed me yesterday was flawless.  I would consider in in mint - near new condition. He the proceeded to take it apart and clean it for 3 hours (there was a lot of lead fouling in the barrel from shooting semi wadcutters.  He then proceeded to put an "idiot mark" on the slide stop/slide (its tiny tiny but it broke his heart.

This gun was the gun I lusted after since I was a young boy.  I've wanted it all my life.  I have a pretty good collection of handguns now so anything I buy now is because I want it, but I never got around to getting that Gold Cup National Match.  I shoot a Kimber Stainless Gold MAtch II that has been flawless for me and I love it.  I was saddened when I saw that my FIL had the gun I dreamed about most of my childhood and teen years.  Then he told me he paid 700 bucks for it.....

I think I have to add 1 for nostalgia sake but in general what is the going price for a A+ condition 70 series Colt Gold Cup National MAtch these days?  Just thought I would ask here first because the power of ARFCOM is great, but I thought he got this gun for a steal.....

The price is what he wants for it.  Ask him. Tell him it means a lot to you. Ask him if there is anything he needs or something you can do for him in trade.

Trailers are a bitch to deal with when you get older.  Suggest a sprinter van.

Those old GP's sure are pretty. I was looking to buy one several years ago from a co-worker. He had a receipt from some custom smith for 1,400 dollars worth of work to it plus the original cost of the gun. I passed, but it was nice.

New ones are $1200.  Older ones are all over the place.  They're not exactly rare, large assortment to choose from on gunbroker.

I didn't mean to imply he was selling it or even wanted to.  I was lamenting on the fact that he now owns the gun that filled my dreams as a boy when I first got into shooting until I finally got my pistol permit at 30.  Unfortunately, I think hes looking to have the slide drilled and tapped so he can put a red dot of some sort on it.  Like I said hes older and cant really see that great anymore.  At one time he was a hardcore bullseye shooter 270-290 on a good day. He used to shoot a Belgian Medalist 22. A real thing of beauty.

I suppose if it really tickled my fancy I'd end up getting one but I seem to be too busy competing with my Shadow 2 and TSO.  Never really was a "stand there and shoot bullseye" matches kind of guy.  Much rather shoot USPSA or steel for tons of fun.

The Gold Cup is a nice platform ( I had one eons ago) but is really dated in today's 1911 world.  It was designed to do one thing, bullseye shooting, and almost no one plays that game anymore.

$700 is too low, I agree. Series 70 models are preferred due to their better triggers. I've seen them priced as high as $1500-1700, not sold but priced at. A real price should be in the $1k range, IMO.

I'd love to have one, just because. I've got a couple of Les Baer's, so I have some nice 1911s. But those 70 Series NM models just seem to have an extra sparkle, IMO.

About a grand for a nice used one. Top dollar is one new or very lightly used with the original box.

It is a collector 's item now. Please explain to him that putting on a red dot- milling the slide will turn a $1500.00 dollar gun into a $600.00 dollar one. Better to buy a new one already set up for a red dot, and sell the gold cup. Collector's want everything original.