I picked-up this 1984 Combat Government Model today in a trade for a couple Mosin rifles. I have $400 cash in it. It came with two Colt marked Metalform mags.

It had Ahrends stocks on it but they were too fat across the "hump" to suit me so I used a set of those rough textured Series 70 Commander stocks I had in my grip box for years to replace them for the time being. I found a proper set of Pachmayr Colt marked wrap-around rubber grips and screws in nice shape on eBay for $25.00 shipped.

It has a extended safety and hex stock screws so i figure they were add-ons though I did find out Colt would install a extended safety on request. No way to tell though. I think my LGS has a regular blued safety like i need. I'll check Saturday.

It still uses the Series 70 collet bushing but as they only made the Combat Government Series 80 in '84 (maybe into '85) and only produced 2K of them I suspect they used the collet bushings till they were used-up before going to the solid bushing.

Someone on the Colt Forum posted the Colt spec sheet for the Combat Government for me....I think it's for a Series 70 though.



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Nice score!

As always,lol.

That looks perfect with those grips.

LOL....I guess homeliness has a quality all it's own....I like them too.

From what I read they were thinner but textured to be more concealable and mostly used on Commanders.

It's good to have the OEM parts so I'll keep the grips/screws I ordered along with a OEM safety if I find one squirreled away but I'll use the pistol as pictured.

The more i look at it,the more i like it.
I would leave it as is.  Looks great.

Beautiful pistol.

BTW....What is it with the Series 80 hate I've seen some members talk about?

All my other Colts are older than me being of 1930s and WW-2 vintage so i'm out of the loop on anything newer.

I may be way off but I seem to remember reading that all the hate for the Series 80 is because some feel it has a negative impact on the trigger pull. IIRC.

ETA- I really like the way your Colt looks as-is. I wouldn't change anything.

Some "purists" claim it add mushiness to the trigger from the effect of the levers engaging the firing pin safety, while it does add about four parts to the gun (a more valid complaint in my view, and the levers in the frame are pain in the ass when reassembling after a detail strip, but I can certainly live with a Series 80)

Others complain that "they're not what JMB originally designed", while caressing their beavertail grip safety, extended thumb safeties, front strap checkering, Novak sights, etc.

Put me in the "don't need any extra parts" group.

Series 70 works fine,without them.
Simpler to detail strip too.

Great deal and nice looking gun.

I’ll go against the fold and recommend the OEM grips/parts.

Sweet find though!

I'm OK with the wraparounds as I have a set on a SA Mil-Spec....I just prefer the thin wood stocks on this one.