I was at my local Green Top and was looking around and spotted a COLT Series 70.  I blinked and looked again "sure enough!"

Me and the fella talked about it at length.  He told me Colt's new President wanted to bring it back so he did.  The serial number started with a 71xxxx so it's more like a 2007 Series 71 pistol.

It looked real nice.  $920
I might have to save up anyway.

Since this is arfcom how many parts on that new Colt do you think are MiM?

neat, but I'll pick up an older used one before I pay that price.

as to your second question...I guessing: hammer, sear, safety, and assorted small parts are MIM.  A Kimber with Clot stamped on the side only not as accurate.

They are pretty low on the MIM count, actually.

They certainly cut an impressive figure, but you have to look very carefully at these before buying. Last I looked, my FFL had WWI and a Blued S70 Repro. The WWI was near flawless. The S70 OTOH was disgusting. You wouldn't know it glancing at it under the glass though.

When picking one of these up, check the following:

- Grips (often hideous orangish and have miscut tops, sometimes miscut bottoms as well)

- Geometry: recoil spring channel can be drilled off center, also there can be unclean bevels instead of the crisp lines in this area. There can also be chatter, blemishes and other imperfections on the pistol (especially tool marks on the inside of the dust cover)

- Slop: they are infamous for slop on these pistols. The most notorious is trigger slop ("wobbling" up-down/back-forth and "jingling" in the triggerguard). Grip safety can have some unnecessary play in it, and the slide to frame fit may also be unacceptable (not wobbly, which is par for the course, but hideously asymmetrical)

- Corrosion/pitting (probably an anomally, but it was present on my SS... yeah, NIB )

Also, that price is way too much, particularly when you factor sales tax in the equation. HOWEVER, if you want the pistol, and you have made a careful inspection to determine the pistol is clean and free of these defects, it is worth haggling over with the dealer. You can't trust buying these pistols unseen over the internet due to these issues, which crop up, and it is worth paying a little more for a pretty bird in the hand than a bargain in the bush.

Found a good read on them: linky

Quoted: You can't trust buying these pistols unseen over the internet due to these issues, which crop up, and it is worth paying a little more for a pretty bird in the hand than a bargain in the bush.

Yeah I noticed rust on the sights.  I was like "wtf!?" but the rest of the pistol checked out.  It was very smooth and snug (not tight) but snug.  I was most pissed about the sights, they just suck.

Gold Cup sights at least have white dots.  Maybe I should just save $1000 more and get the Ed Brown Special Forces I've always wanted.

$2000 worth of sexy right there baby.

Quoted: Quoted: You can't trust buying these pistols unseen over the internet due to these issues, which crop up, and it is worth paying a little more for a pretty bird in the hand than a bargain in the bush. Yeah I noticed rust on the sights.  I was like "wtf!?" but the rest of the pistol checked out.  It was very smooth and snug (not tight) but snug.  I was most pissed about the sights, they just suck. Gold Cup sights at least have white dots.  Maybe I should just save $1000 more and get the Ed Brown Special Forces I've always wanted. $2000 worth of sexy right there baby. i153.photobucket.com/albums/s204/TheMocoMan/edbrown1.jpg

Asking out of ignorance, does that pistol's performance justify the price tag?

Where there's smoke...

If there was rust on the sights, then I would not even consider it unless I was able to strip it or their gunsmith would in my presence. Mine had corrosion/pitting at the frame where the MSH was held and it was also speckling on the collar of the bushing. Some of it was not visible until the parts were removed.

A S70 (properly built) has plenty of character, flair, and appeal for what it is, no doubt, but you really can't compare that to something like an EB.

I would just save. You'll be MUCH happier in the long run.

^^^
Yeah ... it's the simple elegance of the pistol that really catches my eye.  If Colt priced it at $720 I'd be all over it.  Very traditional G.I. "milspec" looking without going the Springfield route.

Do I really need a .45?  That is the question.

Bud's S70 repro-$824.95  including shipping.

From m1911.org.

MIM sear mag catch disconnector CAST Thumb safety grip safety FORGED slide receiver barrel slide stop MACHINED from bar stock hammer all pins bbl link bbl bushing trigger finger piece ejector firing pin firing pin stop extractor plunger tube

Dang. I just bought a clean used S70 out of a pawn shop here in town for $500....had not been mucked with other than a gnarly set of Pachmayer grips and a Pachmayer mainspring housing. Moderate finish wear. Think I will have it built on......

Quoted: Dang. I just bought a clean used S70 out of a pawn shop here in town for $500....had not been mucked with other than a gnarly set of Pachmayer grips and a Pachmayer mainspring housing. Moderate finish wear. Think I will have it built on......

I like pachmyr's!!!!!

I swear everytime I hear someone bragging about their new guns, I long to see a pic.  This sight has spoiled me.

Quoted: Quoted: i153.photobucket.com/albums/s204/TheMocoMan/edbrown1.jpg Asking out of ignorance, does that pistol's performance justify the price tag? Only if you prefer a Corvette to a Camero.

What if I prefer a Camaro?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: i153.photobucket.com/albums/s204/TheMocoMan/edbrown1.jpg Asking out of ignorance, does that pistol's performance justify the price tag? Only if you prefer a Corvette to a Camero. What if I prefer a Camaro?

Both of those cars are useless up here. the pot holes would kill'em.

The sad thing is, instead of buying "Camaro or Corvette" 1911's, some people actually buy 1911's that would be comparable to...

Again-  the recoil spring channel is not drilled off-center. The OUTSIDE of the channel is polished too thin on one side or the other during a step in manufacturing. It is COSMETIC only & does not affect function in any way.
Denis

Quoted: Quoted: i153.photobucket.com/albums/s204/TheMocoMan/edbrown1.jpg Asking out of ignorance, does that pistol's performance justify the price tag? Only if you prefer a Corvette to a Camero.

More like a Z-28 to a stock Camero.

Quoted: Asking out of ignorance, does that pistol's performance justify the price tag?

Pretty much.  Someone did a review here a while back and preferred it over both a Yost 1* and a CQB.

Quoted: Again-  the recoil spring channel is not drilled off-center. The OUTSIDE of the channel is polished too thin on one side or the other during a step in manufacturing. It is COSMETIC only & does not affect function in any way. Denis

You are quite right about that. That was the issue with my S70 re-pro. Due to mods I had done on this gun, I wasn't able to send it back to Colt to replace. I could look closely at the thin side and see where it was "flatter" compared to the correct side. Using calipers, I could also measure wall thickness just behind this flat area and tell that it was the same measurement as the correct side of the "spring tunnel."