Colt 1911 45 ACP Gold Cup National Match

I have a chance to buy one at a reasonable price?
Thanks.
Yiogo

Look for a serial number starting with  70N   They were the good ones.

Thanks. This is new. Yiogo

From a gunsmiths point of view and as a former high master, the gold cups are beautiful pistols but are merely mediocre shooters. They have marginal trigger jobs and barrels aren't fit very well.  They also use a collet bushing. At best it could be a 3" pistol at 50 yds. Just sharing my 2 cents.
Jon

Thanks, Jon. Yiogo

Thanks, kc.crawford. Yiogo

Not all good ones start with 70N. Nothing wrong with the ones that start with a number. Like 2344NRA. Ok, it would have had a 70N if it wasn't a special NRA pistol. The Gold Cup hasn't really been a serious BE pistol since they went to the "O" series. I see they are finally making some E.I.C. legal ones again but suspect the accuracy just wouldn't be there.

Thanks, OldMaster64. Yiogo

Some yrs ago I bought an older, used GC, and took it to the 'smith who works on my guns he commented " itwould have been better to have bought a stripped Springfiled or '70 series Colt".

Ron Habegger

They do have a wider trigger than a standard 1911.   If you have small hands or short fingers, you might find a gold cup frame to work better for you in this respect.  
     There are ways to get a wider trigger onto a regular 1911, but for those with small hands, the trade offs aren't always to your advantage.

Thanks, Ron and Schaumank.
Interestingly enough, the RO is less money than the Colt.
It was a thought. I saw one at the local GS and liked it.
Nice trigger. Felt good in the hands which are rather large.
Yiogo

Jon Eulette wrote:From a gunsmiths point of view and as a former high master, the gold cups are beautiful pistols but are merely mediocre shooters. They have marginal trigger jobs and barrels aren't fit very well.  They also use a collet bushing. At best it could be a 3" pistol at 50 yds. Just sharing my 2 cents.
Jon

Hi Jon and KC, I bought my Gold Cup in 1971(or was it 1972?),  I started shooting Bullseye in late 1972.

I guess I got an anomaly, we Ransom tested my pistol at the LA Gun Club in Redondo Beach.

My pistol shot 2.25" 10 shot groups at 50 yards using the rangemaster's target loads. I don't recall

the charge weight, but the bullets were H&G 130s.

As an aside note, after 40 years; my Gold Cup still retained a 3.5lb trigger pull when I had it serviced

 for it's first pistol smith checkup and a much needed trigger job. Now, I just use it for non-serious local club 

Bullseye matches. I acknowledge that it is a weird anomaly.

Tony

All I shoot is at my club.
This was my second year of summer Bullseye.
I had a great time.
Barrel is tight, Slide is tight both when in batter position and when locked back.
Trigger pull is 5.5#.
GS price is $1125.
I can't see spending much more than that for a .45 1911.
Thanks to everyone for their advice.
Yiogo

Colt dropped the collet bushing years ago. they have now used the standard bushing. albeit not fit well.

They've also done away with the Elliason rear pop off sight and gone with the Bomar style cross cut style rear sight.

Gun can be suitably tuned up. IMHO, cheaper to start with the RO from Springfield.

I second the RO for a build pistol. The machining is top notch in comparison.  Series 70 Colts have horrible machining and tolerances in comparison. You can have new bushing, oversized slide stop pin, and correct length link fit and have a nice pistol. Of course a trigger job.
Jon

Thanks, Jon and James.
I really appreciate all the advice from others more knowledgeable than I.
This is  a series  80 and is brand new.
Yiogo

IMO you do not want an '80 series because of the xtra work involved with trigger tuning. Possibly others will correct me if I'm wrong? What do you who build guns say about the "80's. Don't the Kimbers have a similiar setup?

The recomendations above for an RO represent a lot of first hand knowledge.

Ron Habegger

I can't just sit here and let you totally bash my Gold Cups. I shot the old NRA pistol until it rattled to death and picked up a series 80 and shot it for 20 plus years ( I can't remember when I got it)(mid 80's?) It shot real nice but finally had to have a little work to bring it back to BE standards. It is the same pistol I shot today in Sherwood, OR at our Regionals. The series 80 can be a great shooter. Close but no cigar on this target. Shot it today in the second string of the 45 timed fire match.

That's great shooting, Old Master!
So you are shooting wad cutters?
I don't now what you mean by "close but no cigar". I see 10 in the 10.
Yiogo

The roll pins in the sights are fragile.  Replacing the roll pins with steel pins will toughen them up.    The barrel and bushing need a good match grade upgrade.  Bottom line is IMHO Colt is not providing a true match grade pistol.   It needs to be completely rebuilt to match specs.  Doesn't mean that a good one won't shoot you a decent score.  I had a series 70 Gold Cup that I broke 800 with hardball the first time.  35 years ago I was a new shooter blinded by the new gun bling.  I did not comprehend the meaning of the "AFPG" marking on the match guns that were issued to me.     I do like those wide triggers but can't see paying to have one put in all my 1911s so I just don't do them.

Yiogo,

 Our club gives special awards to 100-10x. Like I said "close but no cigar". In a brief spurt of full discloser I must confess that the little work done on the pistol was done by Roddy Toyota. And it was fairly extensive. But it is still a Gold Cup (mostly). I shoot 200gr L-SWC bullets for the 45 match.

Len

Thanks, Axehandle and OldMaster. Yiogo

I decided to go with the RO.
I shot a friend's and immediately loved it!
Yiogo