Jan 12, 2016 Home Handguns Concealed Carry Competitive Colt: Colt Competition 1911 Review. Competitive Colt: Colt Competition 1911 Review. Drew Warden-January 12, 2016. And the pistol also includes a Series 80 firing pin safety. The new Colt Competition Pistol weighs 36 ounces empty. It has an overall length of 8.5 inches, an overall width of 1.
By Darryl Rowe
Okay – first note that I have not fired in almost a year due to medical problems and resulting blue funk. Also, that while I shot my way into “B” class in the old Kentuckiana Practical Defense League back in ’80-81 with a plain out-of-the-box nickel-plated Series 70 Government Model I’m now older and wear bifocals (the fancy kind where you can’t tell ).
I’m also digital-camera challenged, so perhaps I’ll take some “real” film photos to replace the horrid digital ones embedded herein in a week or so.
![Series Series](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123721135/752497525.jpg)
Onwards. Having been disappointed in the proclivity of a newly acquired used Kimber Gold Combat Stainless to rust while riding in a Galco Royal Guard IWB while going home from a match and picking up some groceries (about a two-hour delay) that I quickly responded to the Gunsite Gunsmithy’s email regarding the availability of the Colt Gunsite Pistols.
Gunsite sells them for $1395 – which is fair considering dealer cost (or so I hear). $1200 would be a good lower limit. Gunsite and Colt worked out the specs and Gunsite now offers the “real” Gunsite Service Pistol as a custom job built on a Caspian parts although they have been built on Colt and Springfield guns in the past. Gunsite will still, I believe, bring your gun up to GSP spec but the Colt Gunsite Pistol is what they now offer in the class package. You’d have to email the gunsmithy and ask about pricing on builds or upgrades.
This version, the Colt Gunsite Pistol (CGP vs GSP) is designed to offer some basic guns that will work out-of-the-box for those taking the full “package deal” and save the smithy time to devote to custom guns and troubleshooting student problems rather than spending all their time building guns.
It is quite nice – dehorned (well, the sights could have some edges broken), trigger is satisfactory for a carry piece, thin grips are great especially with the short trigger (you guys with big hands can adapt, us with smaller hands have to cant the weapon to the side slightly or have less-than-optimal trigger control), and the sights are basic but usable.
I think I prefer the frontstrap serrations to the checkering of the Kimbers, the checkering may help when firing one-handed but so far the difference is negligible. I’ll follow up on this after a couple of months. Maybe an addenda after taking Tom Given’s Combatives class.
Took it to Knob Creek Saturday morning and fed it a couple hundred 230gr Blazers with a few 230gr Golden Sabre and 230gr Hydra-Shok thrown in for testing (Kieslers has a nice deal on Hydra-Shok in 50-round boxes for about the 1.5 times the cost of a 25-round box [August 2004]). No problems, nada, zip.
Didn’t really have a testing schedule, put some EZ-See targets about (guestimate) 20-25 yards out and shot from seated two-handed rest and one-handed rest, standing strong-hand and standing Weaver. When I did my part the rounds went center “A” zone. Going out to the four “side” bulls and doing slow-fire on two of them I could have covered up the groups (3-4 shots) with a standard business card. The others I did some “reset” firing where I pulled the trigger as soon as I felt the disconnector reset – okay, we’ll use 2 business cards for these; and then some hammers – where, as expected, things opened up to take up the full “chest” area. Actually, at that range I’d be using Nike rather than a 1911, most likely,
I’ll be using it for this month’s match [August 2004] and will try to acquire some opinions from others. Then if I can still get into that Combatives class for August 28…..
It disassembled normally for cleaning, after another 800 rounds or so I’ll do a full detail-strip and inspection. Did not see anything abnormal other than the dad-gum full-length guide rod it somehow snuck out of the factory with – but Gunsite is making that good since Colt isn’t.
Price-wise: I’d say it’s a better deal than a Kimber Gold Combat if you want thin grips and a short trigger. If you want those and night sights it might become a toss-up…or not, since conventional wisdom suggests that one not carry a street piece with less than a 4# trigger. Considering that I was going to spend over $300 more on the Kimber to bring it up to CGP/GSP standards (i.e. Kimber’s “small-hands” package and replace the ambi safety with a standard one) and then throw away that useless magazine chute they tacked on (concealed-carry rather than open-carry)…and it would still have that problematic 3.5# trigger for the legal beagles to bay over if something happened…..
If you want a minimalist production fighting gun, this is it.
If you want to spend more, a Baer Thunder Ranch Special would be good. (Personally, I prefer stainless, so….)
If you want a GSP, send Gunsite your existing 1911 and about $400-600 to bring it up to spec or give them upwards of $2000 (depending on what you want) to build you one on Caspian parts.
Features
Series 70 firing system
Smith & Alexander metal grip safety with palm swell
Serrated flat mainspring housing
Dehorned all around
Thin rosewood grips
Gold Cup serrations on front strap
Heinie front and Novak rear sights
Short aluminum trigger with 4 – 4½ lb pull
Wilson extended safety lock
$100 coupon towards training at Gunsite
Two 8-round Wilson magazines w/metal base plate
McCormick hammer and sear
Available Models:
– O1070CGP
– O1980CGP
Series 70 firing system
Smith & Alexander metal grip safety with palm swell
Serrated flat mainspring housing
Dehorned all around
Thin rosewood grips
Gold Cup serrations on front strap
Heinie front and Novak rear sights
Short aluminum trigger with 4 – 4½ lb pull
Wilson extended safety lock
$100 coupon towards training at Gunsite
Two 8-round Wilson magazines w/metal base plate
McCormick hammer and sear
Available Models:
– O1070CGP
– O1980CGP
Technical Specifications
Model | O1070CGP | O1980CGP |
Name | Colt Gunsite Pistol | Colt Gunsite Pistol |
Frame material | Stainless steel | Carbon steel |
Frame finish | Stainless | Blue |
Barrel length | 5' | 5' |
Overall length | 8½' | 8½' |
Caliber | .45 ACP | .45 ACP |
Capacity | 8 + 1 | 8 + 1 |
Hammer | Combat | Combat |
Trigger | Short aluminum annodized | Short aluminum annodized |
Action | Single | Single |
Front sight | Heinie | Heinie |
Rear sight | Novak | Novak |
Grips | Thin rosewood (Slimtech) | Thin rosewood (Slimtech) |
Grip safety | Upswept S&A w/ palm swell | Upswept S&A w/ palm swell |
Thumb safety | Wilson extended safety lock | Wilson extended safety lock |
Comments, suggestions, contributions? Let me know
GUNCRITIC SCORE
Reviews: 12 Mixed:1
Used Value:$746.85
How would you like to rate Colt 1911 Combat Commander?
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Technical Specifications Caliber 45 ACP Barrel Length 5.000″ Color OD Green Action Type Semi Auto Sights Fixed Capacity 8 Frame Material Steel Model Rail Gun
Brand | Colt |
---|---|
Caliber | .45 ACP |
Capacity | 8 |
Finish | Black |
Gun Type | Pistol |
Sights | Fixed |
Excellent
Condition$1035
Used GunCondition$1035
Fair Market Price$1081
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0Votes 0Ans
Unnamed Userseries 80 Extended Thumb Safety, Upswept Beavertail Grip Safety, Series 80™ Firing Pin Safety
0Votes 0Ans
Unnamed UserYes, : This handgun is outfitted with new and exciting features for the law enforcement community, the shooting enthusiast and Read More
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- 100This is one accurate 1911.Fit and finish flawless.Easily outshoots my Springfield 1911 GI model all day long.U will be happy with this purchase so order with confidence.
- 100What an exceptional handgun . This is my first COLT that I own. I carried a colt 1911 in the army as my side arm. It was love at first shot!! Anyway l purchase the rail gun because it had many upgrades that I wanted. Lik...e the up swept beavertail grip safety and the 1913 picatinny rail. The 3 hole trigger and the national match barrel. I would like to thank sportsman guide for the 4 pay and such fast shipping. I ordered it on a Thursday and received it on the next Tuesday. I live in Maine. I have purchased many guns from spg and they have always had fast shipping .like the person before me the gun didn't come with the ambidextrous safety and like him I'm right handed. So it really does not matter to me. The handgrips look at little different to me to. But all in all I'm Exceptionally satisfied . She will be a great addition to my collection.more
- 100What an exceptional handgun . This is my first COLT that I own. I carried a colt 1911 in the army as my side arm. It was love at first shot!! Anyway l purchase the rail gun because it had many upgrades that I wanted. Lik...e the up swept beavertail grip safety and the 1913 picatinny rail. The 3 hole trigger and the national match barrel. I would like to thank sportsman guide for the 4 pay and such fast shipping. I ordered it on a Thursday and received it on the next Tuesday. I live in Maine. I have purchased many guns from spg and they have always had fast shipping .like the person before me the gun didn't come with the ambidextrous safety and like him I'm right handed. So it really does not matter to me. The handgrips look at little different to me to. But all in all I'm Exceptionally satisfied . She will be a great addition to my collection.more
- 100Great Colt 1911. Never had a problem. Accurate and reliable. Love the Rail! Thanks Buds for the great price as always!!
- 100It's a Colt, great looking and shooting pistol, mine did not come with the dual safties, it did come with Colt's new double spring system. I am right handed so it's good to go.
- 100It's a Colt, great looking and shooting pistol, mine did not come with the dual safties, it did come with Colt's new double spring system. I am right handed so it's good to go.
- 100so this is my second purchase from buds, and let me give them a good plug for excellent service, great web site, unbelievable prices, outstanding selection, good response on the chat line. all my gun buddies know what ki...nd of excellent service I get from buds. and hopefully they will also become buds customers also. as this purchase was not a necessity, but a luxury , I used the e check option for payment and was able to save even more over the already low price. so keep up the great work at buds and I will be a customer for life. ok now to the colt 1911 rail gun in black. I used an army issue colt 1911 in my military days, and it was as you can imagine not new by any means, but worked like It needed to and never let me have any reason to dought its ability to work in any situation I may need it for. well that was a long time ago and I thought it was time for me to get one for my own. I could not be more pleased. what a smooth action, tight fit, great feel, just what I would expect from colt. this weekend was the first time for firing, and after running several rounds through it, I was giggling like a school boy. such a great experience that I would tell anyone to save up for this pistol and you wont be disappointed . I am sure there are those out there that wont agree with all I have to say about this firearm, but for those of us interested in a blast from our past, this will defiantly fit that need. and if I do ever get in a situation that calls for something requiring a little more force, I have no doubt this pistol will give the same reliability. and then some. that the u.s govt. issue one did so many years ago.more
- 100After being notified that the gun I had purchased on the 180 day was not in stock due to an error, I was directed to Eric in customer service. He worked it out so i got the gun I wanted and keep me as a customer. I recei...ved my Colt 1911 and couldn't be happier!more
- 80I've had this for 5 months now. Trigger is alright, nothing to write home about. Cerakote finish had some strange buildup on the left side of the trigger guard, but only noticeable if you're really looking. Versions of t...his pistol in the past may have had the full length guide rod but mine was standard GI, another huge plus for me. All in all a very nice 'modern' 1911 with none of the stupid extras. As for the shooting side of it, I've had no issues. 350 rounds so far, even mix FMJ and HP, solid and mixed mags, strong hand, off hand, prone, side, etc., no issues. Standard Colt magazines are good enough but aren't the best if you prefer mags that eject easily. Pretty sure though anyone spending north of a $1000 on a 1911 already knows what the story on magazines is though. I'd say the only think this weapon is missing for its price point is front strap checkering. Nice gun, great service, 4/5.more
- 100As always, Buds was great to deal with. Great price, fast and free shipping. Now to the gun, FLAWLESS! This gun is perfect in fit and finish. Only got to put 100 rds through it when I got home but all went through it rel...iably. Can't wait to get out and really hammer some rounds downrange. Thanks again.more
- 20The gun looks awesome and is exactly what I want but, i didn't notice the safety is completely messed up and wont lock the slide or from firing. Not only dangerous but very frustrating. And because this is my first 1911 ...to buy I didn't know what to look for until I gave it to a friend and he told me the bad news. Now I have to send it off to colt and see if they will fix my brand new colt 1911! Be careful and check gun out completely before you buy and now you have to bring an expert with you. Very upset and It sucks that such an expensive gun already needs to be serviced.more
- 100All I can say is WOW. This gun is beautiful. Processing and shipping occurred in a timely manner. The gun is just awesome looking. This is my first time dealing with Bud's Gun Shop and I am thoroughly impressed and look ...forward to doing business with them in the future. Thanks!more