2 New colts & kinda curious

[Ernie]

This is my 1st time here, sure glad to find this site. I just bought a colt govenment & commander. Both are new in the box unfired. These where both sitting in a safe for a long time. They both say inhansed on the box, they both came from the factory with wooden grips, and full lenght guide rods, they are stainless, i never heard of colt doing this? Also they say either 70 or 80 seriers on the slide anywhere. I suspect they are kinda old, but dunno, they both are round on top the slide. Anyone have any info on these fine pistols? Thanks Ernie

[1911Tuner]

Howdy Ernie. Welcome aboard.

Your Enhanced Colts came from Colt with the full length guide rods, and a few other...enhancements. I believe that they have a slightly downswept beavertail grip safety, and may or may not have forward cocking grooves.
The 5-inch gun likely has a slotted Commander-style rowel hammer like the Commander.

If the guns that are in the boxes are original, they're Series 80. A quick way to check is to lock the slides back and look on the underside. If you see a small round, spring-loaded button in the slide just to the right of center, it's a Series 80. If the button isn't there, it's a pre-Series 80. That is...without the
passive firing pin safety of the Series 80 pistols.

Series 70 Government Models were equipped with a collet barrel bushing instead of the solid "barrel" type, and no firing pin safety. There were no
Series 70 Commanders, regardless of the "S70" serial number prefix.

Backing up further, there were just the Colt Government Models, Commanders,
Lightweight Commanders, and Gold Cups. All were pre-Series 70 guns...without the collet bushing or the firing pin safety. Many consider those to be the last of the truly good factory Colts.

[Ernie]

They pistols do have the forward cocking serations you spoke of. And yes after looking they are 80 series. I have completely stripped cleaned and relubed them. Would it be wise to keep them put away, or just shoot and enjoy them as they are? Thanks Ernie

[RickB]

"Enhanced" pistols had flat-top slides, and "Mk. IV" in large lettering on the left side of the slide. Colt has made lots of non-catalog guns, so they could be limited editions made for Lew Horton or another distributor, or they could be XSE models, and newer than you think. If they are XSEs (check the model number on the box), they are the current production model, and as yet have no collector value.

[Ernie]

Thanks for the info you guys. These pistols def are round topped, neither says mark IV, one says commader, other says government,they tag on the boxs says "enhansed". they both have alumin triggers, both have wooden grips with black allen screws, do NOT have colt emblem in grips,. both stainless and have rounded hammer, sure never seen fac colts like this.? The are def unfired out of the box pistols, How can i find date when they where made? Thanks Ernie

[lil toad]

On Colt's website there is a place to contact them about tracing a serial number. I do believe it is pretty expensive however. You may want to try their customer service department and go from there.

[1911Tuner]

Sounds like XSE Series 80 Colts.

[SMMAssociates]

There were no Series 70 Commanders, regardless of the "S70" serial number prefix.



Tuner:

So what IS a Commander with a "S70" serial number? :confused:

(That's what mine is. Added a Wilson Combat "drop-in" beavertail. Haven't shot it yet, though.)

Ernie: Can you post some pictures? Tuner's the expert here, but that might help. IAC, enjoy!

[1911Tuner]

It's just a Commander...or Combat Commander, as the case may be. Series 70s were a specific run of Colt GM and Gold Cup pistols with collet bushings.
There were no regular production Commanders that were so equipped...mainly because of the shortened bushings in those pistols. Since the introduction of the Series 80s, saying "Series 70" is a generic way of saying that the gun doesn't have a passive firing pin safety. It's much like describing an early Kimber as a "Series 1". There weren't any Series 1 Kimbers. They were simply...Kimbers. Also like some folks describe Springfield's pistols as "Series 70" guns...but the term is a Colt trademark. The Colts that were in production prior to the introduction of the Series 70 guns were just Colt Government Models, Gold Cups, Commanders and Combat Commanders...and are probably more correctly referred to as pre-Series 70s, and the military contract guns are simply
USGI Colts, Remington Rands, Ithacas, Singers, Union Switch and Signals, etc.
Springfield made a few pistols early on, but that Springfield has nothing in common with the Illinois-based Springfield Armory except the name.

Whew! That was a mouthful... :rolleyes: :D

[SMMAssociates]

Tuner:

Thanks....

This one's a Combat Commander, I think.... I'm too lazy to go upstairs and look. (My Para's a lot closer. Which is why I bought a big recliner. :cool: )

I've got a colletted bushing on a Bar-Sto barrel for it, too, but haven't tried it. Does that make it a "70"? :D

As I've stated before, I inherited this one, and the guy who left it to me actually wanted somebody else to have it. The other guy wanted the .38 Super I was supposed to get. So, he never explained any of the extras....

I really wanted a .45 anyway, but the deceased was a very good friend, and one of those "do it my way or I'll kill you" types so I never told him. He's probably mad about the swap, but hasn't said much lately.

Can't say about "spinning in his grave" because he was cremated, and I'm sworn to secrecy about where some friends, including the County Sheriff illegally dumped his ashes. :eek: