Blued Series 70 repro should have which barrel?

[Mark T]

I've been looking for a late-production, blued series 70 repro with a BLUED barrel, which I've found and purchased on gunbroker.com. However, a series of calls to Colt's customer service (BIG thanks to Kathy Johnson, BTW!) have revealed that ALL current Series 70 repros, blued and stainless, have STAINLESS barrels.

The dealer has assured me that he has not swapped any parts in the gun, and his distributor, who got it direct from Colt, has also not. The dealer is also assuring me I may return the firearm for ANY reason if I'm not satisfied, and he'll return my money, so I'm not worried there.

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here, but I smell something fishy. Can anyone (Colt rep's in particular) shed some light? Does anyone own a blued series 70 repro with a blued barrel? Thanks.

[Hawkmoon]

I can't answer your question, but I will say that if I had a choice, I'd prefer NOT to have a stainless barrel. Especially in a blued pistol.

[Mark T]

I'm with you 100% on that one. I think I really lucked out, but my conscience is telling me to double-check, just to be sure. Even though I prefer the blued barrel, I just want to make sure where it came from. The gun is factory new & unfired, so I doubt the barrel change is the result of any impropriety.

[Joni Lynn]

I don't need them, but I'd love to have a couple of the recent Colt offerings, a 70 repro and the early 1911 repro.

[Rio Vista Slim]

I can't answer your question, but I will say that if I had a choice, I'd prefer NOT to have a stainless barrel. Especially in a blued pistol.
Mark T,
I'm with you and Hawkmoon on this issue, but I can state for a fact that MY Mark IV/Series 70 re-issue in blue finish has a stainless barrel. Click on the camera icon at the top right hand side of my post to see it.

And.......congrats on the blued barrel, assuming that every thing is authentic and verifiable.
:)

[wetidlerjr]

Mark T,
I'm with you and Hawkmoon on this issue, but I can state for a fact that MY Mark IV/Series 70 re-issue in blue finish has a stainless barrel. Click on the camera icon at the top right hand side of my post to see it.

And.......congrats on the blued barrel, assuming that every thing is authentic and verifiable.
:)

My S70 re-issue also has a blue barrel. :D

[dakota1911]

As people have noted in other parts of the forum, Colt does not waste parts. Maybe they ran out of blue barrels that day, or the SS barrel was a perfect fit. The 70's reissues come out of the Custom Shop, right?

Seems like you can either get your money back and buy one with a blue barrel or send it back to Colt and have them put a blue barrel in it.

[wetidlerjr]

My S70 re-issue also DOES NOT FALL when in "half-cock" when the trigger is pulled. (I assume a 70 series hammer. :D )

[OD*]

Seems to be the luck of the draw. :confused:

Colt can tell you what should be standard, but that don't necessarily mean it's written in stone. My 2002 has the blued barrel, Series 80 hammer, 10mm cut-out frame rail and had the flat nylon MSH. ;)

[clughog]

Mark T,
I'm with you and Hawkmoon on this issue, but I can state for a fact that MY Mark IV/Series 70 re-issue in blue finish has a stainless barrel. Just got through re-reading this post. My Colt Model O1970A1CS MK IV Series 70 blue finish has a blue barrel. It was produced in 2005, per Colt Customer Service. Also, it came in the two-piece blue cardboard box with the white outer box. I've seen some NIB at gun shows that came in the blue plastic boxes.

[Rio Vista Slim]

Just got through re-reading this post. My Colt Model O1970A1CS MK IV Series 70 blue finish has a blue barrel. It was produced in 2005, per Colt Customer Service. Also, it came in the two-piece blue cardboard box with the white outer box. I've seen some NIB at gun shows that came in the blue plastic boxes.
I guess that a call to Colt Customer Service is in my immediate future, just to find out when my pistol was made. Same deal as yours, clughog, but as stated earlier, with a stainless barrel. Hmmm....kind of makes you wonder, huh?
I haven't seen any at the gun shows recently, but we've got one coming up next weekend, and I might have to check it out.

[OD*]

I've seen some NIB at gun shows that came in the blue plastic boxes.
Yep, that's how mine was shipped.

[191145]

When you guys say 'blued barrel' are you referring to a typical blued barrel with bright barrel hood as in a typical government barrel, or do you mean a fully-blued barrel with a black hood? A stainless steel barrel will be completely bare of any finish, but a blued barrel generally will have the hood and locking lugs polished bare. Since both barrels will appear to be unfinished when viewed through the ejection port, the only other sign of a stainless barrel on a blued gun would be the bright muzzle, at least until the slide is pulled back.

[clughog]

I'm referencing the barrel proper on my Mark IV/Series 70, not the hood viewed through the ejection port, which is polished. At the gun show yesterday, I noticed that the blue Series 70 Repo I saw had a blue barrel, but the blue Series 80 models I saw all had the completely stainless barrels. I would not have noticed if you hadn't asked the question! Incidentally, my old Colt manufactued Ajercito Argentino Mod. 1927 has a completely blued barrel.

[191145]

The barrels may not be stainless steel - they just may not be blued. Since the Argentines were a military contract, the fully-blued barrel is correct.

[Joni Lynn]

I think Kart barrels are supplied in the white and not offered in stainless. I have them in a few of my guns.

[OD*]

The Colt barrels aren't left in the white, easy to test, dab a drop of 44/40 cold blue on them.

[cliff731]

My blued Series 70 "reissue" has a blued barrel... and my local gunstore has one each stainless and blued. I'll check tomorrow and see if their blued Colt has a stainless or blued barrel.

[Rio Vista Slim]

Mark T,
I'm with you and Hawkmoon on this issue, but I can state for a fact that MY Mark IV/Series 70 re-issue in blue finish has a stainless barrel. Click on the camera icon at the top right hand side of my post to see it.

And.......congrats on the blued barrel, assuming that every thing is authentic and verifiable.
:)
I can only ask the kind indulgence of the members of this Forum. Since my blued Series 70 re-issue hasn't been out in two weeks, I made a mistake.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/RioVistaSlim/IMG_0546.jpg

As you can clearly see, the barrel is most assuredly BLUE.

If DUMB was money, I would be a millionaire! :o :o :o