Is it really that bad ?

[jc1129]

O.k., whats the real deal ? I'm about to purchase another early 70 series.
The pistol as far as I can tell,does not seem to have a lot of rounds through it,but it was,at one point altered.The sights,trigger,and mainspring housing are all aftermarket. However it still retains the original collet bushing. I have read more pros and cons about the collet than I care to remember. So my question to those in the know, would be this. If you were to put a percentage mark on the number of collets that may have failed in all the years Colt installed them in there guns, what would it be ?

[Joni Lynn]

No real clue on that but I've never seen a broken one myself or known anyone that had one break.

[wichaka]

Not sure if anyone would be able to put a hard % on the failures.

I know a few things for sure;

1) They have failed, but only if they were installed/machined incorrectly from the factory or not properly handled by the owner;

2) If they do fail, it usually rears it's ugly head with 1k rounds or so. And sometimes you'll get tell tale signs of the incorrect installation - abnormal wear marks on the barrel - slide - bushing itself;

3) Because of the recorded failures there was a mass hysteria started, that all collet bushings were evil and had to be exorcised from existence;

4) When fitted correctly (working), they do their job of making the gun very accurate, and getting consistent lock up;

5) Would I change one out? Only if the above warning signs were showing;

6) Make sure during dis-assembly, you pull the slide back an inch or more to relieve the stress of pressure the collet puts on both slide & barrel.

[jc1129]

The reason I asked this in the first place,was if you goggle up info on the collet, almost every article about this bushing is negative, or lets say 90% of all articles recommend to change it asap. If this were really the case, that would mean that 90% of all the Colts made with the collet over a, lets say 13 yr period were defective, and thats very far from the truth !

[azreloader]

Stands to reason, I mean few people are going to start a post saying, "Man that collet bushing really works like it's supposed to"

That's human nature. If things are OK, we keep quiet, but if things go south, we make a lot of noise.

You did the right thing posting here where there are a lot of people with many years of COLT ownership who will tell you straight.

Welcome to the forum and don't forget....we love seeing pics!

[Hunter]

I have a few Colts with the collet bushing that have had more than a few rounds through them with no problems.

[Hill]

Right, never had a problem with one and I like the concept.

When I put bushings in guns I fit them to a zero tolerance slip fit both to the barrel and the slide, but Colt did one better than that with a spring loaded zero fit that holds to that as long as there is spring in the 'arms' and no cracks or breaks in any of them.

I once had one that was a little loosely fit to the slide. I was able to close that up by peening the ring just behind the face.

I'd buy them for other guns if they were available, and I wish I'd have had the foresight to ask all the bullseye shooters I knew in the late 70's and eighties for the bushings they changed out in the belief that they were trouble.