In light of new members comin' in who want to know what the differences are between the Series 80 Colts and the original design 1911s...

There are 4 additional parts...two in the frame and two in the slide.

Frame: Trigger bar lever and plunger lever.
Slide: Firing pin plunger and the spring that drives it.

There are also differences in some Series 80 parts. The parts that are modified are:

Grip safety...Firing pin...Firing pin stop...Extractor. All other parts are the same. The named Series 80 specific parts will work in Series 70 and pre- Series 70 pistols without modification, but not vice-versa unless the frame levers and the plunger and spring are removed from the Series 80 pistol.

The half-cock notch on the Series 80 hammer is also different, but all hammers
will physically interchange between the two designs. You can use a pre-80 hammer in a Series 80 pistol with the system intact. Likewise, a series 80 hammer will work in a pre-Series 80 pistol.

Swapping triggers between the two designs will physically work, but if the
bow is a little too short, the trigger bar lever may not move the plunger lever
upward enough to release the firing pin completely. There is a simple check
for that possibility in the event of a trigger change, and should be done
whenever a trigger is swapped.

Triggers with overtravel screws are also a potential trouble spot in a Series 80 pistol. If the trigger travel is limited to the minimum by the screw, the same
caution applies as above.

The difference in trigger pull between Series 80 and pre-Series 80 pistols is
negligible, assuming the same geometry and surface prep/finish on the related trigger group parts.

The Series 80 system does NOT make the pistol more safe to carry in Condition One, contrary to many widely-held mistaken beliefs. It's also no LESS safe. Both systems require that the trigger be pulled before the gun will fire, assuming that the thumb safety is OFF and the grip safety is depressed.
The Series 80 passive firing pin block only renders the gun more drop-safe.
All else is equal. Bottom line: It's a GUN. It's NOT safe.

I keep these handy for when this topic comes up.

Excellent info, as always.

I'll grab some of it, to update the section in the Home Page, which talks about the Series 80.

Thanks Tuner

__________________
John Caradimas SV1CEC
The M1911 Pistols Organization
http://www.m1911.org

I have my eye on a Series 70 MKIII. I have a 1991A1. Other than your excellent description below is there anything specifically I should be aware of from a functional point of view? Thanks. Bladeplayer
Also, if anyone can help. I just received a Wilson Full Size Recoil Rod and attempted to install this on my 1991A1. It seems a bit too long. I got the rod, wrench, bushing and spring. The overall length is approx. 4 1/8". It is a 2 piece. Does anyone have any experience with this type of modification I am trying? Thanks.

The 2 piece guide rod should be even with the end of the recoil spring plug. You have to use the allen wrench each time to field strip your gun. The standard barrel lug wrench is used after you take the guide rod appart. I hope this makes sense.

Thanks Silver. It makes more sense now. I will try it that way and see if things line up. This reminds me of the removable guide rod I use for reassembly of my Walther P22. What do you think about during reassembly of just doing the one piece then inserting the other piece after the barrel bushing has been put in place? Thanks. Bladeplayer. Appreciate your help.

Howdy bladeplayer,

One issue that I've noticed in a few recent Colts that rarely showed up in early Series 80 pistols is the timing of the firing pin release. If your gun is
used, I'd suggest that you disassemble the slide and check the plunger for signs of this. It will show up as a roughened area on the plunger near the top,
just above the groove. The rough area is the result of the plunger failing to lift high enough to clear the firing pin spring, and it takes on a sort of splined appearance. If it's very light...right on the corner...it can be dressed smooth, and probably won't give any more problem, but it would be a good idea to re-check it after another 200 rounds or so just to be sure.

It the damage is more than what you can just barely feel with a thumbnail, it needs attention, and a plunger replacement. The plunger lever in the frame...
the one that you can see beside the hammer...is numbered. Yours will probably be a #1, but they're available as 2...I believe 3 (tough I've never seen a #3) and "N". The higher numbers indicate that the lever will lift higher in the frame, and thus lift the plunger higher in the slide in order to obtain clearance between the firing pin spring and the plunger. Installing the highest one..."N"..right off the bat is generally a bad idea, since the plunger can lift TOO high, and create a bind condition, so it usually requires getting one of each and test-ftiitng them to find the right one. Colt may require that you send the gun back to them to have the system timed if yours has this problem.

If the gun is to be strictly a shooter, the simplest thing to do is to remove the system and replace the frame levers with a 5-dollar shim, available from Brownells. I'd suggest replacing the firing pin spring with a standard spring too. If the gun is to be carried, I generally don't recommend removing the system, because if you're involved in a shooting, an issue may be made of your altering a designed-in safety system...even though the only "safety"
that the Series 80 system provides is in making the gun more drop-safe.
Other than that, the Series 80 is no more or less "safe" than pre-80 guns.
And no...The Series 80 isn't more safe to carry in Condition One than any other 1911-pattern pistol...firing pin safety or not.
____________________________

SilverSlug..I think you mean "Bushing Wrench"...Unless the barrel bushing is tightly fitted to the slide, you shouldn't need a wrench to turn it.

Luck!

Tuner

Thanks Tuner, I did mean bushing wrench, I was about half asleep when I wrote that thread.

Bladeplayer thats exactually the way I would re-assemble it. Screw the guide rod end in last after everything else is assembled. I had problems with my two piece rod, it would work lose after about 100rds, keep a check on it and keep it tight. I switched to a one piece its much easier to break down and less worries. I hope this helps.

SilverSlug said:

Thanks Tuner, I did mean bushing wrench, I was about half asleep when I wrote that thread.
__________________

Oh..I know about THAT, believe me...
Sometimes I'm up and on these things at 0300 hours , and write somethin' before I get enought coffee down my neck. When I go back and read it,
even I get confused...

Turbocoffee anybody?

Cheers!

I was wondering what the heck a "barrel lug wrench" was....

No issues with my Commander - standard short recoil spring guide, but my Para came with some instructions covering one and two piece recoil spring guides, solid, and short too....

The first time I was going to pull it apart, I read the instructions, and realized that I had no idea what they were talking about. I'd had a couple of 1911's apart over the years, but never ran into anything but the standard short spring guide. We're talking "should have been in Urdu"....

I noticed, with great trepidation, that the plunger was oddly shaped, and appeared hollow, although I wasn't sure what was in the hole. Help....

Well, being slightly adventurous, I grabbed the (supplied, nice touch) bushing wrench and pressed on the plunger. The bushing moved as it should have, and the plunger came up as it should have too. It definitely was hollow, and kinda sharp. (Now we know why there was a plastic wrench in the box.)

End of panic.... Full length guide rod, but otherwise quite ordinary stripdown. Toss the instructions into the drawer and begin cleaning....

I kinda like the full length guide rod idea, but I'm not religious about it.

For what I paid for that Para, though, I think it should have come with a more specific instruction book.

__________________
Stu.
(Why write a quick note when you can write a novel?)
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