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Thread: Colt Government Series 80 Mk IV Collectors Edition by Western Arms

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    29th May 2004
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    Colt Government Series 80 Mk IV Collectors Edition by Western Arms

    I am sure most of you are by now familiar with the Greek laws concerning firearms. Suffice it to say that you Americans are very lucky, you can own as many guns as your heart wishes. Not so for us poor souls. So from time to time, I get the rush to get a new gun, but since the geniuses that govern us make sure that we do not spend our money in useless things, it's impossible for me to go to my neighbor gunshop and pick up what I want.

    Thank God, these same geniuses haven't yet forbidden us from owing air guns, and thank to those Japanese companies like Western Arms and Tokyo Marui, I can have as many 1911s as I like, as long as they are in airsoft form. Not ideal, but a decent substitute for someone suffering from Coltitis.

    So about a month ago, I had some spare time and I was browsing some sites I visit from time to time. And all of a sudden I saw it. A 1911 of course, but with the classic Government lines, in a deep blue finish. The words "Collectors Edition" appeared next to the name. Colt Government Mark IV Series 80. A set of beautiful, wooden grips adorned the pistol. I was fixed. My late Colt was exactly like that, when I first got it. I knew I had to have that pistol.



    A short email to my friend Mike at Elite Shooting Center in UK, and a few agonizing hours later (until he came back to me saying that yes, he could get it for me) I was told that one such pistol was on its way to Mike. Good Lord, the waiting began and it was a long one, almost one month, due to some bureaucratic reasons with the common couriers in the UK. Eventually, Mike solved the issues and the pistol arrived to me (together with two others, more in future reviews).

    The uninspiring dark grey SCW box arrived and I could hardly wait to open it up and check my new toy.





    I was astonished by the pistol inside that box. So far, my airsoft 1911s collection counts about 15 pistols and there were also 2-3 more that I (stupidly) let go, but I've never seen such a beauty before.


    Left side view.


    Right side view.

    Although it has been almost 20 years since the day I got my real Series 80, I do remember it well (my first 1911) and I do remember that even though it looked great in my eyes, it was nowhere near being as gorgeous as this one.



    Look at the "polishing job" done on the frame.



    And notice the differences in polishing between the top, curved area of the slide and the brush-finished flats on its sides.



    Even the rear of the frame is polished. The grip safety shows a different textute, similar to the one on the slide's flats.



    The various Colt roll marks on the slide are perfectly done, deep enough to show correctly.



    The pistol comes with a correct tear-drop thumb safety and a stainless hammer (I would prefer if it had the rear side of the hammer blackened, but that's a minor complaint).



    The grips are real wood (I have no idea what wood it is, but it's wood) and they feature the well-known Colt golden medallion.



    A 21-BBs capacity mag comes with the pistol, and of course the guide rod is a short one, as it should be.

    Did I like the pistol? Heck yes, it's gorgeous, from up close, it is even more beautiful than I expected it to be.



    What I didn't like? Well, I would certainly wish that the sights were the High Profile sights, instead of the lowish GI-style ones. If it wasn't such a beautiful pistol, I would definitely change them, but since the front one is integral to the slide, it will require some very careful intervention to replace it and I do not want to damage the pistol, so it will stay as it is.

    How the pistol shoots?

    Well, as you expect from an SCW Western Arms pistol, it shoots very well, thank you. I didn't want to shoot it too much so I fired only a couple of magazines through it. It works as expected and it more or less shoots POA=POI (point of aim equals point of impact) at least at the range I am doing my tests (10m).

    Power should be about what other SCW pistols showed in our Airsoft Project, in other words, one can expect it to penetrate at least one side of a Coke can and punch the other, if not exit through it all together. Good power for a blow-back. I didn't have a Coke can to do the proper test, that's why I do not include a picture here, but I used a beer can and the results were what I mentioned.

    Overall, this pistol earned its position in the "Colt 1911s shelf" of my (over-floating) airsoft collection display stand.


    Accuracy: 4
    Upgradeability: 4
    Training Capability: 5
    Realism: 5
    Quality: 5
    Power: 2

    Overall: 25

    Note on Gas

    With all Western Arms pistols, you are supposed to use the HFC 134A gas. Using Green gas in them, will cause problems, premature wear etc. HFC 134A is giving slightly less performance (lower BB speed), when compared to Green Gas. Green Gas should not be used in unaltered pistols made in Japan, like the WA ones.

    With the above warning noted, I have to admit that I am testing all pistols using ... propane. Green Gas is in reality propane, with a little silicone oil added, to lubricate the pistols. So instead of paying for Green Gas, I bought a canister of propane, like the ones sold in US for the camping stoves, or flame torches, and a special valve adaptor, which allows me to use the much cheaper propane instead of Green Gas. In this site, you can read more on this issue:

    http://www.airsoft-innovations.com

    The reason I am ignoring the manufacturer's recommendation, as far as gas is concerned, is two-fold. First, I want to have consistent environment for all the tests (some of the pistols we'll test here use HFC 134A, some use Green Gas), and second it's plain difficult to find HFC 134A in Greece. Also, I plan to upgrade all the standard pistols (like this one) so that it is safe to use Green Gas (and thus propane) with them.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org
    Last edited by John; 18th October 2008 at 06:37.


  2. #2
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    Good Lord that thing looks real!



    a 1988
    "The pistol, learn it well, carry it always ..." - Jeff Cooper

  3. #3
    Join Date
    29th May 2004
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    LoRL, only the airsoft one is finished in .... "Royal Blue"!! LoRL

    Ah a checkered mag release? I need to find one of those too.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org

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