Good bud whom I've known for decades called me, wanted to talk. He shows up at my house with my old Nickel Colt 1911 that I traded him years ago. In that trade, I got his 722 Remington, .222 that I had checkered in High School (late '50's). I later fitted a Hart SS barrel now in .22-204, but a slow twist. He was concerned about personal security, his wife had a scare, so I traded him the Colt for the Remington. He knew it was a lopsided trade back then and reminded me of that. I was OK with it, wanted him to be protected in his house.

He said his relatives (grands) were circling his gun collection like vultures. He's in his 90's and wanted me to have it before they got it. He wanted to trade for something he could use for protection. He had problems racking the Colt action, so I set him up with a pristine S&W M-36 with Crimson Trace grips.

The 1911 is probably 98%, the nickel showing some minor handling scratches, otherwise perfect. He never shot it much. Blue Book shows the Colt at around $1,550 at 98%. The Smith is worth around $5-600 in perfect shape. The Crimson Trace grips, around $275 if you can find them. I showed him how to work the laser dot, told him just that laser shining on a perp's chest often makes enough of a statement that you won't have to drop'em. He liked that. I also gave him a box of ammo.

So, if the Colt is worth $1,550 and the Smith 36 with CT grips, around $875, he's down $725, but he's aware of that and happy with the trade.

Below is the 722 that I did skip-a-line checkering for him back in the day. (It was cool back then). Now wearing a 10X Zeiss instead of the Weaver K-8 he had on it. When I was too young to drive, he'd pick me up and we'd go crow shooting, killed a bunch. He's married to a cousin and they fixed me up with my wife of 47 years. So, you can see our history.

DF

Sounds like a really good friend and a good guy for letting you get the Colt back.
And the revolver with the CT Laser grips should be much easier for him to shoot and use at his age.

Always liked the 70’s series Colt models. My first 1911 was a Nickel 70’s series Commander.

Yeah he seemed impressed with the Crimson Trace. Don’t think he’d handled one before.

This revolver will be about perfect for him. That laser has gotten more than one “issue” resolved without bloodshed. The ammo he got is for short barreled .38’s.

DF

I gave him a box of Gold Dot Duty Ammo that my LEO bud had put me onto. He said it’s good for short barrel revolvers. It’s the ammo he puts in his pocket pistol, a J frame Smith.

This guy is retired SWAT sniper, knows his stuff.

DF

That Colt is a beauty.

DirtFarmer: I am glad you got that nifty pistol back in your hands.
And great job on the checkering of the 722.
Enjoy them both.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks guys.

He’s a good guy and am glad he’s doing ok at 90+ yrs young.

I think the Crimson Trace/Smith 36 combo will serve him better than the big Colt. I am glad to have it back, glad he has a better option for his home defense.

Sometimes things just work out.

DF

You’re both fortunate in your friendship.

Agree.

Lifetime.

DF

Very nice. It needs some nice double diamond, checkered, rosewood or walnut grips, though.

Agree.

Was thinking along those lines.

DF

I would not change a thing. Get a Colt letter for it. And keep it just like it is as you will think of your friend every time you bring it out of the safe.
For the rest of your life.

The Colt letter wouldn't be that spectacular.

The Colt 70, G series guns were made from 1970-1983, this one in 1975, about half way through. That's about when I bought.

One owner, not much story other than the one I shared.

DF

If you were the original owner, and the pistol is exactly as you bought it NIB then I agree a factory letter means little to you right now. It could enhance resale later if you or your family wanted to sell it later in its original condition.
It is a very nice piece, made at a great time of Colt's production.

Gonna need to look for the original box before doing anything else.

DF

My first 1911 was also a Colt Series 70, purchased new by me in the early 1980s. I actually wanted a Lightweight Commander, but the local gun store had me on the list for one for over a year, and I finally gave up and told them to get me in a Series 70 Government Model. It was there within a week.

That sure wasn't my experience with Colts of that era. Schitty sights, hammer bite, might, or might NOT, feed ammo, crappy triggers, collet bushings that broke, all that stuff. You bought the Colt, then spent 2X the price to get it running right at the gunsmith's. Sometimes Colt screwed up and shipped a gun that worked, but it wasn't a common thing. Gunsmiths made a good living on "reliability packages", and all of them started making parts to replace the crap stuff on factory guns, better sights, beavertails, extended thumb safeties, all that stuff came out BECAUSE of those vintage Colts.

All the goodness you get in most of today's 1911s come from those days, and trying not to be Colt. Yes, you still need to tinker with the extractors, but the new stuff feeds damned near anything you can buy. I know, I was a Colt fanboy, and spent the money to prove it.

The OP's pistol is nice enough, but it's been dinked with, those sights are NOT original or Colt sights, they appear to be Millett or one of the multiple sight makers of those days. It probably had other work done to it at the same time, that's how things were done back then.

My early 1980s Series 70 worked flawlessly, collet bushing and all. Admittedly, I only shot ball ammo through it. Carried it that way, too.

Nice story, DF.

Glad it worked out for both of you.

The nickel Colts from that era are very, very nice guns. Enjoy it.

MM

Ya done good

Nice! I have always liked nickel guns and that is a beauty.

Yeah, they are kinda flashy.

Putting it back in my safe, I picked up this one. Funny how one project can open another can of worms....

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...9308284/1951-1911-custom-45#Post19308284

DF

Good for you, DF. On helping out a good friend and getting your Colt back

Yeah, I was glad to help him in a bind, felt good that he thought enough of me to bring it back.

The gun I traded him will suit his needs better. I felt good about that. Showing him how the Crimson Trace worked was neat. He was impressed. And the revolver is much easier to operate. Probably safer in lot of ways.

So, it worked out.

DF

I read that it's an opinion of a lot of folks that the '50-'60 era 1911's are some of the best. Other say pre-war and older. But the '51 Commercial 1911, which is the basis of the built gun, does seem to be well done.

The G series guns seem pretty nice, as some have noted. They may not be as nice as the '50's, but probably nicer than new stuff.

Top end 1911's today are probably gonna be Wilson, NF, etc and cost $3-5K...

What's the opinion on new Colt production? Would like to hear.

DF

I love my early 1960s Government Model. Amazingly reliable, at least with ball. I don't think I've ever tried hollow points in it.

Nice.

Those looks like dead elephant grips.

I bet it'll shoot about anything you feed it.

DF

Yep. Real elephant ivory, imported before all the BS laws.

That would take some serious scratch today, even if you could find it.

I have real ivory on some Gen 3 Colts I used in Cowboy Action Shooting. They're .38 Specials.

DF

Wow! Those are beauties.

Thanks.

I no longer do CAS, but these are keepers.

I got them used from a fellow CAS shooter in TX. He had gotten them and had them engraved by a retired Weatherby engraver who also lives in TX.

To me they have some of the prettiest, almost iridescent case colors. And, of course, finding legal ivory is no longer easy.

So that window of opportunity was probably opened to me just once. Glad I pulled the trigger when I did.

DF

Yeah, I think they pretty much killed the ivory grip thing. And everything else ivory...

Fortunately, like you, I got a couple sets of grips years and years ago, when it wasn't such a mountain to climb.



The one's on the SAA are old enough to "yellow".

Those are neat. Thanks for sharing.

I think they all start to yellow with age.

Just takes a while.

I had made a set of rosewood grips on another set of Colt CAS guns, shaped to fit my hand. I sent one of those grips to Nutmeg Sporting to make these ivory grips, same shape, which they did.

DF

Looks good Barry!

I think the last set of ivory grips I bought for a 1911 was in the late 90’s at the Dallas Market Hall Gun Show. Seems like I paid $150 for them. Those days are GONE. 🥲

I think they age more with handling as well.

Kept the 1911 grips in the box for a long time, and don't use that handgun much. It would probably get lots more yellow with handling.

I've also heard that some ivory is stabilized with something to keep the ivory color through the years. I'd rather have them age...

Yeah, I sorta like the aged look.

I remember John Wayne’s SSA had yellowed grips.

Don’t know if they were aged ivory or just yellowed plastic. Anyway I liked the look.

DF

I believe they were yellowed plastic.

You probably right.

DF

Here are the one piece rosewood grips I fitted, installed the deep dish Colt medallion, sent off to have checkered and carved by Errol Case in MO.

DF

Very Nice

Thanks.

Errol does great work.

DF