quote:

I think that I more or less understand the differences between the Series 70 and 80 (and Series 70 Retro/Reboot). But what I still don't understand is the "Mk IV" designation.

If you do, you are a step ahead of recent Colt employees.
In 1970, Mk IV Series 70 meant the Accurizor (Yes, that's how they spelled it.) collet barrel bushing, plus some cosmetics like grips sandblasted instead of checkered, a white trigger and billboard slide roll marks. Later versions had checkered grips and blue trigger with smaller roll mark.

It was the Mk IV because they were already making two Mk IIIs, the latest iteration of the Gold Cup .38 Special and the coil spring Trooper revolver. (Yes, I know the bit about employee Mark Ivey, too; I just doubt it.)
It was the Series 70 because that was the year it came out. (If you have a Colt with the old roll marks but a BB stamp for new Barrel and Bushing and the collet bushing still in place, you have a rarity.)

It was well after the Series 80 firing pin obstruction was introduced (in 1983, not 1980) that "series 70" acquired a new generic meaning of "lacking a firing pin block" and applied to all makes and models.

I disabled the 80 series feature by removing the linkage and installing a spacer that I obtained from Brownels. It still has the hole inside the slide but less moving parts.

I own probably the only series 70 1911 that was converted to series 80, and I paid for it. And for some other weird stuff like FallArrest.
Dunno if it is age-related risk aversion, fear of G-d induced by carrying in AIWB, or what else, but I like smartly executed and reliable passive safeties that don't affect functioning on my guns. Series 70 may be -30 deg drop safe but it ain't as safe for a +90 drop, and my 'smith doesn't like titanium FPs.

I carry on occasion a Series 80 commander,
it is parkerized, but otherwise stock,

trigger is fine, no issues, no worries, and was my Father's house gun,

I carry it cocked and locked, OWB holster, (thumbstrap goes between the hammer and slide)

I have also carried full size series 70 guns in the same manner,
no issues, no drama

quote:

Originally posted by dusty3030:
Every Springer, Dan Wesson, Wilson, Baer, Brown, Nighthawk etc etc etc is a series 70 and are adequately drop safe as are the Colt series 70.
Don’t worry about it. Over the years a lighter firing pin along with a heavier firing pin spring helped negate the possibility of a muzzle down drop causing a discharge due to firing pin inertia.

This. Most manufacturers use a titanium firing pin and heavier spring and it would take one hell of a drop for one to fire. I would feel plenty comfortable carrying a series 70.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommydogg:
I disabled the 80 series feature by removing the linkage and installing a spacer that I obtained from Brownels. It still has the hole inside the slide but less moving parts.

I did that and found that the trigger was exactly the same. No change at all.
The parts went back in and stayed there.

I carried a series 70 way back when, then after some gun changes carried a series 80 for a while.
Both had fine triggers because gunsmiths worked on both. I don't care which 'series' a 1911 is anymore, it just doesn't make any difference to me and I'm considered a trigger snob by some folks.

I prefer a 70's or earlier version of the 1911.
Not a fan of the 80's but that's just me.

I wouldn't turn one down and wouldn't feel hampered by an 80's rev.

If you want one with a block safety, the older ones used the grip safety instead of trigger.

This was called the Swartz safety... IIRC, S&W uses this on some of their 1911's.

It's all about the relationship between mainspring, firing pin spring, and firing pin weight. My Single Stack USPSA gun has both a lighter FP spring, lighter Mainspring, and steel extended firing pin. Tested it on packed dirt, with a primed case with no powder and no projectile. It left a small indent in the primer similar to what you get on a 223 that gets chambered by firing. No where even remotely in the ballpark of able to set it off.


Most manufacturers now are using TI firing pins, extra heavy FP springs, and heavy mainsprings to get reliable ignition. You could toss them off a roof and not fire. Springfield's ILS system for example uses a 28# shortened mainspring to get reliable ignition with the heavy FP spring and light firing pin.

When talking trigger feel on 1911, no gun is the same, either 70 or 80, it's all about getting the relationship between all the internal components right to get the feel you want. Only then should you worry about hammer/sear work or sear spring tuning to get the pull weight you want.

I did likewise, dropping my real USGI 1911 in various orientations and conditions of readiness from head height to a vinyl over wood floor. A perfect muzzle impact would give that faint mark. No popped primer, no hammer jarred off full cock or out of safety. I quit worrying about it.
There were some guns reportedly drop firing on concrete from three feet.

On the other hand, when IDPA started checking for "safety devices" I returned the lawyer levers to my ESP with no perceptible change in trigger pull. But it was gunsmith tuned to start with.