Series 80 Pistols

[john c]

Are there any other manufacturers that make a 1911 in Series 80 configuration?

[Whirlwind06]

I think Remington and Para Ordnance had series 80 models.

[gtmtnbiker98]

SIG and most Colt's.

[fatdog]

Smith & Wesson

[Jim Watson]

Taurus uses the S80 setup.


Smith & Wesson

Nope. The S&W SW1911 firing pin obstruction is linked to the grip safety, not the trigger like a Colt Series 80. A lot of their models have gone to titanium firing pins for drop safety without extra moving parts.

Also, Kimber goes back to the Swartz system first seen in 1930s Colts, working off the grip safety but not like Smith.

[TheNewbie]

I wish Ruger did, but they don’t.


I’m not sure Colt even makes the 1991 anymore.

[Evil_Ed]

I wish Ruger did, but they don’t.
I’m not sure Colt even makes the 1991 anymore.

Hmm...doesn't look like their web page says they do anymore, but everything not geared/aimed at the "competition" market gets their S80 system. Gold Cups, Competition, and Classic series get the standard fire control group setup; Combat Unit, Combat Elite, Commanders, etc...all get the S80 configuration. At least, that's my understanding as to how Colt delineated between which guns get the firing pin safety, and which guns don't...

[Robinson]

SIG and most Colt's.

Current Colt offerings:

S80:

Combat Elite (Government, Commander, CCO)
Combat Unit (Government, Rail Gun, CCO)
Combat Commander
Lightweight Commander
Delta Elite, Delta Elite Rail Gun
Custom Shop CQB (Rail Gun)
Custom Carry Limited (Custom Shop Commander)

S70:

1911 Classic
Competition Pistol
Gold Cup
Gold Cup Trophy
Gold Cup National Match
Wiley Clapp models (Government, Commander, CCO)
Gunsite models (Government, Commander)
Custom Competition (Custom Shop Government)

[fatdog]

Nope. The S&W SW1911 firing pin obstruction is linked to the grip safety, not the trigger like a Colt Series 80.

I was incorrect, it is still the grip safety on the performance center gun, I installed the C&S kit on a Colt, old and confused about what I did to which gun

My other S&W's are series 70 designs

[Evil_Ed]

perhaps in the past, not currently...I bought a new performance center version in 2019 and it is traditional series 80, parts interchangeable with Colt because I installed the Cylinder and Slide series 80 upgrade kit

Really? Hrm...my understanding was that from the top of the frame up, the levers looked like S80, but the lever itself was actuated by the grip safety...if it's based on the trigger, I'm suddenly a little more interested in Smiths then..

[HCM]

Deleted.

[john c]

Are there any aftermarket 1911 frames out there? I have a couple of series 80 slides that need homes.

[Bucky]

Nope. The S&W SW1911 firing pin obstruction is linked to the grip safety, not the trigger like a Colt Series 80. A lot of their models have gone to titanium firing pins for drop safety without extra moving parts.

The Smith is a horrendous design. When I had mine, you could grip it in such a way that it would unblock the trigger but not the firing pin. I let one guy shoot it and it went click 4 times in a row.

[Jim Watson]

There were a lot of SW 1911s that had to have their firing pin obstructions corrected. Getting away from that in the E series and Pro guns was a great improvement.

Kimbers with the Swartz type firing pin obstruction operating off the grip safety were also subject to clearing the trigger before the firing pin. They seem to have debugged that by now, I haven't heard of it in some time. Bear in mind that it also took a while for Colt to get the Series 80 trigger-to-firing pin block running right, too.

Yes, John, there are aftermarket frames from Caspian, JEM, Remsport, and Fusion that I can think of offhand. You will have to ask if they will cut for Series 80 parts, Caspian would but I do not see the option on their www today. If not, you can leave out the block and just have a superfluous hole in your slide.

[Borderland]

Current Colt offerings:

S80:

Combat Elite (Government, Commander, CCO)
Combat Unit (Government, Rail Gun, CCO)
Combat Commander
Lightweight Commander
Delta Elite, Delta Elite Rail Gun
Custom Shop CQB (Rail Gun)
Custom Carry Limited (Custom Shop Commander)

S70:

1911 Classic
Competition Pistol
Gold Cup
Gold Cup Trophy
Gold Cup National Match
Wiley Clapp models (Government, Commander, CCO)
Gunsite models (Government, Commander)
Custom Competition (Custom Shop Government)

My Gold Cup Trophy is a series 80. They may have changed that as it's one of the first ones Colt built.

[Robinson]

My Gold Cup Trophy is a series 80. They may have changed that as it's one of the first ones Colt built.

Yes the Gold Cups were S80 guns up until a few years ago when Colt introduced their new policy. Within their current lineup, guns intended primarily for carry/defense/law enforcement etc... are S80. Guns intended primarily for competition or collecting are S70.

The entire current Gold Cup line, which includes the base Gold Cup, Gold Cup Trophy, and Gold Cup National Match, are all S70 guns.

[Squib308]

Auto ordnance and Inland manufacturing are also S80.

Every S&W I’ve seen in past 5+ years has been S70. Can anyone confirm if S&W is currently producing anything S80?

[Robinson]

Auto ordnance and Inland manufacturing are also S80.

Every S&W I’ve seen in past 5+ years has been S70. Can anyone confirm if S&W is currently producing anything S80?

S&W's firing pin safety was nothing like Colt's Series 80 system, but I get what you are asking. No, S&W does not currently make 1911s with a firing pin safety.

[leebotx]

The last roll marked Ser70 Colt I saw was just a Ser80 without the parts.....the frame and slide cuts were there, just no parts.....

[Evil_Ed]

The last roll marked Ser70 Colt I saw was just a Ser80 without the parts.....the frame and slide cuts were there, just no parts.....

Are you sure? I've never seen that...it takes a little more than just not putting the S80 parts in for it to work; the fire control group requires shims in that case and I sincerely doubt Colt would ship something like that. Using S80 small parts (extractor, grip safety, firing pin and stop, etc), sure I can see that since they're compatible with a USGI fire control group setup...but cutting the frame and slide, and then shimming the sear instead of just shipping it with the firing pin safety? That doesn't seem like it'd be in the cards...I don't think Colt even makes shims for that? Every shim I've ever seen has been an aftermarket one...I've never seen one sold/marked as a Colt factory part?

Then again, I'm not exactly inspecting every Colt off the assembly line, so :confused:

[leebotx]

7837378374[QUOTE=Evil_Ed;1275894]
This is what I’m seeing.

[Jim Watson]

Interesting. Colt seems to be the least careful gunmaker on markings, there are a lot of odd stamps and roll marks out there.

[Evil_Ed]

7837378374[QUOTE=Evil_Ed;1275894]
This is what I’m seeing.

Interesting...how's the frame? Is the frame cut for the levers?

The hole in the slide is annoying but it'll work just fine/be compatible with the USGI ignition parts...it's the lower, if it's cut for S80, that presents compatibility issues without shims.

I do kind of wonder if Colt put the wrong slide through the wrong roll marking press, shrugged and said "fuck it, drive on"...Colt's pretty well known for doing that :) (see all the Commander-marked Gov't length slides; Government-marked Commander length slides, etc...)

[leebotx]

The frame is cut as a Ser80 and is shimmed, but I discounted that as it could have been done by the previous owner.

[Evil_Ed]

Depending on the serial prefix/suffix (or lack thereof), it's entirely possible it was a 1991 or other S80 gun with the wrong rollmark...I really couldn't imagine it coming the other way around; the right rollmark but the wrong internals?