Colt 1911 45 ACP Gold Cup National Match

[Yiogo]

I have a chance to buy one at a reasonable price.
Is it Bullseye grade?
Thank you.
Yiogo

[Rover]

No, not without an accuracy job.

[Yiogo]

Thanks.
Is the Springfield RO good out of the box?
Yiogo

[trulyapostolic]

Thanks.
Is the Springfield RO good out of the box?
Yiogo

Depends who you ask. I've shot a couple of them and found that they shoot like most production 1911s, not a competition gun for a serious competitor. Ask that question on Bullseye L forum and they all shoot less than 3" groups at 50 yards.

[Yiogo]

Thanks, trulyapostolic. Yiogo

[Sa-tevo]

I have a 2013 Colt Gold Cup National Match I purchased last year and a 2014 Springfield Armory Range Officer purchased this summer. I'm just beginning to shoot 45 in Bullseye, and during a practice session at the club I belong to I got to compare the two pistols I have using the same 185gr JHP target ammo.

I had started by zeroing the new Range Officer and was getting to where I could get all shots on the repair center of the 50 yard target, which pleased me very much. Except for the recoil and having to correct flinching, it was shooting to call like my 22. At one point I had seven shots in a 3 1/2 inch group, all shot offhand. This was my best ever shooting with a 45 and gave the impression I had something I could be competitive with.

After this I decided to try the Colt Gold Cup National Match. Where the Range Officer was on the repair center, the Gold Cup shots were on the rest of the target around the black with the same ammunition and grip nut. As I drove home I was ready to box it up and sell it. I've since decided to use it as a Hardball pistol and had a trigger job and a fitted bushing done on it by a local gunsmith . The trigger is much better (it was about 4 pounds before but is a smoother 4 pounds now) but I haven't had a chance to test or zero it.

I should point out that my Range Officer has a very tight slide and a mid to high 3 pound trigger, and have handled some others at stores that were looser than mine with stiffer triggers. Maybe mine was fitted and assembled on a Wednesday?

[Yiogo]

Thanks, sa-tevo. Nice comparison. Yiogo

[Rover]

Forget buying an off-the-shelf gun; I don't know of a good one.

Ask around at Bullseye matches and you'll find an "accurized" gun for about the same money.

Maybe you guys will offer him one.

[Yiogo]

Thanks, Rover. Yiogo

[Yiogo]

RO it is. Should be at the LGS today.
Yiogo

[Bob-Riegl]

I took my RO out of the box replaced the spring with a Clark model---did some minor adjustments, polishing----replaced the barrel and bushing with Kart products. As far as I am concerned 50 foot indoor is all I shoot and it is perfect. The trigger is set to required minimums and slick and crisp w/o any anomalies. The gun has been capable of giving 276-5X scores and is my goto for .45 & CF matches. "Doc"

[Ttgoods]

NM means mostly made in the USA.

[Ttgoods]

Range Officer with NM on the serial number will be better than a colt.

[Rover]

That doesn't make it a match gun.

[Ttgoods]

No but is this guy a Master or is he shooting out doors? Let him get started that gun is fine for that and latter on he can send it for an accuracy job once he knows what he wants?

Sure getting a good Madore is ideal. My Dad had a national Match customized by a name guy back in the day but he had 80.000 rounds through that gun and would not sell it to me because he thought a New kimber was better.

I am sure back in my Dads day the RO would have been considered plenty good relative to the surplus guns people used and they shot 2500 with Colts that rattled like yard tools.

I just bought a used loaded target for dirt cheap to use as a marvel lower and gave it to know gunsmith and he thought it had an accuracy job it was so tight and as a 45 it shot almost as good as my 2inch guaranteed les baer.

I spent two years shooting with a frame mount dot only to discover I don't like them.

[Rover]

Since he wasn't interested in what we had to say, but was tossing a coin between two inferior guns, who cares.

[dronning]

Buy an RO for under $800 get rid of the ILS, replace the mainspring & housing if you wish, fit a bushing, drop in a KC roll trigger kit and put some grip tape on the front strap and for under $1,200 you will have a gun that will easily take you to Master if you do your part.

- Dave

[Rover]

You make my point.

[dronning]

Glad I could help

[Sa-tevo]

An update to my earlier post.

I finally got to the range to test and zero my 2013 Colt Gold Cup National Match I compared earlier in this thread to my Springfield Armory Range Officer. I had a local gunsmith fit a barrel bushing and clean up the trigger, keeping slightly above 4 pounds so I could use it for Service Pistol events.

At 50 yards I could keep it on the repair center now, but not as easily as my Range Officer with the same ammo. Not sure if it is the RO beavertail allowing a higher grip or the 3 1/2 pound RO trigger. I still need to tune the extractor. Both pistols leave marks in the brass from the factory extractor tips and spit brass all over the place, but the RO extractor has been tuned and needs testing. I have limited range opportunities.

Still, it is a blast to call a shot a ten, then scope it to see a ten. With a 45.