I had a couple of boxes of 230 grain FMJ ball equivalent handloads handy so trotted out the Colt Gold Cup for a trip to the range this morning. A friend wanted to tag along to try out a Springfield Armory 1911A1 in 9mm that he acquired 6 years ago but never gotten around to shooting. Very nice shooting gun, it was too. This was only the second time I'd ever encountered a 9mm 1911. I find that I really enjoy shooting 1911 guns chambered for 9mm which is a combination that is underrated and ought to receive more consideration.

We mostly shot at my spinner target but later in the morning I couldn't resist shooting the Gold Cup for group. I suppose it isn't in style to strive for accuracy these days but I really enjoy making a deliberate effort to see just how tight a group may be made with a good gun. It's been a long time since the Gold Cup was used with 230 grain ball so, since it has a standard 16 lb. recoil spring installed, it was put to work on paper.

This pistol was likely manufactured in 1979 but I bought it new in 1982 or 1982. The Series 70 Gold Cup was a pretty good piece of kit in its day and represented good value. I've not done a thing to this one but shoot it, keep it clean and lubed, and change out the recoil spring a time or two. I love a good trigger and it really has an outstanding trigger. I did once put it through its paces with a full-length guide rod that was given to me by a gunsmith only to find that I didn't like full-length guide rods. It didn't help the reliability of this particular pistol, didn't make it one whit more accurate for me, and made take-down a chore. So it was yanked out and it went away.

The pistol can shoot better than I can. It is capable of making any mediocre shooter look good. Load was 6.7 grains of Unique under a generic gun show vendor-supplied bulk 230 grain jacketed round nose.

Best three of several efforts made from 10 yards.



An odd-looking but decent group (for me) made from 25 yards

Oh that looks familiar, at least until the broken water line.....

My Gold Cup isn't as pretty anymore, not even close but it'll shoot with the best of 'em.

There's nothing wrong with a good Colt.
And unlike the copies and fakes, they hold their value and still say Colt on the side.

Nice pistol. It's hard to beat a Gold Cup, or any Colt!

Hi BM, the 70-series gold cup is a very nice and accurate gun. When I was in the Navy we had to shoot the .45 ACP during boot camp. My shooting sucked and I swore that some day I would learn to shot that big .45 ACP. A number of years later I purchased my first 1911, a series 70 gold cup. The first day at the range had me concerned since I was just able to occasionally hit the paper target at 25yds using target ammo. I thought that there must be something wrong with my gold cup. The guy in the stall next to me was shooting pretty good with his 1911 and I asked him if he could figure out what was wrong with it. He fired seven rounds and obliterated the X-ring. I was the problem. Years of practice has solved some of my 1911 accuracy issues.

I currently own a number of 1911s, but that gold cup has a very warm place in my heart. It's the best 1911 I have ever owned.

Good shooting.

Regards,
Richard