My Favorite 9mm Plinking Pistol

[MG34_Dan]

Here is my favorite 9mm, cheap shooting, plinking pistol. She is a true "Heinz 57". The complete 9mm Colt 70 Series Government Model blue slide was found the Fresno Gun Show in '82 for $75. The early US made Springfield Armory NM hard chromed frame came from Ken Hallock himself at the old Los Angeles Gun Show back in '85 for $97. I know, I know, it's not a Colt, but I couldn't find a nice Colt frame reasonably priced. The slide went through a couple iterations and now wears a Bomar target sight set. I traded for the Pachmayr wrap-around grip set with flat rubberized main spring housing because I liked the contrasting look against the hard chromed frame. The pistol was put together with a Commander hammer and a 3.5# trigger job by a Honolulu Police Department armorer in '86. Over the years I shot out the original Colt 9mm barrel and she now uses a Bar-Sto 9mm barrel with solid barrel bushing and full length guide rod. This pistol eats anything and everything and is 100% reliable.

[dickttx]

I have the grips, minus the Colt logo, and the rubberized MSH that I picked up used over 40 years ago for $10.
Because of relatively short fingers they fit me perfectly. I have the grips on every 1911 I own. The bottom ones are the 40+ grips and MSH.P1010210.jpg

[MG34_Dan]

I have the grips, minus the Colt logo, and the rubberized MSH that I picked up used over 40 years ago for $10.
Because of relatively short fingers they fit me perfectly. I have the grips on every 1911 I own. The bottom ones are the 40+ grips and MSH.

I tried those grips too. They have a thumb swell on both sides. I wanted flat sided rubber ones with no thumb swells.

[Collects]

[QUOTE=MG34_Dan;308176Over the years I shot out the original Colt 9mm barrel.QUOTE]

MG, how many rounds do you estimate it took to shoot out the original barrel?

What factors made you decide the barrel was shot out?

[MG34_Dan]

[QUOTE=Collects;308298]

MG, how many rounds do you estimate it took to shoot out the original barrel?

What factors made you decide the barrel was shot out?

I think I put at least 20K-25K rounds through it. But is was well used when I got it. So who knows the total round count. It started to loose accuracy even with a new bushing, so I replaced it. The Bar-Sto is much more accurate.

[SLIM]

Very nice! I too have a 9mm 1911 made by Nighthawk (sorry not a Colt) so I can shoot to maintain 1911 proficiency at a lower price point, while I carry a .45 1911 and use another for home defense. Are those Colt magazines?

[MG34_Dan]

Very nice! I too have a 9mm 1911 made by Nighthawk (sorry not a Colt) so I can shoot to maintain 1911 proficiency at a lower price point, while I carry a .45 1911 and use another for home defense. Are those Colt magazines?

Yep. Those are Colt 9mm magazines. They were hard to find then one day I found a fellow up in Dallas selling a whole case of them @ $8 still in the blister packs. They all had $12 price stickers on them so I picked up ten. The magazines were perfect but the blister packs looked like they were hanging in the hot sun for quite some time. The plastic was wrinkled and the paper was faded nearly white. I use four with this pistol and I traded off four. But I kept a couple, still in their motley blister packs, with an unfired NIB 80 Series 9mm Government Model that I picked up 20 years ago.

I just checked prices on these mags and they are through the roof. CDNN is listing them @ $27.99. Damn, I should have bought the whole case!

Colt 1911 Government 9mm 9rd Blue Mag New Factory

[dickttx]

Yep, I bought a couple from Midway in October for $24.
I'd give you $8.50 for your other two OLD ones!

[SLIM]

That's inflation for you.

[Primer88]

I swear by Colts but when it comes to the 9 MM you can't throw stones at the 1970's Models Browning Hi Power. Simply the best as far as I am concerned. I do have a Defender and New Agent that I like a lot but the Hi Power rules. Yikes!