***EDIT Photos added in new reply***
Hey Everyone,
I was hoping that you guys could help me figure out everything that I need to know about my gun (or that can be known).
I purchased a Colt .45 Series 80 as my first gun last year without knowing too much about them (other than wanting a Colt .45). I visited my parents during Christmas and my dad was checking it out/taking it apart with me when he started to tell me that the barrel was flared on the end like a series 70, not a series 80 and that it had a collet bushing instead of a "normal" series 80 one. Beyond that he didn't see anything too unusual about the gun...He thought that this was a transition model but we both didn't think too much about it.
After shooting it and cleaning it outside in the sunlight, I was checking out the slide and something remarkable was apparent...under the COLT MK IV Series 80 mark, there is a very light COLT MK IV Series 70 mark! There is even another prancing horse behind the Series 80 one! If you flip the gun over the Government Model Series 70 mark is apparent as well!
So that got us looking up the serial number, and it appears from the gun value book that my dad has, that this is the eighth gun off the line for series 80 (serial number is correct to the beginning and ends with 007)!
So I'm wondering what I can get from everyone that is a Colt .45 fanatic out there...What other unusual characteristics would there be? Has anyone ever heard about this before (with the slide markings especially)? What else is there to know about the gun?
Finally, I am NOT INTERESTED in selling it as I really like the history of something like this...but I would like to know what the consensus of everyone is on its value.
Thank you for all of your help and information!
Hey Everyone,
I was hoping that you guys could help me figure out everything that I need to know about my gun (or that can be known).
I purchased a Colt .45 Series 80 as my first gun last year without knowing too much about them (other than wanting a Colt .45). I visited my parents during Christmas and my dad was checking it out/taking it apart with me when he started to tell me that the barrel was flared on the end like a series 70, not a series 80 and that it had a collet bushing instead of a "normal" series 80 one. Beyond that he didn't see anything too unusual about the gun...He thought that this was a transition model but we both didn't think too much about it.
After shooting it and cleaning it outside in the sunlight, I was checking out the slide and something remarkable was apparent...under the COLT MK IV Series 80 mark, there is a very light COLT MK IV Series 70 mark! There is even another prancing horse behind the Series 80 one! If you flip the gun over the Government Model Series 70 mark is apparent as well!
So that got us looking up the serial number, and it appears from the gun value book that my dad has, that this is the eighth gun off the line for series 80 (serial number is correct to the beginning and ends with 007)!
So I'm wondering what I can get from everyone that is a Colt .45 fanatic out there...What other unusual characteristics would there be? Has anyone ever heard about this before (with the slide markings especially)? What else is there to know about the gun?
Finally, I am NOT INTERESTED in selling it as I really like the history of something like this...but I would like to know what the consensus of everyone is on its value.
Thank you for all of your help and information!