[skeeeter]

I know they have the plastic MSH unless they are the bright stainless finish but I wonder if they use MIM parts? It does look like the magazine button is MIM but what about the rest?

 

[haggis]

I don't know specific parts, but MIM parts are easy to recognize. There will generally be parting lines and sprue marks from the injection molding process that are pretty obvious.

Buck

 

[kfields]

so MIM is short for what ??

Kim

 

[dfariswheel]

so MIM is short for what ??
Kim

MIM is Metal Injection Molding.
This is a process where powdered metal is mixed with a polymer, injected into a mold, then heated.
As the mold heats the polymer vaporizes and the powdered metal solidifies. The polymer allows the fused metal to shrink a very precise, known amount, leaving a very precisely sized part.
When the mold is opened a virtually finished part is ejected.
All that's usually needed to finish the part to usable condition is hardening and possibly bluing or plating.

MIM has a somewhat bad reputation simply because it's not machined or cast steel and people are suspect of it.
Some MIM that's done poorly has failed IN OTHER BRANDS OF GUNS. Colt does it right.
Other gun makers use MIM extensively, including in some parts where it might not be at it's best, like extractors. They do this to hold prices of the gun down to competitive levels with other makers who also use lots of MIM.
If done correctly, MIM is very close to machined or cast steel in strength and durability, but some gun makers have had problems with not doing it correctly.
It's biggest advantage is that it keeps prices of guns down to levels that customers can afford to pay ,and if done properly it does serve very well in many applications.

Colt was early into powdered metal technology with "Sintered steel" parts, (an early form of powdered metal technology) in the internal action parts of the later Colt revolvers like the Trooper Mark III, King Cobra, and later revolvers.
Whether sintered or MIM, Colt does it right.

With that said, Colt moved away from powder metal parts for the automatics.
Today, the only parts of a Colt automatic that are MIM are:
Magazine catch.
Magazine catch lock.
Sear.
Disconnecter.

All other parts are either forged steel or cast steel.
Colt has used powdered metal technology for the sear and disconnecter since the 1970's with excellent results. You very seldom ever hear of a Colt sear or disconnecter giving any problem at all.

 

[JudgeColt]

Whether sintered or MIM, Colt does it right.

This comment should not be misinterpreted by anyone looking for offense in my "delivery," but, if Colt does it right, then why the well-known problems with broken triggers on the Mark III revolvers? Would it be more accurate to say that Colt does it right NOW after a steep learning curve begun with the Mark III?

 

[JohnnyP]

Odd to see something 15 to 20 years referred to as old.

 

[MtnSpur]

Odd to see something 15 to 20 years referred to as old.

No kiddin. Back in the day, somewhere around 1981, CAD/CAM was still in it's infancy with only a few company's utilizing large mainframes and terminals the size of mini refrigerators and separate "function" boxes to do design work. McDonnell Douglas came out with Unigraphics and I was fortunate to learn this stuff way back then. Over the course of the next 15 years the hardware got smaller and CNC machines were being installed at incredible levels throughout the country. Now, I'd probably not recognize the process but one thing I do know, it created a whole new set of issues. Tooling was expensive and tolerances had to be held to strict standards, which called for replacement tooling, etc, etc. While the process' became streamlined, companies waited as long as they could to replace tools that were running on their last legs to hold tolerance for the design. Profit WAS the name of the game then as it is now. Folks that have never set foot on the manufacturing floor have no idea on how these fine companies manage to put out quality firearms. Colt finally got with the program and the firearms coming out of Hartford are really making a new name for themselves in quality. Good for them. A mere 30 years ago this stuff was Greek to many company CEOs.

 

[dfariswheel]

This comment should not be misinterpreted by anyone looking for offense in my "delivery," but, if Colt does it right, then why the well-known problems with broken triggers on the Mark III revolvers? Would it be more accurate to say that Colt does it right NOW after a steep learning curve begun with the Mark III?

The discussion was about the Colt 1911 type automatic, not revolvers.
A very, very few Colt Mark III triggers did break through the pin hole, and Colt decided that sintered steel just wasn't good enough for those type parts, even though only a few ever broke.
Beginning with the Mark V, Colt changed the hammer and trigger to cast steel, but kept the sintered/MIM steel internal parts.

I'd put this to learning from experience, which is why Colt stopped using sintered/MIM for most 1911 parts, even though many other makers are using it more and more.
Remember, Colt was the pioneer of powdered metal technology and the first to ever build a revolver using it. Obviously there would be a learning curve.
As example, the early S&W Model 60 and 66 used real stainless steel hammers and triggers. After some experience, they decided stainless wasn't suitable in the S&W design.
Colt on the other hand had no problems at all with stainless hammers and triggers. Much of this might be just the different design.

 

[skeeeter]

again, in the early Gold Cups did Colt use MIM sears, disconnectors, ejectors

 

[WIL TERRY]

again, in the early Gold Cups did Colt use MIM sears, disconnectors, ejectors

"...early Gold Cups..." What does this mean. MINE are all from the 60's and you can bet the ranch there are NO MIM parts in them, period.
And by the way...1992 was all of three to four weeks ago and my boots are that old along with the gunbelt and shuck I am wearing....

WE NOW RETURN YOU ALL TO WHIPPERSNAPPER TIME.....

And so it goes...