Is the Colt Competition Plus a good option for a casual pistol league shooter? Is it a good step up to the realm of 45 ACP? These are some of the questions that I tried to answer when Colt sent us the Series 70 Competition Plus Government Model 1911.
The 1911 has always been one of my favorite pistol platforms, but not from a competition standpoint, instead from a historical standpoint. My only real experience with the platform is with a GI M1911A1 which is a great gun, but not what one would take to a league. I am a pretty competitive shooter, but so far I have focused on 9mm platforms with red dot sights, which is a bit of a departure from the fixed sights, old school cool of the Colt. All that to say, I don’t have a lot of trigger time with 1911s.
——– Sidebar ——–
When Colt’s Competition 1911 was introduced at the 2016 SHOT Show it caused a bit of a stir. An all-steel, tightly fit 1911 with a rugged, adjustable rear Novak sight, a decent trigger, dual recoil spring, beaver-tail grip safety, skeletonized hammer and a national match barrel all for $900 represented an incredible bargain in the competitive shooting world. As we got our hands on them, we soon discovered every single one we shot was accurate and reliable. Initially offered with Series 80s firing pin safeties, the Colt Competition soon transitioned to 70 series, without the firing pin safeties, and the trigger pull seemed better.
When Colt sent me a new stainless 1911 Competition 70 series in .38 Super, I dutifully unboxed the pistol, loaded up a McCormick magazine with .38 Super FMJ ammunition and proceeded to print a 10-shot, 1-inch group from 10 yards right at point of aim. The sights were extremely visible to my eye which led to improved combat shooting times for me.
This new Competition Plus in .45 acp is no less a tack driver. I printed a 6” 50-yard 5-shot group and from 10 yards I could keep my shots under 1.5” with 230 grain FMJ. It’s worth noting that this pistol shot exactly to point of aim for me out of the box. James’ experience is a bit different but consistent with him always printing to the left with my pistols that are zeroed for my eye. It is also worth noting that I took the new pistol from the box, applied some of the included Lucas oil the barrel, lugs, rails and she ran and ran with no hiccups over the 200 rounds I fired from her on the first day.
The front strap checkering on the Competition Plus is a welcome addition and the blue slide/stainless frame is reminiscent of all the cool kids’ guns in the 80s. The Colt Competition Plus represents the best value in a 1911 in the market today. It’s accurate enough to shoot bullseye and reliable with target and defensive ammunition right from the box.
Colt 1911 Competition Plus Details: -Caliber: .45 ACP -5″ National Match Barrel -G10 Grip -One 8-round magazine -Novak Adjustable fiber optic sights -Weight: 36 oz
Joe Gorman
First Impressions
When I first handled the Competition Plus what struck me most was the hefty solid feel, a full frame all metal 1911 feels much more solid in the hand than the modern (plastic) striker fired guns that dominate my local league. I have fairly large hands and the 1911 fits them to perfection. The Custom G10 Black and Grey grips have an aggressive texture and combined with the checkering on the front and back of the frame provide plenty of grip and the solid recoil of 45 ACP is easily controlled. The grip safety features an extended beavertail that fully protects the web of my hand, something that the beavertail on my GI 1911 sadly does not do.
The pistol comes with a set of Novak target sights that feature a red fiber optic front post, and height adjustable rear sights. I am a part of the newer generation of shooters that have been spoiled by shooting with red dots or night sights, so switching back to good old fixed sights was a bit uncomfortable. That being said, they are excellent sights that are easy to use outdoors, and still usable indoors.
Classic Novak target sights
The appearance of the Competition Plus is very striking, taking the classic 1911 lines and utilizing a brushed stainless steel frame below and a classic blued steel slide. The fit and finish is excellent and overall the gun looks like it means business.
Shooting
My first session with the Competition Plus was outdoors where I found the sights completely usable and the trigger a very crisp 5.5 Lbs with very little take up. We found that the gun had come from the factory shooting consistently left, and the Novak rear sight is not adjustable for windage, but I have a brass punch and a hammer so no worries right? Well about that… this sight was the tightest sight I have ever encountered. I could have sent it to Novak or back to Colt but what fun is that? I ended up working my way up through heavier and heavier hammers and various sight pushers, all with no luck. I finally got the sight moving, but it was quite an ordeal.
Five rounds of Fiocchi Target Max at 15 Yards
Anyway, eventually I got the sight moving in the right direction (not perfect yet, but better) so I headed out to my local indoor shooting range, I tried various brands of 230 Gr FMJ rounds including Fiocchi Target Max, Remington UMC, Sellier & Bellot, and Federal White box RTP. I did not experience any failures other than me failing to fully seat the magazine. Did I mention that I don’t have a lot of trigger time on 1911’s?
Five rounds of Remington UMC at 10 Yards
Once I got a few rounds under my belt I started to put together some pretty good groups, I shot mostly at 10 or 15 yards, but I also did a few at 20 yards just because. Overall I was happy with the groups, but I know that I could to better with a little more practice, or some “Adjustments”
5 rounds of S&B at 15 Yards plus five more at 20 yards, which is farther than it sounds
Adjustments???
If this were my league gun I would make some changes. I typically see the green fiber optics better than red, so I would probably switch out the insert in the front post. Or I could give in to modernity and add a red dot base.
Mounting Solutions Plus EGW Dovetail Mount for the 1911 with Novak slide cut, which the author may or may not have on order…
I don’t think that I would do much to the trigger, the biggest thing for me is for my triggers to not have much take up and to be crisp, the Series 70 trigger answers the mail here. I would also be tempted to replace the mainspring housing with one that has a magwell to reduce my clumsy reloads. I can think of little else to change.
Conclusions
So… Is the Colt Competition Plus a good option for a casual pistol league shooter, looking to step up to 45ACP? The answer is yes, fundamentally it is a competition ready pistol available off the shelf and ready to go, and at the same time is a platform that has decades of development including a robust aftermarket for parts for the tinkerer like me. Would I switch to the Competition Plus for my league gun? Not yet, but I think that this platform is worth working with, both to improve my skill and to add a few upgrades to make it into a platform that I can win my local league with. If I do, you can look forward to more articles on the Colt Series 70 Competition Plus with what upgrades and tinkering the guys here at Guns & Stuff reviews take on.
Leave a Reply