Colt Gold Cup sight options.

rballi

I might be able to get my hands on a Colt Gold Cup National Match Series 70. The only problem with the gun is the sights. The rear sight is pinned; the sights are OK, the pin is fine, but the metal on the top of the slide where theh pin goes through on one of the sides is broken. It looks like someone might at one time or another might have used too big a punch to tap the pin out, or it took a bump right at that exact spot.

My question is....Is the slide repairable? What are my options, and what it the approx cost?

RancheroPaul

These guns mostly came with the Colt Elliason rear sight. I am presuming this is what is on this gun. I am also presuming you are talking about the rear sight as the front sight is not "pinned." The rear sight has two mounting spots, the up and down adjusting screw, (with springs underneath to keep an upward pressure on the actual sight base), and at the front end where there is a roll pin inserted from side to side into the slide's metal and through the end of the sight base to allow it to pivot up and down. Are you saying the actual pin holes in the slide itself is broken, cracked, etc.? If this is the case, I would think there are two options. One, if the sight is not loose and flops around on the pin and that it functions fine without changing its alignment, you have a gun with an "UGLY" looking mark on the slide where the sight pin goes in. To weld up this pin hole and re-drill a pin hole is impractical from the point of making a much bigger mess cosmetically.

Now if the sight is non functional or not firmly in place because of this, the problem might be corrected by drilling a larger roll pin hole through the slide and the sight base and installing a larger diameter roll pin.

It would seem if this is only a cosmetic problem, the decision here is whether or not you can live with the "UGLY." If it is non-functional, then you need to see what can be done by a competent gunsmith and at what price. Then make your decision.

If You Can't Buy a Pair, Get a Spare!

rballi

Only one end of the roll pin is secure, the metal is broken on the slide. It looks like the sight will eventually blow off.

JudgeColt

The metal is so thin on each side of the sight base that I can easily imagine that it could be broken off by someone trying to drive the rear sight pin in or out. These sights were notorious for having the early-style solid pin "walk" out, and somebody may have tried to remedy the problem by replacing the solid pin with a roll pin. I can speculate that the sharp edge of the roll pin may have caught the thin metal as it was being driven in, and caused the break described.

As mentioned, there is no easy repair. While a repair could be made by welding, the cost of doing it right would likely exceed the value of the pistol, or certainly the slide.

To continue to shoot the pistol as is, I would epoxy the sight in place. The other solution is to find a replacement slide, which are semi-readily available. I seem to recall some distributor selling bare Series 70 Gold Cup slides. Maybe it was Kieslers. Post a "wanted" on these boards and you might turn one up.

JudgeColt

I disagree with Dr. Pig. First, I have seen slides for sale, and, if they bring $325, that is only about half the value of the gun, and will about equal the diminution of value of the gun due to the damage. Brownells sells current Gold Cup blue slides for $250 retail.

Second, the installation of a Smith & Wesson sight would, in my opinion, reduce the value of the gun more than the damage does. The fact that the Smith sight bases are narrower than the Colt sight base will not allow the change Dr. Pig envisions. A Bo-Mar or other big aftermarket sight might hide the damage, but at great damage to the value of the gun.

My advice, for what it is worth, is to either replace the slide, or epoxy the sight on and use it as is.

Myjack

Ok, weld and re-machine is the primo fix and might cost more than a replacement.
I think there is a little lower cost option that might be worth a shot - so to speak,
JB Weld!
If you are not familiar with it - it's kind of an epoxy for metal - should be available at most automotive supply stores in the chemicals section.
I've "fixed" a broken water pump housing on my shifter-kart racer and made the next heat race!
Stuff works pretty well all in all - no it works great! Housing held and I still have the part for a spare - in case I'm out of JB!
Pull the slide, put the parts together - I'm thinking the roll pin seam should be UP - surface contact is at least as important as really clean parts, dab a toothpick in the mixture and roll it into the needed spot should do the trick. Put a Couple dabs on something you can test on- after 20 minutes or so you can shape with a knife use the test pieces and when you can slice or shave off the excess- after it sets up plan on judicious use of a file

Myjack

JB Weld is grey when mixed and cured - try a Magic Marker or maybe india ink to make it a little less noticable

beachmaster73

If you are going to use the Gold Cup for any serious shooting go a head and mount a Bomar low mount rear sight. It is much much more reliable than the Elliason. I rarely see a Gold Cup in competition with the Ellison still installed. Judge Colt has it right if you are looking to purchase a non-shooting investment. And if you want to spring for the price of a blued slide from Brownell's you can still put the Bomar on the old slide and shoot the heck out of the weapon and then restore it to pristine collector condition with the replacement slide. Beach


P.S....Nothing on earth will upset you as much as seeing your Elliason sight come un glued in the middle of a rapid fire string! Beach



Edited by - beachmaster73 on 05/31/2002 02:34:44