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Refinishing a Colt 1911 9mm 70 series

CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
edited January 2008 in Ask the Experts
Does anyone have any recommendations for a refinisher for Colt pistols. This is a 70 series 1911 9mm, the previous owner carried it alot and it has holster wear on the slide and parts of the frame.
Thanks
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Comments

  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello Refinish can mean many things to many people. Doug Turnbull can refinish /restore to look like the day it left the factory but it would cost more then finding a NIB series 70 to replace yours and on the other end of the spectrum are the guys that bead blast the whole thing and then hot blue . My suggestion is to find someone in driving distance and take it directly to him it will save the $100.00 + overnight shipping of a hand gun . You could do one of the bake-on coatings from Brownell's yourself.Look in the online Yellow Pages of city in driving distance and call to ask about prices and what kind of refinishing they provide.
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,083 ******
    edited November -1
    You need to also consider that the 70 series Colts, especially the calibers other than .45, have become collectible, and refinishing pretty much wrecks its value as such.

    I have a 1952-made Commander in .38 Super that shows considerable wear, and I wouldn't even consider refinishing it.
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  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I sent it back to Colt and had it refinished by the factory, would that still hurt the collector value?
    Thanks
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  • COLTCOLT Member Posts: 12,637 ******
    edited November -1
    ...ANY re-finish will hurt the value, Colt included. If function/accuracy is reliable, I would not re-finish it, but it's your gun. I like the look of a used not abused Colt...especially the A1's.

    ...Doug Turnbull is about as good as it gets for taking care of your Colt or Smith, if you must. Doug is one of the best to be found.

    ...I have a habit of changing some of the parts out on some of my Colts (NOT on Series 70 or older though), but always keep the original parts and NEVER change any part that can't be changed back...even on Colts I carry...ie; cut the tang for an extended BT is nuts to do when drop-in BT's today fit better (tolerance) than what comes out of the Colt factory. Say you want an Ed Brown extended BT, the tang needs to be cut to .250, then there is not another BT that will ever fit except for an EB.

    ...I look around and find/buy Colt take-off steel parts for the change out as I don't care for the extended parts.

    ...It's a myth that 1911 parts HAVE to be changed for function and accuracy. Most parts are changed because the operator wants to, not for any other reason. I do not like the poly MSH, MSH cap or trigger on newer Colts and those parts are changed out...but again, that is because I don't like poly...[;)]

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  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,892 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Check out Pittsburgh Handgun; Colt refers refinishing work to them.

    Neal
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  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks everyone for the replies!
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