A Tale of Two Colts

Anew Colt .45 Auto is always a welcome addition to the stable. Late last year my semiannual desire for another 1911 returned with a vengeance; a quick check of the safe revealed a critical gap in the Colt lineup. No worries, though. The annual SHOT Show would be coming soon in January; Colt would be there with lots of pistols to see and think about. I was leaning towards another fullsized Government Model .45 with a few extras.

I own several competition-tuned 1911s and a couple of collector-grade Colts but nothing that could be considered a modern, defensive .45. It was time to add another shooter that wasn’t just a paper-punching machine. I wanted a Government Model that would be a serious carry gun as well as a fun gun to shoot. Now, the easiest approach would be to buy a basic Colt Series 70 and send it off to a good gunsmith to do the hard work of building it to my specifications; nothing wrong with that.

The downside would be the wait (as much as a year or more) and of course, the added investment beyond the initial cost of the pistol. Good pistolsmithing is expensive; the upgrades I liked would easily costa thousand dollars or more, depending on who 45 (top) with Bob’s 1931 Colt. Both are superb 1911s but the Colt/Clapp is far superior in durability, accuracy and shoot-ability. Far 45 with an El Paso Leather "Austin" holster. Good for its day but there are better, more durable pistols now.

It’s still the same superb 1911 that Colt has built for over one hundred years, with a few upgrades that make it a much more comfortable and enjoyable pistol to shoot. And it looks great, too! did the work. Rather than go that route or do the work myself, I was hoping that Colt would have a .45 that would solve my problem without placing an order with the custom shop. Something beyond just a basic sights and grip upgrade but not a full-blown custom.

The Government Model Wiley Clapp Edition moved to the top of my "gotta have" list after stopping by the Colt booth and seeing one at SHOT. Colt’s Wiley Clapp Series Colt has been building the Wiley Clapp series for TALO Distributers in both full-size, Commander and Officer’s versions for several years now. The Clapp line has steadily expanded, with lightweight (alloy) frames, 9mm and stainless options now offered. Colt sells every one of these Wiley Clapp Edition pistols they produce.

It’s a great pistol, with many features not offered in a factory-stock 1911 handgun. Not a custom shop pistol, but close. Designed for Colt and TALO by gun writer Wiley Clapp, Colt’s advertising calls it "everything you need and nothing you don’t." I’d have to agree with that, because there

isn’t much on this pistol I’d want to change. Before we take a look at the Colt/ Clapp Government and its features, let’s look at what isn’t needed (at least, for me). Good sights are critical but I like mine to be plain black. I’ve found that plastic, multi-color or three-dot painted sights are worthless for precise shooting. Contrasting, colored sights don’t help with rapid target acquisition or better sight focus. Manufacturers think that’s what shooters want though, so most pistols get them.

Plain black sights, with a wide rear notch, seem to work best in most Checkering also matches up well with the checkering on the front strap. 45 Government Model pistol, wearing a slim set of plain black VZgrips in G10. A great combo for carry or range work. situations. An exception would be tritium sights if you’re working or shooting in low light. Colt has put excellent Novak sights on the Clapp Government, with a very wide, plain black rear notch and a brass bead front.

Focusing on the front bead, especially for newer shooters, is a time-tested idea that works. Ed Mc Givern, one of the great pistol shots of the last century, was a big proponent of a brass or gold bead front. I can live with the brass bead. It’s easier to pick up in most lighting conditions and doesn’t fade out like colored sights. Both front and rear sights are drift-adjustable for windage. If you don’t like the sight as-is, different options are available and easily installed by Novak. Just send them the slide.

The Clapp pistol does not have a series 80 firing pin safety, full-length guide rod, an extended magazine well, a large ambidextrous safety, adjustable sights, extended slide stop or a built-up magazine release. Most of these items aren’t needed if you carry a pistol daily. I prefer a standard 1911A1 grip safety but the beavertail on the Clapp Government is very comfortable.

Along aluminum trigger without an overtravel screw (which can work loose and cause a major malfunction), flat steel mainspring housing, and a GI-style thumb safety that’s very positive are standard. Some people like a larger safety but a smaller GI safety has less of a chance of being swept off if you carry a 1911 for a living. It happens. One of the best features of the Clapp Government is the checkering. It’s perfectly executed, assists in gripping but isn’t too aggressive.

After a few rounds on a hot, humid day a good checkering job will keep the pistol firmly seated in your hand. The mainspring housing is also checkered and the edges are nicely blended into the frame. The slim-style Colt stocks match the front strap checkering and aid in grip purchase. They look pretty good, too. I had my old Army bud, former Army Marksmanship The checkering was very helpful in pistol control using 230 grain ball loads as well as hot +P commercial hollowpoints.

Very nicely done and a great standard feature on a factory pistol. Far It’s a great custom touch, too. Unit gunsmith Justin Mc Millan look over the Wiley Government with a critical eye. The only negative he found was the loose fit of the beavertail grip safety, which is typical for a Colt production gun. Front and rear lock-up was excellent; frame to slide fit was also good. Trigger broke at 4.2 pounds with slight creep after take-up and no hammer follow.

Justin adjusted the trigger, removing the creep and putting a slight roll to the break. After tapping the front sight a smidgen to the right, the new Colt was range-ready for testing. New Versus Old I have a 1931 Colt Government .45 that I thought would make for an interesting comparison with the new Wiley Colt. It is definitely "old school", manufactured just a Safety is a small GI type; much more practical on a duty-type weapon.

Beavertail is comfortable, albeit somewhat loosely fitted. few years after the 1911 was modified and renamed the M1911A1 in 1926. Colt quality was at its peak in the 1920s and 30s; fitting, polishing, and bluing that was the norm then would be almost impossible to duplicate today. This pre-war Colt is gorgeous and very collectible but the sights are tiny, the trigger heavy (almost 7 pounds) and it’ll malfunction with anything but round-nosed ball ammo.

Slides weren’t hardened in the 1920s and ‘30s (fully hardened slides didn’t come out until the very end of WW II), so a large amount of shooting would greatly increase the chance of a cracked slide. Best to keep the round count low with the older guns or better yet, buy a newer 1911. A post-war Colt uses better steel with a hardened, forged slide and frame that will easily take a lifetime of shooting.

The features shooters now demand in sights, reliability, triggers and ergonomics make for a very practical shooting pistol. While it was fun stepping into the past and putting rounds downrange with the older Colt, there are better pistols to shoot and carry. The Colt Wiley Clapp Edition than the ’31 Government Model. The improvements made to this iconic pistol over a century make for an accurate, reliable, and comfortable shooting machine.

LAPD 1911s The .45 pistol and the Los Angeles Police Department go back many years. LAPD SWAT has been using Colt 1911s (each LAPD SWAT Officer is issued two pistols) since the early ‘70s. Specialized units like SIS (Special Investigation Section) have also carried .45s, including Glocks, double action S&Ws and Kimber 1911s. After the North Hollywood gun battle in 1997, the LAPD authorized .45 pistols for regular patrol. These had to be either S&W 3rd generation double actions or Glock 21s, though.

Unlike most big municipal departments the LAPD has always given the av-

Bob had to tap his front sight a touch to the right for a perfect point of aim/ point of impact. Higher or lower sight blades can easily be fitted. An excellent rear sight for precise as well as fast shooting. cop wide latitude on approved carry firearms, with Beretta, S&Was well as Glock in 9mm, .40 and .45 calibers allowed (a few ancient street warriors still carry .38 revolvers). Several years ago the 1911 was added and approved for general use.

So far, the program has worked out well; the in-service five-day 1911 course taught at the academy is very popular and has almost a year waiting list. The LAPD requires that an officer using a 1911 on duty must pur- The Black Hills 230 grain match ball was used exclusively with the older Colt due to being a mild load that would feed in the eighty-six-year-old pistol. chase their own.

Before being accepted in the 1911 school, the officer must shoot a qualifying score of 365 or better (perfect score is a 400) on the department Bonus Shoot with his or her issued duty weapon. It’s a very fast, timed 40-shot qual course with multiple targets, scoring rings, magazine reloads and distances from 7 to 25 yards. All prospective 1911 pistols must be inspected by the department armory; no older GI guns are allowed. Barrels must be a minimum of 4", with modern, highly visible sights.

Only commercial Colts (both Series 70 and 80), Springfield, and Kimber 1911s are authorized; the Wiley Clapp Edition is an ideal option. After the five day school and initial qualification, officers shoot a monthly combat course with their new pistols. It’s a difficult training regimen that requires dedication and commitment by the officer that wants to carry a 1911. Jeff Cooper would be pleased. VZ Grips I’m kind of a traditionalist. I don’t like strange colors or textures on my pistol stocks.

Laughing skulls don’t work, either. You can get that from VZ Grips (VZgrips.com, they’ll make anything you want within reason. But you can also order standard grips that feel great in your hand without any extra adornment. I went for the latter option, getting a set of black G10 double diamond checkered stocks that fit the frame perfectly and look great, too. Sometimes less is more.

After a couple of hundred rounds the thin-style grips (or stocks, as Colt lovers call them) still fit the frame snugly and haven’t worked loose. There are too many options to describe here; best course of action is to spend an hour or so on their website trying to decide what you want. VZ uses Micarta and G10, both of which are extremely durable and can be machined to close tolerances.

Unlike wood, these stocks will stand up to most any kind of weather or abuse a duty pistol might be subjected to, without shrinking,

Ammo is Federal HST .45 230 grain +P hollowpoints. Bob intended to shoot 10 rounds but quit after 5 due to the very nice group. About the best you can expect from an older gun but still OK. Point of aim was a six o’clock hold with all shots staying in the black. warping or cracking. I just might have to deviate slightly from my plainis-good mantra though and order another set, maybe in black cherry color. VZ will have the thickness, checkering, color and features you want.

They also makes grips for most other semi autos as well as revolvers. One of the best duty Larry was impressed with the build quality and practical accuracy of the Colt. The wide-notched rear sight on the Novak made picking up the brass front bead an easy task. stocks you can buy and they look awesome, too.

Shooting The Colts How to build a match-accurate 1911 was still largely an unknown in the 1930s, so my ’31 Colt .45 would be considered "good enough" by the standards of that day with four-tosix inch groups at 25 yards. That’s about the best I could muster, shooting from a sand-bagged rest. I didn’t do a lot of load testing with the oldtimer though; only ammo I shot in it was Black Hills 230 grain factory, a mild but accurate match ball load used for Civilian Marksmanship Program Service Pistol competition.

I kept the round count very low (30+ Colt Wiley Clapp Series 70 Government Model Specifications Caliber .45 ACP Capacity one 7+1, one 8+1 magazine included Barrel 5" Weight 38 ounces Sights Fixed Novak wide-notch rear, brass bead front Stocks "Fingerprint" pattern checkered hardwood, slim tapered Finish Matte blue frame, polished slide flats Additional Pete Single 25 LPI checkered front strap and flat mainspring housing, long aluminum trigger, beavertail grip safety, GI-style small thumb safety, beveled magazine well Price $1200.00 (approx.) rounds).

I only wanted to get two or three targets for comparison with the Clapp .45. Before shooting, the recoil spring was replaced with anew 16 pound government issue spring. Not a bad idea if you don’t know the round count of your pistol. Springs are cheap; if you’re not sure, put anew one in. All the serious shooting I did over a period of three months was with the .45 Wiley Clapp. It was superbly accurate. Best load was some older Federal HST 230 grain +P I had that shot into one ragged hole.

Next-best was TZZ GI match ball that has a good track record of accuracy in most any .45 I’ve tried it in. Groups over a sand-bagged rest averaged just under 2" at 25 yards with the TZZ. I also shot one target for fun with the TZZ stuff at 50 yards and was rewarded with a nice, centered group of just over five inches. Not bad for a stock, unaccurized 1911 pistol.

No malfunctions were experienced after close to 600 rounds downrange, using eight different factory loads and three bullet weights (150, 185 and 230 grain). This pistol was highly accurate and totally reliable, out of the box. Replace the recoil spring on a regular basis and it’ll stay that way during your lifetime. A couple of minor tweaks and it shot to point of aim with a creep-free trigger. I’ll be buying this pistol from Colt.

It’s what a modern 1911 Government should be, without a custom-tuned price or a one year wait. AG