Colt Gold Cup

Colt’s Gold Cup is primarily a target pistol for American Conventional Pistol and National Match Course events under National Rifle Association and Civilian Marksmanship Program rules. There are differences between it and other 1911 pistols you’ll encounter but you don’t have to be a historical researcher or Colt firearms production expert to work with Gold Cups. Lets look at a few of the pieces of history and practical actions that need to be taken.

The National Matches held annually at Camp Perry since 1907 were the impetus for improved Colt pistols. Service pistol matches severely challenged the 1911. I have fired a number of original circa 1920s pistols with some in fine shape and others worn. The average 1911 of that era is good for five shots into five inches at 25 yards with Winchester USA 230 grain ball. Some will do a little better but others are worse. The pistols were usually sighted for a six o’clock hold at 25 yards.

With a trigger compression of six to eight pounds, the 1911 was not possessed of fine accuracy. The 1911A1 was a slight improvement. The National Match pistol changed that. Military shooting team gunsmiths addressed the shortcomings of the 1911A1. A very important point is that expense was not an object. The gunsmiths took months to perfect the pistol if need be. An armorer might work for months in welding the barrel up and then filing it to a tight precision fit. The three point pedestal lockup was perfected.

National Match barrels and National Match barrel bushings were perfectnet). ed. Many 1911 innovations such as rubber grips and aluminum triggers were first developed by these gunsmiths. In simple terms, these National Match handguns usually featured a lighter trigger and specially fitted barrel and bushing. When Colt began producing their own National Match pistol, much the same program was followed. The original National Match featured high visibility fixed sights.

These were soon replaced with adjustable sights such as the Stevens and Ellison. Overall, these pistols were robust and often carried by experienced handgunners and lawmen. Gold Cup In 1957, a pistol was introduced that was largely responsible for the Gold Cup’s undeserved reputation for fragility. From the factory, the Gold Cup was designed to accommodate light target loads where all previous Colt pistols were set up for 230 grain ball.

The ballistic differences of a 185 grain bullet at 750 feet per second of a typical target load compared to 230 grains at 820 FPS are notable. Lighter weight recoil and hammer springs were used to allow function with less-stout target loads. Further, these pistols were sometimes modified by the end user by clipping these already-lightened springs.

The 1957-era Gold Cup also featured a lightened slide, changing the weight of the pistol from the 39 ounce standard for the Government Model and National Match to 37 ounces. This allowed the slide to recoil more freely with light loads. With the lighter springs and slide the pistol worked just fine with 185 grain target loads and even the seldom-seen 215 grain lead SWC target load once loaded by Winchester, as designed. Heavier loads were a different matter.

I have on hand periodicals of the day in which writers in the

Be certain you know how to adjust the sights of the Gold Cup. popular press counsel their readers to change the recoil spring if they wish to shoot hardball in their Gold Cup. The fact is, this does nothing to help ready the piece for hardball as the recoil spring was the standard 16 pounds of the Government Model. Those who simply changed the recoil spring battered their Gold Cup to death, having left the lightweight hammer spring and slide in place.

Note, in those days there were no aftermarket sights for the 1911 readily available. Those wishing an improved pistol purchased the Gold Cup, even if they intended to shoot full power loads. As a result, many Gold Cups were subjected to a premature retirement. Series 70 And 80 With the introduction of the Series 70, the Gold Cup was produced with a standard weight slide. Target shooters had complained of the loss of balance in the lighter pistol so the lightening slots in the slide were discontinued.

The new Gold Cup featured the characteristic flat top slide, Ellison sights, flat trigger and match grade fitting that we recognize as Gold Cup, Colt. The Series 80 is much the same except for the firing pin block. The first stainless steel Gold Cup pistols were introduced in the Series 80 line. While a robust pistol, the Series 80 retained the roll pin in the adjustable sights that had been criticized in the past. The Gold Cup is pinned in, which can lead to problems.

Be prepared to check the barrel for accuracy destroying lead deposits. Many felt that the roll pin was a fault that allowed the rear sight to wobble or even depart the pistol in firing. It was recommended that a solid roll pin be added to retain the sight. The Series 70 and Series 80 Gold Cups are widely distributed and I have worked with many. In my experience these pistols are capable of two inch 25 yard groups on demand with good quality match grade ammunition such as the Federal 185 grain Match load.

Occasionally, a Gold Cup without any type of modification will do two inches at 50 yards. A pistol that groups over two inches at 25 yards with Cor-Bon (shopcorbon.com) 230 grain Performance Match or a carefully devel-

This is good kit straight from Hartford. oped handload using one of the Oregon Trail (laser-cast.com) lead SWC bullets is out of whack. Necessary Modifications These pistols have been around long enough that sometimes simply returning them to the original format solves some problems. A 1911 with mismatched springs is seldom reliable. Returning the pistol to the original hammer spring and recoil spring formula is often the best course. At least then, with the pistol up to specification, you can begin anew.

It is very difficult to judge spring weight by eyeballing it. With 1957 to 1970 era Gold Cups, these are most often battered due to the lighter slides and misinformation. They are best used as target pistols only and not set up for hardball. Just the same, I have included the specifications for heavy springs for heavy loads. The original specifications recommend a hammer spring of 15 pounds and recoil spring of 16.

For use with 230 grain ball, the recommended hammer spring is 24 pounds with a 18.5 pounds recoil spring. Since the original spring was 16 pounds and the slide is lighter than the Government Model, heavier Wolff spring (gunsprings.com) is recommended with hardball loads. This will cure most problems if the pistol is not already battered. With Series 70 and 80 pistols, from the factory the hammer spring is 15 pounds and recoil spring is 16 pounds.

For use with hardball, ren.c. trigger, sear and disconnect with good results. If the Gold Cup isn’t as accurate as the factory test target, something is wrong in the equation. place the hammer spring with a 23 pound unit. Another needed modification is replacing the roll pin that attaches the sights to the slide with a solid pin. This is easily done by driving the old pin out and inserting a proper length roll pin.

However, the new roll pin must be a tight fit or it will also work its way out during the stress of recoil. While the pin is a problem the design is not ideal. Modern target grade 1911s feature dovetailed rear sights. I have used a kit from Wilson Combat in adjusting target pistols

for light loads. Some caution is demanded as the owner must understand exactly the work performed. A pistol that has been set up for a 185 grain/750 FPS target load may function fine but if fired with the +P loads—185 grains at 1150 FPS or so—the pistol would probably be damaged quickly. The Wilson Combat spring caddy offers springs of ten to eighteen pounds in strength.

These springs offer the trained shooter or gunsmith tuning a pistol a good option and the opportunity to create a functioning pistol without clipping springs. I have clipped springs myself with the cut and dry method and while it works just fine with sufficient attention to detail, the process is not easily repeatable and spring weight not easily read. Sear And Trigger Gold Cups have a special spring loaded attachment on the sear that absorbs pressure from the trigger. Complete your American Gunsmith collection.

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