Colt .45 Combat Commander Model 70
Could you give me a little history of this automatic? SN 70SC2070.Would it make a good home defense weapon as I am 75? What would you suggestg as an alternative? How can I find out the relative value, given it has some light scratches in the satin finish?
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About $600 around here.
That is not the most durable finish ever done.
CP0 -
Condition of the finish is important. I've seen satin finish Commanders that are pretty ugly, but fully functional, in the $600 range. I've also seen nice ones go for $1000. As for being an acceptable home defense weapon, absolutely. 0 -
Howdy danielg,
To address your question as a home defense gun-- one of my house guns is a .45 auto in the 1911 size, (the combat commander being just a shortened version), and I feel very comfortable with the caliber and the firearm itself.
However, if this is your first firearm, and/or with limitied experience, I'd suggest a revolver in at least .38 Special. Plus, and a big plus, take at least a basic firearm training and safety course. Then, go to the firing range and practice, practice, practice, until you feel very familiar and comfortable with handling/shooting it.
Thank you for inquiring here with your first postings, and any other questions pop up, let us know.
45er0 -
If you are 75 & live in an area where you need to worry about someone coming in the house while you are home, your best alternative is a professionally installed, monitored, alarm system. At least, that was my choice.
My second choice, if that isn't good enough:
Neal0 -
quote:Originally posted by danielgottlieb
Could you give me a little history of this automatic?
OK.
Its basically a variant of the standard old US military issue .45 Colt automatic with a shorter barrel and lower weight to make it a little more compact for carry.
Gun has an external safety, and takes standard .45 automatic single-stack 7 round magazines.
quote:Would it make a good home defense weapon as I am 75?
Sure. If you like an automatic pistol, this is a perfectly good one to have. Lots of people like these for home defense or concealed carry.
You just have to make sure that the ammunition you choose reliably cycles the gun. These older Colts should be highly reliable with standard military-type ball ammo, but they might not run right with hollowpoint or flat-point type ammo.
quote:
What would you suggestg as an alternative?
Personally, I like a Smith and Wesson model 19 .357 magnum revolver for home defense, since its simpler, more reliable, and has no external safety to either forget to disengage or accidentally engage. It will also be less expensive than most 1911-type automatic pistols.
If you don't intend to carry it around, there would be nothing wrong with a full sized (Gov't type) 1911 pistol by Colt or any one of a dozen other manufacturers.
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How can I find out the relative value, given it has some light scratches in the satin finish?
Well, to get a good appraisal, we'd have to see good quality pictures, but figure around $700 as a starting point for the discussion.0 -
The S70 prefix says that the pistol was built in the 70s, and that the original finish was Satin...or Electroless Nickel. If it were blued, the prefix would be B. If it was a pre-Series 80 pistol built in the early 80s...the prefix would be S80. Series 80 pistols first appeared in 1983, and Colt was still building pre-80 pistols for a time after the Series 80s were introduced.
In 98% condition...assuming that it's all original...the value is around 750 bucks. Unfired with original box, it can run as high as 850 dollars. Yours will be worth a little less.
For the record, there is no such thing as a Series 70 Commander or Combat Commander. Colt never built such an animal. All Series 70 guns were 5-imch midels...either Government models or Gold Cups...but there were no Series 70 Commanders or Series 70 Combat Commanders.
Likewise, there are no Series 70 Springfields, et al, even though it's become a generic term to describe a 1911-pattern pistol without a passive firing pin safety system. Series 70 and Series 80 are Colt trademarks.
The good news is that the pistol is likely serviceable and reliable, without cast or MIM parts. During Colt's dark days from the mid-70s to around 1980, there were some truly horrible pistols produced. You might get a good one, and the next one that came after it wouldn't be worth carrying home. I'd have it checked over by a pistolsmith who understands the 1911 and knows what to look for. If you're within driving distance of Lexington, NC, I'll be glad to take a look at it por nada. And, no...I don't want to buy another one. I have far more 1911s, clones, and variants than I need.0 -
Are you sure the serial number is not 70SC02070 there should be a 0 as the first digit after the C if only 4 numbers. if yours is 70SC)2070 then it was made 1971. I think it would be a GREAT defense pistol IF you have no trouble pulling the slide back to load the first round in the chamber and IF when you shoot it YOU don't find the recoil objectionable . I would buy a box of round nose 230 grain ammo these will more then likely function better then some hollow point stuff they are cheaper and hollow point has no advantage to you. A 45 ACP will make a big hole [^][:0] 0
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