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Colt Govt. Mod 70 with square trigger guard

tommy45autos
Folks: I have a Colt Govt. Mod. series 70 .Slide,bbl. and frame marked series 70,ser#251xxG70.Bomar rear sight,oversized safety,It has a square trigger guard with dimpling on the front of the trigger guard.The trigger guard is what has me confused.Barrel bushing marked SPORTS WEST.Can anyone ID this piece? Thankyou
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    Given that you have one of the 30+ year old series 70 Colts. More then likely the alterations were done by a custom pistol smith rather then at Colt.

    Back in the day that type of squared off TG was a popular though unnecessary custom enhancement. I believe a custom pistol smith by the name of Swenson from southern CA was the one who popularized this feature, along with the oversized safety, in the 60's. It was subsequently adopted by many other gunsmiths who worked on 1911's. IMHO it was more gingerbread then anything else, the forerunner of all the tacticool hokum stuff that's all over the marketplace nowadays.

    Judge Colt would be the one who could give you the definitive skinny on your Colt though. Likely he will show up sooner or later.
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  • gandj arms
    did u check the frame for inatials? i also have a swenson; liked to work on the 70 series;also;his double action was usually installed
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  • Hawk Carse
    Sports West...gunsmiths Ikey Starks and George Orndorff, Denver, CO.

    Ikey Starks was well known in the business and gunzines of the 1970s.
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  • 62fuelie
    Ikey is still around, although retired now. He did some fine work for me and my department in years past. It is well within his capability to do a full rework on a 1911 and a squared front on a trigger guard was a common request. If you have one of his pieces you should have a fine shooting pistol. Enjoy it!
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  • dcs shooters
    Post some good clear-close up-pictures of the gun. Include the top of the slide and front of the grip. They will help tell just who might have built the gun.
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  • tommy45autos
    Thankyou folks for the help.Upon field stripping the piece for cleaning,I find that the inside of the slide near the disconnector groove is marked SPORTS WEST with the last 3 digits of the serial #.
    Sorry,I do not have the wherewithal to post pictures.
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  • yoshmyster
    The one that comes to mind first for me is A.D. Swenson out near Los Angeles way.
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  • Hawk Carse
    Mr Swenson clearly marked his guns with HIS name.
    I really do not think that he put Ikey Starks' trademark on a gun he built.
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