AN OLD FRIEND

[papabear]

This is a old friend that I've had for quite some time, its a 1973 Colt 70 series that I used while on a pistol team when I was much younger out of Springfield IL. I was a substitute for the team of LEO's mostly out of Springfield, earned my way with them by filling in one day while at a range in the area and the owner recommended me, I wasn't in their class but good enough to sub at first, learned a lot from them and over a couple years became a member of that team. The highlight of being on that team was when we went to a national competition at Berry, IL back in '89 the first year that competition was held there, and our team won a Bianchi Cup Bullseye competition which back then was a fusion of IPSC (without the "run and gun" element). Yup, a good old friend indeed.

[Byrd]

Sweet 1911! That is "old school" to today's new batch of shooters, but I bet it shoots as good as it looks. Does it still have the collett bushing in it?

[papabear]

Byrd,

Thanks for your comment, In late '88 after becoming a member of that 1911 pistol team I changed the standard 70 series barrel and collett bushing to a Gold Cup National Match barrel and it came with a matching bushing, and it allowed me to become a member of that team after one of the members retired. Even back then the GCNM bbl w/bushing were expensive, if I remember I paid $400 for it from the owner of our range who at that time was rated in the top 100 of the country in bulls eye shooting, it was one of his back up bbl's and bushings, for some reason he took a liking to me. Today I've seen them go for between $800 - $1,000 for one in near 100% condition like his was. Its still in same condition as you see in the the pic above with the MIllett rear and front sights except for the home made Ash grips that a VN buddy made for me from one of his dad's old tool handles, the first 1911 grip he ever made, that is one 1911 grip I will never part with.

[Byrd]

That's a good story Papabear. Those were the days when you wanted a 1911 to shoot & run right you had to have it worked on. Was Gil Hebard from Knoxville, IL shooting in any of those matches? I grew up in Galesburg, IL, about 10 miles from where he lived, and he was an icon. Have family in Petersburg, IL right outside Springfield.

Those "old" Colts were sweet pistols, I wish I would have kept some that went through my hands then, but of course I had no idea what they would be worth!

I shot in the early days of IPSC with a club in Hot Springs, SD. We competed a lot with airmen from the base in Rapid City. It was not nearly the "equipment" game that it eventually turned into. I shot a stock Government Model, the only mods were new fixed sights & a Vedecki trigger. The holster I used was a basic Safariland & I stuck spare mags in my back pocket!

[papabear]

Byrd,

Fairly familiar with Galesburg, IL, back in the '70's I use to drive a semi for a family outfit out of Virginia, IL, we hauled livestock, mostly cattle, in '74 we had a contract with a sales barn in Galesburg to bring in cattle from Wyoming, spent a lot of time in and out of Galesburg, not familiar with Knoxville though. I might have heard of him back then but don't recall the name. Been to Petersburg and through there a few times going from Virginia, IL to Springfield, our indoor range was in Curran, IL just west of Springfield on old Rt 36, I lived at the time in Jacksonville, IL. about 35 miles west of Springfield.

[Byrd]

Small world isn't it?!