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Series 80 or series 70?

1922 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  muddcatt54
I have a 1911B built NOV 29th 2017 bought DEC 11th 2017 with the rail, you 1911 people maybe you can help steer me right on weather I have a 70 or 80 series 1911 I've read a couple of articles on this but one left me more confused than when I started, one said if you pull the trigger at half dock and drop the hammer it is an 80 series if not it is a 70 series any and all help would be appreciated. If it is in the manual I missed it
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If it is a Taurus is a series 80. Remove the slide on any brand and look for firing pin plunger on underside of slide and safety levers in the frame.
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If it is a Taurus is a series 80. Remove the slide on any brand and look for firing pin plunger on underside of slide and safety levers in the frame.
What Oso said.

Don't get too wrapped up in the 70/80 argument. Unless you are building one or you have a great deal of trigger time on slicked up 1911's, the difference really isn't discernable. For stock gun trigger weights, you can't tell the difference. I have 2 Colts. One is a Series 80 and the other is a Series 70. When both were stock, you couldn't tell the difference without looking at what they were marked on the slide or the serial number.
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ahh, well actually any brand 1911 that will drop the hammer from half cock is in serious need of safety work.
the half cock notch is designed to actually be a safety in regards to the gun accidentally dropping the hammer without the trigger being pulled.
the half cock should catch the hammer on its way down unless the trigger is rearward.
do not confuse this with a series 80 safety system however.
The series 80 ( which this is not really the entire series 80 thing) but the idea is that if the weapon is dropped with a loaded chamber and it hits on the muzzle the firing pin is locked back to prevent movement of the firing pin forward and striking the primer causing it to fire.
as mentioned this safety feature involves spring, plunger and a couple of frame mounted extra lever to move all that stuff. generally you can get a lighter, less creep trigger with a series 70, but as mentioned most can not tell the difference in a 70 and a 80.
I wouldn't really worry about it unless I was after a competition 1911 myself.
the other guys have pretty much explained all the plus and minuses.
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Thanks guys I tried pulling the trigger on both my 1911's in the half cocked position and neither one would fire I'll try to remember where I read that. I'm still new to these pistols and just trying to learn as much as I can about them and was usual you guys came through Thanks again
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Thanks guys I tried pulling the trigger on both my 1911's in the half cocked position and neither one would fire I'll try to remember where I read that. I'm still new to these pistols and just trying to learn as much as I can about them and was usual you guys came through Thanks again
UMMMM???
Possibly a para LDA (Light Double Action??
I don't have one of those but would suspect that IF it has a half Cock then it should raise and drop the hammer?
these aren't 1911 of course but shows the same basic Firing pin block.
the EAA Witness in the top picture is a so called series 80, see the little button (in the slide near the rear?)
the second picture is of the CZ Shadow -2 , which is a series 70 , it has no such block as its a competition designed weapon.
notice no button on the underside of the slide.
hope this helps.

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"half cock" is not the same as Half cock on a revolver, or a side lock rifle...the actual term is intercept notch. The idea is that it will stop the hammer from striking the firing pin if the hammer is accidentally released while decocking on a live round in the chamber (series 70). On the series 80 pistols, there is also a firing pin lock that retains the pin if the trigger is not pulled to prevent a blow to the hammer setting off a live round. There is lots of information on the web about the intercept notch. John M. Browning was truly a genius....
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Not that I could probably physically feel the difference between trigger pull between a series 70 or 80, but for the sheer fact of fewer moving parts, which mean fewer failure points, I'll take my 70 series any day. If you're dropping your gun barrel down you don't deserve to own it.
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UMMMM???J
Possibly a para LDA (Light Double Action??
I don't have one of those but would suspect that IF it has a half Cock then it should raise and drop the hammer?
these aren't 1911 of course but shows the same basic Firing pin block.
the EAA Witness in the top picture is a so called series 80, see the little button (in the slide near the rear?)
the second picture is of the CZ Shadow -2 , which is a series 70 , it has no such block as its a competition designed weapon.
notice no button on the underside of the slide.
hope this helps.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to make that post there are a lot of great people on this sight I've always got great feedback from the people on TA I'm sure glad to have found this sight Thanks again
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