First Look: Colt 1911 Series 70 Competition Pistol

Colt made a major change to its Competition Pistol line of handguns, incorporating a Series 70 firing system into all of the new pistol models, which previously featured the company's Series 80 system. The new Colt Series 70 Competition Pistol line will be available to the consumer for no extra charge.

"The Series 70 firing system has long been associated with Colt’s heritage as a top manufacturer of competition-grade firearms," said Mark Redl, product manager and pro shooter for Colt. "As we look forward and build more value for shooters into our Competition Pistol line, we also seek to pay tribute to that storied heritage. For weekend competitors and those looking to improve their action pistol shooting game, this race-ready pistol, which was already an excellent value, has just become even more desirable."

The Colt Competition Pistol is designed to allow competitive shooters to get on the range and compete straight from the box, and the new Series 70 firing system ensures that they will have a cleaner trigger that improves the gun's performance during competition use.

The Competition Pistol features an adjustable rear sight from Novak Sights, as well as a fiber-optic front sight for easy target acquisition. The gun also has improved ergonomics designed for competition, using company-branded G10 grips with a blue color pattern. The pistol also uses Colt's trademarked Dual Spring Recoil System, which provides shooters with reduced recoil, allowing them to get back on target for follow-up shots quickly and easily.

The Colt Competition Pistol is available in a blued or stainless-steel finish and can be had in three different calibers. The blued model in 9 mm and .45 ACP retails at a suggested price of $899, while the stainless-steel model in the same calibers retails for $999. Colt also offers blued and stainless-steel models chambered in .38 Super. The suggested retail price on those two models is $949 and $1,049, respectively.