stainless or nickel colt 1911

[PBR]

Hey guys I have a 70 series 1911 combat commander that I am sending back to Colt to have it refinished my question is how do I tell if its stainless or nickel? I'm guess its stainless cause the serial number starts 70BS (just guessing the B S is for brushed stainless). I have looked for any N or S markings on it and cannot find any. Thanks for any help on this

[WildBill]

Hey guys I have a 70 series 1911 combat commander that I am sending back to Colt to have it refinished my question is how do I tell if its stainless or nickel? I'm guess its stainless cause the serial number starts 70BS (just guessing the B S is for brushed stainless). I have looked for any N or S markings on it and cannot find any. Thanks for any help on this

How are they going to refinish it? Replate it or blue or?

[PBR]

they are going to plate it either the nickel or stainless depending on what it is. dont make much sense but i asked if it is nickel could it be redone in stainless and they said no it would have to be done in nickel. one reason i was asking if i could tell which finish it was. i have them the serial number on the phone and they said it was too old to tell by the serial number that there guys would have to look at it but the B S part just made me think brushed stainless, which im hoping it is since its cheaper -- lol

[gigag04]

Sorry you misspelled H-A-R-D C-H-R-O-M-E

[glbedd53]

How can they refinish stainless? It's not plated in the first place, it's solid stainless. Nickel is just nickel plated carbon.

[PBR]

okay guys well i am a novice when it comes to this hence the reason i asked the question.

[PBR]

actually i forgot this older thread http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=42102" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; where i was looking for someone in houston. that is the pistol in the thread that is getting redone

[10mmillie]

Pics aren't the best but I think that is nickle.

[glbedd53]

I'm pretty sure there were no series 70 Commanders in stainless. The first ones were series 80s. I think Commanders had alloy frames and Combat Commanders were steel.

[PBR]

Pics aren't the best but I think that is nickle.

i was thinking it was nickel but the guy at colt on the phone said because of the year made he thought it would be stainless. sort of opposite of what i found looking around internet and like glbedd53 posted about stainless being 80 series that is what sort of confused me big time. plus when i asked if could change the finish he said no whatever it was it had to be redone that way. so this is probably another stupid question but what is the difference between nickel and Electroless Nickel finish?

[speedsix]

... nickel would be my guess..my Satin Nickel Combat Commander from '73 was...I think stainless came out closer to 80...this source http://www.m1911.org/prodte26.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; says 85...

[DocV]

As I understand it, bull edit:(Heh, the forum edit makes this word into "bull" -so, the letter B followed by the letter S following the 70) stands for blued-steel. The pics look like the pistol is carbon. In that case, it might have had a nickel finish done. Hardchrome or NP3 have any appeal?

[PBR]

As I understand it, bull edit:(Heh, the forum edit makes this word into "bull" -so, the letter B followed by the letter S following the 70) stands for blued-steel. The pics look like the pistol is carbon. In that case, it might have had a nickel finish done. Hardchrome or NP3 have any appeal?

yea got me too when i tried to type B S together, lol. honestly i dont remember him ever getting it redone or being blued but it could of been. also im really looking for just a nice shine at a budget price. lol i know they dont really go hand in hand but i am on a budget. so i hoping the Electroless Nickel might be able to be done since it is 100 bucks cheaper then just nickel, reason i asked what the difference was earlier question. thanks for the info and help guys

[talltex]

Speed is correct...that is a steel Combat Commander and they didn't make a stainless model in the 70 series MK IV's. It's really hard to tell from the pics because the finish is so deteriorated, but my guess is it was a regular nickel finish (shiny)...they did make the Satin Nickel late in the model run that came from factory with Pachmayer black rubber grips with gold Colt emblems inset. I have both regular nickel and satin nickel models in the full size MK IV that I bought back in the early 80's. In pristine condition, the satin nickel looks similar to stainless, but still doesn't have the "brushed" appearance... just more of a matte finish.

[gigag04]

If on a budget, I would go with a Birdsong finish:

http://www.black-t.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not "shiny" but the Green T is exactly what I want in a finish. That, two-toned with their newer FDE looks great.