Colt Delta Elite

[SS 396]

Traded off my Glock 20 for a New Colt Delta Elite, I ran some of my handloads through it this wknd, ran 200 rds perfectly good accuracy gun is very tight slide and frame fit. Complete disassemble showed no tool marks everything fit and finished very nice. The trigger pull out of box was crisp 5.5lbs. It seemed to smooth up some after the 200 rds. After disassembly and a good clean and lube, internals were pretty dry from factory, polished the trigger stirrup reassembled check again looks like consistent 4.5. So far very pleased with Colts Quality.

 

[rugertoter]

Wow, what a beautiful pistol! A guy I was in the service with bought one when they first came out years ago, and his is still running strong. He has shot it quite a bit too.

 

[churchmouse]

Very nice gun.

I am told by those who know this platform that full house loads can and will hurt it.
Be cautious when you work up a load for it.

 

[SS 396]

Thanks Churchmouse, Yeah i have heard that too, i don't load nuclear style loads anyway, with the Glock i was getting smiled brass with only 8.0 grains of Power Pistol under an Xtreme 180 hpcb ran this same load in the Delta and no damage to brass has more case support than the Glock barrel did. I set up my chrony for this load in the Delta this is what i got.





Created: 07/02/16 03:05 PMDescription: 10mm 180 grain xtreme
Notes 1:
Notes 2:
Distance to Chrono(FT): 10.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 1.000
Bullet Weight(gr): 180.00
Temp: 68 °F
BP: 30.14 inHg
Altitude: 0.00
# FPS FT-LBS PF
5 1146 525.00 206.28
4 1158 536.05 208.44
3 1135 514.97 204.30
2 1144 523.17 205.92
1 1150 528.67 207.00
Average: 1146.6 FPS
SD: 8.4 FPS
Min: 1135 FPS
Max: 1158 FPS
Spread: 23 FPS
Shot/sec: 0.4
True MV: 1148 FPS
Group Size (in): 0.00

Here is the case support



If i can get up to 1200 fps for a 180 bullet that is probably enough for me. Alliant web site says 9.3 Power Pistol for 180, getting 1,150 now with 8.0 grains don't think i want to try 9.3 which shows 1,296 fps per Alliant.

 

[SS 396]

The gun seems set up for it it has a dual recoil spring setup. I had not seen one like this it uses a polymer gi style guide rod with a spring inside of a spring, my wife was mad she could not rack the slide and she is no weakling, she has no problem with her Glock 30 or her Sig 938 but she could not budge this slide lol. I have saw where some suggest a EGW flat bottom fps, and a 25lb mainspring. The mainspring in this gun seems pretty stout to me as is.

 

[churchmouse]

Looks like you did your home work.
I had AllenM build me a 10mm tuned for 1550 FPS 10mm full house Underwood ammo.
It still pinned the ears back on the slide stop.

 

[SS 396]

Wow! Churchmouse that is some serious FPS i bet that muzzle blast was awesome

 

[churchmouse]

It is a 6" 2011 with a Hybrid ported barrel.
It does have some punch but with the weight and porting it is a fairly flat shooter.

Not done in any of these pics.

 

[DocIndy]

That blaster needs a hybrid reverse plug to fill the void under the barrel. How many rounds does that thing hold 30? 40?

It is a 6" 2011 with a Hybrid ported barrel.
It does have some punch but with the weight and porting it is a fairly flat shooter.

Not done in any of these pics.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Thanks Churchmouse, Yeah i have heard that too, i don't load nuclear style loads anyway, with the Glock i was getting smiled brass with only 8.0 grains of Power Pistol under an Xtreme 180 hpcb ran this same load in the Delta and no damage to brass has more case support than the Glock barrel did. I set up my chrony for this load in the Delta this is what i got.





Created: 07/02/16 03:05 PMDescription: 10mm 180 grain xtreme
Notes 1:
Notes 2:
Distance to Chrono(FT): 10.00
Ballistic Coefficient: 1.000
Bullet Weight(gr): 180.00
Temp: 68 °F
BP: 30.14 inHg
Altitude: 0.00
# FPS FT-LBS PF
5 1146 525.00 206.28
4 1158 536.05 208.44
3 1135 514.97 204.30
2 1144 523.17 205.92
1 1150 528.67 207.00
Average: 1146.6 FPS
SD: 8.4 FPS
Min: 1135 FPS
Max: 1158 FPS
Spread: 23 FPS
Shot/sec: 0.4
True MV: 1148 FPS
Group Size (in): 0.00

Here is the case support



If i can get up to 1200 fps for a 180 bullet that is probably enough for me. Alliant web site says 9.3 Power Pistol for 180, getting 1,150 now with 8.0 grains don't think i want to try 9.3 which shows 1,296 fps per Alliant.

Do NOT run really hot loads in the DE. The chamber does not have enough support for it. It took me a while to diagnose an issue I was having with bulged brass in the CDE versus no issue in my G20. And only use good quality brass in it.

From left to right: 2nd gen G20 stock bbl, LWD G20 bbl, CDE bbl.

 

[01deuce]

Thanks Churchmouse, Yeah i have heard that too, i don't load nuclear style loads anyway, with the Glock i was getting smiled brass with only 8.0 grains of Power Pistol under an Xtreme 180 hpcb ran this same load in the Delta and no damage to brass has more case support than the Glock barrel did. I set up my chrony for this load in the Delta this is what i got.

This is exactly what Double Tap told me at the NRA show. Everybody talks about lack of case support in the Delta, but it's better than the glock.
I took fired brass from my Delta to the NRA show and had Colt , starline & Double tap take a look at it. I was told by all of them I was in no danger of a rupture , but not to reload any cases that had a " smile ". I only took the worst I had as it was only some of them.
These were Underwood and Buffalo bore. I don't shoot a steady diet of the nuclear stuff , but my go to round when I carry it is Underwood 165gr bonded gold dot @ 1400 fps. I shot a ground hog with one of those today and no smile on the brass or the ground hog. I did name him gutless Gus though. Not a pretty picture.
Someone else on another forum posted that Underwood now says all of there ammo Is safe in the Delta elite due to new powder blends they use that keep velocity up and pressure down.


I have been very pleased with my new style Delta elite!

 

[88E30M50]

Congrats on the new DE! I've had one for a while and it's been a great pistol. Comparing the photos of Shibumi's DE and the one the OP posted, it does look like the new DEs have much better case support than they did in the past.