Updated Colt Delta Elite

[88E30M50]

While at the NRA show in Louisville today, I ran across this. The Colt guy says that they updated the Delta Elite and it looks like it has a new grip safety, trigger, sights, grips, serrations and undercut trigger guard. Unfortunately, it still does not have a ramped barrel, so it may still have issues with nuclear loads. I forgot to check to see if the MSH was still plastic.

 

[01deuce]

Msh is plastic.

I picked up mine Thursday.





I put a Harrison ignition set and changed the trigger. It really didn't need any of that but I had the parts I didn't use on another gun. The only thing I don't like is the rubber grips. Ran 3 magazines of Sig 180gr fmj through it this morning and it ran flawlessly. the ambi-safety is a c&s I had. I might change that to a Wilson BP down the road.

 

[88E30M50]

How does the new one shoot? This one below is mine. It's an original GI style Delta Elite with Wilson BP internals, Ed brown MSH, TFO sights, short trigger (don't remember if it was an EGW, Brown or Wilson) and Ed Brown beaver tail grip safety. I also run an EGW flat bottom FPS which really softens the feel of the gun.

 

[01deuce]

Still making some adjustments, but I'm pleased so far. Shot some Underwood 165 gr gold dots & buffalo bore 180 gr jhp to sight in. It does need the feed ramp polished as it didn't want to go into battery twice with hollow points.

I fit night sights this morning.

 

[Drail]

Don't mess with the feed ramp - it is most likely not the problem and it is very easy to mess it up and cause a new problem ( a very expensive to fix kind of problem). Feed ramps do not need to be smooth - millions of GI guns have fed for many years with very rough feed ramps. It is much more likely those hollow points are the real problem. What kind of magazines are you running? Number them and keep notes on which ones feed reliably and which ones don't. If only one magazine is causing a feed problem give it to someone you don't like. Trying to make an out of spec or defective magazine "work" with a specific load is a huge waste of time and energy. One huge difference I see on the new gun is the cut at the top of the front strap. It looks different from the old "enhanced" Colt cut. It is a modified high cut but with softened edges. I agree with you on the "rubber" grips. They squirm too much in my hand. I like sharp cut checkered hard wood much better for maintaining control of the grip or VZs which I think are ugly as hell - but they do grip your hand. One thing I would add is an EGW flat bottom firing pin stop. It will spread the recoil impulse over a slightly longer period of time and really slow down the rearward speed of the slide with a full power mainspring. Then you can select a recoil spring which will put the gun into battery without beating the lugs when the slide comes forward and stops. I would also "lose" the nylon MSH. I prefer steel just for the extra weight.

 

[junk]

Why won't they make the blued version again ? I love mine. Just don't like stainless. Blued guns have style.

 

[Drail]

Indeed they do. Stainless is for restaurant equipment..........

 

[88E30M50]

I love a nicely done blued pistol, but will admit to having an addiction to stainless. I love getting a stainless gun and then doing a semi-polish to get it to that perfect state that's not so shiny that finger prints are an issue, but one step above matte so it looks like a solid steel gun.

 

[Drail]

It has always been my opinion (worthless I know) that stainless guns were invented because of the State of Florida.

 

[88E30M50]

Hey, that's as good a story as anything else I've heard for stainless. I know I started to think about getting stainless guns when I found a film of orange rust on a carry day one humid afternoon.

 

[RHTK812]

Typical Colt