2016 Colt Delta Elite

[gdonley308]

Couple of good articles/videos on the new DE below. I would like to hear from anyone who has purchased or fired this new DE, impressions, accuracy, reliability, case bulging, or ammo? If you have an opinion on the FDE color as well I'd appreciate it although I'm leaning towards the stock SS finish for two reasons, 1: If the "cerekote" chips or wears through ( it has on 2 of my other pistols) you're stuck with a refinish job where as SS can be buffed out. 2: I don't think it's worth the extra $200 for the FDE?

I am selling my S&W 1006, as you know, and part of the proceeds are going towards a new DE. I can't accurately shoot any pistol with a DA/SA trigger, never could. I have been shooting 1911's since I was eight years old, so that's 49yrs of familiarity with this platform. Please don't suggest another pistol, Kimber (have one), Glock 20 (have one), Sig, EEA, ect. I'm sticking with the 1911. My EDC is my Ed Brown Alpha Carry which replaced
my SA R.O. compact ( a fine pistol for the price) on my hip. There is no other platform, for me, that I can shoot as accurately as a 1911.

In the video below Jeff Quinn of Gun Blast shoots the hot ammo through the new DE and states he had no problems of any kind including, no case bulging either. He also states, that he feels if your having case bulges in a DE that you have some other problem not related to case support, such as the gun is coming out of battery too quickly from too weak a recoil spring or timing? Opinions please, thanks in advance!


http://www.gunblast.com/Colt-DeltaElite.htm

https://youtu.be/FYHk630TbLQ

[sqlbullet]

I haven't owned a Delta Elite for 25 years.  I liked the one I had and wish I still had it, though at the time it was probably the right decision to sell and pay off a CC before getting married.  I still have the wife .

I have some thoughts on Cerakote though.  I have two guns that wear cerakote.  I have a Para P16/10mm stainless that has a black cerakote slide, and I have an EAA Witness full size with a cerakote finish.





The Witness has held up VERY well.  I did the cerakote myself, and the gun was sandblasted, parkerized and then cerakoted instead of the oil bath.

The Para has chipped and worn some.  However, the application process was slightly out of spec, using 80 grit AO instead of 120 grit.  And the Para was an EDC gun for many years.

I am not a big fan of FDE as a color for guns.  Black, stainless or chrome are appropriate for my palette.  I would suggest just the base stainless though I have no real concerns about the durability of properly applied Cerakote.

[Dave84]

Great job doing your witness. I did the slide of my match in OD gun kote. The blueing was too sensitive. Has been corrosion free ever since.

[dakota1911]

I have shot one of the new DEs a friend has.  It is like the one that came before it except Colt upgraded the grip safety, sights etc to make it more modern.  Of course you will have people that love the old model.  The only Colt 10mm I own is a 1990 Delta Gold Cup where I put on some new stocks from Altamont to replace the rubber wrap around grips that came on it.



I handload and use the undersize sizing die that EGW sells.  I don't notice a lot more force to resize brass from my Colt compared to Dan Wesson 10mm 1911s I have with ramped barrels or a Glock 20 that a friend gives me his brass he shoots in it.