If I were an IPSC shooter and I wanted a Race Gun to compete, you can bet that it would have a traditional (I disdain the term Series 70, as the thing that made a Series 70 a Series 70 was the accurizer bushing, and it had nothing to do with the firing pin) Pre-Series 80 configuration. If I were using it as a carry-gun for general purpose, then I would use a Series 80, why not have that extra margin of safety ?
Since most people refer to 1911s without a firing pin safety as series 70, and thus understand what we're talking about, I don't "disdain the term" and I'll continue to use it.
I've got several series 70 and series 80 guns. I'm comfortable carrying either. If you're not comfortable carrying a series 70 gun, then there's several alternatives. I find that the triggers on series 70 guns are just better. YMMV.
An individual can pretty much customize a 1911 just about anyway they want to. We are dealing with a very mature technology here.
The series 80 lockwork is certainly mature. I've heard some sporadic complaints about failures to fire in Kimber II and SW1911. The concept of the Swartz-style safety has been around a long time, but the Kimber II and S&W implementations have a much more limited track record than the series 80 lockwork.
I cannot help but wonder, given your remark about it the firing pin safety being a response to legal issues, then why did Colt orginally address the issue in the 1930's ?
I'm not sure who you are responding to here, but I'll jump in anyways. You could turn that around and say that if Colt decided to continue making 1911s without firing pin safeties about the next 50 years, that perhaps they decided the issue was not that important.
Fact is, Kimber only went to the Series II lockwork after CA passed their drop-testing law.
Now maybe you are a gifted shooter who can fire one inch groups at 25 yards, if so you will probably benefit from a pre-Series 80 configuration. If you are an average shooter like me, who is happy with four or five inches on a good day with the wind not blowing Confused , then I really don't think that it is going to make too much of a difference. I can't help but wonder if your idea isn't ideologically motiviated more than by real-world experience.
I think this is called a strawman argument. You assert that only people with a unlikely level of skill would benefit from the series 70 trigger, and since most don't have that skill it is therefore not a benefit.
I don't consider myself a gifted shooter. I'm better than many, but regularly get humbled at IDPA matches. That said, I find I can shoot faster and more accurately with my series 70 guns than my series 80 guns. So while I don't have your asserted level of skill, I still find a practical benefit of the series 70 trigger. YMMV.
The advantage of the Swartz-style safety is that, unlike the series 80 lockwork, it doesn't affect the feel of the trigger. Which is precisely why Kimber and S&W decided to use the Swartz-style safety rather than the series 80 firing pin safety..
It is significant to note that almost all 1911 makers today use some kind of firing pin safety, or if using the inertia firing pin like Springfield (I believe) have gone to great pains to ensure that it would take a considerable amount of force to cause an AD.
I can't say that I agree with your assertion. Some do and some don't. ParaOrd, S&W, Kimber, and Sig use a firing pin safety.
But Kimber only went to the Series II lockwork (Swartz-style) after CA passed their drop-test law. And colt still sells Series 70 guns as well.
http://www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/Series70.asp
Springfield's "great pains" are what? An extra power firing pin retaining spring? Available from Wolff for just a few bucks. Rock River Arms, Wilson Combat, AutoOrdnance, SVI, STI, Dan Wesson (aka CZ-USA), etc., all series 70.
Does a firing pin safety increase safety? Sure. Does that mean a series 70 is unsafe? I'd argue no. Just don't drop it
The one argument that I haven't seen discussed here much is whether removing or disabling the firing pin safety would increase one's liability. I suspect that it might and that, in fact, it might increase your liability more than just carring a gun that was manufactured as a series 70. Perhaps one of our attorney's on the board could expound on this.