Clark Custom Colt MKIV Series 80 Heavy Slide .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1986

SOLD FOR: $1,125.55

WOA#: WY240610RD009

Make: Colt, Customized by Clark Custom

Model: MK IV Series 80 Government Model, Clark Heavy Slide

Serial Number: FG56499

Year of Manufacture: 1986 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .45 ACP 

Action Type: Semi-Automatic pistol with detachable magazine 

Marking: The left of the slide is marked “COLT MK IV / -SERIES 80-” with a rampant colt, the right is marked “GOVERNMENT MODEL”. The right of the frame is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A. / FG56499”, the trigger guard has a verified proof and inspection/assembly marks. The bottom of the slide and the right link-lug of the barrel have each been marked “499”, the bottom of the slide is also marked “1 91”. The left-front of the slide is hand-engraved “”Clark” HEAVY SLIDE / KEITHVILLE, LA. 71047″. The right side of the rib is marked “BO-MAR / PAT.” at the rear sight and “TUNER” above the ejection port.

Barrel Length: 5” 

Sights / Optics: The slide has had a Bo-Mar Tuner rib installed. The front sight is an undercut blade integral to the front of the rib. The rear sight is a square notch adjustable for windage and elevation pinned to the rear of the rib. The top of the rib is serrated for glare reduction.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with gold-colored Colt medallions. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original to Clark Custom

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore, just a little stubborn fouling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 93% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning lightly at some edges. There is a light “idiot mark” on the left of the frame under the slide stop. There are a few other scattered minor marks. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation, most notable on the chamber. The grip areas show light handling wear. There is operational wear including on the chin of the slide. The screw heads have strong sockets. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good-Fine condition as customized.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. The slide to frame fit has very minor play. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements. 

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 7-round Metalform magazine.

Our Assessment: The 1911 and 1911-A1 pistols served the military of the United States from 1911 to 1985, through two World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam wars. They gained a reputation as a reliable handgun with plenty of stopping power, and are held in high regard by those who have used them. The design was the end-result of a series of developments by famous gun designer John Browning, starting with the Model 1900. The advances made by Browning were revolutionary at the time, and were so successful that they are considered commonplace today. Browning not only developed first a pivoting and then a tilting barrel to allow for a locked system, he developed the concept of “the slide”, which is now synonymous with semi-automatic handguns.

Here is an excerpt from an article by Holt Bodinson of American Handgunner with information on the legendary Jim Clark Sr:

“Jim Clark Sr. (1923–2000) was a remarkable man. He could not only build match-winning pistols, he could shoot them too. Competing in NRA bullseye he won the US National championship in 1958. As a gunmaker he won the 1985 Pistolsmith of the Year award. A rough equivalent would be designing and building an Indy 500 racecar, then climbing into the cockpit and winning the race.
Clark’s 1958 win is all the more amazing. It was an era when competitors who were supported and equipped by military shooting programs totally dominated. Clark (who had seen combat as a WWII Marine) won his title as a civilian; building his own guns, casting bullets and loading his own ammunition, training on his own.

In the early 1950s, Clark bought 20 Colt .38 Super pistols and converted them to shoot .38 Special wadcutter match ammunition. He wasn’t the only gunsmith doing so, but none of these conversions was more highly regarded than Clark’s. Another idea came when he bought (for 10 cents each) hundreds of 1911 slides the military had cut in two and sold as surplus. What do you do with hundreds of half-slides? Jim Clark used the parts to make his famous “long slides” which many competitors came to prefer for their long sight radius.

His many innovations were not limited to bullseye competition. When action/practical shooting competition took off in the 1970s, the Clark “Pinmaster” was developed for the popular Second Chance match. John Shaw used a Clark Pin Gun to win the US IPSC (in the pre-USPSA era) in 1980 and again in 1981.”

This MK IV Series 80 Government Model pistol was made in 1986. It has since been customized by Jim Clark and turned into a “Heavy Slide” Bullseye gun. The slide has been custom-fit to the barrel as well as having a Tuner Bo-Mar target sight rib installed. The frame has had an extension mated to the dust cover with dual set-screws to ensure consistent slide-frame fit. The frontstrap and mainspring housing have been stippled for additional grip and the mainspring housing was shaved down from an arched-style to a flat profile. The gun is in Very Good-Fine condition, showing light wear, retaining a strong bore and good mechanics. Clark Custom pistols are prized by shooters and collectors alike, and this one certainly will be no different. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud