When it comes to 1911s, you generally have only two kinds of people. Those who believe 1911s should only have iron sights, and those who appreciate the option to mount a red dot optic. I can understand both sides of the argument, and this is what I love most about firearms manufacturing right now. There is truly something for everyone, and today there are more options than ever to fit everyone’s needs or wants.
Colt is a name everyone interested in firearms instantly recognizes, and most gun owners probably own at least one, if not more. This brand is known for manufacturing quality 1911 handguns that last a lifetime and then some. I got my hands on an optics-ready Gold Cup Trophy in 9mm to test out, and it’s been a fun gun to shoot. And if you couldn’t already tell, I am one of those people who appreciates the option to mount a red dot optic to everything, so the first thing I did was mount a dot to this handgun. Let’s get into it.
Optics-Ready
The Colt Gold Cup Trophy pistol is available in 9mm or .45 ACP and comes optics-ready. The gun doesn’t come with optic plates and isn’t designed to direct-mount a red dot with one specific optic footprint. You’ll need to purchase a Colt 1911 optic plate in the compatible footprint for your desired optic. These optic plates are $99 and available in the Colt webstore.
I mounted the Zero Tech Optics Thrive HD Reflex Sight that uses the RMR footprint, so I needed the RMR optics plate. One feature I like most is the side-mounted battery compartment, which lets you replace the battery without removing the optic from the gun. I also like that it uses a CR2032 because these are easy to find and more affordable than similarly sized batteries.
If a red dot optic is available in a multi-reticle system, you can pretty much bet that I will choose that over a fixed-size dot or permanent reticle. This is because I will change reticles based on how I’m using the firearm. The THRIVE HD has a 3 MOA center dot and a 40 MOA outer ring with floating crosshairs. You can run either/or or a combination of the two.
One thing to note: when you remove the placeholder plate from the Gold Cup Trophy pistol, the rear sight is installed on that plate, so you will lose the rear sight. However, the Colt 1911 optic plates have a dedicated channel for sliding a rear sight on, so you can remove the old rear sight and install it on your new optic plate or purchase an additional rear sight to slide onto the new optic plate.
Depending on how you intend to use this pistol and what red dot optic you mount, you might want a rear sight to cowitness through the optic window as backup sights. The front sight on the Gold Cup Trophy is a red fiber optic that is easy to pick up in low-light conditions and through a red dot optic window.
1911 Grip Panels
The Colt Optics-Ready Gold Cup Trophy pistol features standard 1911-style grips. The blue G10 grips are easy to remove if you want to upgrade the pistol with a different style, color, or texture.
I’d describe the G10 grips that come on the gun as medium-texture grips that help you maintain a solid hold even if your hands are sweaty or you’re wearing gloves. A recessed cutout near the magazine release is intentionally designed to make the button easy to find under duress. Your thumb naturally finds this channel when moving downward from the top of the frame to the magazine release button.
While not part of the grip panels, the Gold Cup Trophy does feature checkering on the front strap and backstrap underneath the grip safety. This added texture complements the G10 grip panels and makes the gun easier to grip.
Excellent Felt Recoil
I love 1911s and double-stack 1911s because they’re incredibly easy to shoot for just about anyone. The heavy weight of a 1911 helps mitigate felt recoil and lets shooters control muzzle rise much better than with a polymer-framed handgun. The Colt Gold Cup Trophy in 9mm is definitely easier to manage than the .45 ACP version, but even that caliber is easy to handle because of the pistol’s weight and barrel length.
My friend TC and I shot several hundred rounds of 9mm through the Gold Cup Trophy pistol with very little muzzle rise or muzzle flip. The red dot optic was extremely easy to pick back up after each shot because the muzzle didn’t move upward much. As a firearms instructor, I would easily recommend this handgun to newer shooters to try because the felt recoil is very manageable.
9+1 Rounds of Capacity
The only downside to the single-stack 1911 is the capacity. The Gold Cup Trophy in 9mm can hold 9 rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber. The .45 ACP version holds one less in the magazine.
If you were to use this as a carry pistol, that is still a decent amount of ammunition, and you can always carry a spare magazine. The Gold Cup Trophy has a unique magwell that doesn’t quite flare, but it’s thick enough to make it easier to find the magazine channel for a quick reload.
1911 Style Trigger
Colt outfitted the Gold Cup Trophy with a typical 1911-style curved trigger. The trigger is unmodified, and it isn’t a competition-style trigger or anything fancy. The trigger has some slack to take up before it hits the wall and breaks the shot.
While I don’t have an exact trigger pull weight, it is as heavy as you would expect from a single-stack 19111 handgun. The thin grip and grip panels make it easy to reach, which is why I recommend this gun to shooters with various hand sizes.
Gold Cup Trophy Safeties
Colt designed the Gold Cup Trophy handgun with an external thumb safety and grip safety, as is common on 1911-style handguns. This pistol has only a left-side thumb safety, so it is not ambidextrous or friendly to left-handed shooters.
The grip safety must be depressed into the frame for the gun to fire. I’ve seen many people struggle with shooting 1911-style handguns because their grip is not strong enough or as high as it should be to keep the grip safety depressed while shooting. Engaging both safeties is required for the gun to operate as intended.
Optics-Ready Gold Cup Trophy Specifications
- Action: Single-Action
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel: 5 inches
- Capacity: 9+1 Rounds
- Finish: Stainless
- Grips: Blue G10 Grips
- Sights: Fiber Optic Front / Bomar Rear
- Optics-Ready: Colt 1911 Optics Plate Purchased Separately (MSRP: $99.00)
- MSRP: $2,099.00
