Dissasemble colt pocketlite

farranger · September 14, 2001, 09:25 PM

Bought my wife a colt pocketlite, in .380, holds seven rounds, single action. How do I disassemble this to clean it? any help appreciated as I know nothing of .45's or 1911's, which my guess is this might be similar to, since it looks like a mini 1911. thanks for any help kyle

johnwill · September 15, 2001, 08:01 PM

Is this a Mustang, Govt. Model, or a Pony? They all basically disassemble the same way, pull the slide back to align the notch with the slide release, push out the slide release and it'll fall apart in your hands.

FPrice · September 15, 2001, 08:50 PM

Johnwill is essentially right, but I have a question and a few additional comments.

First, is this single-action or double-action? If it is single, it is a Mustang, but if it is a Pony, then it is actually DAO.

I just bought a Pony PocketLite from a dealer who used to work for Colt, in fact he helped develop this pistol, and he taught me the correct way to dissassemble/assemble it.

You first remove the magazine and check for any chambered rounds (DUH! I knew you knew this, but old safety habits die hard). Then rack the slide back until the slide-stop cutout on the slide lines up with the slide stop (I am doing this from memory so I hope I am using the correct terms). Hold the pistol in your right hand in this position (by placing the pistol in the palm of your right hand and curling the fingers over the top of the slide), and reach under the pistol with your left hand to pop out the slide stop from the right side of the slide (to avoid scratching the finish).

On a new pistol, the barrel is a bit hard to take out of the slide so he advised to tap on the end of the barrel with a plastic or rubber mallet to dislodge it.

You then clean it, and place a small amount of oil or lubricant at the front of the rails and the top of the guides at the rear of the frame. Reassemble in reverse order and insure that the guide rod is not sticking out too much or the barrel and spring may not be assembled correctly.

I hope this is clear, if not, let me know and I will try to do better.

Hope your wife likes her new pistol.

sw627pc · September 16, 2001, 11:06 AM

And just to confuse the issue a bit further, Colt also made the Gov't Model .380 in a pocketlite version, and it is slightly different in that it has a barrel bushing, ala 1911 while the Mustang and Pony don't. But the basic disassembly is the same, align the notch and push out the slide stop, then take everything else off the top of the gun.

Reassembly can be tricky if you get the disconnector lever in the wrong position though.

johnwill · September 16, 2001, 05:44 PM

I forgot to mention the disconnector lever! I really shouldn't forget that, since it got me the first time I took my first Mustang apart!

September 14, 2001, 09:25 PM	#1
farranger Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 17	Dissasemble colt pocketlite Bought my wife a colt pocketlite, in .380, holds seven rounds, single action. How do I disassemble this to clean it? any help appreciated as I know nothing of .45's or 1911's, which my guess is this might be similar to, since it looks like a mini 1911. thanks for any help kyle __________________ "Freedom isn't Free"

September 15, 2001, 08:50 PM	#3
FPrice Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2000 Location: People's Commonwealth of Massachusetts Posts: 1,456	Farranger.... Johnwill is essentially right, but I have a question and a few additional comments. First, is this single-action or double-action? If it is single, it is a Mustang, but if it is a Pony, then it is actually DAO. I just bought a Pony PocketLite from a dealer who used to work for Colt, in fact he helped develop this pistol, and he taught me the correct way to dissassemble/assemble it. You first remove the magazine and check for any chambered rounds (DUH! I knew you knew this, but old safety habits die hard). Then rack the slide back until the slide-stop cutout on the slide lines up with the slide stop (I am doing this from memory so I hope I am using the correct terms). Hold the pistol in your right hand in this position (by placing the pistol in the palm of your right hand and curling the fingers over the top of the slide), and reach under the pistol with your left hand to pop out the slide stop from the right side of the slide (to avoid scratching the finish). On a new pistol, the barrel is a bit hard to take out of the slide so he advised to tap on the end of the barrel with a plastic or rubber mallet to dislodge it. You then clean it, and place a small amount of oil or lubricant at the front of the rails and the top of the guides at the rear of the frame. Reassemble in reverse order and insure that the guide rod is not sticking out too much or the barrel and spring may not be assembled correctly. I hope this is clear, if not, let me know and I will try to do better. Hope your wife likes her new pistol. __________________ Frosty Price "No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai

September 16, 2001, 11:06 AM	#4
sw627pc Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2000 Posts: 453	And just to confuse the issue a bit further, Colt also made the Gov't Model .380 in a pocketlite version, and it is slightly different in that it has a barrel bushing, ala 1911 while the Mustang and Pony don't. But the basic disassembly is the same, align the notch and push out the slide stop, then take everything else off the top of the gun. Reassembly can be tricky if you get the disconnector lever in the wrong position though. __________________ Bob C. NRA Patron USN (Ret)

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

September 15, 2001, 08:01 PM	#2
johnwill Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,451	Is this a Mustang, Govt. Model, or a Pony? They all basically disassemble the same way, pull the slide back to align the notch with the slide release, push out the slide release and it'll fall apart in your hands.

September 16, 2001, 05:44 PM	#5
johnwill Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,451	I forgot to mention the disconnector lever! I really shouldn't forget that, since it got me the first time I took my first Mustang apart!