My BRAND NEW Colt Mustang Pocketlite .380 w/ Range Report

[Jingle]

What's up guys? This is my first post on here. I've been shooting all my life but recently got into the CCL and gunshow game. I'm young and a lot of guys give me crap about having my CCL but I just brush it off.

Anyway I stopped by my local gunshop on Saturday. I was talking to the guy about how much I hated my current carry pistol which was a Smith and Wesson bodyguard. The DAO trigger on such a small gun didn't work for me. I also have a Colt New Agent .45acp and I really love that gun.

He showed me the first new Colt Mustang Pocketlite that they have recieved. I was blown away. I knew they quit making them in the 90's and I've always wanted one but paying $700 for such a small gun was not practical to me. They had this new on listed at $609.

I went to the gun show on sunday and sold my Bodyguard and an extra shotgun I had laying around. Scraped up enough cash to go grab that new mustang and here she is:

I took it to the range and got about 24 rounds through it before I had to stop. Something happened with the magazine catch and the magazines would just slide in and out of the mag well. This made me VERY angry because my other Colt (New Agent) just had to get sent back because the guide rod broke while I was shooting it. Yeah I was brave buying another one but it's what I wanted.

Somehow the mag catch lock pressed its spring down and locked itself down so there was no pressure on the magazine lock. I'm not sure how this happened at ALL. I didn't even know how this part worked until I took it apart last night. I assembled it and put the mag lock back into the groove in the frame of the gun and all is good. If this keeps up I will be sending this one back too.

The good is that it shot amazingly well. The first clip I had a better group than what I could do with my LCP or S&W BG and 6 months of practice. I LOVE this single action gun. It's amazing. The recoil was minimal and it seemed fun to shoot. But like I said, my range trip was cut short because of my magazine catch problems.

I have plans tonight but I will go back out and shoot tomorrow after work. I will take pics of the groups I'm able to hit with it. So far i noticed that the front sight is hard to pick up on sometimes. I might add a little color to it.

[desert.bunny]

Is there a question you wanted to ask? If not, then sorry to hear about the malfunction on a very nice looking colt.

What did you end up doing to get it fixed?

[Jingle]

Well I guess has anyone ever had this happen to them before?

I just wanted to make a post and show everyone the gun. I heard the rumor that they were coming back out but this was the first one I had seen. Every other dealer said it'd be next year before they could get their hands on one. I figured I wasn't the only one who was interested in one of these.

I didn't know what the problem was exactly when I got home. I pulled the pin and the silde. Everything was cool then I noticed the mag release button was loose. So I pilled the grips and took the magazine catch out of the gun. Took the spring out of it and everything looked good. So I put it all back together and it was good to go. Hopefully it was just a fluke.

[Jeff OTMG]

Glad to see Colt getting back into it. I spoke to the head of the parts department at the SHOT Show in January and he told me that they had a parts supply building up, but did not have the actual gun yet. I think that Colt made a big mistake getting out of many concealed carry guns at a time when many states were passing permit legislation. If they had kept that gun in production the SIG P238 may have never come out.

[BlueTrain]

I never owned a Mustang but I had about three different Government .380 models. I got the impression some of the springs were a little weak and easily (literally) bent out of shape. In fact, that's the only fault I could mention with the little guns. They were much nicer to shoot than the pre-war .380s and .32s; about like a .22 rimfire. But I never had a problem with the magazine catch, only the slide stop.

[Dashunde]

Really cool gun.

I wondered then and now, why Colt never made a 9mm sized 1911.

[vyse.04]

That is a good price considering what the used ones are going for. Hope it works out for you next time.

[excelerater]

colt used to make some really cool stuff,that was one of them

[Charlie98]

I saw one of those when I was in my shop last Friday... I was surprised Colt was back making them again, particularly after Sig started making the P238.

Like BlueTrain mentioned, the only problem I've had with my stainless Gov't .380 is I pulled the slide stop spring (just a thin wire...) out away from the frame, and now I have to shoot it with my thumb over it to keep it from locking the slide up. I have a new part, I just have to tear it down and put it in.

Hopefully Colt tightened the tolerances up a bit, my early '90's isn't exactly as tight as I would like.

Please update us on any other problems you see with your new Colt...

[CANIS]

They are fantastic little guns. I like my little BG380, but the single action trigger and extra heft of my little Mustang is an awesome thing to behold.

Congrats on the new gun. Could have just been a little metal shaving from manufacturing process that got lodged in the mag catch. I am sure either way, Colt wil make it right.

Now, you have horse fever. need to add a few more to the stable :)

Here is a pic of my original all-steel mustang.

[FrankenMauser]

It's good to see that Colt kept their word. $600+ is more than I think it's worth (paying for the Colt name), but it is tempting.

I tried to get my hands on my Father's Pocketlite for a long time, but he always backed out of the deal when I waved the cash. (Even though his just gathers dust on a shelf. :rolleyes:)

One word of advice:
Leave the plastic guide rod the way it is. After market metal guide rods have a tendency of cracking the slide.

[BarryLee]

Cool, I heard these were on the way, but did not know they were in the stores. I have one of the older Mustangs which I have always enjoyed, but who knows I may add one of the new ones to my ever growing wish list. Be sure to keep us posted on how the gun performs.

[BlueTrain]

To Dashunde, about Colt making a 9mm sized 1911, they supposedly once did, only it wasn't a 9mm. It was some proprietary cartridge. This was all in the 1920s, I think. The 9mm had not yet become a standard cartridge. That was another ten years or so in the future. Many armies were using something else besides 9mm or .45 ACP and some never even adopted it until after 1950, at least in handguns.

I've never even seen a photo of this gun I'm referring to and the only information I had came from an article in the American Rifleman and that's been a while. Colt's idea was to sell it overseas but they couldn't interest anyone. The 1920s were a low point for military sales. As it happened, the first Commanders were in 9mm and that's small enough in my book. It would have been nice had it been more like a Star BKM, which was just about perfect (if you like single action autos) but they didn't hold up. I bought one of the last BKMs that Interarms had in stock. But then if that's what a Commander had been, there would be none in .45 ACP.

[TxFlyFish]

Wow theyre back! I need to find a catalog

In the meantime heres the intro video on colt site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fXo2Lzk38&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Hmmm not listed in their 2011 catalog

[Jingle]

Yeah it's not listed on their website.

I tore it all back down and made sure everything was right. Cleaned it really good and oiled it back up before I took it back out yesterday. I spent a few commercial breaks just running the clip in and out to try and get everything settled it. Then I pulled about 100 rnds through it just to make sure everything was cool.

I took it back out yesterday aftternoon and everything was good. More than good infact, AWESOME. Took me a little while to get adjusted to the sights (I'm used to my trench sights on my New Agent). After that I was shooting awesome groups at 7yds. I backed all the way out to about 20yrds also. I placed all of my shots on the target. With more practice I can see me getting good with this thing. I shot over 100 rounds through it yesterday without one malfunction. I hope that the mag catch mishap was just a fluke.

Like I said before I've had the Ruger LCP and the S&W Bodyguard. This gun out preforms them in EVERY category. It's almost 2x as expensive but I don't mind paying that for a gun that I enjoy shooting, doesn't malfunction and can actually hit the target. I think my search for the best pocket gun is over. I was starting to give up on the little .380's but thanks to this I can be happy and have peace of mind that if I need it, it will work.

[Trebor]

To Dashunde, about Colt making a 9mm sized 1911, they supposedly once did, only it wasn't a 9mm. It was some proprietary cartridge. This was all in the 1920s, I think. The 9mm had not yet become a standard cartridge. That was another ten years or so in the future. Many armies were using something else besides 9mm or .45 ACP and some never even adopted it until after 1950, at least in handguns.


Colt *has* made 9mm 1911's. A friend of mine had a 1970's or 1980's (can't remember which) production Colt Commander in 9mm.

Do a little research and you'll see references to this model in 9mm.

Now, I don't know if Colt made a full-size 1911 in 9mm, or just the Commander. Just not something I know about.


Also, the "proprietary cartridge" you are thinking about from the 1920's was probably the .38 Super. These guns became popular in Mexico because it was not a "military" round and they have restrictions on military cartridges there.

[Auto426]

To Dashunde, about Colt making a 9mm sized 1911, they supposedly once did, only it wasn't a 9mm. It was some proprietary cartridge. This was all in the 1920s, I think. The 9mm had not yet become a standard cartridge. That was another ten years or so in the future. Many armies were using something else besides 9mm or .45 ACP and some never even adopted it until after 1950, at least in handguns.

It sounds like you are describing the .38 Super, which was introduced in the 1911 back in the 1920's. It's a higher pressure loading if the old .38 ACP cartridge, and at the time of it's introduction it was the most powerful round available, until the .357 Magnum made it's debut a few years later. To my knowledge the round never saw military service, but it did become very popular in countries like Mexico where military calibers were banned for civilian use.

Colt has also produced a number of 9mm 1911's through the years, starting with the original Commander in the 1950's. Through the years since then Colt has produced a number of Government models and Commanders in 9mm, and they currently offer the Defender and New Agent in 9mm.

[tirod]

The mag catch mishap sounds like a burr or debris got into it. Had it been a defect it would likely still be.

"Out performs" in every category is a sweeping generalization. It's a single action, and those are preferred for range use and plinking. A more illuminating review would likely bring up some points on a pistol that costs twice what the LCP trades for: The Colt isn't half the weight, twice as accurate, or half the size. It's a small early 1900's autopistol design, not a modern lightweight CCW. And that's where the market will eventually put it - a nice user, but not without it's idiosyncracies, too.

At the price point of a reliable entry level AR15, it's going to have to deliver some interesting performance to justify spending the coin. For a lot of shooters looking at the gasoline forecast going up, $600 vs $700 is already an issue. TWO Ruger LCP's could be had for that and carried New York reload style.

I'm sure the single action pistol and Colt enthusiasts will love it, but they are likely the target consumer anyway. The rest of the CCW public will give it a look, but it's going to have to tradeaway some features they may consider more important than reviving retro carry in a tactical market.

[Budda]

My father in law just bought one of these. Colt 9mm

http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/259952000/259952147/pix439703025.jpg

http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/259952000/259952147/pix831408298.jpg

[KyJim]

My father in law just bought one of these. Colt 9mmWhich is not a Mustang.

[Budda]

I never said it was a mustang, just that it is a 1911 9mm.

[Charlie98]

I never said it was a mustang, just that it is a 1911 9mm.

Is that thing full-sized like a .45 Agent, or is it downsized for the 9mm (like the SAI EMP?)

[Budda]

I think it is compact but here is the full size 9mm

It is a Colt MK IV 70.

http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/260061000/260061301/pix075304773.jpg

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=260061301

[RickB]

Quote:
To Dashunde, about Colt making a 9mm sized 1911, they supposedly once did, only it wasn't a 9mm. It was some proprietary cartridge. This was all in the 1920s, I think. The 9mm had not yet become a standard cartridge. That was another ten years or so in the future. Many armies were using something else besides 9mm or .45 ACP and some never even adopted it until after 1950, at least in handguns.

Colt *has* made 9mm 1911's. A friend of mine had a 1970's or 1980's (can't remember which) production Colt Commander in 9mm.

Do a little research and you'll see references to this model in 9mm.

Now, I don't know if Colt made a full-size 1911 in 9mm, or just the Commander. Just not something I know about.


Also, the "proprietary cartridge" you are thinking about from the 1920's was probably the .38 Super. These guns became popular in Mexico because it was not a "military" round and they have restrictions on military cartridges there.


Sure, Colt's made 9mm 1911s, but no 9mm SIZED 1911s. The closest thing that I've seen is the Star BKS, which has all the controls in the right place, but isn't really a 1911. Colt did make a 1911ish gun that they tried to peddle in Europe, chambered in a 9.8mm (IIRC) cartridge. It looked a lot like the new "Browning" .22, about 7/8th size of a 1911.
http://ww2.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.exe?IDCFile=/spring/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=15289,DATABASE=objects,

[Rex B]

I know what you mean about a 9mm 'sized' 1911. The EMp was a good start, but I'd like to see smaller frame in the same proportions as a 5" 1911, or even a 4". In a frame and slide designed for a .45, there is no need for the extra mass in a 9mm version.
supposedly Llama made such a 9mm gun once, but I have yet to find one. For what it's worth, the Llama .380s made in the 1940s were a true scaled-down 1911, as well-made as any Colt of the same era.

[KyJim]

I never said it was a mustang, just that it is a 1911 9mm. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you actually meant to hijack the thread. BTW, I have a Colt Combat Commander in 9mm and some Colt .45s. For "deep" concealment, though, it's hard to beat the Colt Mustang. I pocket carried one off and on for many years. Pretty darned accurate pistols for what they are.

[Rex B]

I carried a Mustang SS Pocketlite for a while. then the Sig came out, I scored one cheap, and put the Colt back in the safe. I may get it back out now. I still like the lines of the Colt better than the hard edges of the Sig.

I actually prefer the Govt 380 for grip, accuracy and aesthetics, but it's just over the line for pocket carry.

[lcpiper]

First, Jingle, congrats on the new Colt, hope it works out as good for you as my SIG P238 has for me.

Second, I think your "smaller" 9mm 1911 is actually the Kimber Solo.

And last, Tirod, I see exactly what you are saying and it's all perfectly logical except that I too had a Smith Bodyguard and went to a SIG P238 and find the P238 superior.

Only someone who has shot these guns knows how easy it is to punch holes in a target at reasonable range with them.

I am going to take an arguement from another topic and add it to this one. I am also going to play loose with the exact numbers so give me some slack here.

So there is research that shows even cops and other trained individuals, in a real shooting situation, can empty an entire mag and may only get one or two hits on target. These are mostly guys with service arms, not mouse guns.

So if this is reality, then what has been improved on with a new wave of pistols that are even more difficult to shoot accurately, and allthough you can get your first shot off faster, the followup shots are slower because each shot is a new effort. Add to this going from .380 to 9mm and it only gets worse as it takes even more time to get back on target and squeeze off the shots.

I know I can rip off the entire mag of my P238 and have all shots center mass at greater distance and faster then anyone can with a Bodyguard or LCP. Translate this to the real world above and I still have a small chance of getting a hit in on a BG. But if I used that Bodyguard and tried to rip off the mag just as fast. I don't think I would do anything except make noise and maybe hit someone I don't want to hit.

It's fractionally larger, a little heavier, and no it doesn't ride in a pocket quite as neatly. But I don't like my key FOB in my pocket so why do I want a pistol in there, I want my pistol in it's holster, secure, and ready in Condition 1.

Guys, there is a point where it doesn't matter what material you make it out of, too small is just too small. Add those +P loads everyone wants to throw in these smaller Poly .380s and you just made things worse still.

It wouldn't be the first time that "advances" and "improvements" were either not needed or looked good on paper but were terrible in practice. I will throw out the MRAP vehicle as an example. http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2007/mrap/

The MRAP was designed specificly from our experiences in Iraq and a need for something better then uparmored Hummers. But many commanders had to go back to their HMMVs because the MRAPs were too big to maneuver in confined city environments. But on paper, the MRAP is supperior in every way. Heck, it was conceptualized and designed to specificly replace the HMMV and for this environment. On paper isn't reality. The MRAP made it through development, testing, fielding trials, and into Iraq. People are people and sometimes they will ignore what is plainly in front of their face until it bites them in the arse.

[Rex B]

"There is research that shows even cops and other trained individuals, in a real shooting situation, can empty an entire mag and may only get one or two hits on target."

I think there is considerable tactical value in getting the first shot off, even if it's not a hit. That 1st accurate shot may not be worth much if it took a fraction of a second more to unsafe and cock your weapon. No, I don't pocket carry Cocked and locked.
It takes a fearless or well-trained opponent to remain focused when a shot is fired and lead is coming his way. I think it buys you a split second to focus on the accurate followup shot. Your 2nd shot may well be the most important in this case.

Mind, you I have no experience here - few of us do- but this is the thinking that influences my choice in daily carry, and why I lean toward DA pistols for primary carry.

Having said that, I do carry my P238 at times, as well as other SAO handguns. I hope I never find out which was the better choice.

[bikerbill]

Wondered when this gun was going to come up here; I saw an ad in a magazine and was intrigued, but not a word on their website ...

And Kimber, I believe, makes the Ultra in a 9mm 1911, 3-inch barrel, 25 or so ounces. I carry a UCII in .45 in cold weather and it's a great carry gun, excellent accuracy, lightweight ...

[Rex B]

That Kimber is a fine lightweight pistol. I have a PDA/LDa and an EMP. Both are lightweight, and the EMP is even scaled down a bit, but frankly they are both 3" 1911s. They are still as thick as the original JMB pistol, just shorter. I 9mm does not have to be that thick. The whole thing could be scaled back to about 85% or so, in proportion to the cartridge. Maybe the Solo does that, but I haven't seen one.

[TATER]

This is my wifes, she loves it.
Ivory from nutmeg.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/TaterInTheSouth/ColtMustang.jpg