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Old December 7, 2017, 05:58 PM   #1
gus3836
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Colt Mustang

Have been having trouble with my mustang not extracting. Took it apart cleaned the extractor and chamber through cleaning several times. Still no joy. Sent back to Colt 8 weeks ago got it back today and it works perfect! Paper work said adjusted extractor no charge and I feel fast turnaround. Great little pistol now was very frustrated for quite awhile.
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Old December 7, 2017, 08:22 PM   #2
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I'm glad they got it tuned up for you. The Mustang is a great little pistol.
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Old December 8, 2017, 01:44 AM   #3
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Mustang, Kimber Micro, Star DK, FI Mod D and Sig P 238 are one happy family and boatloads of fun to shoot. The design took a few years to truly catch on but then it hit and has remained popular for many years. A pocket pistol of diminutive size yet decent protection if needed has appealed to many as a carry or backup pistol.
I have a couple of dozen representing each of the brands listed and carry and shoot them often.
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Old December 8, 2017, 09:06 AM   #4
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I have the P238 and love it when I need a small carry. With the extended mag on there it's quite comfortable to shoot.
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Old December 8, 2017, 10:15 AM   #5
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If your pistol has a plastic trigger, there was a fellow that sold SS triggers for the Mustang/.380 Govt. It has to be fitted, of course, but it's a nice improvement.
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Old December 8, 2017, 10:33 AM   #6
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"I have a couple of dozen representing each of the brands listed and carry and shoot them often." - Ibmikey

Whoa, now that is a collection of Colt Mustang siblings! I have two: a Kimber Micro and a Sig P238. Well, ok, I sold the Kimber. So I have only one now.

Great pocket pistols and fun shooters.
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Old December 8, 2017, 11:57 PM   #7
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Lexspeed, Yeah sometimes I go a little overboard, have two drawers completely full of Micro size .380’s in my safe..come to think of it I like assembling AR’s in many different ways also, but after giving a bunch away I still have 38 of them in the racks
I have one safe that has a cabinet built to go inside and twenty drawers all hold pistols.
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Old December 9, 2017, 11:08 AM   #8
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The Colt Mustang and Pony designs were ahead of their time. The Mustang II and Pony I have were great for CC and were solid performers at the range, I stopped carrying mine when the prices kept creeping up and up. I also bought the stainless guide rod and trigger from Scott/McDougall and they were welcome upgrades. I had Cylinder and Slide do the trigger install if I recall correctly.
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Old December 9, 2017, 11:35 AM   #9
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Quote:
The Colt Mustang and Pony designs were ahead of their time.
...now, let's not forget the granddaddy of the Mustang... the original Colt's Government .380! (on bottom, under the Kimber.) Essentially, it was a mini-1911 minus the grip safety, of course, but the basic design begat the Mustang, et al.



I seriously considered sending it off to Cylinder and Slide, but the turnaround was something like 6 months. The cost was a bit steep considering the actual value of the pistol itself.
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Old December 10, 2017, 02:57 AM   #10
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Charlie, The Colt Government .380 is a blatant copy of the Star Model S introduced in about 1940 with the grip angle changed ever so slightly. By the time the Colt was released the Star S series was numbered at about 150,000 and in use with Spanish military and police units since about 1945.
Both the Colt Gov mag and the Star S will operate just fine in a Mustang, I do not have a Gov or I would check interchangeability with the S which I have no doubt will work.
Of course they all owe Mr. JB for their success.

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Old December 10, 2017, 10:43 AM   #11
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One of the hot setups, when the Mustang was released, was to fit a short Mustang slide on to the Gov't frame... sort of a .380 Commander.
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Old December 10, 2017, 02:25 PM   #12
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Curious if you were the original purchaser of a new Mustang or whether the pistol was bought used and, if you are the original owner, whether Colt charged you for the cost of shipping. Eight weeks seems like a reasonable turn around time.
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Old December 10, 2017, 04:04 PM   #13
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Dgludwig, When I sent one of my SAA’s to Colt to be restored hey required I pay postage both ways, it took about three months. The trigger guard portion of the frame turned purple quickly and Colt paid for the return of the guard only, after eight months and a few upset moments on my part the guard was returned and correct.
I love my Colts and will not let this experience pit me against the company. The incident was about three years ago, perhaps they are quicker now.
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Old December 10, 2017, 07:40 PM   #14
gus3836
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Mustang

Bought it new. And there was no charge of any type shipping etc. I thought it was pretty good turnaround time. Shot about 5 magazines through it will need to do a few more before carrying it. But initial shooting went well. Have a DS that was sent to Colt a couple of years ago had to send it back didn’t lock up tight on a couple of chambers and felt a little gritty. Will be curious to see if they charge me again.
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Old December 11, 2017, 10:08 PM   #15
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"380 is a blatant copy of the Star Model S"

Nothing "blatant" there. At first, Colt sold the Star pistols (marked with the Colt name); then when CGA 68 went into effect, Colt had the receivers made in the US with the other parts still made in Spain until Star went out of business. I am not sure as of today, whether Colt is now making the guns in-house or not..

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Old December 11, 2017, 11:43 PM   #16
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It's too bad they don't make the .380 Government model any more. I find the Mustang just a bit too small...

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Old December 12, 2017, 12:01 AM   #17
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James K. Your Star history is very very incorrect..Colt never manufactured a single part for the never released Pony...everything but the roll marks came from FI...frames contracted by FI and parts kits imported from Star. The Colt Pony idea was dropped before the project went too far and FI released it as the Model D. Go to Gunboards forum, Spanish pistols and find a very long dissertation on this very subject.
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Old December 12, 2017, 12:12 AM   #18
Bill DeShivs
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Mikey is correct, AND the Colt project was in the mid 1970s-long after GCA '68 went into effect.

You may be thinking of the Astra "Cub"/ Colt "Junior" .25 & .22S pistols.
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Old December 13, 2017, 03:59 AM   #19
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I believe it was the Star D series they copied, started to under license. There was even a slick advertisement for the Colt Pony in Guns and Ammo or one of those gun magazines.
Colt contracted the manufacture of 50, and the story I read said they were not happy with the fit and finish and destroyed all but two, both are extremely collectable now.

The frame of the Star D model is the same exact dimensions as the aborted Pony, and the ignition train is the same I believe. The safety on the Star D looks different externally than the Mustang and Colt .380 Gov't model but internally it is a dead ringer.

BTW, there were two of the FI and or FIE models made, some say with Star made frames, I don't know. The one I had had a weird Zamak magazine bottom that made me want to vomit, I sold it right away.

I found photos today of an FI model D with the standard type magazine receptacle and magazine, it's hard to tell which one if any were made partially in Spain.
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CNC produced 416 stainless triggers to replace the plastic triggers on Colt Mustangs, Mustang Plus II's, MK IV Government .380's and Sig P238's and P938's. Plus Colt Mustang hardened 416 guide rods, and Llama .32 and .380 recoil spring buttons, checkered nicely and blued.

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Old December 13, 2017, 04:38 AM   #20
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His soldier, FI provided Colt with just over 100 pistols and using the roll stamp provided by Colt, FI engraved approximately 1000 slides with Colt info. When the project was cancelled by Colt most of the pistols were returned to FI, all of the extra slides were scrubbed of Colt info and re rolled with simple block letter FI info very unlike the later production models. I have one of those early “scrubbed” pistols that I purchased directly from FI way back in the seventies.
A few of the Colt marked pistols did survive and have been on GB auction in past years. When I got my first pistol I talked with FI and garnered a lot of info on those early days, however, I did not have the foresight to record and preserve that information and must rely on memory.
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Old December 13, 2017, 06:14 AM   #21
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Mikey I'm not sure why you say the Colt Pony was never produced, the DA Colt Pony 380 was verry much in production.

Charlie 98 I also own a Colt Mustang II and it is a government frame with a Mustang slide, I consider it the Commander of the line.
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Old December 13, 2017, 06:26 AM   #22
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How long id the Colt warranty?
I have the same extraction problem on my XSP

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Old December 13, 2017, 06:49 AM   #23
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Smee, All much later releases by Colt.....we are talking about the original Firearms International version of the Star DK which could no longer be imported. Colt was of a mind to have it produced under their name using the FI steel frame ( DK’s were aluminum) and parts kits imported from Spain. The Colt Pistol was to have the name “PONY”. FI started the Serial numbers at CPA 0001001 and when Colt backed out of the deal FI (soon to be acquired by Garcia)continued Serial numbers with the same prefix. Some years later Garcia sold the Model D rights to Iver Johnson and they manufactured the pistol as the “Pony” once again.
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Old December 13, 2017, 09:54 AM   #24
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Charlie 98 I also own a Colt Mustang II and it is a government frame with a Mustang slide, I consider it the Commander of the line.
Sweet! I wasn't aware that it was an actual production gun.

I think Colt (or SIG, et al) could reintroduce the Gov't .380, put some decent low-profile sights on it, and have a winner on their hands.
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Old December 13, 2017, 10:09 AM   #25
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Charlie, Except for the sights that is what you have in a Star Model S (or SS).…this is a thin 380 with a great feeling grip that points just right. Some have an exaggerated thumb rest on the left side to meet import regulations but repo grips or aftermarket wood spruce it up just fine.
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