Double Taps

At the range today there was an occasional mist blown in from a gray sky. Except for a couple of die hard shooters, the place was deserted in favor of Super Bowl parties. I had brought several 1911s to shoot, but with the occasional precipitation, I kept the blued guns in the bag.


I put another hundred and fifty rounds through my Defender today. Since my cure, I have had no further issues with the grip screws vibrating loose. My cure? I placed some Permatex #2 black automotive gasket sealant on the threads of the screws. This type of sealant stays pliable, and is not easily dissolved by solvents.

As I was shooting, a young man with a lip ring and a S&W Sigma showed up and began shooting. He walked his targets out to 25 yards, and when he was unable to hit even the backstop, he finally brought them back in to the seven. He first blamed his poor performance on the sights, then he cursed the trigger on his pistol a few times.

Since the range was pretty much deserted, one of the older range officers limped over to provide a little instruction to the young man. The same excuses were voiced, so the RO asked to shoot the Sigma. "Yep, that trigger is pretty heavy," he said, dry firing the plastic pistol. Then the old RO placed a round in a magazine and chambered it. Weaver. Squint. X Ring. Spit.

"I usually shoot a three fifty-seven," said the young man.

I went back to my shooting. I was practicing double taps this afternoon with the Defender. The little lightweight 1911 can be a handful to shoot double taps with, especially over and over again. The slim and stubby frame does not give much purchase, and the lightweight makes for fairly significant recoil. My target looked like a deranged beaver had gnawed out the center. I managed to keep my hits in the eight ring though. That was a good enough compromise between split times and accuracy. My Defender is certainly not a range gun. It's a high powered compact self preservation device. After 150 rounds, I was ready to move to the heavier and more relaxing Government Model. What I need for defensive use is an accurate double tap, not 150 rounds.

My Colt Defender is well past the 1500 round mark now. I figure it's about time I ordered a new recoil assembly. With the exception of the grip screw issue, there have been no problems, and no failures to fire from day one. The stainless Defender rides on my hip as a favored carry gun.

Prototype Colt Defender

Photos of a prototype Colt Defender at auction show how Hartford struggled to contain the 45 round in a small, lightweight, reliable package. Thankfully, the extended slide stop with a hex screw in it, and the one screw wooden grips were abandoned.

It seems Colt thought about a blued finish and a different name for their bushingless little concealed carry pistol as well. They were stuck on the one screw grips for some reason though. This version, dubbed the Colt Compact, never made production.

The New Agent versus The Defender

Two of the finest carry pistols yet designed, in my opinion are the Colt Defender and the Colt New Agent. That's a pretty bold statement. Before I receive hate mail, let me explain that I am ruling out revolvers, which are not pistols. Let me also say that I believe the 1911 pistol is the finest fighting pistol ever designed. Quick, accurate, powerful. In a world of competing designs, almost a hundred years later, it remains the gold standard for the disciplined shooter, not the good enough gun for the lowest denominator.

When Colt finally decided to produce a true concealed carry 1911, they went whole hog with the Defender. Colt's new product was so different from their previous 1911s that they bestowed a new series designation on it, the Series 90.

The Colt Series 90 pistol is a three inch bushingless 1911 style pistol with a lightweight aluminum frame. They are designed for carry and self defense, not target practice. The Series 90 pistols have the Series 80 firing pin safety, but that is the only similarity.

The Colt Defender is not a particularly flashy pistol. It bears a stainless steel slide and a big rubber Hogue wrap around grip. The sights evolved from upright three dots to low profile swept back units. It has a three hole trigger, and a beavertail grip safety that morphed over time along with the sights. The Defender uses the Officer's ACP magazine, allowing for seven plus one capacity.

Where other three inch 1911 style pistols failed, the Colt Defender quickly gained a reputation for being a pistol reliable straight out of the box. Many shooters who had shied away from the smallest 1911 pistols, indeed shooters who had stated that any 1911 beneath Commander length would likely need professional gunsmithing to run reliably, were shown that reliability could come in small packages from Hartford.

The basic Defender formula was a good one, and the little pistol that could became the best kept secret of the 1911osphere. Typical of Colt's modern advertisement campaign, the pistol received little fanfare, and next to no mention in the gun rags. Across the internet though, buyers were raving about Colt's new product. They were buying it in droves and trading out the Good Year grips for slim slabs of wood.

Thus when Colt decided to produce a similar Series 90 pistol, one even more dedicated to concealed carry and self defense, they had their ear to the ground. The Colt New Agent debuted at the 2008 Shot Show and suddenly shooters were debating point shooting versus sighted fire for self defense again. The New Agent was similar to the venerable Defender, but with a significant twist. Conventional sights were absent. The top of the slide was as slick as Charlie Brown's head. Rather than dovetailed sights, the New Agent received a sighting trench, often termed a "gutter sight" along the top of the slide. The slide of the New Agent was blued, and the aluminum frame was black anodized. Other small differences abounded. The slim wooden grips that shooters were screwing on their Defenders came from the factory on the New Agent. The front strap had serrations. The slide was lightened in the front with a profile similar to the Browning Hi Power. The New Agent thumb safety was a GI style unit with a nubbin of a tab. The grip safety was reminiscent of the upturned grip safety found on some Commanders.

The reception for the New Agent, while initially enthusiastic, became more sedate as shooters contemplated the sighting system. Some preferred the black pistol to the stainless, and wished Colt had simply produced a blued Defender. Others decided to put sights on their New Agent. Over the course of a year, I purchased both pistols.

My New Agent stayed basically the same as it came from the factory. My Defender underwent some changes. Most notable was the addition of slim wooden grips, and the modification of the grip safety to achieve the spartan profile of an early Commander grip safety. I installed a Nowlin Speed Demon hammer on the Defender to complement the austere grip safety. Both pistols received trigger jobs and solid triggers.

Both pistols retained the polymer mainspring housings. While I routinely swap out the Colt polymer mainspring housing for steel, adding a heavier part just did not make sense on a pistol designed to be lightweight. The polymer housings are durable, and light. I kept them.

At the range, each pistol was stone cold reliable, and sufficiently accurate for self defense. Each pistol carried so easily in an OWB holster on a good gun belt that I forgot it was there. The real difference was in the sighting system.

Today, I decided to take both my Colt Defender and my Colt New Agent to the range and shoot them side by side. They have become remarkably similar pistols with the exception of the sights. I alternated between the pistols with each magazine, to prevent fatigue from creating the illusion one pistol was outperforming the other. At ten yards, I shot fifty rounds through each pistol into two targets, side by side, on the same frame.

Point shooting would have given similar results, so I used the sighting systems on each pistol. I shot by raising the pistol from low ready to the sights, squeezing off two or three shots of sighted fire, and back to low ready. After a magazine in one pistol, I moved to the other. I did not "warm up" with another pistol, and I made certain I shot when I was hungry and full of coffee, allowing hypoglycemia and caffeine to simulate an adrenaline dump.

The results were interesting. The New Agent target is on the left. It has rounds concentrated in the lower left, usually indicative of anticipating recoil. The Defender target on the right had considerably more rounds in the ten ring, but the flyers indicate I was breaking my wrist either up or down. While it wasn't my best day at the range, it is undeniable that every shot would have been center of mass. Either pistol would be a worthy sidearm in an armed confrontation. At the end of the day, when the pistols are put to their intended use, I think whether the buyer wants a blued or stainless pistol may be more important than what is on top of the slide.

Defender Trigger

I received a brown box of joy from Midway USA today, and inside was a new set of slim grip screws. I installed one in the in the vacant hole left from my last range trip. I am considering using blue LocTite on them, but I might try a bit of gasket sealant instead.

Also inside the box was a solid silver trigger from Cylinder & Slide. The Cylinder & Slide trigger has an over travel adjustment screw, and a smooth trigger face. It was, of course, oversized. Drop-in parts are a misnomer. If you want a 1911 trigger that doesn't wiggle, there is only one way to get it. The trigger must be custom fit to the frame. With a bit of flat file work, the Cylinder & Slide aluminum trigger shoe passed into the trigger guard with a bit of a push. At that point, I lubricated it with Ballistol, reassembled the pistol, and dry fired it fifty times. The result was a crisp trigger with no creep, and no wobble.

Cold Range

A frigid wind screamed across the range and gnawed right into my spine. I was shooting the Ruger MKII again. I was also putting some more lead down range with the Colt Defender and I had my Kimber Pro Carry along for the ride as a control. All of the pistols functioned 100%, and I practically had the range to myself. There were only a couple of other dedicated shooters fools out in the weather. Even the Range Officer was wearing insulated coveralls and a bomber hat.

It was really too cold to know if the Ruger was shooting to the left still, or if it was me. The wind chill sapped any ability to concentrate. Since the 45s were shooting left as well, I suspect it was me. I put about a hundred rounds through the Ruger, four magazines through the Defender and maybe two magazines through the Kimber before I was ready to retreat into the warmth of the range shack. To be honest, I don't know how the folks up North are able to train year round. I was numb.

Once I had warmed up a bit, I took the Defender to the steel plates and shot another four magazines through it. The plates were falling, the little pistol was shooting well. When I was done, I slammed a fresh magazine full of HydraShoks in the bottom, chambered a round, snicked on the safety and holstered the pistol. I dropped my hoodie over it and gathered my equipment. The conditions at the range were miserable. That was enough.

On the way home, I stopped by Wal-Mart to pick up some ammunition. I have been building up my supply for the past few weeks. Wally World was out of 45 ACP White Box in the value packs, but they still had some value packs of 9mm. I asked for a couple of them, and I placed several bulk packs of Federal 22 ammunition beside them on the counter. I noticed they had raised the price of the 22 ammunition by a dollar over the past few days.

When I got home, I removed the Ruger and Kimber from my range bag, and I unholstered the Defender. Damn. A grip screw was missing. The others were loose. I had no short grip screws for slim grips in my parts bin. I would either have to shorten one, or order some. I compared the longer screws that I had to the ones in the Defender, and the finish was different. To make it right, I would have to order parts. Cest le' vie.... I wanted a solid trigger as well. It is time.

The Colt Defender

When I first saw the Colt Defender, I wanted one. The early versions wore the upright classic Colt sights, and I was rather dubious regarding the reliability of a three inch aluminum framed 1911. I decided to wait a while and research the pistol.

Over the past couple of years, I finally made up my mind. I would have one. The rear sight had been changed to a low profile type sight. The front sight was dovetailed. Those were the good aspects. The pistol also came with fat Hogue "Good Year" wrap around grips and a duckbill grip safety. Those were definite turn offs for me.

The clincher though was the reports of fantastic reliability. The bushingless Defender was raved about by it's owners. It quickly sold off the shelves new, and I never saw one used. Those factors told me that Colt had a winner.

I almost purchased a Colt Defender in January 2008. Instead, I discovered the Colt New Agent, and I was intrigued by the gutter sighted dedicated carry gun. I decided to buy the New Agent instead. It already had slim wood grips, and it was black. I instantly fell in love with the way the lightweight Colt carried. The positive carry attributes of the New Agent confirmed that a Defender would be my next pistol.

I knew where a Colt Defender waited, and on a trip to visit a friend, I stopped on the way to purchase it. The pistol wasn't exactly what I wanted at first, but with the addition of some slim wooden grips, a Nowlin "Speed Demon" hammer, and a grip safety modified to match an early Commander grip safety, it has come damned close. I would still like a dark gun for concealed carry, but the stainless steel and aluminum components of the Colt Defender will certainly survive the hot humid Southern carry environment better than carbon steel. A seven round Wilson Combat Officer's Model magazine fits both the Defender and the New Agent. This magazine increases the capacity to eight rounds, including the one in the chamber.

At the range, the pistol is 100% reliable. From the start, I have had no failures using Federal HydraShoks, Speer Gold Dots, and 230 grain hardball. The pistol seemed to shoot a little low, but I am uncertain if that is attributable to myself or the pistol at this time. Recoil is greater than that of a Government Model, but the benefit of a light, compact pistol helps insure that the carrier straps it on their belt every day.

A used Colt Defender

Update: My Colt Defender now has over a thousand rounds down the pipe, from 230 hardball to JHP. It has been unfailingly reliable.

Accuracy has been adequate. This pistol is a carry gun, a defensive weapon, not a precision target gun. With it's short sight radius, if it scores all hits in the black, quickly at 15 yards, I am satisfied. It does, and I am.

Either due to cold or vibration, I lost one of the screws holding the cocobolo slim grips on. I installed the remaining screws and the replacement with a bit of gasket sealant to prevent them from backing out while shooting. The attenuated grip safety and Speed Demon hammer work together like a charm. I installed a Cylinder & Slide solid trigger.

The little Colt, shown here in a suede lined Ross pancake holster, carries so lightly, it is easy to forget it is on your hip until needed. The entire package makes for a weapon that is virtually invisible underneath a light jacket or sweatshirt. If a person is looking for a lightweight, concealable 1911, I have no reservations on recommending the Colt Defender.

Defender Bushings

This afternoon I took the trimmed down grip safety to a motorcycle shop for a bead blasting. It came out great, and only cost me a six pack of Bud. Bottled, of course.

I swapped out the grip screw bushings to slim grip bushings in preparation for the slim cocobolo double diamond grips. I used Permatex red threadlocker to secure them in place.

I'm considering a stainless steel mainsping housing. I do not own any 1911s other than the New agent that still have a polymer housing installed. I'm actually thinking about swapping them both. I wish a reasonably priced aluminum housing were available for the stubby Officer's Model. The decision would be easy then.

Defender Grips

I received some slim double diamond cocobolo grips from Fusion Firearms for the Colt Defender this afternoon. They are impeccably checkered, and the sheen from the finish is without flaw.

Fusion Firearms was founded in 2006 by Bob Serva. They began by offering high quality 1911 parts on ebay. Over the past two years, they have grown to now offer complete custom 1911s.

The quality of the parts offered by Fusion appear to meet a high standard. I can't vouch for the metal parts or the pistols themselves, but the grips sold by Fusion are top notch.

Now I just need the slim grip bushings and screws to put them on the Defender.

The Defender/Commander Grip Safety

I was unable to find a source for an old style "nubbin" Commander grip safety, so I decided to make my own. I found an old "duckbill" grip safety, and I trimmed the tail so the tang was the width of a standard GI style part. Next, I removed the grip safety from an early Commander that had the profile I desired.

I transferred the profile from the Commander safety to the work piece with a fine point marker. I roughed in the shape with several cuts using a cut-off wheel on my Dremel. Finally, I used a sanding wheel to give myself the finished profile, going slowly and checking the appearance frequently.

I dehorned the underside of my new grip safety, as well as the slide of the pistol. I reinstalled the safety along with a Nowlin "Speed Demon" hammer and went to test fire the pistol. The narrow Nowlin hammer combined with the wider tang of the attenuated grip safety was enough to prevent hammer bite. A trip to the local motorcycle shop with five bucks a six pack of Bud yielded a bead blasting to the part so it will match the rest of the pistol.

The Reason I Crossed the Bridge

One of the reasons I passed up Preacherman's turn-off yesterday was because I thought an old favorite gun dealer would be first on the route. I was headed his way. I had learned that there would be no gun show my hometown this year, the Police department had canceled their show, and the independent promoter of the alternative had health problems. I had money saved, and remembered a certain pistol that I had seen last year.

Hutchinson's Guns is in Tioga Louisiana, a Ma and Pa operation with little overhead and good prices. I was in the market for a pistol. Hutch was walking across his front yard as I parked in his drive, and we went into his crowded one man operation. Gun cases were stacked shoulder high, ready to be loaded into a trailer for the next show. I asked if he still had a Colt Defender.

Hutch went to a stack of blue plastic cases and deftly pulled one from the center. The pistol inside had the low profile sights, but it also had the ugly duck bill grip safety. Hutch agreed to give me the price I had seen at last year's gun show, and so, I bought the pistol.

I commonly advise people to shoot a 1911 for at least three months before they change anything. Alas, I suffer from the "fix 'em up" bug as well. Already I have a list of changes for this gun.

The Hogue wrap around Good Year grip has got to go. Slim wood panels only. Maybe checkered double diamond cocobolo.

A Nowlin "speed demon" hammer with a short, classic Commander grip safety should help concealability, comfort, and still prevent hammer bite.

The black trigger has got to go as well. Silver. Solid.

I'll likely keep the teardrop thumb safety and the polymer mainspring housing. No need adding weight to a pistol designed to be light weight. Finally, a dehorning. I may take this pistol to Clarks to get the slide melted.

So, I guess I am susceptible to the 1911 "fix 'em up" bug as well. Time to break out the parts bin......... Or get to the range with some .45ACP.

Gun Show Day Two

The doors to the gun show reopened this morning at 10 AM. I was right at the front of the line to get back inside. The crowds were out this morning. It was an orgy of gun swapping madness.

One of the more uncommon pistols up for grabs was a Mitchell Gold Series 1911. It appeared to be a very well fitted stainless gun with Bomar sights, an ambi safety, and all the modern bells & whistles, including a tapered barrel/slide lock-up. Unfortunately, the seller was wanting $700.

Another seller had a Colt Peacekeeper. That's right, Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper is a "J" Frame double action Colt, same as the Lawman MKV. It was only produced from 1985-1987. If I remember correctly, it was identical to the Lawman, except for the matte blue finish rather than polished blue. The seller was wanting $375 for it.

At one time I sought out Beretta handguns. There was something about the Italian steel that tripped my trigger back then. I still have a few handguns from Piero. On one of the tables was a Beretta Model 70 in .32ACP, priced at $225. To high, plus I no longer collect the Berettas.

Another pistol at this show, that I just keep going back to, is a Colt Defender. The bull barreled Defender has a stellar record among it's owners. It has a lightweight frame, making it much nicer for carry. This particular early example is just the one I've wanted. It has the low profile sights with a dovetailed front sight, an extended thumb safety, along with a fitted beavertail. It is new with a $749 tag. I would have to do very little to this pistol.......replace the grips, I despise those Hogue wraparounds, and give it a trigger job. Hmmmmmmmmmm....

The one gun that can almost be a standard for judging prices for other guns on a seller's table is the Springfield GI45. If the GI45 prices are fair, it's a good day in gunland. If they are high, expect all the other new gun prices to be high as well. The parkerized Springfield GI 45 Government Models were falling between $425 and $445 today.

Surprisingly, I am still seeing new Colt 1911s below the national price average. A new in box Colt Commander in blue with rosewood grips is selling for $649 at today's show. A stainless Government Model is $710 today. It is as though the Colt price hike of last year never occurred with this particular dealer. Maybe I ought to just go ahead and get one more....

A more interesting 1911 was a Seecamp/Colt Commander. This is a double action cross breed 1911 from the mind of Larry Seecamp. This particular example was an actual Seecamp gun. It has a ramp front sight with an orange insert, a S&W rear sight, the hooked triggerguard, and of course, that bizarre DA frame. The finish was good, even down to red painted areas on the sides of the grip safety. The seller wanted $1100, and he would not budge.

I began to watch the floor walkers. I looked at one fellow's Smith & Wesson revolver, a Model 28 chambered in .44 special. That was interesting.....He was wanting $450 because it was so rare. I let him keep it. Later, a dealer who knows I have a taste for S&W wheelies flagged me over. He had bought the walker's Model 28, tagged it rare, and placed a $600 tag on it. I looked the revolver over, noted that the barrel rollmarks were not centered, and handed it back. I agreed, it's a rare gun. Probably one of a kind. Much to rare for my stable of common wheelies. I expect to see that Bubba special on that seller's table for a few years now.

I kept watching people, eyeballing them for the tell tale ziptied orange tagged private sale gun. Then, at last, near the door, I spotted my private seller. He was carrying a big wheelie with a short barrel. As he left the zip tying table, I called him over with a "Whatcha got there Buddy?" I began to salivate as he revealed a Model 27-2 with a three and a half inch barrel. It had a turn ring, but was otherwise pristine. The ramp sight had a dab of orange painted on it. The gun was pinned and recessed. I inquired as to the price. $400. "Will you take $350" I asked. No way. I handed the gun back, and let the seller walk away. Then I thought better of it. The price was fair. Very fair, actually. I caught back up to the seller, asked to see his revolver again, and did a quick Jim March Revolver Checkout. It was good. I broke out four Franklins, and stuffed my new N frame in my belt.

A hard rain began pounding the roof of the auditorium, so I continued to wander and socialize. The water kept falling, and my belly began to growl, so I finally zipped my jacket over the Smith in my belt, and puddle jumped to my car.