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.

Sighted New Agent

Ever wonder what the Colt New Agent would look like with sights? When an owner loved the pistol but didn't get along with the gutter sight, he had Lew Bonitz of Grizzly Custom Guns fill the trench with rolled steel. Next, the slide was cut for low profile Novak sights. Enjoy.

New Agent New Trigger

I put a solid trigger into the Colt New Agent today, performed a detail strip and a trigger job on it. I just prefer the look of the solid trigger. The three hole trigger doesn't do much for me, and it's a lint trap.

This pistol is still running 100%.

Colt New Agent: Range Report

In the Summer of 2007, Colt released a pistol to little fanfare. It was a pistol designed to take Kimber's Ultra RCP and smack it down to the CCW mat. For a while, I had secretly lusted over Kimber's dedicated concealed carry pistol, but I never could get past the Series II thing. Now, I didn't have to.

It took me several days to decide to purchase Colt's dedicated carry gun, even after I had found a nicely priced example at a gun show. When I finally realized the price was the same as a used Lightweight Commander, I broke down and purchased my first new gun in several years.

The Colt New Agent is an Officer's ACP sized pistol with an aluminum alloy frame. The barrel length is three inches, and it carries 7+1 rounds of 45ACP. The pistol has a blued slide atop an anodized frame. The black color is all business. The grips are slim grips, with a double diamond pattern that is pressed rather than sharply cut. The thumb safety is the same little nub as was present on the M1911. The mainspring housing is plastic and the frontstrap is serrated. The New Agent is a Series 90 pistol, incorporating Colt's patented firing pin safety. It comes with two magazines.

What makes the pistol unique in Colt's line-up is the sights. The New Agent lacks conventional sights, relying on a 2mm channel cut along the top of the slide. The idea behind the "gutter sight" is a snag free, quick to acquire sighting system. The trough is not meant for accuracy so much as it is meant for speed.

Once I had my New Agent home, I cleaned and properly lubricated it. Then I spent some time dry firing and trying to get used to the sighting system. The trigger was crisp and about four pounds. There was no creep, and no overtravel screw to adjust. For a defensive weapon, the lack of that trigger overtravel screw is a blessing.

I gathered up some ammunition, stuffed my Colt Compact in my holster, and took the New Agent to the range. I planned to shoot a variety of hardball, along with some Gold Dots and HydraShoks. I brought my Colt Compact along for comparison.

I started off with my usual drill, making certain the light weight Colt, even though new, was safe to fire. After a few single shots, I progressed up to a full magazine. then I tried to make the pistol jam. I limp wristed it. I fired it sideways, upside down. I let my thumb ride the slide. The New Agent was boringly reliable. The modified Colt Compact had a definite edge on shooting comfort though. The Ed Brown grip safety, the polished frame, and the additional weight all combined to make the Colt Compact a relative pleasure to shoot and the New Agent a handful by comparison.

In addition, the Teflon coated Colt Compact was quicker out of the holster. I was using a hand made IWB holster similar to a Summer Special. I swapped over to a Don Hume JIT, and I experienced the same results. Perhaps as the New Agent is used a while, it will rival the Compact in ease of presentation. Time will tell.

The Colt Compact also ate the New Agent's lunch on accuracy, not surprising since it has sights. The New Agent did not come to sights for me quicker than the Compact. If anything, the sighted pistol had the edge in speed. Perhaps that was due to my unfamiliarity with the gutter sight, but those were my results. On the Colt Compact I have a Ted Yost retro rear sight paired with the stock Colt front sight. I had a dentist friend press some gold filling stuff in the recess of the Compact's front sight. The result is an accurate pistol with quick sights. Plus, I'm used to it. The lack of contrast in the gutter sight was detrimental. Perhaps I will paint the channel red white.

I continued to blast lead down range with the New Colt. The pistol seemed to be grouping low and to the left for me. I wondered what could be causing that, and then I noticed my finger placement on the trigger. I was over reaching the trigger, and shoving the muzzle over with the trigger stroke. Once I corrected my finger placement, the gun got in the black. I wondered, though, why that had happened. Then I realized.....The slim grips had changed the profile of the gun, as well as my grip on it. The screws and bushings were too short to try alternatives. I adjusted my grip, and the problem evaporated.

The New Agent had shot 300 rounds without a failure, so I loaded the magazine with HydraShoks, charged the chamber, locked the hammer, and put the pistol in my holster. My jacket draped over it, concealing it completely. I loaded my gear back in my range bag and went on about my day. I thought about going back to the gun show, but I had shopping and chores to do. I went to Wal-Mart and the hardware store, and then I continued about my business at home. I forgot the New Agent was on my hip. In the Don Hume JIT, on a good gun belt at 4:00, it carried that well. No, the unprotected thumb safety did not disengage. It is my hope that the pistol will slick up some coming out of the holster. I also hope that highlighting the gutter sight with paint will have a positive effect. If so, the Colt New Agent will be a welcome addition to my choices for carry.

Update
The New Agent passed my carry gun qualification test......500 rounds with no failures, 100 of which are carry ammunition, and it has earned a place on my hip. It carries like a dream. In a OWB holster supported by a gun belt from The Belt Man, I forget the pistol is even there. It is still chilly out, and I frequently use a sweatshirt as a cover garment. The pistol carries just as well underneath a sportscoat. These are my two preferred modes of carry.

When it warms up, I may swap back to my old Model 38 slid inside a Uncle Mikes #3 and stuffed into the front pocket of my khakis. For now though, having 6+1 rounds of 45ACP on tap if needed gives me an extra pocket, and I can't tell the difference in the effort it takes to pack it.

More on the Colt New Agent

New Agent recoil springs from Wolff

Gun Show....A Warm Welcome

Just before lunch today, I went back to the gun show. I was still rather ambivalent regarding the Colt New Agent, even though my wife had blessed the purchase over our morning coffee. Among the walkers was a young man with a High Standard Citation. I asked what he wanted. He said he really wanted a trade, but he would take $350-400. I looked the .22 pistol over, and almost reached for my wallet. I refrained. I told him he could surely get that. Another walker had a pinned S&W Model 10 heavy barrel with a thin finish and Good Year grips. He was asking $200. That one was tempting too.

As I leaned against the wall by the door, watching the flow into the show, I wondered why there were so many kooks in camouflage walking around. Army field jackets in woodland camo, field caps in camo, and T shirts in camo. Didn't anybody's eyes point the same direction? Does everyone put chunks of water hose in their earlobes? The gates of camo hell must have opened and puked out a thousand simian freaks for this show. The women came in two basic styles. The group over 40 was rather demure and normal, trailing behind their oil cloth hatted man with aloof disinterest. The younger female group universally wore stiletto heeled boots and maroon lipstick on top of face paint so thick you could carve your name in it with a stick. Morticia Adams would have been proud. Gun shows attract the media. Indeed, there was a news crew filming this afternoon. Its good to try to not look like the yokel who just had a twister tear up his trailer with granny inside.

I was perhaps one of the few people glad to see the flow of young black men into the show. They were eyed suspiciously by many, even though they were as well behaved as any man their age. I noticed that when one black man was denied on NICS with a seller, he managed to buy a handgun going through NICS with another seller later in the day. Funny, that. I was satisfied to spot no less than three attorneys, one instantly recognizable in his bow tie and shock of grey hair. I also saw four surgeons, three physicians, and several nurses I knew. I was amused to discover the priest in charge of my daughter's parochial school fondling evil black rifles.

Among the greasy Mausers on one dealer's table was a well worn C serialed M&P with buggered up screws and transitional grips. The muzzle looked as though it had kissed concrete at least once. The seller said it was his personal carry gun, and he would come down from $250 to $200 for cash. Another dealer had just placed out a beater Model 10 snubbie. The finish looked like it took a beach vacation several years back. It did lock up tight. The seller had it marked $225. I asked if he would take $200. He refused. A year or so ago I purchased two Model 10 snubbies in excellent condition for under two hundred a piece. Prices have escalated.

Along the back wall, an old gentleman selling knives had put out a blued Colt Commander. I asked if I could examine it. He nodded. "It's a Lightweight, made in 1957" he said proudly as I picked it up.

"It certainly is," I responded. The slide had been refinished at least once. It was all original, obviously well loved and carried. I inquired as to the take home figure. $850........Wow. That jiggled my cerebral cortex. I handed the pistol back to the old gent, and I crossed the arena to the table holding the New Agent. I motioned the dealer over and I asked for his best price. He dropped ten bucks off the sticker price. Good enough. I told him he had a deal, and I went behind his table to complete the paperwork and exchange with his wife. Ten minutes later, the New Agent was mine.

I continued through the show, carrying the blue plastic Colt box. I had several people ask me if I wanted to sell. Then, suddenly, the old gent with the Lightweight Commander tapped my shoulder. "What did you buy?" he asked.

"Just a little lightweight carry gun" I replied as I opened the box to show him. I have to admit I was a little self satisfied. I would have purchased his Lightweight Commander, had the price been agreeable, and it felt good to show him I could have.

"You got a steal son. Welcome to the World of Colt," the old man beamed. As an owner of over twenty Colt handguns, I resisted my inclination towards a smart assed retort.

Instead, I looked the old codger in the eye and said "Thank you."

Gun Show Day One

I showed up at the gun show as the doors opened, and paid my six bucks to go inside. Within minutes, I ran into Cussin' Bob. It was good to see the old cuss again. It has been a while. We caught up on the gossip, and I found out the Debate Society had finally consumed the hog. I need to get back out there again, I really do.

As I wandered the show, I did not see much that interested me, at least not among the old guns. I did see one Ruger MKI Target for $349. I saw a Browning .22 Challenger pistol for around $350 as well. I passed on both. Apparently Kimber is putting out some gilded bling stuff. Pretty neat for $1100. Kimber also apparently had some kind of SIS pistol going on......I don't know what that's about, but the SIS slide serrations are kind of silly if you ask me.

I found a used Wilson Combat Supergrade Commander with a hopeful $2900 tag on it's triggerguard. About the time I picked up the Wilson pistol, I overheard a dealer tell a customer "I'm gonna tell you sumpting. You don't know what you're talkin' about! Ron Paul will sell us all up the river. He wants to pull out of Iraq and we will lose there just like in Vietnam!" I paid my money to browse guns, not listen to third rate political commentary. I put the Wilson down and moved on.

Along the South wall was a fellow from Arkansas who was selling GI 1911s along with some pretty sad looking S&W M1917s. He had a couple of .22 chambered Sistemas. Those were pretty cool, I asked what he wanted for them........A modest $500......each. I asked what his M1911s go for...Anywhere from $2300 to $5600. Wow. I asked when he last sold one, and he quickly asked me if I had any to sell. "No," I responded, "but I'll keep you in mind if I find any." The area started to smell vaguely like a piss filled diaper. I looked around for any tricycle motors that might be irrigating the place, but none were nearby. I decided to move on.

Another dealer had a refinished Colt M1911 on their table for $1350. That was interesting. It had been badly buffed. It was the only reasonably priced GI gun I saw though. Another seller had a box of Beretta 92s and 96s going for $329 a piece. Your choice. They looked to be police trade ins. Finally, I came upon the pistol I drove through the sleet for. Right beside a Gold Cup Trophy (priced at $929) was a Colt New Agent. The dealer had a price of $795 on it. I had the money. A local dealer has the same pistol for $150 more. It certainly seemed to be a good deal. I have a thing about buying new, though....There is depreciation, and I'd like someone else to eat that. Still I remember when the Colt Gunsite Pistol was on the market. I waited, having decided to purchase one when it became available used. I have seen no Colt GSP, none, nada, zippo, on the used market. The pistol has steadfastly held it's value and simply does not come up for sale used.

This New Agent is the same type of gun, I think. Still, I know the lack of conventional sight will turn off many buyers. I called the dealer over and offered $750. He thumbed through a spiral notebook a bit and then told me he couldn't do that, as it would only net him $18 on the pistol. I figured that was fair enough. I decided to think on it a while. I continued to wander the show, and then I overheard a dealer tell an AR customer "Colt doesn't even make M-16s for the military anymore." The customer, holding a Colt AR, seemed unimpressed. He knew bullshit when he heard it. I decided it was time to leave and reflect on this New Agent a bit..........

Colt New Agent

The Colt New Agent. A gutter sight, a mil-spec thumb safety, and a lightweight aluminum frame. A dedicated concealed carry gun from Hartford.

I really don't need this pistol, but the more I read about it, the more interesting it becomes. It seems Colt is making pistols that apply to the real world. I saw one in a local store new for $950. I passed. There is a gun show coming up.......Maybe this is what I will find at a decent price.