COLT DEFENDER -

[Pawl]

Yesterday when i was picking up my PX4, a COLT DEFENDER caught my attention, I never really liked the 1911 posture but this mini me 1911 looks really nice and feels really good in my hands.
So I did some research and the most common problem is the ejection of the shell going straight to your face and that's pretty much it.. a good gunsmith can fix this so im not really worried about it.

But some say that the 1911 pistols with 3 inch barrels don't work and should be avoided.. couple of horror stories . . . they are referring to 3" 1911 in general..

I haven't found any solid review on this specific gun. because most of them are hi jack with kimber's so its confusing.

Any thoughts on the COLT DEFENDER 45?


please can we focus on the defender only and not other 3" 1911..
no im not interested on the kimber... no offense.




Thanks

[stormvet]

No first hand experience with a 9mm defender. But it is commen knowledge that the more changes to the original 1911 design you make the more potential problems you can have. And a 3 inch 9mm is a big departure from the norm. That said you could still get a very good gun, there are just more of a chance that you will get a finicky problem gun then if you bought something designed from the ground up to be a 3 inch 9mm. I have owned three different 3 inch 1911s in .45, two run great, one did not. My buddy has a three inch S.A. 9mm it has great fit and finish but is ammo picky.
I think that pretty much is the norm for a three 1911, two out of four run great, one is so-so and one is a dog.
Sorry I could not be more helpful on the one you are looking at, but I think the hit or miss of 3 inch 1911s is true of all makes.

[bcj128]

I carried a Defender in .45 for a few years. 100% relaible, but sold it when I needed cash. Colts tend to be the best of these type guns.

[dachan]

The Defender and New Agent replaced the Officers line. I have two Officers and the Defender in 45acp. All have functioned flawlessly. I had a New Agent but never fired it despite taking it to the range 3 times. Each time I sighted through the trench sites, I said this is not for me. There was a recall on the Defender when it first came out, but that was before the 9mm version was available.

[DuneShoot]

Did you see a 9 or 45 at your gun shop?

Isn't the defender 9mm off roster?

[InGrAM]

If you want it, buy it. Is all I can say.

I always wanted one in 9mm but other things came up along the way.

3" 1911s are known to be more finiky than full sized and even commander length models but I have read and heard great things about the Colt's Defender line.

Good luck.

[jimmythebrain]

I have had the Colt Defender in 45 ACP for about 5-6 years. Initially it flicked brass right back in my forehead, just needed the extractor tuned. Now it runs 100%. Works great with ball ammo and hollow points. It will even cycle snake shot "shotshell" from CCI that my full size 1911's will not cycle through without jamming.

My Defender is on my Conceal/Carry permit and runs perfect with wide mouth hollow point ammo. I would buy another is a heartbeat if this unit was lost or stolen.