What's the difference between these and regular colt 1911's? I have owned many 1911s but i have my heart set on colts.
-
ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info
School me on colt defenders
- Thread starter timbgtm
- Start date
Still a Colt 1911. It's sort of a "modernized" Colt Officers model if you are familiar with those - a little shorter barrel, aluminum frame and much better sights. Great pistol!
So is it basically a modern series 80?
And ive noticed they don't sail like the others, tend to stick around longer.
It is a series 80. I like the pistols myself, but I think the market is shrinking for a compact 6 or 7 round single action pistols in .45 ACP. Weight and capacity seems to take precedence for a lot of people.
The Defender, as stated above, is slightly shorter than an Officer’s Model, which is a chopped 1911. The Government Model has a 5 inch barrel, the Commander has a 4 and 1/4 inch barrel, the Officer’s model has a 3 and 1/2 inch barrel and a shortened frame, and the Defender couples a 3 inch barrel with the shorter frame (almost always an alloy frame).
I recently bought a Smith and Wesson Pro Series in the same configuration as the Defender. The big selling points for me were the external extractor (not a big deal, but I’m more comfortable with that setup if I need to fix it myself), and the warranty (not that I think I’ll need it, but all other things considered, why not). I also am uninterested in a 1911 in any caliber other than .45 ACP. A full sized 1911 in 9mm is a joy to shoot, but I’m old enough now to be that kind of guy about it. I also will not give a person a hard time about owning a 1911 in whatever caliber they choose.
They’re small and heavyish, even with the alloy frame. They’re also harder on the recoil spring, with a change needed more frequently. I don’t mind either of those things. It holds 7 rounds in the mag, and while that’s 3 less than my similarly-sized Glock 30, a couple extra mags make up most of the difference.
If you like a 1911, you’ll like the Defender, assuming the smaller size is what you’re looking for.
I recently bought a Smith and Wesson Pro Series in the same configuration as the Defender. The big selling points for me were the external extractor (not a big deal, but I’m more comfortable with that setup if I need to fix it myself), and the warranty (not that I think I’ll need it, but all other things considered, why not). I also am uninterested in a 1911 in any caliber other than .45 ACP. A full sized 1911 in 9mm is a joy to shoot, but I’m old enough now to be that kind of guy about it. I also will not give a person a hard time about owning a 1911 in whatever caliber they choose.
They’re small and heavyish, even with the alloy frame. They’re also harder on the recoil spring, with a change needed more frequently. I don’t mind either of those things. It holds 7 rounds in the mag, and while that’s 3 less than my similarly-sized Glock 30, a couple extra mags make up most of the difference.
If you like a 1911, you’ll like the Defender, assuming the smaller size is what you’re looking for.
They're heavy, all metal pistols. Poor candidates for sailing to begin with.
Depends on the boat size!
