Picked up a Defender today

[AZAndy]

Been wanting one of these for years. If the weather cooperates, I'll shoot it tomorrow on the way home from work.



.45ACP, 3" barrel. Trigger measures 4.25 lbs. Not crazy about the grip, but the front isn't checkered, so something's gotta be there so it doesn't get all slippy-slidy. If only the medallion were less gaudy! I found it in my favorite revolver haunt, oddly enough.

I have a Sig 1911 that's about the same size, so maybe I can do a Sig vs Colt range report this weekend.

[Marlene]

Good find!

[Bisbee]

Certainly is purty.

[FlyGuy]

Love them Colts!

[highdesert]

A baby 1911, congrats. Happy shooting!

[Mustang]

Nice!

Reminds me of the Detonics Combat Master of yesteryear. All of these ultra-compact 1911's owe a certain debt of gratitude to that iconic pistol.

[VodoundaVinci]

Yum. Cut down Colt 1911 pistols are awesome...back in the day I bought my Wife a Walther PPK/S in .380 for her birthday. Stainless steel - precision fit and finish. She loved it till we shot it and she shot it well *but* she didn't think a .380 would work for her in the '80's. I asked what she wanted and she wanted a smaller version of a Colt Government in .45 ACP she had shot at a friends house. So I sold the PPK/S and bought a Colt Officers ACP.

She shot it well until old age, cancer, and arthritis made the recoil too much for her and then she downsized to a 1911 variant - a Sig Sauer P238 in .380. Same cocked and locked functionality in a pistol she can manage. We still have the Officers ACP and despite Internet opinions to the contrary it has never once had an issue with any ammunition.

She still fondles it and we shot it a few weeks ago but it beats both of us up. Some lucky Nephew or Niece will be gifted a fantastic pistol in the future.

VooDoo

[AZAndy]

We still have the Officers ACP and despite Internet opinions to the contrary it has never once had an issue with any ammunition.

I have a Colt Compact, which is a cheaper version of the Officer-- it has not-great sights, plastic trigger, and plastic mainspring housing-- and it has never malfunctioned in any way. Shooting the heck out of it showed me that all the talk about small 1911s having timing problems was bogus. As long as they're made right, they run just fine. They do wear out recoil springs faster than the big boys, but that's why Wolff is there.

[Uplander]

That is an excellent handgun. Enjoy!

[Buck13]

Heh. I had the names mixed up and expected one of these in this thread:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP-45_Liberator

Defender; Liberator...not quite the same thing!

[tommythedrummer]

Love my Defender......except for the minor issue of getting spent brass bounced off my face! Seems to be better with a big load. Still love it

[shinzen]

I do like the old ponies. I don't like the prices that they command, but I do like them.