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earle8888
03-18-2011, 01:58 PM
I have been fondling a new Colt Lt Wt. New 'agent with XS sites. Very similar in size to the PM45, BUT, thinner! Feels great anybody haver any experience?

CJB
03-18-2011, 11:09 PM
I've got some indirect experience...

I never went to "gunsmithing school". I'm the result of an engineering background, with tool making experience, and worked professionally as a gunsmith for about a dozen years, only giving it up when my day job finally got moving into high gear. This year I've built up four 1911's from the frame up, and rebarreled four others.

Only saying all that because, in that time, I've worked on, rebuilt, modified, repaired, and refinished a whole lot of 1991's, and short 1911's can be a real finicky situation when they decide to get a mind of their own. When I built up bullseye guns, we worried a lot about how they'd function with ultra low power reloads. On the shorty 1911's its a whole different set of situations going on. Whereas on a Government model, or Commander, the shooter would maybe change the recoil spring once in a great while - like years or decades, you cant get away with that on an Officer's or Agent length. Especially the Agent. You have to watch your magazines like a hawk. Everything is moving faster, and you need strong magazine springs to get the round up and ready to go into battery, in a much shorter time. Extractors are finicky, since now they are expected to do the same job with greater extraction force, and in a quicker time period. Ejector noses are finicky. They have to kick the case "just so", and the case is moving faster and being extracted perhaps in a slightly different way.

The shorter the 1911, the more you have to stay on top of it.

FWIW, I really don't like anything shorter than an Officer's model. Getting into that 3" range.... it just gets dicey. Lots of folks have "almost no" issues with Agents, but I'm not sure if they go out and fire 200 rounds with zero issues. Just sayin!

On the other hand, its a great package. I like the sightless version. No complaints on that. They're still bigger and heavier than the PM45, but if you gotta have a 1911 type pistol... and are willing to keep it tuned (mostly just change the recoil and magazine springs every 1k rounds or so), then it might just suit you.

I've got sitting here - two guns I've got to test. One built up, one rebarreled. First a stainless Officer's, the other my own Springfield "Compact 45", and both a little longer than the Agent. Even so, I'm wondering how they're going to work on their initial firing, and what I'm gonna have to tweak in order to get them reliable. Thats the way it goes with shorty 1911's.

earle8888
03-19-2011, 01:27 PM
CJB==Thanks for the info. Mechanical Engineer here, once upon a time I had a small shop in my basement. Used to make screws and such for Cleveland Custom Guns, on the old dbl rifles etc. I had been carrying a Officer;s double eagle for many years, I understand the timing, the stainless dbl eagle is very very heavy! The spec's Ive seen shop the new agent slimmer than the PM45 and a silly ounce lighter, they are 80/90 series, SA only. I will probably go with PM-45 it is hundreds cheaper!!!!
FWIW- I have had great success using 3.5 gr. BY and 230 RN lead, in all 1911's I have tried. Works with hard ball or wad cutters in the Gold cup with the HB spring set. Works great in my P45.

O'Dell
03-19-2011, 03:17 PM
My BS is EE, not that that has anything to do with guns. Anyway, I've been researching 3" 1911's to replace the 3.5" SA Ultra Compact that was stolen. I only had that Springfield about a month, but it handled 200 + rounds with no issues. I've pretty much got it narrowed down to a SA Micro Compact and a Colt Defender, a close relative of the New Agent. I don't think I could handle the trench sights on the NA. The Kimber Ultra Carry II is cheaper than the Springfield or Colt, but I've heard too many horror stories about that gun including two from friends.

I will probable get the Colt, because it has the rep of being the most reliable of the 3" 1911's, but I'm not really afraid of the Springfield if I can find a "deal".

CJB
03-19-2011, 03:54 PM
The spec's Ive seen shop the new agent slimmer than the PM45 and a silly ounce lighter, they are 80/90 series, SA only. I will probably go with PM-45 it is hundreds cheaper!!!!

Well, I can tell ya, the PM is a shorter gun. The NA and Officers and Defender are taller, longer gripped, and the grip is the part hardest to conceal. Length wise, the PM is slightly shorter as well. Can't say for the weight, as my Officers is all steel.

Sometimes, engineering and gunsmithing is more like reverse-engineering and gunsmithing. As in "why in the @#$@#$ did they do THAT?". The most fun I had was learning to fit the old Colt DA revolvers from scratch. Those were the frames on which the Python was made (was that the I frame?, I forget). A little here effects a little there, which effects more over there and... it turns into a very nice case study of mechanical threads.

earle8888
03-19-2011, 07:10 PM
O'Dell I guess you joined with CJB and myself Engineer's are Engineer's and guns are guns.
Also, ;the new Agent I'm looking at has the XS sight system. That is the BIG dot front and Vee rear with white line. Seems to point really well. Yes this one of 1000 Colt shipped with the sighting system. Little over $1k, Think the no-sight one with a CTL might be the ticket for concealed carry!

CJB
03-19-2011, 07:13 PM
Ouch.... a grand.

I layed my PM45 over my Officers. Hard to do a real comparison just by eyeballing, but it seems like between 3/8 and 1/2 inch taller on the Colt, and more than 1/2 inch longer that barrel length alone would suggest.

earle8888
03-19-2011, 07:22 PM
:) FYI for comparison

spec's New Agent:
Specifications

Model 0781OD
Weight: 1 pound 2 ounces PM45=17.5
Overall Length: 5.72" =5.67
Barrel length: 3" =3.14"
Width of slide: .910" =1.01"
Width of grip (including stocks at magazine well): 1.135"
Trigger pull: 4 pounds
Magazine capacity (.45 Automatic): 7 rounds PM45=5
Twist: 1 turn in 16 inches.

Really, really close. I like the Polygon better, I like the DA only better 4 CC, like the Kahr price.

O'Dell
03-20-2011, 10:07 AM
O'Dell I guess you joined with CJB and myself Engineer's are Engineer's and guns are guns.
Also, ;the new Agent I'm looking at has the XS sight system. That is the BIG dot front and Vee rear with white line. Seems to point really well. Yes this one of 1000 Colt shipped with the sighting system. Little over $1k, Think the no-sight one with a CTL might be the ticket for concealed carry!

Really? I've never seen a NA with sights. The dimensions are different too. The ones I've seen are the same size as Defenders with different grips and sights and are blued instead of stainless. We're discussing a different gun. I'd like to see one of those.

gb6491
03-20-2011, 11:28 AM
Ouch.... a grand.

I layed my PM45 over my Officers. Hard to do a real comparison just by eyeballing, but it seems like between 3/8 and 1/2 inch taller on the Colt, and more than 1/2 inch longer that barrel length alone would suggest.
Yep, the Officer's ACP is closer in size to the CW/P 45 platform:
http://i56.tinypic.com/xnribm.jpg

Really? I've never seen a NA with sights. The dimensions are different too. The ones I've seen are the same size as Defenders with different grips and sights and are blued instead of stainless. We're discussing a different gun. I'd like to see one of those.
The XS sighted New Agents are a TALO Distributors edition.
http://forum.1911forum.com/showpost.php?p=3058405&postcount=5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MENSxjp67NA
Regards,
Greg

O'Dell
03-20-2011, 02:02 PM
Yep, the Officer's ACP is closer in size to the CW/P 45 platform:
http://i56.tinypic.com/xnribm.jpg

The XS sighted New Agents are a TALO Distributors edition.
http://forum.1911forum.com/showpost.php?p=3058405&postcount=5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MENSxjp67NA
Regards,
Greg

Interesting, but that picture looked like a regular NA with sights. If so it's quite a bit larger than the PM45 and probably heavier too. I'm about to buy a Defender or Night Defender and I know it's larger and heavier than my stolen PM45.

gb6491
03-20-2011, 02:32 PM
Interesting, but that picture looked like a regular NA with sights. If so it's quite a bit larger than the PM45 and probably heavier too. I'm about to buy a Defender or Night Defender and I know it's larger and heavier than my stolen PM45.
That's pretty much it; a regular NA with sights (minus the trench). Model numbers are O7810D for the New Agent and O7810DXS for the XS sights model.
Regards,
Greg

earle8888
03-20-2011, 02:36 PM
gb6491 Thanks for the hyper links.