I've turned the corner on this troublesome Colt Agent

[sigp220.45]

I've posted about this little Colt before. I got it as a bag of parts for 80 or 90 bucks at a police supply place. It had been a range gun at a local Sheriff's Office, but the mainspring broke and it sat in a bag for 20 years.

I replaced the mainspring, but learned the #1 lesson of Coltography - if you fix one thing, you have broken something else.

I finally admitted defeat. I put it away, but then remembered I have access to a unique institution - The Colorado School Of Trades. Its like barber college, but for guns.

I dropped it off and forgot about it for several months. Then they called and said come get your gun.

It works great now.

These things were made in the 80s, supposedly during some labor difficulties at Colt that required the old guys doing finishing to stay home and watch Luke and Laura on General Hospital. Hence, the un-Colt-like finish.

It shoots like a champ, though. It is an alloy frame, nice and light. Action is typical Colt DS. I think all the cost-cutting was on the outside.

I don't normally like Pachmayr grips, with the exception of the Compacs. They feel great.

I tried it with standard velocity 158 grain stuff and it shot high for some reason. I have a stash of these that followed me into retirement. The +P+ designation will give some folks a case of the vapors, but 147 grains at 925 fps isn't exactly .38/44 territory, so I don't worry about it. These things shot right to the point of aim at 15 yards, so this is what it gets.

I've been carrying it since it was fixed, in a Galco Stow n Go, no belt, Homer Simpson T shirt, Aloha shirt overgarment. Works great.

I don't know why it has the two-tone look. Most of the others I've seen have a uniformly ugly appearance. I have a partial can of Brownell's Alumahyde lurking in the garage. This old boy will never be a collector's item, so I may try to even out the finish. Or I may just leave it as is.

Anyone else have one of these ugly-on-purpose Colts?

 

[les.b]

I have two Agents, but neither has the phosphate, or whatever it is finish. I sometimes carry the shrouded barrel version. They both have the short walnut stocks, and I use them with a Tyler T Grip.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Buford57]

I had one in the 80s. Carried it as a BUG in an ankle holster. It worked right.
After I inherited a 1950s-era Cobra I sold the Agent to a rookie.

 

[KEN L]

I have one in the exact configuration as yours. I seem to recall, that when these were built in the 80's, the fit & finish was a cost cutting measure to help improve sales or make them more affordable. Not the best decision, but one that created yet another collector's version of the D frame guns. The picture below is not my gun, but shows the type of grips they typically came with. I've also seen them with checkered grips too, so apparently they were using whatever they had on hand to complete them. Found mine in a pawn shop for the princely sum of $350. Not really a Colt guy, though I have several, but couldn't pass it up at that price.

 

[one eye joe]

I have two Agents, but neither has the phosphate, or whatever it is finish. I sometimes carry the shrouded barrel version. They both have the short walnut stocks, and I use them with a Tyler T Grip.

Best Regards, Les

WOW----THOSE ARE 2 GREAT LOOKING COLTS.......

 

[one eye joe]

I've posted about this little Colt before. I got it as a bag of parts for 80 or 90 bucks at a police supply place. It had been a range gun at a local Sheriff's Office, but the mainspring broke and it sat in a bag for 20 years.

I replaced the mainspring, but learned the #1 lesson of Coltography - if you fix one thing, you have broken something else.

I finally admitted defeat. I put it away, but then remembered I have access to a unique institution - The Colorado School Of Trades. Its like barber college, but for guns.

I dropped it off and forgot about it for several months. Then they called and said come get your gun.

It works great now.

These things were made in the 80s, supposedly during some labor difficulties at Colt that required the old guys doing finishing to stay home and watch Luke and Laura on General Hospital. Hence, the un-Colt-like finish.

It shoots like a champ, though. It is an alloy frame, nice and light. Action is typical Colt DS. I think all the cost-cutting was on the outside.

I don't normally like Pachmayr grips, with the exception of the Compacs. They feel great.

I tried it with standard velocity 158 grain stuff and it shot high for some reason. I have a stash of these that followed me into retirement. The +P+ designation will give some folks a case of the vapors, but 147 grains at 925 fps isn't exactly .38/44 territory, so I don't worry about it. These things shot right to the point of aim at 15 yards, so this is what it gets.

I've been carrying it since it was fixed, in a Galco Stow n Go, no belt, Homer Simpson T shirt, Aloha shirt overgarment. Works great.

I don't know why it has the two-tone look. Most of the others I've seen have a uniformly ugly appearance. I have a partial can of Brownell's Alumahyde lurking in the garage. This old boy will never be a collector's item, so I may try to even out the finish. Or I may just leave it as is.

Anyone else have one of these ugly-on-purpose Colts?

THAT'S A WONDERFUL RESCUE STORY. I WOULD TRY THE ALUMAHYDE, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON---JUST TO USE UP AND GET RID OF THE CAN......

 

[Texas Star]

What's that crack or scar on the topstrap in the OP gun?

Remember, Colt said:

1,000 rounds of Plus P in Agent and Cobra guns, and 3,000 in steel frames. Then, send them to Colt for examination.

This doesn't include any std. pressure ammo fired.

I don't recall any specific round count being provided for Ruger or S&W J-frame guns, but that may be a useful guideline for those, too.

I think the Ruger will take the highest round count before loosening up or otherwise needing repairs. But S&W's Rated for Plus P (M-60-4-on) should hold up well, too, if you don't use Plus P for routine "range ammo."

 

[Watchdog]

So it shoots to point of aim with the Federal stuff now, and carries nicely in the holster you use, right? So it does what it's supposed to do. You didn't buy the guy to win any beauty contests with it, and for me, the strangeness of its finish is part of its appeal. I wouldn't make any attempts to "even out the finish", but that's just me.

As a rule, I don't like rubber grips of any kind...I guess because they don't seem traditional (for lack of a better word) to me...but in this case, I can't really fault their use on this gun.

Kudos to you for rescuing the gun.

 

[rwt1405]

Maybe it's just me, but I really like the look of that revolver, the way it is.

When I look at it, I feel like it has a story to tell me, and believe me, I want to hear it!

I only have a few Colt revolvers, 2 of which are Detective Specials (mine are in 3"), but I can tell you that I would happily add that beauty (just the way she is) to my collection!

Glad to see it came out so well!

 

[sigp220.45]

What's that crack or scar on the topstrap in the OP gun?

Its actually a small step down from that part of the frame to the next. Maybe it was supposed to be polished out on other models and they didn't bother on this one.

The same thing is on the ones I've seen online (2nd photo).

 

[Texas Star]

Its actually a small step down from that part of the frame to the next. Maybe it was supposed to be polished out on other models and they didn't bother on this one.

The same thing is on the ones I've seen online (2nd photo).

It isn't on Les's older, better finished Agents, so was probably a production shortcut on the economy version of the gun.

Thanks.

 

[ladder13]

I've posted about this little Colt before.

Anyone else have one of these ugly-on-purpose Colts?

Why yes, I got this from a member of my gun club a few years before escaping NY. He was an NYPD dick who had just retired.
Came with the rubbers.

 

[Sixgun100]

I like those rough looking Agents. My old cobra had practically no finish left on it's frame. I had it coated in black to make it look better and help with durability. There's just something about those old Colts......

 

[Stevens]

Below is mine, bought new in the early 80s it lives in my nightstand. it came with nice wooden grips. I changed them for Pachmayr about 10 years ago. Shoots well and comfortable.
Steve W

 

[Toyman]

I can understand the Homer Simpson t shirt but you carry a COLT ? !!

 

[Texas Star]

I can understand the Homer Simpson t shirt but you carry a COLT ? !!

What bothers me is the Homer Simpson tee AND the Hawaiian shirt!

It's a cinch he isn't trying to be inconspicuous...

 

[Texas Star]

While we're on the Agent, wasn't the Courier basically just an Agent in .32 with a three-inch barrel?

I'm a big fan of the Modesty Blaise novels written by the late Peter O'Donnell from 1964-1996.

Until she changed to a Star PD .45, Modesty's main gun was a "Colt .32." I don't think it was an auto, and not the ancient New Police model seen in the author's hand on a book jacket.

Kept wondering if she might have had a Colt Courier, if she was real. I finally settled on a Cobra with three-inch barrel, in .32. I think Colt called the ammo .32 Long Colt, basically the same as .32 S&W Long. But Modesty could shoot like the Lone Ranger, although she didn't shoot guns out of bad guys' hands. She just hit their vital spots.

When I read, I mentally change words into images, so I "see" what's happening in the book. So, I "saw" Modesty with that .32 and with such items as a Luger, a S&W .41 Magnum, and Lee-Enfield and AR-15 rifles. Villains had toys like a S&W Bodyguard .38, a S&W .41 Magnum, Lugers, and a Colt Commander .45. In all, for a British author, O'Donnell did an exceptional job of arming his characters.

I never wrote to him and now regret that. But I think some other gunwise readers did, and I suspect he read, Guns & Ammo for ideas. So, Modesty eventually got a Star PD.

A friend in South Africa sent me a clipping from the Johannesburg Star, telling how an off duty cop killed several AK-47 wielding men with his PD in a bank lobby. So, Modesty had a gun capable of useful things.
The cop's Star wasn't an issued gun. That would have been a P-38 or the Z-88, a local Beretta M-92F clone. He was off duty and just went to the bank at the right time, and had high skill with handguns.
He prevented a robbery, and maybe worse.

 

[Toyman]

Isn't there an adage on the forum with out pictures it never happened ??

 

[les.b]

Well, I used to have a Detective Special in the .32 Colt New Police (that's the one interchangeable with the .32 S&W Long). Sometimes simply called the .32'Colt Police.

Traded it off, though, but here is a cool little Colt .32... My Colt Pocket Positive. An older one, but I think made up til WWII.

Best Regards, Les

 

[SVT28]

I like the patina and the fact that after decades of sitting around not being used, its back in action. In regards to the finish, I believe these guns were similar to the Smith Airweights in that the frame and other parts are aluminum, other parts are steel. This one has the kinda seldom seen parkerized factory finish which was offered in the 80s on these, and the finish appears to wear differently for the different metals.

FWIW I saw a near mint one in person a few months back and there was a noticeable finish difference between the cylinder/barrel vs the frame.

Your gun would be a great one to carry out here in the desert heat!

SVT28