![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/ColtMustangPocketLite1.jpg\" "\\"ColtMustangPocketLite1\\"")
Pistols chambered in .380ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) have come a long way in the past several years. As demand for small, reliable pistols suitable for concealed carry has increased, pistol manufacturers and ammunition makers have responded with products to fill the needs of defensive shooters.<\/p>\n
Colt’s Manufacturing Company, let’s just call them Colt, was way out ahead of this .380 revolution when they introduced their .380 Government Model in 1985.\u00a0 These pistols, and the several versions of the follow-on Mustang, were produced up until 1997.\u00a0 I don’t know why Colt stopped making these pistols but I’m going to speculate it had little to do with the quality of the pistols and a lot to do with the lack of effective defensive ammunition in .380 ACP available at the time.\u00a0 I do know I have wanted a Colt Mustang for years, and happily, I finally have one, as Colt has brought the little .380 back as the Mustang Pocketlite.<\/p>\n
Greg Rozum, Colt’s engineering manager, tells me the Mustang Pocketlite may look like the pistol of old but is actually an entirely new pistol designed to be more reliable, accurate and comfortable to shoot than other pistols in the pocket pistol class.\u00a0 Those are big claims.\u00a0 Pocket pistols can be difficult to shoot, some have terrible triggers, many are not particularly accurate beyond a few yards, and some of them bite your hand pretty hard when you shoot them.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/ColtMustangPocketLite2-300x177.jpg\" "\\"ColtMustangPocketLite2\\"")
The included manual explains field stripping but anyone familiar with 1911 pistols will find the procedure to be the same.<\/p><\/div>\n
Stats and technical stuff<\/strong> How does it shoot?<\/strong> The Colt Mustang Pocketlite sporting a IWB holster and magpouch from Ritchie Leather Co,<\/p><\/div>\n I normally test pocket pistols out to a maximum of about 10 yards so I didn’t really expect to get back to 25 yards with the Mustang.\u00a0 And, being lazy I shot the 15 yard stage from standing in the 3.5 seconds allowed and gave myself 4.5 seconds to shoot the 25 yard stage from standing instead of prone.\u00a0 To my considerable amazement, I managed to shoot a perfect score and made the times.\u00a0 The School Drill is very challenging with a full size pistol and prior to trying it with the Mustang I would have said shooting it clean with a pocket pistol was beyond my capabilities. This little pistol is accurate and easy to shoot well.<\/p>\n Summing up<\/strong> Reference Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n About the Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pistols chambered in .380ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) have come a long way in the past several years. As demand for small, reliable pistols suitable for concealed carry has increased, pistol manufacturers and ammunition makers have responded with products to fill the needs of defensive shooters. Colt’s Manufacturing Company, let’s just call them Colt, was way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[58,744],"tags":[2213,2218,2369],"class_list":["post-13606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-from-the-industry","category-new-products","tag-colt-mustang-pocketlite","tag-colts-manufacturing-company","tag-federal-critical-defense"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nTo begin with, full disclosure here, I’m a fan of 1911 style pistols, and Colts in particular.\u00a0 What you have with the Mustang Pocketlite is a tiny 1911 that is, well, cute.\u00a0 It’s small, lightweight and functions just like a full size 1911.\u00a0 The pistol has a 2.75″ barrel, weighs 12.6 ounces empty and 15.8 ounces fully loaded.\u00a0 The magazine holds 6 rounds and the pistol is designed to be carried with a loaded magazine, one round in the chamber, and the thumb safety on.\u00a0 The frame is an aluminum alloy, the slide is stainless steel and the frame and top of the slide have a matte finish while the slide flats are polished.\u00a0 Sights consist of a dovetailed and drift adjustable rear and a fixed, matte grey ramp front sight.\u00a0 Safeties include a 1911 style thumb safety and a Series 80 firing pin safety.\u00a0 Unlike a full size 1911, the Mustang has no grip safety, and one isn’t necessary. The included manual explains field stripping but anyone familiar with 1911 pistols will find the procedure to be the same.
\nWhen people have a chance to compare all kinds of pistols with different trigger systems they will invariably come to the conclusion that 1911s have the best triggers.\u00a0 The single action 1911 style trigger is easier for people to shoot well, and that’s all there is to it.\u00a0 Being a mini-1911, the Mustang Pocketlite has a true 1911 trigger.\u00a0 The trigger on my sample is very good.\u00a0 It breaks at just a bit over 7 pounds but does so with no creep or over-travel.\u00a0 You take up the slack, press, and it “snaps”, just as a good 1911 trigger should.<\/p>\n
\nTo say I was surprised by the way this little pistol shoots would be an understatement.\u00a0 Shooting Hornady Critical Defense<\/a> ammunition, I found the Mustang to be pleasant to shoot, despite the grip being so short as to leave my little finger wrapped around the bottom of the magazine. Drawing from a Galco Stinger<\/a> strong side belt holster, I initially fired six rounds at 3 yards,\u00a0 producing one ragged hole just a bit below my point of aim.\u00a0 Next,\u00a0 I fired single head shots and hammers (very fast pairs), followed by failure drills (two to the body, one to the head) and pairs out to 15 yards.\u00a0 At this point I decided to press my luck and run a Gunsite School Drill:<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/ColtMustangPocketLite-300x177.jpg\" "\\"ColtMustangPocketLite\\"")
\nMy only criticism of the Mustang Pocketlite is my fault; I can’t see that grey front sight very well with my aging eyes.\u00a0 Some bright orange paint may fix that.\u00a0 Otherwise,\u00a0 in my view, the Mustang has lived up to Colt’s claims. Did I tell you I have a thing for cute little 1911s?<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downrange.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/EdHead.jpg\" "\\"EdHead\\"")
Ed Head is a regular on Shooting Gallery and Down Range TV. He has worked for almost 30 years in law enforcement, first in the United States Air Force and then with the United States Border Patrol, retiring as a Field Operations Supervisor.\u00a0 During his Border Patrol career, Ed worked in a variety of patrol, investigative and training capacities.\u00a0 Ed has an extensive background as a firearms instructor, having trained thousands, ranging from beginners to police, military and special operations personnel.\u00a0 Having taught at Gunsite for 20 years, Ed first trained there under the world famous shooting school’s founder, Jeff Cooper, then later ran the school as the operations manager for more than five years.\u00a0 Ed lives in Chino Valley, Arizona, where he continues to teach and write.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"