1986 Colt Agent?

J

jimmy

New member
Usually I don't have a lot of trouble deciding on a gun purchase, but could use some input on this one.

The local gunshop just took in trade a 1986 Colt Agent .38 revolver. This is not the original Agent, but rather the utility-grade product that Colt's put out in the mid-80's. I'm a D-frame fan and have wanted one of these for quite a while, and am tempted.

Some details. Gun has been holstered more than shot. Finish is in original condition overall but has a shiny spot of holster wear on the trigger guard and the edges are also a bit shiny. Grips show some wear but are the original smooth walnut. Timing is fine. Screw slots are un-buggered. Trigger is excellent, with smooth DA and crisp SA. Some endshake in cylinder. No box and no papers. Overall impression: seems like a nice gun but definitely not NIB.

I believe Colt's only made this version of the Agent for a few years and wonder if there are a lot of them out there. Maybe I should grab it while I can. I'd be interested in how often people come across this model and would like to hear any experiences with it. Also, what's a reasonable price? (Dealer wants $280.)

TIA.
 
By "utility grade" I assume you mean you have one of the black, non-polished guns Colt turned out in the mid-80's?

This was during the bitter Colt strike, and Colt simply didn't have enough qualified polishers to turn out polished and blued guns.
So, Colt introduced a series of unpolished, black finished revolvers.

Most of these carried new names, but not all.
The Trooper Mark V in black was the "Peacekeeper".
The Detective Special was the "Commando", (not to be confused with the WWII Commando which was a parkerized Official Police).
The Cobra and Agent kept their original names.

The bottom line on these guns was, they were the same quality guns, only with a money-saving unpolished black finish.
The aluminum Cobra and Agent showed mould marks on some aluminum parts, and there was VERY little external finishing.
Other than that, these are as good mechanically as the bright blued models.

The strike finally ended, and people were "underwhelmed" by the black revolvers, so these were only cataloged for about a year or so.
They can be an excellent buy, because people don't like dull-finished revolvers, and assume they're second-rate internally.

There are enough around that they aren't really collectible, and that price is a little high, for one in that condition.
 
Umm, this is the best concealed carry , all around use revolver ever made IMHO . And I mean that particular Agent model. While being already super slick , action wise they can be made like no other gun, even a Python. Also Coltwas just beginning to laser bore sight these guns and I never saw one that wasn't dead on with 158grain ammo. I used the treasury load +P+ 110 grain Winchester in them for years before I found out they could KABOOM in this light a gun! This load, BTW, shoots 3" low at 15 yds and is now surplanted by the New Generation 129-130 hollowpoints which shoot a little higher. 148 Mid range wadcutters shoot about an inch high at 15yds, so when you take a bulleye 6 oclock hold I'll bet that gun, if in good condition, can cluster them in touching Double Action at that range! Put original Colt Pachmayer black rubber Compacts on it and it is 16oz's of PERFECTION!!!!!!!! I have 2 and went thru 4 others which were sold for around that price to friends that had to have MINE (up to 10 years ago or more) . :D :D :D
 
I've had my ugly grey Agent for over a dozen years now. Found it at a local show and scooped it up as fast as I could. It's the gun I'd carry if I were of a mind to do so. No worry about dinging up a fancy finish or constantly having to wipe it down after handling, no glare to speak of, shoots to point of aim with the 158gr loads I use. I've put a box of Remington 158gr +P LSW-HPs through it without it detonating, but I'd limit +P use. Colt says that it's good for about 1,500 rounds of +P before they want to take a look at it. A set of Pachmayr grips goes a long way to making it more comfortable at the range. If I could find the all-steel Commando version I'd grab one of those as well.
 
As always, give it a solid inspection before buying. As mentioned, there was labor trouble at Colt during that period. It's a sample of exactly one, but I bought a Python made during that period and it was problematic from the box and continued to be so after several trips back to Hartford to be fixed. I sold the thing (at a profit). Having said that, I want to add that that doesn't mean that everything that left the factory during that period was bad. This is like the "Is every B-P era S&W bad?" threads. The point is that every gun from every factory and every period should be looked at carefully before buying, and this Agent shouldn't be an exception.
 
While I think my mid-'70s Agent with the pretty finish is a neater find, I agree with gordo that any Agent is a terrific carry piece.
 
Its hard to go wrong with an Agent. I have an early 70s model with the Colt hammer shroud. Its a great gun and my primary carry gun. I'd love to see Colt bring this one back, even from the custom shop.
 
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