Been a bad boy, Colt Agent

B

Brutus

New member
Went to the local range this morning for some target practice, had a great morning as I finally found the sweet spot in reloads for my CZ 85 combat
( it's been an ongoing battle with the powder shortage). As I was leaving I happened past the used firearm case, as I'm want to do, even though I know better. There in the case was a Colt Agent which I immediately dismissed as I confused it with the Cobra aluminum frame model, still my eyes kept being drawn to it. Finally I asked the clerk to see it. That's when I discovered it was an all steel DS with a pakerized finish. The lock work was as tight as could be, the bore perfect. I don't think the gun was ever fired. Trying to barter was useless as they would have no part of it. Needless to say come Wednesday I will be the proud owner of a Colt Agent. Think I may have paid a bit of a premium but it was in such pristine condition I couldn't resist. A quick check at Gunbroker has samples ranging anywhere from $400 to $800. Can anyone provide me with some info on this model?
Who makes holsters and speed loaders?
What's a good reload for target practice?
What's a good .38 special for self defense?
Can it safely handle +P loads.
This is my first snub nosed revolver and I've always lusted for a DS.:D
 
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Nice grab - Congrats ! . :)



Who makes holsters and speed loaders ? -

Everybody that makes them for the DS. . :p



What's a good reload for target practice ? -

I like to practice with the loads I carry - YMMV, of course.



What's a good .38 special for self defense ? -

My Daughter uses Glaser Safety Slugs in her DS, since she keeps it @ home - but any of the new SD/HD JHP's ought to do just fine.



Can it safely handle +P loads ? - Not on a regular basis.


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This is a circumstance where you want to avoid +P if possible. Hornady's 110gr Critical Defense works, or shop with Buffalo Bore, they have the best standard pressure loads of anybody.

The deal with these classic Colts is this...they're a "tight lockup" design. Do "the checkout" on them and if everything is lined up right, that's great. The problem is, if the alignment between cylinder bore and barrel ever goes off, it will STILL be "tight" and aligned wrong. At that point the gun tries to tear itself apart in spectacular fashion...not at all good. But when they're right they're very accurate. Ruger, S&W and Taurus use a "loose lockup" design - there's supposed to be a bit of rotational play and the gun makes it's final alignment between barrel and cylinder with the bullet at the time of firing. It works OK and works when everything is a bit worn, but peak accuracy isn't as good.

The people who know how to tune the old Colt DAs are retiring or dying out.
 
Aw Jim say it ain't so but having been said, what factory ammo, bullet weights do snubbie fan's prefer for self defense?
Keep in mind I'm new to sawed off revolvers. Shortest one I own has a 4" barrel in .45 Colt.
 
I'm not sure about the holster/speedloader question, but here's my approach to reloads and carry loads.

First, I shoot older S&W Model 10 revolvers. I want them to last forever, and neither are have cylinders that are "welded to the frame," meaning they already show some wear.

I shoot them a lot. For practice loads, I load 158 grain Berry's Plated bullets. They are cheap and they shoot clean. Model 10s have fixed sights which are typically regulated to a 158 grain load, so that's why I go with them. I'm not super familiar with Colts, so if you have adjustable sights, go with whatever bullet weight you want.

For a practice powder, I use Trail Boss. It's possible to make pretty light loads with this powder. If you put a decent crimp on the bullet, you'll get complete powder burn. It's creates accurate loads. I use 3.5 grains, but I measure by volume with a scoop. Trail Boss doesn't play well with automatic powder measures. The main reason I use this powder and create what some would call "cowboy loads," is that I know for a fact I can shoot tens of thousands of these rounds without wearing out my guns. Practice/plinking rounds don't need to be hot, so why make them that way. (obviously, if you want to simulate the recoil of your SD round, then you'll have to go with something else). My one note is that my 3.5 grain loading shoots a bit low (maybe an inch) at 7 yards out of my 2" Model 10. I could load to 4 or 4.5 and probably fix the issue, but 3.5 shoots to POA out of my 4" Model 10, so I don't worry about.

Concerning SD rounds: I shoot a cylinder of my carry ammo almost every time I go to the range, and as I mentioned, I want my guns to last forever. Some will say that older steel guns, specifically the Model 10, can handle +P rounds, but I decided after doing my own research that I don't want to run them. There aren't too many options for standard pressure .38 SD ammo. 110 grain Critical Defense is sometimes available. Grant Cunningham endorsed the old Nyclad round, but it isn't produced any more. Federal also makes a 110 grain HydraShok, I believe.

However, again doing my own research, I have chosen the 158 grain Buffalo Bore standard pressure lead hollow point. It shoots well in my gun. Buffalo Bore says it doesn't recoil as much as a +P round, but compared to 125 grain +P Golden Sabers, they recoil more. While this is a super modern rapidly expanding bullet, it hits really hard and I think it will do the job if it has to.

If you have any other questions about carrying old snubs, let me know. I carry one everyday.
 
Having just looked at Midway, there are other non +P rounds available now. Here's a somewhat complete list
Hornady 158 JHP
Hornady 110 JHP
Hornady 125 JHP
Hornady 90 JHP
Winchester Reduced Recoil 130 JHP
Buffalo Bore 110 Barnes TAC-XP Lead Free (all copper?)
Buffalo Bore 125 JHP
Buffalo Bore 158 Lead HP
Glazer Blue 80 Safety Slug ($10 for six rounds!)
Magtech 158 JHP
Federal Premium Reduced Recoil 110 JHP
Fiocchi 125 JHP
Fiocchi 148 JHP
Fiocchi 158 JHP
Remington 110 JHP
Grizzly 158 Lead Flat Point
Grizzly 158 JHP
Winchester Super X 110 JHP
Winchester WinClean 125 Jacketed Soft Point

For what it's worth, I've always avoided anything lighter than 110 grains because serious flame cutter can occur at the cylinder gap.
 
Thanks for the feedback cpkj99. I don't have any Trialboss and likely won't be getting any. Will probably start with either WW231 or some universal clays.
Couple of quick questions, do you use a roll crimp die on those plated Berry bullets or do you have a taper crimp? If using a roll crimp die how much of a crimp do you apply? Have you ever chornographed your trailboss loads and if so what are your plinking round velocities. I haven't started researching but I'm guessing velocities should be around 750/800 fps. for a 158gr. wadcutter.
 
As said on the other forum, there's no such thing as a steel frame Agent.
The Agent was an aluminum framed revolver.
If the barrel says Agent and the frame is steel, you have a Detective Special that's been rebarreled.

If a steel "D" frame Colt was made after 1972 it was rated for up to 3000 rounds of +P ammo, at which point it was to be returned to Colt for inspection and possible frame replacement.

If an aluminum "D" frame Colt was made after 1972 it was rated for 1000 to 1500 rounds of +P before inspection at Colt.
 
I don't know a ton about crimping, but I suppose I'm putting a roll crimp on them. I know that you're not suppose to overly crimp plated bullets, but I've never had any issues. In fact, I'm probably putting a "decent crimp" on the bullet for plated bullets. We're talking about plinking at 7-20 yards with a revolver. I understand if you're putting lateral stress on the bullet while its being cycled through an auto, or if you're looking for target accuracy at long ranges, I suppose it might be a problem. Short answer, I use a light-ish crimp because they're plated, however, since most people don't crimp plated bullets, I guess I'm going a bit overboard.

I haven't chrono'ed the Trail Boss loads, but I'm estimating about 700 fps. They're light loads, way less recoil than standard factory ammo.

As for using Trail Boss, I'm a big fan of the powder. It's really forgiving. You can fill up the case, and as long as you don't compress it, you can't go over pressure. You can load up relatively accurate rounds with very little powder (recommended low is just 2.7 grains). They have about as much recoil as a .22, literally.
 
Dfariswheel has it right, as usual.

The Agent is the alloy frame Detective Special. Plenty of holsters out there, in all different styles.

The speedloader I use is HKS. You want the model DS-A.

This fits the Detective Special, Agent, Cobra, and Diamondback.

While the gun is "rated" for +p, don't shoot +p loads very much.

My Agent is my only snubnose, I was never a fan, but got it on a trade, and have come to like it for drop in the pocket carry. And the Colt gives you six vs the S&W five in this size gun.

I load the standard 158gr .38 Special load (NOT +p), and while it has a fairly heavy trigger pull, I'm ok with it, after all, its a belly gun. The one thing I found most ...irritating is the fact that you can drive a truck through the opening in the rear sight. It is much wider than what I am used to. It does make it fast, but (in my hands) precision suffers a little.

Balanced against the intended use and range of the gun, its ok, just not what I am used to, and for short range, its point and click, anyway.
 
When Dfarishweel speaks Colt, we listen. I have Pachmayrs on my DS 72,my 1966 OM has its original grips with a Tyler T grip, both work fine for me.
If you feel so bad about purchasing it, you can do penance by sending it to me c/o this forum.
 
if the alignment between cylinder bore and barrel ever goes off, it will STILL be "tight" and aligned wrong.
Click to expand...

Boy is that right. I bought a very slightly used D-frame that would shave bullet jackets and lock up the cylinder until a soft mallet was used. But it sure locked up tight in the gunshop before I bought it. :D

For a holster, it is possible to use a leather holster made for the Ruger SP101. Yes, the molded-in cylinder flutes will not line up for the 6-shot DS but that won't matter. I have a very nice SP101 holster from Andrews Leather, which was sold to me with a promise that it works fine for the DS.

And so it does.

Bart Noir
 
Congrat's that's a great score, old Colt's are nice guns. Enjoy it, as far as ammo goes I'd agree that the 158 grain Buffalo Bore standard pressure lead hollow point is really good in a short barrel 38. Although I'd shoot a few different weights of ammo to see where the gun is printing, that maybe made up your mind for you. Good luck with it sounds nice.

Ed
 
Dfariswheel is 100% correct. Picked the gun up yesterday and took it home.
When I got it home I took a magnet to the frame and sure enough no pull, my bad as I was under the false impression you couldn't Parkerize aluminum.
Still the gun is in such mint condition I'm happy I bought it. Now if I could only find a can of bullseye to make some reloads for it I'd be a real happy camper.:D
 
If you just want 158s @ 850fps (standard .38 loads) Red Dot works pretty well, although a bit smokey.

I really do miss the days when the problem wasn't what you could find, but which one to choose!
:(
 
You're not alone. Just came home from Cabelas and they have more powder than I've seen in months, all of it rifle powder, nothing for handguns or shotguns. I've been coveting my Red Dot and Universal for handgun reloading. Haven't seen a can of Unique, 231 bullseye or AA#5 in over a year.
Hasn't been any shortages of shotgun shells in our area, so I just buy them.
Figure I can get 3 or 4 pistol rounds for every shot shell witch helps stretch out my supply until things turn around.:mad:
 
Boy am I happy, just got back from the range today and this little Colt agent shoots like a dream. Shot some Federal 130gr. FMJ and Federal 158gr LRN both shot a little high and to the left for me. The LRN more so than the FMJ.
Limited my range to 21ft. given it's a snub nose with a 2" barrel. My 1st. six shots with the LRN were fired single action and resulted in an approx. 3" group all in the black of an R5 target. I then put up a police silhouette and proceeded to shoot the balance of the ammo (94 rounds) double action. All the rounds were in the body cavity of the silhouette ( okay, I must confess I shot the guy in the arm a few times, had 1 crease his ear and a couple more in his privates, I think those shots were due to my compensating for point of impact:eek:) Needless to say I was very impressed. Afterwards I ran out a target and fired six rounds of Hornady custom 158gr. XTP's again a little to the left but spot on for elevation. To my amazement the group measured 2".
Only complaints are; It wore a blister on the web of my hand between my thumb and trigger finger which started to bleed all over my new gun and the thing sure gets hot after sustained fire had to put it down a couple of times to cool off. Now I have some 38 special brass to start reloading with and I found an unopened can of Red dot in my loading bench. Would appreciate if 44Amp would be so kind as to elaborate a little more detail about his Red dot loadings. I will be using 158gr. lead SWC's.
 
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