I am looking for a semi-auto .380 for a pocket/ankle gun. Most .380's are too large for pocket use, but the Colt .380's seem to be the right size for such use. What is your opinion of the Colt .380's and are there other good, reliable .380's that are approx. the same size. Thanks.
Colt .380 Pony/Mustang opinions
- Thread starter GlockBill
- Start date
I recently foud a Colt Mustang Pocketlite in excellent condition for a good price. Shot it for the first time a few days ago.
I'm happy with it. It is reliable, though I've yet to feed it hollowpoint ammo. It is very light, and I think it'll make a good pocket gun, or purse gun for the wife. Recoil is soft, making it much more pleasant to shoot than my Airweight Centennial with +p loads.
There are a few things I've read and concur with after playing with the gun. First, the magazine springs should be upgraded. A phone call to Wolff and all is well. Second, the plastic guide rod SUCKS. Its a pain to install, and its PLASTIC. I believe Wolff has a single recoil spring (the factory job is double) and steel guide rod, and I know Scott/McDougal has one. The weight increase would be negligible, and its the right thing to do. Also, it has a plastic trigger with serrations on the face. Plastic? Serrations? What the hell were they thinking? Thankfully, Scott/McDougal make an aluminum one. Finally, this thing could use better sights. It shoots so nice it could be so much more than a belly gun, so much easier than my J-frame. Scott/McDougal or any good smith can take care of that for you, for a price. For my intended use I think I'll keep the stockers.
I'd consider the Kahr P9, too. My department does not authorize Kahrs as backups/off duty, or that's what I probably would have gotten. Just as light, similar size, nice DAO trigger, and 9mm instead of .380. I've got an MK40 (too heavy for pocket or ankle duty) that I like well enough to keep despite not being able to carry anymore.
I haven't decided yet if the Pocketlite will replace my J-frame as my backup ankle gun, but I'm happy to have it. Now if only H&K would make a true compact...
I'm happy with it. It is reliable, though I've yet to feed it hollowpoint ammo. It is very light, and I think it'll make a good pocket gun, or purse gun for the wife. Recoil is soft, making it much more pleasant to shoot than my Airweight Centennial with +p loads.
There are a few things I've read and concur with after playing with the gun. First, the magazine springs should be upgraded. A phone call to Wolff and all is well. Second, the plastic guide rod SUCKS. Its a pain to install, and its PLASTIC. I believe Wolff has a single recoil spring (the factory job is double) and steel guide rod, and I know Scott/McDougal has one. The weight increase would be negligible, and its the right thing to do. Also, it has a plastic trigger with serrations on the face. Plastic? Serrations? What the hell were they thinking? Thankfully, Scott/McDougal make an aluminum one. Finally, this thing could use better sights. It shoots so nice it could be so much more than a belly gun, so much easier than my J-frame. Scott/McDougal or any good smith can take care of that for you, for a price. For my intended use I think I'll keep the stockers.
I'd consider the Kahr P9, too. My department does not authorize Kahrs as backups/off duty, or that's what I probably would have gotten. Just as light, similar size, nice DAO trigger, and 9mm instead of .380. I've got an MK40 (too heavy for pocket or ankle duty) that I like well enough to keep despite not being able to carry anymore.
I haven't decided yet if the Pocketlite will replace my J-frame as my backup ankle gun, but I'm happy to have it. Now if only H&K would make a true compact...
Colt Pony
Stay away from the Pony pocketlite. In a single session at gunshop range two brand new out of the box pocketlites were unshootable after 3 and 4 rounds, respectively. Gunshop took both back and promtly labeled them POS ( piece of junk). What can you say about a firearm when the first thing that is recommended after purchase is that they be immediately modified it in some form or fashion and parts changed.
Stay away from the Pony pocketlite. In a single session at gunshop range two brand new out of the box pocketlites were unshootable after 3 and 4 rounds, respectively. Gunshop took both back and promtly labeled them POS ( piece of junk). What can you say about a firearm when the first thing that is recommended after purchase is that they be immediately modified it in some form or fashion and parts changed.
Coltdriver
New member
I have two pocketlites and one mustang.
My smith dehorned and tuned one of the pocketlites and knomekoted it. It looks like the pony that SM&A produces. Fits in your pocket and you forget it is there.
All of mine have been flawless with regular ammo or with triton quik shoks which is what I carry with.
The mustang is more along the lines of a scaled down 1911, the ponys are a different animal (DAO) altogether.
They both use a locked breech and this makes them soft shooters by comparison to other (blow back) .380's. The reason Colt quit making them is that Kahr sued them for patent infringement and won. They use an offset lug on the barrel that allows for a more compact package.
If you shop a bit you can get them for a reasonable price. I paid 350 for my mustang and 450 for my pony's. They are keepers that I will never part with.
I don't know why you would mess with sights. Mine were milled off. With very little practice you can learn to sight shoot and if they are far enough away that you can actually take the time to aim with sights, why not run?
My smith dehorned and tuned one of the pocketlites and knomekoted it. It looks like the pony that SM&A produces. Fits in your pocket and you forget it is there.
All of mine have been flawless with regular ammo or with triton quik shoks which is what I carry with.
The mustang is more along the lines of a scaled down 1911, the ponys are a different animal (DAO) altogether.
They both use a locked breech and this makes them soft shooters by comparison to other (blow back) .380's. The reason Colt quit making them is that Kahr sued them for patent infringement and won. They use an offset lug on the barrel that allows for a more compact package.
If you shop a bit you can get them for a reasonable price. I paid 350 for my mustang and 450 for my pony's. They are keepers that I will never part with.
I don't know why you would mess with sights. Mine were milled off. With very little practice you can learn to sight shoot and if they are far enough away that you can actually take the time to aim with sights, why not run?
Kentucky Rifle
New member
I have a Mustang Pocketlite and...
..it was my first "carry pistol". It's never malfunctioned and all I've ever fired from it are "PD Hydra-Shoks" and "Glaser Blues". I cleaned it last night and, other than a few scratches on the alloy frame, it's in perfect condition.
I've got to do something about that plastic guide rod, though.
Kentucky Rifle
..it was my first "carry pistol". It's never malfunctioned and all I've ever fired from it are "PD Hydra-Shoks" and "Glaser Blues". I cleaned it last night and, other than a few scratches on the alloy frame, it's in perfect condition.
I've got to do something about that plastic guide rod, though.
Kentucky Rifle
lonegunman
New member
Kentucky Rifle:
Why do anything about the plastic guide rod? I mean your gun is working fine, right? You may put a whammie on yourself by messing with it.
Lots of people pay good money for plastic parts...
Why do anything about the plastic guide rod? I mean your gun is working fine, right? You may put a whammie on yourself by messing with it.
Lots of people pay good money for plastic parts...
Kentucky Rifle
New member
Lonegunman...
You may be right. The only time my perfertly functioning P-32 had a stoppage was when I tried to install a metal guide rod. I tried two, in fact, and got the same result. The slide jammed about half-way back and I thought I would have to call Superman to get my slide forward again! I was mad! Keltec sent me tree extra plastic rods for my range bag "just in case". However, I've never needed them.
Got to watch out for those "Whammies".
KR
You may be right. The only time my perfertly functioning P-32 had a stoppage was when I tried to install a metal guide rod. I tried two, in fact, and got the same result. The slide jammed about half-way back and I thought I would have to call Superman to get my slide forward again! I was mad! Keltec sent me tree extra plastic rods for my range bag "just in case". However, I've never needed them.
Got to watch out for those "Whammies".
KR
Coltdriver - you lost me there. You say you have two Pocketlites and a Mustang, but are the Pocketlites Mustang Pocketlites or Pony Pocketlites? I assume the latter...
I kind of agree with you on the sights. The ones on it are pretty vestigal, but I'd sooner add some decent ones than shave 'em off.
I beg to differ with you on the reason Colt stopped making them, though. The offset barrel lug that Colt copied from Kahr was on the Pocket Nine, not the Mustang or Pony. The Mustang, and to a lesser extent the Pony, are variations of the old .380 Government Model. If I recall correctly, the Mustang came out in the mid-late 80's (1987, maybe?), which is before Kahr Arms even existed.
I don't know why they stopped production, but it wasn't the Kahr lawsuit.
I kind of agree with you on the sights. The ones on it are pretty vestigal, but I'd sooner add some decent ones than shave 'em off.
I beg to differ with you on the reason Colt stopped making them, though. The offset barrel lug that Colt copied from Kahr was on the Pocket Nine, not the Mustang or Pony. The Mustang, and to a lesser extent the Pony, are variations of the old .380 Government Model. If I recall correctly, the Mustang came out in the mid-late 80's (1987, maybe?), which is before Kahr Arms even existed.
I don't know why they stopped production, but it wasn't the Kahr lawsuit.
I owned a Mustang for 2 weeks, then traded it in. It was so inaccurate I could not hit a tin can at 7 yards with it. It was pretty worn out, though, so don't assume that a good one wouldn't be more accurate.
Traded mine on an FEG-APK MKII, kind of a PPK clone, which is delightfully accurate, but a bit heavier and larger than the Mustang.
Traded mine on an FEG-APK MKII, kind of a PPK clone, which is delightfully accurate, but a bit heavier and larger than the Mustang.
Wherein Ledbetter says:
I like them so much that I have two Gov. .380's, one in nickel and one in stainless. One has a factory guide rod and one has a SMA steel guide rod. IMHO, the steel guide rod doesn't improve things as much as the springs, which I have installed in both. One conceivable advantage to the plastic guide rod is that it reduces frame battering.
These guns are accurate enough out to about fifteen yards.
Had a blued Mustang that Colt gave me my money back for because the frame kept getting chewed away by the slide stop (true story).
One is on my CCW, along with my FEG SMC-380, another FEG Walther clone. My FEG too is delightfully accurate. It required some internal smoothing before it would feed reliably.
Regards.
I like them so much that I have two Gov. .380's, one in nickel and one in stainless. One has a factory guide rod and one has a SMA steel guide rod. IMHO, the steel guide rod doesn't improve things as much as the springs, which I have installed in both. One conceivable advantage to the plastic guide rod is that it reduces frame battering.
These guns are accurate enough out to about fifteen yards.
Had a blued Mustang that Colt gave me my money back for because the frame kept getting chewed away by the slide stop (true story).
One is on my CCW, along with my FEG SMC-380, another FEG Walther clone. My FEG too is delightfully accurate. It required some internal smoothing before it would feed reliably.
Regards.
I just recently bought a PonyPocketLite and I like it. The basic reason I wanted a small .380 auto was that in the summers on New England one (or at least I) cannot wear enough clothes to cover my bigger carry pistols without (a.) looking slightly out of place, and (2.) sweating to death. With a pocket holster I can slip it into the front pocket of my jeans, shorts, or dress pants and no one knows it is there. With a spare magazine in my backpocket I have some recourse other than hands straight up in the air.
I thought about this for a while and decided that the DAO Pony was a better option for this style of carry than the SA Mustang. The downside is the long double action pull, but that can be mastered. It seems to be totally reliable with both FMJ ammo and the Federal HS's it was designed to use.
The dealer who sold it to me used to work at Colt's and helped develop this pistol, so he knows more about it than virually anyone else I can think of. He showed me how to strip it, lube it, and fire it (he recommends one handed).
I would rather be able to carry my Colt .45ACP everywhere but that ain't gonna happen in this lifetime, so until then, this is my summertime option.
Whatever you decide I wish you well.
I thought about this for a while and decided that the DAO Pony was a better option for this style of carry than the SA Mustang. The downside is the long double action pull, but that can be mastered. It seems to be totally reliable with both FMJ ammo and the Federal HS's it was designed to use.
The dealer who sold it to me used to work at Colt's and helped develop this pistol, so he knows more about it than virually anyone else I can think of. He showed me how to strip it, lube it, and fire it (he recommends one handed).
I would rather be able to carry my Colt .45ACP everywhere but that ain't gonna happen in this lifetime, so until then, this is my summertime option.
Whatever you decide I wish you well.
Kentucky Rifle
New member
Dave/Ledbetter
Dave: Could it have been that the front sight is so hard to see? That's the worst thing about the Mustang Pocketlite. In the kinda dark indoor range I go to, the front sight is invisible!
Ledbetter: I've heard of that "chewing up" problem before. However, always on a blued model. Strange.
KR
Dave: Could it have been that the front sight is so hard to see? That's the worst thing about the Mustang Pocketlite. In the kinda dark indoor range I go to, the front sight is invisible!
Ledbetter: I've heard of that "chewing up" problem before. However, always on a blued model. Strange.
KR
Kentucky Rifle
New member
JT..
Now that IS strange. My Mustang's trigger is smooth as silk.
KR
Now that IS strange. My Mustang's trigger is smooth as silk.
KR
Coltdriver
New member
Morgan,
I guess I did say that in a way only I could understand.
Actually, I purchased a used Mustang in stainless. Loved it, then, in searching for goodies, found the SM&A site and "discovered" that there was a dao Pony Pocketlite.
I have two Pony Pocketlites. Bought the first one new, then my wife discovered it. Bye Bye new Pocketlite. So I got another. Bought both from Young Guns via Gunbroker.
I did get the guide rods from SM&A but more than that the new slide springs from them are an improvement. The slide springs do wear out quickly, SM&A (Scott) advised me to replace the spring about every three hundred rounds.
You are probably correct about the evolution from the Colt Govt .380 to the Mustang but I went and got my Pony Pocketlite out and it definitely has an offset lug on the barrell. Just for grins I pulled the slide on my Pocket Nine, exact same set up. Then I pulled the slide on my Kahr MK40. The difference is that colt machined the offset into the lug by cutting away the place they needed to provide the clearance and Kahr machined the entire side of the lug off. This allows for some of the trigger mechanism to clear on the right side and results in a more compact package.
A fellow can never have too many pocket pistols!
I guess I did say that in a way only I could understand.
Actually, I purchased a used Mustang in stainless. Loved it, then, in searching for goodies, found the SM&A site and "discovered" that there was a dao Pony Pocketlite.
I have two Pony Pocketlites. Bought the first one new, then my wife discovered it. Bye Bye new Pocketlite. So I got another. Bought both from Young Guns via Gunbroker.
I did get the guide rods from SM&A but more than that the new slide springs from them are an improvement. The slide springs do wear out quickly, SM&A (Scott) advised me to replace the spring about every three hundred rounds.
You are probably correct about the evolution from the Colt Govt .380 to the Mustang but I went and got my Pony Pocketlite out and it definitely has an offset lug on the barrell. Just for grins I pulled the slide on my Pocket Nine, exact same set up. Then I pulled the slide on my Kahr MK40. The difference is that colt machined the offset into the lug by cutting away the place they needed to provide the clearance and Kahr machined the entire side of the lug off. This allows for some of the trigger mechanism to clear on the right side and results in a more compact package.
A fellow can never have too many pocket pistols!
Coltdriver:
Interesting! I just pulled my Mustang Pocketlite out of the safe to verify, and it DOESN'T have the offset lug. Anyone know when they came out with the Pony? I knew the Pocket Nine had it.
As you say, one can never have too many of the cute little buggers - and whomever it was at Kahr that came up with the idea for the offset lug, we all thank you.
Interesting! I just pulled my Mustang Pocketlite out of the safe to verify, and it DOESN'T have the offset lug. Anyone know when they came out with the Pony? I knew the Pocket Nine had it.
As you say, one can never have too many of the cute little buggers - and whomever it was at Kahr that came up with the idea for the offset lug, we all thank you.