Colt Agent

B

Bucksnort1

New member
How 'bout some reviews on the Colt Agent in 38 Special. I have a parkerized model. It's a smaller revolver but still hold six rounds.

I USED TO BE INDECISIVE. NOW, I'M NOT SO SURE.
 
A great carry piece when Colt still cared about revolvers. Stick to standard pressure level loads, if you weren't already aware of that.
 
The Colt Agent is an aluminum version of the steel Colt Detective Special, a very common carry firearm for LEOs out of uniform (including detectives) prior to the adoption of semi-autos. I carried a Detective Special while serving in Saigon in 1969-1970 wearing civilian clothes. I carried in a slightly concealed OWB holster under a short-sleeve OWB shirt. Wiped it down EVERY day to prevent rust. I would limit loads in a Colt Agent to standard velocities, no +P etc.
 
A plainer version of the Colt Cobra as I understand it. I picked up a Cobra a few weeks ago, and it quickly replace the S&W 642 I had been carrying. I tell myself I did that for the extra shot, but really it was just because being an old coot, I like old school guns. With it's blue/black metal, wood grips, unshrouded ejector rod, and Tyler's T-grip, it's right down my alley.





Made in 1961, long before the advent of P+ ammo, of course it's not "rated" for such. It didn't need to be. The 38 ammo of it's day was about the same as what we call "P+" today. I won't regularly shoot P+, but do carry it. I've never seen much sense in shooting expensive ammo to punch a hole in a piece of paper and that goes for airweight 38's up to my Model 28 S&W. I suspect most people "back in the day" practiced with wadcutters and saved the "good stuff" for serious work too. I know that's what "everybody" told me to do when I was getting started. It's worked all these years.
 
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Made in 1961, long before the advent of P+ ammo, of course it's not "rated" for such. It didn't need to be. The 38 ammo of it's day was about the same as what we call "P+" today. I won't regularly shoot P+, but do carry it. I've never seen much sense in shooting expensive ammo to punch a hole in a piece of paper and that goes for airweight 38's up to my Model 28 S&W. I suspect most people "back in the day" practiced with wadcutters and saved the "good stuff" for serious work too. I know that's what "everybody" told me to do when I was getting started. It's worked all these years.
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I'm going to leave it at this before I go further - the simple answer is to never use +P (you don't need it) in these Colts.

If this Agent is parkerized from Colt, it makes it one of the mid-1980s re-issues and +P was out when it was made.

After +P became a "thing", I think Colt said that inspection/possible frame replacement was required after 1000 rounds for alloy frames.

Just don't use +P.
 
If I look at:
1) The pressure with 357 mag overloads it took to get the threshold of frame yield in my Colt Agent
2) The S/N fatigue curve for 6061 aluminum alloy.
3) The pressure of +P 38 special.

Combining those it would look more like 1,000,000 cycles is where the +P would become a problem.

Did Colt have any smart people?
They must have. Someone had to do Kuhnhausen's homework for him for the double action books.

Why would they say 1,000 rounds?
Maybe endshake and not frame bending?
 
QUOTE: A plainer version of the Colt Cobra as I understand it.

The only difference between the Agent (introduced in 1955) and the Cobra (introduced in 1951) is that the Agent was made with a slightly shorter grip. Starting sometime around 1966, both revolvers were made with the shorter grip but the Cobra had longer stocks, overlapping the grip. The finish and workmanship were the same for both.

"Second Issue" D-framed Cobras were made from 1973 to 1981 and they came with an ejector shroud and a long ramp front sight. During the "Colt strike", Cobras were offered with an unpolished, matte-black finish. The coltfever.com website reported, "...These post-1972 Cobras were the only version that Colt ever rated for use with +P ammunition. The gun was rated for 'up to' 1000 rounds of +P ammunition, after which time the gun was to be returned to Colt for inspection and possible frame replacement."
 
Rule of thumb for me.

If it can't be replaced/out of production, I sure ain't using +P.
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Mine is "If I can't use it, because I'm afraid it might break, I might as well not have it. If it breaks, I'll get another one out of the safe, then get the first one fixed. If it can't be fixed...Oh well."

And for all those who are going to say "Suppose it breaks in the middle of a gunfight", I reply, "Well, I was having a really bad day already." :D
 
I have one of the later guns with the shrouded ejector rod, it is nicely blued.

My understanding is the gun is safe with +p but it is not recommended, and after a given round count (1,000, I think) it is recommended that they be returned to Colt for inspection.

That won't happen with mine, I'm one of those who thinks +p in a small gun isn't worth the tiny benefit.

And, even if I was inclined to use +p in it, the way I shoot the gun, I won't live long enough to put 1,000 rnds through it. ;)
 
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