From that point on, the little Pocketlite ran perfectly. However, we wanted to see if lack of oil was the problem, and it was. We put some oil into the gun here and there and worked it a few times, but did not disassemble and clean it, which it probably needed. All that pocket dust and the passage of time had removed most of the guns lubrication, and this is something that all pocket-gun carriers might take note of. Its owner had loaned it to us for testing, having carried the gun for a long time in his pocket. We had many failures to feed in a like manner.Īfter a few more failures, we thought the gun might benefit from some oil. The slide seemed to be sticky and had little spring pressure. We tapped the back of the slide, and that forced the Colts internal extractor to jump over the chambered rounds rim. After the first shot, the empty went away and the second round left the magazine and entered the chamber, but the slide didnt go fully forward. On placing the loaded magazine into the gun, the first round fed just fine. We took the Pocketlite shooting.Īt the range the Pocketlite gave us fits.
Both guns had the serial number on the left side of the receiver above the trigger opening.
The all-steel Mustang had the same chamber mark, and was marked on the left-side slide as ∼OLT MK IV/ SERIES ∨0″ over MUSTANG – 380 AUTO. The right side of the slide was bare, but the caliber designation was on the side of the brushed-white-steel chamber. The Mustang Pocketlite had its name on the left side of the slide, surmounted by the caliber designation, given as ∼OLT 380 AUTO. Both broke at about 4.5 pounds, welcome change from the 6.5- and 7-pound triggers of the first two. Some of us thought the safety levers could have been larger, or extended forward for easier access. These guns were obviously designed by someone, or by a team, with at least a fundamental idea of whats needed in a fighting handgun, we thought.įit and finish were excellent in both guns. The front and back straps were smooth, and the bottom of the rear strap was rounded so it didnt gouge the palm of the hand.
Prices for good samples of the Colt Mustang and Mustang Pocketlite may be expected to continue to escalate, and these Colts ought to be good collectibles in the long haul, in our opinion.īoth our test guns had matte-black (brushed) finishes, rounded hammers, large ejection ports, integral and wide front sights, driftable rear sights with big notches, plastic grip panels with checkering, and magazines designed like those of the 1911, with bottoms extending forward of the front grip strap so they could be ripped out or tapped firmly into place as needed. They were discontinued when the Colt company decided to concentrate on military contracts a few years ago.īecause of their usefulness as being among the smallest pocket-carry weapons in a meaningful caliber, both types of Mustang remain very popular. Colts made the guns for a little over ten years. The Pocketlite was introduced in 1987, and its all-steel brother a year later. The all-steel Mustang was available in three finishes: blued, stainless, and nickel. 380 Auto, about $500 was available in blued or stainless finish while it was made. 380s are great firearms, and some would make better table lamps. Guns for the cartridge abound, some of them expensive, some of them like the ones tested here discontinued for a variety of reasons. Ammunition manufacturers have produced some excellent fodder in recent years for the tiny guns, but none of it can make a mountain-size stopper out of the molehill. Reloaders dont exactly flock to the diminutive cartridge, for a variety of reasons. Its hardly a plinking cartridge, because of the relatively high cost of ammunition, and because the pistols that chamber it are generally not all that accurate. 380 is not a cartridge many of us would pick for all-around use. Its been chambered in a host of small autoloading pistols, some of them quite famous, such as Walthers PPK.
It was another of John Brownings designs, and has been known as the 9mm Kurz, 9×17, 9mm Browning Short, and. 380 cartridge has been around since early in the last century.