Colt Defender and Colt Competition pistols in Europe
IWA 2017 - Colt's manufacturing company keeps high the tradition of the 1911 pistol platform, and through their European importer showcased their latest defense and competition-oriented 1911 variants at the IWA expo
The Colt Defender and Colt Competition pistols
The Italian-based Prima Armi S.r.l. company currently enjoys a solid status and market share as the sole, exclusive authorized importer and distributor of Colt's Manufacturing Company's civilian-grade semi-automatic pistols and rifles for the European markets.
At IWA Prima Armi showcased several Colt products that have been available on the U.S. market for a while but spanking new for Europe. And when it comes to handguns, we couldn't help but take a closer look at the Colt Competition Pistol and at the recently upgraded variant of the Colt Defender.
Colt Competition Pistol
Colt Competition Pistol: a 1911 variant ready for the fray at the shooting range
As its own name would suggest, the Colt Competition Pistol is a competition-oriented variant of the classic 1911 design, specifically conceived for practical shooting; it is chambered for the quintessential .45 ACP caliber, and feeds through single-stack eight-rounds magazines. The Colt Competition Pistol features a Series 80 single-action trigger system with an enhanced hammer, a three-hole aluminum trigger and an extended beavertail grip safety.
Both the frame and the slide are machined out of blued carbon steel; other features include blue Micarta G10 grip panels, an adjustable Novak rear sight and an extended left-side manual safety.
The Colt Competition Pistol comes with a 5-inch barrel, it is 216 mm / 8.5" long overall and weighs 1036 grams (36 oz.) when unloaded.
A peculiar feature of the Colt Competition Pistol is Colt's own, patented Dual Spring Recoil System™: an outer recoil spring and an inner recoil spring – wound in opposite directions to prevent spring bind – mounted on a proprietary recoil spring guide with a special plug. Colt's DSRS has been proven to successfully reduce the wear factor to the involved components, basically doubling the service life of the entire recoil spring assembly.
The Colt Competition Pistol is already available in the United States at a MSRP of $899 for the .45 ACP and the 9mm version (not available in Europe), and $999 for the .38 Super Auto version (also unavailable in Europe).
For the European civilian market, the suggested retail price is set at €1,839.00.
A comparison of the extended beavertails on the Colt Defender and Colt Competition pistols
A comparison of the muzzle and recoil spring front plug on the Colt Defender and Colt Competition pistols
A comparison of the grips and magazine wells on the Colt Defender and Colt Competition pistols
Colt Defender
The recently updated Colt Defender: a concealed carry pistol for civilian self-defense
Also showcased at the Prima Armi booth at IWA was the recently upgraded variant of the Colt Defender, a compact 1911-based semi-automatic single-action pistol conceived for concealed carry, personal defense, home and property protection.
The Colt Defender is manufactured in a .45 ACP and a 9mm caliber, but only the .45-caliber variant is imported in Europe; it feeds through a single-stack, seven-rounds metal magazine and is built around a brushed stainless steel slide and a Cerakote-finish lightweight alloy frame.
The Colt Defender is 171 mm / 6.¾" long overall and comes with a 3" barrel as well as with many of the features already found on the Competition Pistol: an extended beavertail, Colt's Dual Spring Recoil System™, high-visibility Novak sights, lightened and enhanced hammer and trigger, and a beveled slide front for easier holstering.
MSRP for the Colt Defender is set at $899 or $949 in the United States, depending from the variant; for Europe, the suggested retail price is set again at €1,839.00.
