At the 2011 SHOT
Show in Las Vegas, Nevada back in January of this year, Colt
had on display a new
version of their previously-discontinued PocketLite 380 auto
pistol. In recent years, the original PocketLite, which was
discontinued just a few years ago, has developed somewhat of a
cult following. Those who own them usually do not want to sell
them, and if they do sell, the little pistols command high
prices. I was happy to see that Colt was bringing back the
PocketLite, as 380 pocket-sized auto pistols have become one of
the hottest-selling types of firearms in the industry. More and
more folks in the US are deciding to go heeled in public, and
the smallest 380 pistols seem to have the right balance of size,
weight, recoil, and power to suit most people who choose to
carry concealed.
Descending from the Colt Mustang lineage, the
PocketLite is my favorite of the Colt pocket pistols. The
PocketLite has a stainless steel slide with an electroless-
nickel finished aluminum frame. The lightweight frame reduces
weight. While not as light as the lightest polymer-framed 380
pistols on the market, the Colt is pretty close in both size and
weight to the most popular of the breed. The Colt Mustang
PocketLite is now in production, and I recently received one in
here for review. It was a long time coming, but just like with the
reintroduced Colt New Frontier sixgun, the end result was
worth the wait.
The new PocketLite is very well finished and
perfectly fitted. The tolerances are tight, with no unsightly
gaps nor any sharp edges to cut the hand. Resembling a small
1911 in profile, there are a few differences. The PocketLite
does have a recoil-operated design, similar to the 1911, but the
trigger and safety mechanisms are different, as well as the 380
has a bushing-less slide. The magazine release is just like that
on a 1911, on the frame behind the trigger, just where God and
John Browning intended it to be. The trigger on the PocketLite
is pivoted off of a pin at the top, and the safety does not lock
the slide in place, but if you are familiar with a Colt 1911,
you will have no problem immediately running the Pocketlite. The
PocketLite has several safety features. It does not, thankfully,
have a magazine safety. On the left side of the frame is a
thumb-operated manual safety, which falls handily under a
right-handed shooter’s thumb. There is no ambidextrous safety
for the left-handed shooter. The manual safety blocks the
hammer, but allows the slide to be operated even with the safety
in the “on safe“, upward position. The hammer has a “shelf”,
which serves the purpose of a half cock notch in the sense that
it will catch a hammer if not fully cocked, preventing it from
hitting the firing pin. There is a disconnector to prevent the
pistol from firing out of battery, and there is also a firing
pin safety. In addition, the firing pin is an inertia type, and
must receive a solid hit to fire. This little Colt is as safe as
a mechanical device can be. If you do not pull the trigger, it
will not fire. Carrying the Colt is just like carrying its big
brother, the 1911. It is best carried ready to fire, hammer
cocked and safety on.
The PocketLite has a handsome two-tone
finish, with the satin silver of the stainless and nickel parts
contrasting nicely with the black grips, trigger, and rear
sight. The sights are pretty easy to see. I would prefer a black
front sight, but that is just personal preference. I do not know
if the Crimson Trace Laserguard for the Sig
P238, which is a close copy of the Colt, will fit the new
PocketLite or not, but if not, hopefully Crimson Trace will have
one for it soon.
Critical dimensions for the Mustang
PocketLite are listed in the chart below. The weights are listed
in ounces, and linear measurements in inches. The weight
includes an empty magazine. Height includes the sights. Maximum
width is across the grip panels. The PocketLite magazine has a
flat base that sits flush with the bottom of the frame. The
trigger pull on the PocketLite pistol is very good, and about
right for a single-action pocket pistol, with a smooth, crisp
release. The trigger pull is listed as pounds of force required
to trip the sear. Weight is with an empty magazine in place.
Weight |
13.7 oz. |
Height |
3.98" |
Length |
5.54" |
Slide Width |
0.752" |
Maximum Grip Width |
0.77" |
Maximum Frame Width |
0.66" |
Maximum Width |
1.06" |
Barrel Length |
2.82" |
Trigger Pull |
5.75 lbs. |
Magazine Capacity |
6 |
I fired the PocketLite with every brand and
type of 380 auto ammunition available to me to check for
reliable function. I fired a variety of ammunition over the
chronograph to check velocities, with the results listed in the
chart below. Velocities are listed in feet-per-second. Bullet
weights are listed in grains. JHP is a jacketed hollowpoint
bullet. DPX is a hollow nose homogenous copper bullet. FMJ is a
full metal jacket roundnose bullet. FP is a full metal jacket
flat-nose bullet. PB is Cor-Bon Pow’RBall.
HC is a hard-cast flat-nose lead bullet. Velocities were taken
at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level, ten feet from the
muzzle, with an air temperature around the seventy-two degree
Fahrenheit mark, with fifty-six percent humidity. Not bad
weather for late October in Tennessee!
Ammunition |
Bullet Weight |
Velocity |
Cor-Bon JHP |
90 |
945 |
Cor-Bon PB |
70 |
1219 |
Cor-Bon DPX |
80 |
1006 |
Handload JHP |
88 |
797 |
Buffalo Bore JHP |
90 |
1023 |
Buffalo Bore FMJ |
95 |
954 |
Buffalo Bore HC |
100 |
1049 |
Remington JHP |
88 |
811 |
Stryker FP |
95 |
888 |
For accuracy testing, no attempt was made to
benchrest this Colt pocket pistol, as target shooting is not the
weapon’s intended use. I did fire the little Colt standing
offhand at distances of three, five, seven, fifteen, and
twenty-five yards on full-size and reduced-size human silhouette
targets, keeping everything in the kill zone all the way out to
twenty-five, with head shots attempted and made out to seven
yards, both slow-fire and rapid-fire. For such a lightweight,
small pistol, the Mustang PocketLite is very easy to shoot. The
grip has sufficient length to allow me to get all but my little
finger on the grip. The checkered grip panels allow for a secure
hold under recoil, and the little Colt is quick to get back on
target. The Colt has a slide lock, and the weapon locks open on
an empty magazine, facilitating a rapid reload, with a loaded
magazine at hand. The magazine functioned perfectly. It is made
of steel, and electroless nickel plated to match the finish of
the Pocketlite.
Functioning was perfect with the little Colt.
Every round of every brand fed, fired, and ejected perfectly.
The empty cases were thrown clear and to the right, and
thankfully, none were flung back at the shooter. The slide was
fairly easy to manually operate, especially if the hammer was
cocked first. Some small 380 pistols are hard to operate, but
the Pocketlite slide manipulated very easily for such a pistol.
I am glad to see the reintroduction of this
dandy little pocket pistol. It has the right balance of power to
portability to suit the carry needs of most who choose to go
armed. I am glad to see that the folks who are now running the
Colt factory seem to be very dedicated to producing pistols and
revolvers that are as good as any to ever come out of Hartford.
The Colt Mustang PocketLite comes packed in a hard case with two
magazines, instructions, and cable lock. The Mustang PocketLite
is lightweight, reliable, accurate, easy-to-shoot, and made in
the USA.
Check out the entire line of Colt firearms
and accessories online at www.coltsmfg.com.
For the location of a Colt dealer near you,
click on the DEALER LOCATOR at www.lipseys.com.
To order the new Pocketlite online, go to www.galleryofguns.com.
To order quality 380 ammunition, go to www.buffalobore.com,
www.luckygunner.com,
and www.theamericanmarksman.com.
To order a quality leather pocket holster for
the Colt Mustang PocketLite, go to www.simplyrugged.com.
Jeff Quinn