Colt .380 Gov't VS Colt Mustang Pocketlite

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FTSESQ

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Hi guys. I've been jonesing for a Colt .380 Gov't model for a few years now and and seeing how my carry permit should be coming through I can now justify the "need" for one. Now, I know... its only a .380... and I can get X or Y gun that's better or cheaper...blah blah blah... but I like this little 380. However, before dropping the cash on one, I would like to know the difference between the Colt .380 Gov't and the Colt Mustang Pocketlite. I know that the Gov't has a barrel bushing and grip safety where the Pocketlite dosen't, but are those the only differences?

Also, does anyone have experience with either of these guns (or hopefully both)? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

thank you
 
I have a gov 380 and you have to be careful with them. Some (like mine) have soft steel and beat themselves apart. Hopefully you will be more lucky then I. Good guns though, to bad they were not made better.
 
Get a LW .380 Government Model. They made some, and they might be the best fo both worlds. My Mustang Pocketlite is not so accurate. I kind of wish that it was a Govt. Model .380, as the bushinged barrel might be more accurate.
 
I have a Colt 380 Gov Model.
Totally unreliable and terribly inaccurate.
Wish I hadn't bought it.
I'm not even sure where the gun is now. Stuck in some corner where it's out of the way.:rolleyes:
 
I have a pocketlite that I like very much. My one word of advice would be to take care not to let your thumb ride against the slide release, as you can lock the slide open unexpectedly.
 
I am totally surprised at some of the negative comments. I wouldn't part with my nickel Mustang ... the best little pocket gun I've ever had, without a FTF since the first mag and thousands of rounds. Not one, with killer accuracy.

To the OP, if you are looking for concealment, go for the Mustang in lieu of the Government Model. Load it up with some hollow points and tuck it into a nice wallet holster from http://www.pocketholsters.com If you want, dress it up with a set of http://www.novaksights.com tritium night sights, put some Pachmyr bumper pads on the mags and you'll have the ultimate mouse-gun.

You will not be disappointed.
 
The Govt .380 has a longer slide and a longer grip. The Mustang conceals much better, especially when in a pocket. What they both lack is decent sights in my opinion. That's why I decided to upgrade my Mustang Pocketlite with some Novak sights.

mustang_grips.jpg

My Mustang is quite accurate and very reliable. The only problem I have had is the magazine started dropping free during recoil. A new magazine catch spring solved the problem.

You might also consider the Sig P238, which is a copy of the Mustang.
 
I have a pocketlight. It's about as accurate as a gun that size can be (3-4" at 15 yards) and is totally reliable. In fact, it's the only 100% reliable .380 I've ever had and I've gone through a number of them over the years. I've also shot the gov .380, with the same results. The pockelite is a true pocket pistol. The gov .380 not quite pocket sized, but it's still very concealable.

Supposedly, the Sig P238 is a copy of the Colt pocketlight. There were some teething problems with the early releases, but I think they've got that all sorted out now. You might want to take a look because they're far less than you'll pay for the Colt.

380jpg.jpg
 
I don't think the Gov't .380 is a pocket gun. I have a teeny little Kydex holster for mine, and a couple of teeny-tiny mag carriers.

It is reliable and accurate with ball ammo, a very fine little IDPA BUG. Trigger pull is lighter than I want for carry; I am negotiating for a Kahr KP9.
 
I've carried a Gov. 380 for a while now and really like it. It's too big for pocket carry but in a small IWB Don Hume holster it is very concealable. Very reliable, even with my handloads and you can still get replacement springs. I too put Novack sights on it. Very accurate.
M2Carbine do you want to get rid of that thing?
 
GO FOR THE SIG 380. Better made coy than the original Mustang. I love my Mustng and kinda like my Pony too but the Sig is twice the gun at a better price.
 
Better made coy than the original Mustang.
Click to expand...

It's ironic that you say that, because I own a Mustang plus II, a Colt .380 Government and a Sig P-238, and was thinking recently about how much better the fit and finish were in the Colts!

They all have the stupid crappy plastic triggers. :barf:

Edit, One major exception is that the Sig has a dovetailed front sight which is superior to the cast on Colt front sights.
 
HisSoldier:
It's ironic that you say that, because I own a Mustang plus II, a Colt .380 Government and a Sig P-238, and was thinking recently about how much better the fit and finish were in the Colts!

They all have the stupid crappy plastic triggers.

Edit, One major exception is that the Sig has a dovetailed front sight which is superior to the cast on Colt front sights
Click to expand...
.

Yeah, my only real gripe with the pocketlight is with the sights. In good light at the range, they work OK and shoot to point of aim, but in the real world it would be strictly a point and shoot pistol. That doesn't bother me, because I can't picture many self-defense scenarios where the target is much more than a few yards away.

I'd like to get my hands on one of those Sigs and see if I like it. The value on the Colts has gone up so much that it's tempting to just put it away as a collector piece.
 
Kodiak, I recommend the P-238 HD model, it is all steel. I also recommend replacing the crappy plastic trigger with one of my 416 stainless triggers which also fit the Colt guns.
change31.jpg
 
I might just do that, but I think I'll wait for the novelty to wear off and the price to drop.

How difficult is it to swap out the trigger on a Mustang or P238? I replaced the guide rod with steel, but that was a pretty easy fix.
 
In the Sig it's very easy, the Colt requires more care for some reason. Just getting the trigger and bar back into the Colt is a pain. It took me ten minutes to swap triggers in the Sig. Triggers on the Colts are starting to fall apart now, 20 years later, I'm not surprised.
 
I'll have to replace the trigger one of these days. It's fine actually, maybe because I don't shoot it that much. But I despise having plastic parts in any firearm. I replaced the plastic (or nylon?) guide rod long ago, even though it functioned perfectly well.

It'll probably be another year or more before I take a serious look at the sigs, but when I do I'll contact you for a trigger. Are there any other plastic parts in the Sig - guide rod?
 
Are there any other plastic parts in the Sig - guide rod?
Click to expand...

The guide rod is steel in mine, but the main spring housing is plastic! If I wanted a plastic gun I'd BUY ONE!

We are soon going to make a run of stainless main spring housings, they will be identical to the originals except being machined from stainless steel. I won't know the price until we finish the run.
 
I have a .380 govt. and love it (until the extractor broke). It has proven to be next to impossible to find an extractor. Right now it is a very fine single shot pistol. I have heard the weak point in the mustang, pocketlite or govt is the extractor (I was told it was soft metal and shooting heavy loads is too much for it). I was shooting factory loads and it broke. The reason I bring that up is it is a good thing to check before buying a mustang. From looking at what was left of the extractor, it had been broken for a while and I didn't notice it when I purchased the gun.
 
Colt Government 380...

I just picked up a 95% condition Colt Government 380 for 300.00, it did not have a box, but came with one nickel mag and leather holster, the gun has a dull stainless finish with black controls, I am going to call Colt today to get more info on it. The fit and finish is very nice.. just like all the other Colts I own... I would get a colt if you can find one but they can be pricey, The SIG is also another option to look at...
 
Hi hissoldier, I wanna buy your stainless steel trigger. Pls let me know how can I contact you to purchase one for my p238.
 
The only other consideration I have not read is weight. The Pocketlite is the lightweight alloy version of the Mustang and is much lighter than the Gov model or the original Mustang. I own both a Mustang and a Pocketlite and have had no problems with either one. They are not target guns, but were never intended to be. If you want a better carry gun and weight is not a huge consideration, may I recommend a Sig 232 used. This will give you double action capablity and great reliability. I own one of those as well and find it to be more accurate than the Mustangs.
 
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