Colt Agent time capsule

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vanfunk

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Hi All:

Long story, but I was just gifted this early 60’s Colt Agent .38. It shows no evidence of use, carry or even firing that I can tell. I’m not sure yet if I’ll fire it but I’ll be mighty tempted. The action is smooth as glass and of course it locks up like a, um, Colt! I’ve always preferred Cobras and Agents for carry vs S&W J-frames for their capacity, sights and trigger. Yeah, I think I’ll load up some powder puff 125 LSWC softballs and take her for a spin soon.

IMG_4708.jpeg IMG_4707.jpeg
 
Wow, beautiful Agent!

bannockburn said:
Congrats on such an awesome gift!!!

Definitely right up there with Colt's two other snubbies; the Cobra and the Detective Special.
Click to expand...
Colt made snubbie versions of most of their revolvers including the Python and Diamondback. Some had particularly snazzy names like the Commando, Lawman, New Pocket, and Banker's Special. The Courier and Aircrewman snubbies even had aluminum cylinders. 😲
 
vanfunk said:
Hi All:

Long story, but I was just gifted this early 60’s Colt Agent .38. It shows no evidence of use, carry or even firing that I can tell. I’m not sure yet if I’ll fire it but I’ll be mighty tempted. The action is smooth as glass and of course it locks up like a, um, Colt! I’ve always preferred Cobras and Agents for carry vs S&W J-frames for their capacity, sights and trigger. Yeah, I think I’ll load up some powder puff 125 LSWC softballs and take her for a spin soon.

View attachment 1266267View attachment 1266268
Click to expand...
Dang that looks good!

I think you should FIRE IT! It’s a gun and deserves a few rounds!
 
Mine dates from 1966, has been carried and shot alot, but has been well maintained. I have not abused it with +P ammo. Factory wadcutters are carried in the cylinder and Winchester 110-grain Silvertip W38ST non+P for the Speed loader friendly reload. Winchester 130 FMJ flatnose SG38W is the range and training load. Shoots to same POI as wadcutter. My off duty and retirement EDC.
1734564605609.jpg
 
Last edited:
vanfunk said:
Hi All:

Long story, but I was just gifted this early 60’s Colt Agent .38. It shows no evidence of use, carry or even firing that I can tell. I’m not sure yet if I’ll fire it but I’ll be mighty tempted. The action is smooth as glass and of course it locks up like a, um, Colt! I’ve always preferred Cobras and Agents for carry vs S&W J-frames for their capacity, sights and trigger. Yeah, I think I’ll load up some powder puff 125 LSWC softballs and take her for a spin soon.

View attachment 1266267View attachment 1266268
Click to expand...
Sweet!
And I thought I was well thought of when a friend of mine left me a LNIB Charter Arms Undercover from about 1988.
Yours is a family heirloom, if you want it to be. Pretty little thing!
 
I find it difficult to spare my Cobra additional carry wear. The extremely light weight and minimum profile combined with service weapon level firepower and a 6 round capacity is a tough package to beat.

3303DA49-44C5-48F5-9BEB-1ECDB1762E72.jpeg

I have a policy to not carry it during the summer to at least spare it the sweat assault that entails.

Good luck making the hard choice to use or preserve. These are fantastic carry guns.
 
Cobra is the light alloy frame version of the DS.
Agent had a shorter butt and smaller grips to enhance concealment.

1966 and later all Colt D-frames used the short grip frame. Later DS grips wrapped around the butt to give same grip length as the former long butt grip frame while the small grips flush with the short butt were used on the Agent.
 
RevolvingGarbage said:
....
I have a policy to not carry it during the summer to at least spare it the sweat assault that entails....
Click to expand...
1726005526161.jpg
I carry mine in an El Paso Saddlery Pocket Max. It does a good job in protecting the gun. Mine shows little finish wear for 50 years of daily carry. Most finish wear is caused by failure to remove accumulated grit from the holster. Daily attention avoids that. My FTO taught me well.

At end of day the gun and holster get brushed off with a boar bristle shaving brush applying a very light coat of Johnson Paste Wax, removing fingerprints, dirt or pocket lint. Excess wax is wiped off with a baby diaper, also used to degrit and de-lint the holster before the gun is re-holstered. Every Friday evening all rounds are unloaded, the frame window, charge holes and bore are lightly brushed and patched clean, the gun inspected and reloaded. Carry ammo is changed out with fresh monthly.

In my day showing up for quals with a dirty gun and salty holster got you a $10 fine, which was serious money for a rookie back then. Backup and off duty pieces got the same armorer attention as the uniform holster gun.
 
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A really nice piece, congrats!

I love the DA trigger found on older Colts. My only real reservation about their vintage compact snubbies is the exposed, rather vulnerable ejector rod.

Not really an issue when carried in a proper holster, but it seemed odd to me that they introduced their hammer shroud long before they got around to the ejector rod. On the other hand, nothing else evokes "hats and gats" era quite like it.

Personally, I was delighted when they introduced the shroud in later iterations, like my '70s Dick Special.

ColtDickSpecial.jpg
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
Not really an issue when carried in a proper holster, but it seemed odd to me that they introduced their hammer shroud long before they got around to the ejector rod. I was delighted when they introduced the shroud in later iterations, like my '70s Dick Special.

View attachment 1266374
Click to expand...
Later I got a Parkerized, heavy barrel Agent with the shrouded ejector rod. My New York Reload.
1696563369889.jpg
 
Outpost75 said:
Cobra is the light alloy frame version of the DS.
Agent had a shorter butt and smaller grips to enhance concealment.

1966 and later all Colt D-frames used the short grip frame. Later DS grips wrapped around the butt to give same grip length as the former long butt grip frame while the small grips flush with the short butt were used on the Agent.
Click to expand...

I called Colt years ago and found mine is from '66, and indeed it is the same short frame as the Agent above under longer wood grips.
 
vanfunk said:
I’ve decided to shoot it, boys! Sparingly, with relatively anemic but fun handloads. I took it for a brisk walk in the woods today and met a traveling companion:
View attachment 1266471

She was strangely drawn to the old Colt, I believe.
Click to expand...
that deer need some corn!

I knew you would make that Old Colt Proud! Who cares about grouping, just have fun knowing it Colt Served it purpose
 
Thanks guys!

For this little guy, I am thinking about a 125 grain Rim Rock LSWC over 4 grains of HP38. This load runs around 850 FPS in my snubbies and is a low pressure, low recoil round. It might shoot a little low, though; I’ll see. I may also brew up some DEWC wadcutter loads around 750 FPS but, weirdly, I don’t have any in stock in my reloading room. Shame!
 
vanfunk said:
Thanks guys!

For this little guy, I am thinking about a 125 grain Rim Rock LSWC over 4 grains of HP38. This load runs around 850 FPS in my snubbies and is a low pressure, low recoil round. It might shoot a little low, though; I’ll see. I may also brew up some DEWC wadcutter loads around 750 FPS but, weirdly, I don’t have any in stock in my reloading room. Shame!
Click to expand...
I’m running 158g - hp38 today. 3.6g - 3.9g - 4.1g in a snub.

let use know how that 125gn goes!
 
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