Customer Reviews for Colt Defender Series 7+1 45ACP 3"

Usual Colt quality. Very similar in size to an Officers Model but has a shorter barrel. Alloy frame. Stainless steel & enhanced features. Nice compact 1911 style for concealed carry.

Can't go wrong with a Colt 1911. I carry them on and off duty. Easy to add mods and never fails me. Buds had best price and was easy to do business with.

Good version of the 3” 1911.
Carries with supreme ease.
Light gun, but handles 45acp with ease.
My only beefs are : finger groove grips don’t belong on any 1911. EVER. Also the extractor needed significant adjustment during first range session. Brass was ejected right into my face. Easily corrected after getting home and stripping it down and removing the extractor and tweaking it.

This is a very high quality well built firearm that will give you a lifetime of reliable use. I have put about 500 rounds through this Colt and have only had a couple of jamming issues which were easy to correct and also expected from a new firearm using medium quality ammo. I have has no issues in the last 200 rounds.

This gun is a excellent undercover gun very easy to conceal and very accurate all I can say if you want a good concealment weapon this is the one to buy . Thank you Buds guns for a very smooth transaction !

Awesome gun, got lucky and brought this before it fell off the California Rooster

The best carry gun I own and it shoots great

I bought my Colt Defender in 45 ACP from Buds in early 2016. I have been carrying it for about a year now and I must say I am very impressed with this little 1911. It gobbles up everything I feed it, even all of my lead semi wadcutter handloads. The accuracy is surprisingly good. The trigger on mine is very crisp, not too light but not too heavy either - I'd say just right for a carry pistol. The only change I've made is I put on a set of Crimson Trace Green Laser grips which make this pistol even better in low light conditions. It rides perfectly in an El Paso Saddelry High Slide OTW holster. This is one pistol I will never sell.

Im a little disappointed in this one. It shoots low of center, no matter where i shoot from. Yes it is true, most firearms will preform better than the shooter, but have put it in a shooting bench vise to take my own inabilities out of the equation, it still shoots low, but center. A little disapointing from Colt.

Best conceal carry gun for the money.

Great pistol. Perfect for CCW. Short barrel 45ACP, not too snappy. Colt quality, the grip is perfect, I have large hands and I can get all digits comfortably on this pistol. Action smooth and a beautiful weapon. Shooting 3" groupings at 30 feet. I would recommend to anyone wanting a short barrel 1911 in 45ACP, you won't be disappointed.

Forget everything you heard about micro size 1911. This pistol is a gem. Smooth and tight.

Received My Colt Defender. Excellent looking, great feel and I'm looking forward to shooting it. This is the third purchase from Buds Gun Store, the staff and service have been very dependable and swift in completing the purchase and its delivery in a timely manner.

Very nice handgun! I have not owned a Colt in many years and I am very please with this model. It is also my first short-barreled 1911. The fit and quality of the firearm are top notch. It feels great in my hand. I did not care for the wrap-around rubber grips so I replaced them with wood grips. Some people might like the rubber - but give me wood any day. The Defender functions flawlessly and is great for concealed carry. I would have preferred tritium sights - but the Novaks are the next best thing. I highly recommend this Colt Defender. It is a firearm worthy of the Colt name. (Not so with the new Lightweight Commander).

This bad boy went to work as soon as I squeezed the first round! I put about 100 rounds and worked like it's supposed to. I love how it feels on the hand and its great accuracy. My new favorite toy and worth every penny....thanks Bud's

I bought this handgun for EDC and am glad I did.After taking t to the range and putting 200 rounds down range with out a jam with both FMJ and HP's I see no problem carrying this daily.This weapon was very tight and hard to take down to clean but I think it will loosen up after a few more range times.

This is my first review of a gun from Bud's even though I am happy with all of my purchases and choices. The Colt Defender is now my carry pistol. Thanks to all of you who have posted comments on the positives and negatives (although for me there are no negatives). I just went to the range and fired all my compacts and sub compacts. For accuracy the Defender for me beat the Glock 43, Ruger LC9 and to my surprise the CZ SP01! The .45 caliber Recoil was very manageable. I won't put up with too much so for me to recommend this over a 9mm is something special for a 3" barrel in .45 cal. Yes, it's a little heavier than the 43 or the LC9 but not by much and not much bulkier either. I had no failure to feed or fire with some cheapo ammo. I'm really happy with this firearm if you can't tell by now. I shopped around and Bud's had the best price by far. One dealer, when I told him what Bud's price was told me to snap it up cause at that price it was too good to pass up. To sum up.... 2 words....Buy it !!!

This is one sleek 45ACP shooting firearm. Just got it, cleaned it then took it to the range and ran a box of Winchester 230g FMJs through it. Flawless 50 out of 50 rounds with no issues and a surprisingly manageable recoil. The pic doesn't do any justice to the feel and niceness of this gun. Makes a great looking little brother next to my SS Colt Commander, also purchased from BGS. If you're looking for good smaller size firearm to carry with plenty fire power but don't mind the extra couple of ounces of weight, you can't go wrong with this one. After all, it's a Colt. What makes it a real sweet deal is it's a Colt from Buds. As always, great quality at a great price. Thanks BGS! Another homerun.

Purchased firearm Monday 8-31-15, my FFL dealer received it Wednesday 9-2-15, I picked it up field striped and oiled it Thursday 9-3-15, today Friday 9-4-15 I ran 200 rounds through it without any concerns. It's A Colt what else would you expect. This was my first firearm purchase from Bud's and all went better than expected, extra fast shipping, good price and Bud's preferred FFL dealer list is better than sliced bread. Thanks REH

The Colt Defender .45 is an outstanding weapon. For a pistol its size, it it very accurate. What was very surprising to me was how, for a .45 weighing 24 ozs., the recoil was extremely easy to manage, more like it was a full size 1911. I shot about 50 rounds with a mixture of ball and HP and never had an issue. I know it is a small sampling, but I had read that there was often an issue with HP ammo and the Defender. I did not have any through three mags. Fit and finish, as expected, were wonderful. The handgun is easy to disassemble and clean. My early impression is that I am ecstatic and would highly recommend the Colt Defender .45 to any one looking for something along this line. This is my first Colt, but not my last. I purchased this firearm using Bud's layaway plan and am very happy with the whole process.

My first purchase from Bud's and I have no complaints. Process was quick and easy, and the price was great. Now to the gun. It's been about 2 years since I bought anything new from Colt. This Defender is absolutey flawless in execution and function. I cannot find a machining flaw or poorly fitted part anywhere on this thing. I was a little leary buying right now with the problems at Colt but I can now say it is not affecting their products. BUY A NEW COLT, you won't be disappointed.

The guns shoots very well. It looks nice. The three hoses in the trigger are not in mine. Three grip feels good in your hand. I have a full size 1911 .45 cal. The recoil is the same or less. I did have a sharp edge on the top where the round kicks out. Polished it and it's much better, but found out the hard way. Blood on the first day. So far I love my new carry gun.

Sometimes we forget what made and continues to make a great gun manufacturing company "great"...but the Colt Defender does indeed remind my why COLT has been a premier force in shaping firearms history since 1836! This isn't the first Colt I've owned, but it's the first of the latest generation I've owned in many years. The 1911 field has become choke full of a veritable cornucopia of brands and variations, with some coming in at a near astounding price point for the functional reliability delivered, while others swim in the deep end of multi-thousand dollar works of art that cater to those with enough expendable income to drop on a piece that took considerable man-hours of loving labor to produce. Whereas Colt once occupied the high-end spot for 1911's it now rides in the middle lane....not cheap by any means - about double what most so-called "entry level" 1911's cost, yet about level with the starting models from the likes of Kimber. What this buys in the crowded 1911 field is a name that is recognized around the world and bespeaks not just quality, but RELIABILITY within build quality! It's worth nothing that the Colt name adorns virtually all the modern "classics" from the 1873, the 1911, the AR-15....all being built by a host of new-comers to the art, but those with the name Colt garner a certain respect that can only come from having "been there and done that" long before all these upstarts were even a flash along someone's neural cortex. To get down to it...the Defender is superb! It's built for business....Colt you can use that phrase if you want because you have earned it! Built for business means it's not the most finely finished - the the finish is certainly on part with any other high-end service grade pistol, but that's not important to those who value performance over show....function over form. Out of the box the gun feels "right"....the slide isn't super tight, but it's super-smooth and rides true to the rails. The classically applied, STAMPED name on the slide and frame bespeak purpose with just a bit of show. Pulling the slide back is smooth with all the right sounds and a solid click as the slide stop is snapped home by the magazine. Drop the mag, work the slide a few dozen times and it's clear the gun was assembled to go into harm's way right out of the box! Trigger pull is a clean break at maybe 5-6 pounds,, with little noticed over travel. The slide and barrel locking lugs are bold and engage deeply. The reverse recoil spring plug fits like it was cut from the slide, and the three-piece, steel recoil guide spring assembly cushions the recoil slow and slingshots the slide/barrel assembly home with authority to a solid lockup. Even the Beavertail grip safety shows how Colt tweaked things for a purpose....not fitted so tight one can see grooves appearing, yet tight enough and formed with a generous bump to ensure the palm of the hand depresses it during the grip. The thumb safety....oh now HERE is where the boys and girls are separated from the women and men! The quality of how a thumb safety operates on a 1911 speaks VOLUMES about how much interest was present during assembly...and Colt did not disappoint here! As on ALL Colts I've ever handled, the safety is spot on perfect out of the box...which means is snicks "on" with an upward swipe of the strong hand without excessive resistance, yet with a solid feel. Swiping down is the same....enough force is required to assure the user the safety isn't sloppy, yet that's all. When it snaps it snaps with a solid click. The pistol does come with the "Long" trigger which seems just a tad too long for my fingers and normal 1911 usage. This is easily changed out for those with shorter fingers or smaller hands, and is not a mark against the overall pistil. The Novak low-mount sights are bold and thick with triple white dot alignment. Hand cycling of rounds is often the precursor to how a semiautomatic pistol will perform under fire and again, Colt does not disappoint. Using 230 grain hardball handloads the abbreviated pistol feed flawlessly even while riding the slide....riding the slide lets one feel every bump and joggle of the cartridge's transition from magazine to chamber and generally speaking is a good indicated of shooting performance. Field stripping is typical Colt....drop the mag, cocked the hammer, crack the slide to ensure a clear chamber, then run the slide back while pressing the slide stop from the ride side. The slide stop will pop out for easy removal, then just run the entire slide/barrel/RS assembly off the frame. The RSA lifts out easily, allowing removal of the reverse plug and barrel. As with conventional 1911's, pressing the firing pin in allows the firing pin retaining plate to be slide downward and removed. Here things are different than pre-series 80 models in that one must also depress the firing pin block while pressing the firing pin. With that done, retraction of the extractor allows the spring-loaded firing pin block to drop out and the slide for all intents an purposes is stripped save for sights. What is worth nothing is that all of this is SMOOTH without any binding, or gritty feel! This is the mark of a pistol built for practical use...all the little pieces have been attended too...this is what sets Colt above the rest, and what lays the foundation for a pistol that functions reliably. At the range, using both 230 grain hardball handloads and 185 grain TCP "Extreme" bullet handloads, the stubby, and LIGHT, Defender proved its pedigree. Out of an initial 200 rounds not one malfunction....while I am sure some will chorus that one can't call a pistol "reliable" until 20,000,000 rounds have been wasted down-range, a pistol that put the FIRST 200 down the pipe without a hitch has a 100% probability of putting the next ONE down the pipe without a hitch! Put another way, the odds are 200:0 that the gun will function reliably on the next trigger pull. Until that first malfunction, the odds of reliability only go up. So far the Defender is doing Colt proud. I should not part without mention that the little gun weighs only 24 oz empty. Next to my Glock G29 the Defender is decidedly smaller and LIGHTER...granted the G29 is bringing more brute force to the table, but with higher performance loads such as those available from Underwoodammo the .45ACP makes a tidy little package that conceals easier than the bulbous G29. Fitted into an Alien Gear IWB, or a Don Hume SAH small of the back holster the Colt Defender brings much to the table. Also, not everyone is enamored of the Glock trigger...and even the G29 SF has a "long" reach to the SA trigger compared to the 1911 pattern. The Colt ain't cheap...but it ain't built cheap either. As I said in the beginning, the Colt is "built for business.!

I’m very satisfied with this gun. Ran 100 rounds of 230gr FMJ through it with no issues. The wrap around grips help tame the significant but manageable muzzle flip resulting from the light weight and short barrel. Colt describes the Defender as a workhorse which is spot on. Nice fit and finish. While not the prettiest 1911 it’s a solid design that will put a lot of lead on target from a light, concealable package. I’m looking forward to carrying it for many years to come. Doing business with Bud’s was a pleasure as usual.

I love this little 1911. Gun is very tight and feels great in my hand with the Hogue grip. No issues at all. Classic Colt look and Colt quality that is expected at this price point. Another smooth buds transaction.