RHIANNON MARIE
COLT DEFENDER

You might have heard it said, I don't dial 911 I dial 1911.  Designed in 1911 this tried and true genre of pistol has seen conflicts worldwide, from military to self defense and Law Enforcement use 1911's have a pedigree that would put Paris Hilton's dog to shame.  Throw in the tried and true name of Colt and you know you're going to be most of the way to handgun Nirvana by the time you finish this review.

So what is not to like about a 1911 you ask?  Well, honestly from a woman's perspective two things, weight and size. Feminists keep your panties on, I know it drives you crazy that I might intimate that we girls are the weaker sex but truth be told a full size 1911 is hard to hide in a "Flashbang Bra Holster" or a "Garter Holster" no matter how you put it.  God gave us girls curvy hips and more than a few challenges when it comes to concealed carry, the 1911 full size platform just doesn't help solve the CCW problems.  Then there's the Colt Defender, with it's demur 3" inch barrel and the words "Lightweight" engraved on its stainless steel frame, bless you Colt for a 1911 this girl can carry in the waist band without having to ask everyone if this carry piece makes my hips look fat!

So now that we have the fashion/carry discussion out of the way.

When it comes to accurate, the Colt Defender is more than capable as a self-defense handgun.  At 3 inches long the barrel is very sensitive to the shooters skill set and I would dare say is more up to job of putting lead accurately in tight groups than I am. Still even off hand I  was able to consistently hit without a problem at 25 yards.  I am all about self-defense and as most of us know 7-15 feet is where most self-defense shootings happen. The three dot sights were easy to see and get back on target and the action was smooth. This is not a race gun by any stretch of the imagination but it fired every time consistently, with smooth mag changes aided by the angled mag well and the feeling of security created by the Hogue grips. Besides the traditional slide safety, I also appreciated the backstrap safety on this model.  The skeletonized aluminum trigger is a nice  touch it broke nicely without any slop. I think most shooters appreciate the beauty of a good looking handgun and the brushed stainless steel and Cerakote finish on the Defender are certainly a head turner.  In my opinion the Colt Defender is a great choice for a concealable handgun on the 1911platform.  -Anna