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The Colt Defender is a hammer-fired M1911 semi-automatic single-action pistol pared-down to compact carry dimensions. It’s available as either a 7+1 capacity .45 ACP or an 8+1 capacity 9 mm. Either way, its a 6.75” long package wrapped around a 3.00” barrel.

Let’s talk aesthetics. The 9 mm has an elegantly finished matte blued frame while the .45 ACP’s frame wears a nice looking stainless steel finish.

Dovetailed into the barrel vaulted slide are a front white dot Novak night sight and in back is a Novak blackout low-mount wide-notch carry sight. The slide has diagonal grip serrations in back, and behind that a horizontally serrated loop combat hammer. The ejection port is lowered and flared.

Inside the classic racetrack oval trigger guard is a long crescent target trigger with lightening triple-porting. Between the trigger guard and frame is a gentle undercut. Though it’s a small frame, Colt managed to give the beavertail grip safety an attractive upturn. The gun also has a thumb safety and a Series 80 firing pin safety that can’t move forward until the trigger is pulled.

The thumb safety, magazine release and slide stop are all on the left.

The grip panels are beautiful. They look like they’re black cherry wood, but they’re actually G10 polymer grips made to look real. They’re flat-head screw fastened at top and bottom, smooth in back and on top and diamond checkered in front. The difference between the smooth part and the checkered part is denoted by a long arc, and the Colt logo sits inside the checkered area.

The grip has an angled corner and vertical serrations on the backstrap. Inside the grip goes a stainless steel magazine with counting holes.

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