Posted: 6/14/2010 7:34:08 AM EDT
I have had this pistol for about three weeks now and have shot it on three occasions, and I must say am very impressed with it. It has proven completely dependable after about 500 rounds now, of a mixture of old laquer-cased Wolf, Winchester White Box, both of which were ball ammunition, and some Winchester Bonded PDXI, which has a pretty radical hollow point. No malfunctions whatsoever.
I liked the grips on the pistol, the commander hammer, the relief under the trigger guard, and had no problems with the plastic MSH. The slight beaver tail under the hammer was a bit of a problem and I took a chance and replaced it with a Wilson "drop in" unit from Brownells. This is a bit of a compromise as it makes the pistol slightly longer. The comfort in the grip, the comfort in recoil, and to some extent the better protection of the hammer in the cocked position seemed to me to make it worthwhile. Fitting it wasn't too hard and I would much rather be filing away on a $35 part than the body of the pistol itself. It certainly does make shooting the New Agent more comfortable. 
The photo below represents about fifty rounds of WWB (it was too hot to change the target) shot at a range of ten yards. This is not "sniping from the rooftops" kind of accuracy, but nor was it especially deliberate aiming. It does show how I warmed up slightly from the low shots at the beginning and fired rapidly at the target, although all shots were slightly low despite my best efforts. For fairly rapid shooting with these sights, I am satisfied. 
It is the sights, of course, that make this pistol so distinctive. The small trench is usable to some extent, but this is a short-range self defense firearm to be used instinctively. I was pleased that I could actually bear down, use that little trench, and keep shots within four to six inches of a stick I saw on the berm, twenty-five yards away. This translates to me to an upper torso shot at this distance, given a small amount of time to actually align that trench. Again, this is consistant with what I would expect of the pistol and in fact, better than I had hoped for. Just as a comparison, here's the New Agent next to a Walther PPS 9mm: 
The pistol is very comfortable to carry (in my case in a Crossbreed holster) but I am sure other styles would be just as effective. It is light, accurate for its design, and above all, apparently completely dependable. After 500 rounds I feel quite confident about the New Agent. The almost zen-like exercise of a pistol with what might generously be called rudimentary sights has proven to be first a challenge but in the end may be great training for instinctive shooting. The caliber is a plus, I believe, and either because of the relatively small size of the pistol, the bright muzzle surrounding it, or I am just so used to 9mm, the end of the New Agent to me seems like looking down into a Campbell's soup can. All in all a highly recommended pistol - perhaps not everybody's cup of tea, but for me this has proven to be a really satisfying purchase. My first sip of Colt kool-aid in many years seems mighty tasty. |
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Quoted:
pretty good information. Its good to know. A couple of years ago I was about to purchase a New Agent, but what stopped me was the sights. Thanks, I have been looking for an officer to "complete" my 1911 collection and was leaning hard toward a New Agent. |
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Quoted:
pretty good information. Its good to know. A couple of years ago I was about to purchase a New Agent, but what stopped me was the sights. Same here. I like to be really accurate with my 1911s - even the little guys. Maybe the Defender is the one for you - it has traditional sights. |