I am grateful for all the manufacturers that put time, effort, and money into developing solid choices for concealed carry. As a 1911-style pistol aficionado, that has always been my first choice for carry, but that pistol style is rather large and not always perfect for concealed carry.

Colt recognized this in 1949, introducing the Commander with a four-and-a-quarter-inch barrel instead of the traditional five-inch. In 1985, we got the OACP or Officers with a three-and-a-half-inch barrel, and finally, the Defender in 2000 with a three-inch barrel. As I understand from John Travis, aka 1911 Tuner, getting the smaller 1911-style pistols to run well is no small feat. I have experience with numerous smaller “1911s”s, and he is correct; several of the smaller guns were unreliable. Considering they were designed for concealed carry, reliability would be paramount. However, I believe Colt has figured it out, as the OACP and Defender Colts I have run were just fine.

Colt has reintroduced the Combat Elite as a series of pistols, Government Model, Commander, and Defender. All are available in .45 Auto or 9mm. You can read our review of the Combat Elite Government Model by following this link. 

When given the opportunity to review the Defender member of that family, I jumped on it.

Once the initial range trip proved the pistol reliable with various defensive ammunition, including one of my favorites, the DoubleTap 160gr hollow point. I secured a holster from Jackson Leatherwork and began carrying the little pistol. Here is where I need to stress: having a quality holster and belt is just as important as gun selection if you decide to carry a handgun. It would be best if you had the holster sturdy enough to hold the gun securely and keep it where it needs to be but designed in such a way as to be an easy draw.

The holster I got from Jackson Leatherwork fulfilled that role quite well.

The Combat Elite Defender is adorned with Novak three-dot night sights. While I prefer the single white dot on the front site, I am beginning to appreciate the three-dot system as my eyes age. In lower light, when my eyes are no longer at their best, I still have a good reference of where the sights are in relation to each other and how the pistol is oriented on my nightstand when there is no light.

The whole pistol is quite tactile. The cocking serrations are a shade aggressive, allowing for positive purchase to manipulate the slide. I can see the case for an ambidextrous thumb safety on such a pistol. If one had to deploy the gun with your support hand or you are a lefty, you can still easily manipulate the safety. The deep beavertail has an incorporated palm swell as insurance for complete disengagement. G10 stocks, in this case, are a welcome inclusion.

The front strap and mainspring housing have twenty-five lines per inch. Being a bit old school, I would have preferred the MSH include a lanyard loop, yea, I know.  The slide-to-receiver fit is quite snug but not overly tight; in fact, the whole pistol fits and blends quite well. It is easy to get and maintain a grip on the gun as it is especially tactile, but with no extra snags to hinder a hasty deployment, as all the controls have some sort of checkering or serrations. The trigger broke just a cat’s hair under five pounds, with enough take-up for a good trigger prep and enough overtravel for correct follow-through. In my opinion, this is as light as I would want a defensive trigger.

Being a subcompact pistol, it is set up a bit differently, with a reverse recoil spring plug and a smaller dual spring recoil system. Looking at the radial locking lugs on the barrel and inside of the slide, I see they are still crisp. There are no signs of peening or wear. While the 350 or so rounds we ran through the little Colt were not a lot, signs would be evident if there were an issue with the pistol.

Regarding reliability and accuracy, I had a variety of shooters with various ammunition and magazines run the gun, and there were no problems. Be advised, though, that being a small gun, you have to be more mindful of where your hands are so as not to crowd the controls during live fire. It was easy to keep five-inch groups on steel or paper at thirty feet, which is way plenty accurate for a defensive subcompact pistol.

Conclusions 

The Colt Combat Elite Defender is an upgrade from the Defender and would serve you quite well as a defensive carry pistol. In my opinion, that is the lone job this pistol was designed to do, but as far as a range toy, match gun, or even a home defense pistol, not so much. It could fill that role, but other Colts would fill those roles better. While a bit snappier than a Government Model, it was not so hard to shoot to prevent someone from training with it, and it carried quite well. I have no qualms about including this pistol in carry rotation, especially when a smaller pistol is more conducive to concealability. If you are in the market to upgrade your carry gun, I recommend looking at the Colt Defender, and if you must have the very best, consider the Combat Elite Defender. Both pistols are available in .45 Auto and 9mm.

Specifications 

Type: Recoil operated, semiautomatic
Cartridge:.45 Auto or 9mm
Capacity: 7+1 for 45 8+1 rds for 9mm.
Overall Length: 6 3/4 in.
Height: 5 1/4″ in.
Weight: 2 lbs, 2 oz.
Material: Stainless steel
Stocks: Colt G-10 panels
Trigger: 5 lbs.
Safety: Frame-mounted, ambi manual lever; beavertail grip safety; Series 80 firing pin safety
Finish: TT Elite; black Ionbond, brushed stainless-steel flats
Sights: Novak, three-dot tritium
MSRP: $1,399

Acknowledgments 

Colt Manufacturing 

DoubleTap Ammunition 

Defender Ammunition 

Hornady 

By Hunter Elliott

I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.

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