Vintage carry piece: the Colt Agent

A normally overlooked but still available carry piece on the used marked is the Colt Agent. This is an alloy framed, 6-shot .38 special DA revolver with an abbreviated gripframe for enhanced carrying ability. The gun was introduced in 1962 as a less expensive version of the Cobra and was produced in several styles until it was discontinued for good in 1986. Later versions with the parkerized finish are the least attractive, however are probably the best for carry.

One big advantage the Colt has over its competition is the added 6th shot (almost all other lighweight snubbies have just 5). The gun is roughly the same size as the Ruger LCR. A disadvantage to the Colt is that it hasn't been produced in some time and repair can be a difficult proposition. Normally though a 2" snubby isn't used for firing thousands of rounds so barring some abuse repair shouldn't be that big of an issue. Be aware though that as of this writing no one, including Colt, has the ability to replace a barrel should that become necessary.

A factory hammer shroud was available and an aftermarket shroud is sold today. This aids in draw from a pocket.

Early Agent:



Later parkerized model:



Mid-cycle model with hammer shroud installed: