Colt Pocket nine

[Rocnerd]

I am pretty sure these aren't made anymore, as with just about everything else at colt, but are they that rare?  I can't seem to find one in any gun shop or on gun broker.  How much do they go for?  What is the trigger like?  How is the recoil?  

The thing is after taking the defensive handgun class my wife now sees the positive side of the semi-auto world and is beginning to look at them.  The problem is she doesn't like the black guns, which they all seem to be nowadays.  She loves my R9s, but of course doesn't like the recoil, hey I don't like the recoil sometimes.  So, should I just cruise the gunshows in hopes of finding one or is there some super secret place in which I might find one?  Thanks.

[Richard S]

Roc:

Here is a link to a previous thread on the Pocket Nine which might be of interest:

http://www.rohrbaughforum.com/YaBB.cgi?board=Other;action=display;num=1124233616;start=0

[Newt]

I have two Pocket Nines and if it were'nt for the R9 they would be my carry. The recoil is not bad at all and the little guns are pretty accurate. The biggest down side to this gun is the very hard trigger pull on the DAO, it takes some getting used to.

[Rocnerd]

Thanks for the link Richard, that did help.  I did a search of the forum for the pocket nine, but nothing came up.  Maybe I mispelled something.  

Newt, have you looked into getting the triggers worked on?  if they are that tough I would like to get it smoothed out to something approaching the Rohrbaugh if I could.  

[Newt]

I thought about it but after I got used to it I didn,t bother. If it was a primary carry I would.

[Fud]

NIB Colt Pocket Nine's are still around and should run about $600 (give or take) ...



... and in recent years I've picked up a few of them ...



... they are a little bit bigger than the R9 ...



... but are +P rated (which the R9's are not)...



... and about the size of a PPK ...



... Good luck in finding one -- you won't be disappointed.

[R9SCarry]

Alan - you have severe pocket-piece addiction LOL!

[Fud]

Rocnerd, I found two Colt Pocket Nine's for sales:

• Here's a NIB one going for $795
  
  and
  
  
• Here's one in 98% going for $750

The price is a bit high but realistiicly speaking, the gun was made for only one year and with the inventory drying up and the demand either staying the same or increasing, prices are going to go up. The good part is that the gun was a sleeper, so NIB models and near-NIB models can still be found.

Honestly speaking, if funds weren't short on my end I would get one or both of them and add them to my collection. Unfortunately, I lost my two main accounts, which account for about 75% of my income, at the beginning of the year. One guy merged with another firm which already has a computer staff so my services to him are no longer needed and the other guy died and his wife liquidated the business. So money is a bit tight for me right now but if it wasn't, I would be adding them to my collection.

Disclaimer : I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not RECOMMENDING these two sellers. I do not know them from a hole in the wall. They could be perfectly honest business men or they could be frauds looking to rip people off. I don't know one way or the other. If doing business with them, use common sense and treat them as you would any stranger.

Alan - you have severe pocket-piece addiction LOL!

Yeah, I have that problem.   I tend to do that with guns that have been discontinued. If the Pocket Nine was still in production, I wouldn't have purchased as many of them as I did.

[Fud]

• The biggest down side to this gun is the very hard trigger pull on the DAO, it takes some getting used to.

  
  

• Newt, have you looked into getting the triggers worked on?  if they are that tough I would like to get it smoothed out to something approaching the Rohrbaugh if I could.  

See? Now I actually like the trigger on the P9's. When it comes to autoloaders without a manual safety, I prefer a heavier trigger pull as is found on a DA revolver and that is what the Pocket Nine gives me. If you prefer a lighter trigger, consider getting a Kahr MK9 ... the thing is built like a tank and has a very light, smooth trigger -- which, ironicly, is the reason why I sold my MK9 and got the Pocket Nine instead ...



... as I said, different strokes for different folks -- and that's what makes the world go around

Editted to correct formatting errors.

[Rocnerd]

Thanks Fudster.  I am going to hold out till I can actually hold one in hand.  I am more than a little nervous buying sight unseen from someone I don't know.  So, here is hoping that I find one at the next gun show, and that I have enough green to purchase one after I get my .41 mag for hunting.  I like that it is the same size as the PPK.  Is the trigger that heavy?

[Fud]

I don't have one of those things that measures the trigger pull so this is purely subjective on my part but the trigger pull on the Pocket Nine is ABOUT the same as on my Ruger SP101 DAO model -- not sure if that helps any.

Again, on carry guns without manul safeties, I prefer a heavier trigger pull which is why I got rid of my MK9 and settled on the Pocket Nine instead -- even though the MK9 was less tempermental with what ammo I fed it.

[Rocnerd]

That doesn't sound that bad.  I had heard it was like the heaviest, nastiest, revolver pull you could imagine, or at least that was my impression.  I hope I get to see one at the show or on my frequent visits to the local gun shops.  Thanks again.

[toymaker]

Thanks Fudster.  I am going to hold out till I can actually hold one in hand.  I am more than a little nervous buying sight unseen from someone I don't know.  So, here is hoping that I find one at the next gun show, and that I have enough green to purchase one after I get my .41 mag for hunting.  I like that it is the same size as the PPK.  Is the trigger that heavy?

I have a Pocket Nine and carry it every day in my right front pocket.  It's a rare gun so it's going into the safe once my new PM-9 arrives.

The Pocket Nine hides great in the pocket mainly because of it's narrow, short and rounded 1911 style slide.  It points very well, is light, accurate and feeds any weight 9mm ammo.    I've found that hand feeding some long 147 grain ammo like Golden Sabers was a little difficult but they cycled, fired and ejected at the range with no trouble.

The problems I've experienced are with the trigger system.  The trigger is very heavy and does take some getting used to.  The trigger and trigger guard also could have been designed much better as it sometimes pinches the bottom of my finger.  

I used to own two pocket Nines.  I got rid of the other one because after firing 150 or so rounds at the range it wouldn't fire any more even though I'd pull the trigger all of the way to the trigger stop .    My guess is that the heat affected the sear in some way because after letting it sit for a few minutes it would fire again.

I wish that Colt had made this little pistol single action cocked and locked like the mustang.  I would have kept the other one and most likely bought a couple more.  It would have been an absolute gem.

[Richard S]

I wish that Colt had made this little pistol single action cocked and locked like the mustang.  I would have kept the other one and most likely bought a couple more.  It would have been an absolute gem.

Toymaker:

First of all, welcome to the Forum.

I'm also an old Colt Mustang fan and still have one in my safe.  It's one of the more accurate small pistols I've ever owned.  As for cocked and locked carry of the Mustang, I've never felt really comfortable about that since it doesn't have a grip safety.  I don't carry my Mustang much anymore, but when I do it is in what Colonel Cooper would call Condition 3 -- the chamber is empty and the hammer is down with a charged magazine in the pistol.

[Fud]

That's why the Pocket Nine is such a gem. DAO design. No safeties to worry about. Repeat striker capability like on a DAO revolver and a heavier trigger pull like on a DAO revolver.

IMHO, light trigger pulls are great for shooting but unless there is a manual safety, they become a bit of a liability when it comes to carrying them. The pocket nine doesn't have this problem. Neither does the Rohrbaugh R9. The Kahrs, on the other hand, do.

It would be interesting to see the Pocket Nine re-introduced incorporating all of the advances that have been made in firearms technology during the past several years.

And if Colt won't do it, it would be nice if somebody else did ... such as maybe, Rohrbaugh! And call it a tactical model -- a beefed up / slightly larger and +P version of the present R9. I'd definitely add one (or two) to my collection.

I normally carry as big as I can. There are some times when only the R9 fits that need and I am greatful to the Rohrbaugh for building such a quality firearm. However, there are times when I can go slightly larger and that's when I carry the Colt Pocket Nine -- same number of rounds but +P'ed.