[samiam711]

Well, I tried to upload two pictures showing the problem, but was unable to do so. Not sure what the problem is, but I will try and describe the issue.

The bottom of the feed ramp slides almost vertical or could be described as bending downward. When I was shooting at the range, the gun would not chamber hollow points or flat tipped ammo. The range master said he had never seen such a vertical ramp and thought it was bent downward. Feeds all "ball" ammo just fine. When I cleaned the gun, there is plenty of metal behind the ramp and bending would be out of the question and is not the problem. So...

Those of you that have an older Colt Mustang Pocketlite 380's...does your feed ramp appear to bend downward at the start of the ramp?

Thank you!

 

[caddy2507]

I don't have the problem -- mine feeds hollow points just fine. My Mustang Pocket-lite is about
25 years old - I don't remember the exact date I bought it new.

 

[Colt-SL]

Welcome to the Colt Forum. Thanks for joining us!

Many semi-autos have trouble feeding certain types of ammo; hollow points and flat nosed bullets chiefly among them.

Hopefully you can get photos to load for more accurate assessments of the problem.

 

[samiam711]

These are the photos. If you look at the feed ramp, it tilts downward. Is that the way it should be?

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

View attachment 108148 View attachment 108149

These are the photos. If you look at the feed ramp, it tilts downward. Is that the way it should be?

Do you mean should the feed ramp angle up and into the chamber?

 

[samiam711]

All feed ramps angle up into the chamber...my wording under the pictures wasn't very clear, sorry about that. If you look carefully at the left picture, the start of the feed ramp looks too steep (almost looks vertical). My question is, if anybody else that has an older Mustang Pocketlite 380 like mine, could you please look at the barrel and see if it is the same as what I have pictured?

 

[samiam711]

I don't have the problem -- mine feeds hollow points just fine. My Mustang Pocket-lite is about
25 years old - I don't remember the exact date I bought it new.

Could you take a couple photos like the ones I have added so I can see if the feed ramps are the same? Specifically, the start of the feed ramp where mine is almost vertical. That would be VERY helpful! Thanks! samiam711

 

[samiam711]

Could you take a couple photos like the ones I have added so I can see if the feed ramps are the same? Specifically, the start of the feed ramp where mine is almost vertical. That would be VERY helpful! Thanks! samiam711

Can someone please help me with this question? Thank you in advance...

 

[JudgeColt]

I will have to check my only similar Colt, which is a Pony Pocketlite, but I think the feedramp on your Mustang looks correct. If hollow point and flat tip bullets are hanging up on the more vertical part at the bottom of the feed ramp, I suspect your magazine is guiding the cartridge on too low of a path so as to allow the bullet to hit the feed ramp too low.

Blending in the vertical part of the feed ramp will probably eliminate the problem, but I would be sure the magazine lips are not the problem. Do that by trying a known magazine that feeds hollow point bullets.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

It looks just like the feed ramp in my Mustang, and it has always eaten anything I've fed it.

 

[Harper]

It looks just like the feed ramp in my old Mustang. I did have a similar occurance a few years back with one magazine. I replaced the mag spring with one from Wolff gun springs and it now feeds anything.

 

[samiam711]

Thank you for the great inputs. It was the information I was looking for. If my feed ramp looks right and the magazines are at fault, that would cause the problem also. I guess I was focusing on the feed ramp as the range officer thought the ramp was too steep. I will start focusing on my clips to make sure the springs and follower are correctly feeding the ammo to the barrel. I found it odd that it fed ball ammo with no problem. The hollow points have a lot of curve to them and it frustrated me that they were catching lower on the ramp on the rounds edge.

Anybody else want to weigh in that has an older Colt Mustang Pocketlite?

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

I will start focusing on my clips ...

Uh, oh, This might not end well.

 

[JudgeColt]

Uh, oh, This might end well.

Who wants to be the pedantic who informs our valued new member that magazines have springs, while clips do not? Anybody?

While waiting for such a member to appear, I will comment that when I heavily modified a Mustang Pony Pocketlite to be the smallest (I cut off the needlessly-long tang and beveled the muzzle), lightest (I lightened the slide and frame as much as reasonably possible) locked-breech .380 pistol possible, I smoothed the feed ramp to blend in the "vertical edge" at the bottom of the feed ramp. The pistol was always totally reliable. I only retired it when the smaller and lighter Kel-Tec P3AT came out, followed by the Ruger LCP and other similar .380 pistols. My current choice in small .380 pistols is the Kahr P380 with night sights.

 

[samiam711]

No need to remind of clips vs. magazines JudgeColt. My brain was working faster than my typing and I didn't catch my mistake. In my defense, I had been using the correct term "magazine" until the magical "brain fart" occurred! No lesson is warranted....

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

No need to remind of clips vs. magazines JudgeColt.

I was more concerned that someone else might start ragging on you more than doing so myself. (And I'm not a judge. Just a clerk.)

 

[samiam711]

I purchased 3 Wolff gun springs for the "magazines" and am awaiting their delivery. Once I get to the range, I will update the post to let folks know whether that did the trick or whether the problem still exists.

 

[Rangemeister]

I purchased 3 Wolff gun springs for the "magazines" and am awaiting their delivery. Once I get to the range, I will update the post to let folks know whether that did the trick or whether the problem still exists.

Looking at your pic, my guess was the mag also. I have heard of mag springs found in very old 45's still working, but I think it has more to do with usage. I hope this fixes your problem, unfortunately, followers are also an issue.

 

[clintster74]

Hope this will help.

I don't have a vintage Mustang, I do have the newer XSP mustang and to my understanding the newer Mustangs and the XSP are made the same. There are some miner defiance's in the XSP with a little larger diameter mag release and the ambi-safety but the rest of the parts are the same and inter changeable.

Looking at your barrel/feed ramp it is identical to mine.

I to had a problem with it feeding some flat noise HP's and the new Lehigh XP round most notable the first two or three rounds but would feed ball ammo and the Precision One HP (very sharp noise) all day long after about a hour of hand cycling I noticed that the round was not clearing the front of the mag and had nothing to do with the feed ramp.

If you take look at your mags empty the front of the mag should be about a 1/8 higher than the follower, you may need to work the follower a cuple times to get to land in it's neutral position. I don't advise doing this on the factory mags that came with the gun you and get newer 6 round and old 7 round government .380 mags made by Colt or Metalform (don't try to use the Sig or Kimber mags they don't have the detent in the front, on a Colt the back of the barrel/feed ramp makes contact with the mag and with out that detent it will not feed).

The fix trim the front of the mag down till it is even or 1/64 of a inch above the front of the follower (removing about 80% of the lip) then blend the right side of the mag to the front and found off the left side were the slide release/lock back tab engages. You can now feed anything in your Mustang with this mod to the mag I have fed 50 of the Lehigh XP round and the 100 round of HP I had that would not feed (forget the brand now) and about 400 rounds of ball ammo with no FTF or FTE.


Factory mag see how tall the lip is in front of the follower

After trimming the lip

Lehigh XP round read up on this round, it is devastating

Seven round government mag with the X-grip

It just slips over the mag

 

[clintster74]

Me again, would only allow five files in one post, hear is a my XSP with the seven round mag with and with out the X-grip this set up will fit all Mustangs using a six round mag.

I carry this as a back up to either my Colt Rail Gun or my XSE lightweight commander, it's grate for shooting one handed and left hand one handed it sets in a SOB holster or in a holster in my truck easy to get to and it is my around the house pj panst with a pocket ya at night in the house I have a rocket in my pocket.

Hope the above info helps

If your interested in the seven round set up let me know I will send links to two vendors that have the lowest prices on the mag and X-Grip

Clintster74