Colt Double Eagle

The Colt Double Eagle is a double-action / single action, semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company between 1989 and 1997. It was available in standard full-size, as well as in more compact versions, features a decocking lever, and was chambered for several calibers. The family of models was known as the Series 90.

The design of the Double Eagle was based on the Colt M1911 pistol. Magazines are single stack and are identical to magazines shipped with the M1911. Most of the Double Eagle models were available in stainless steel only, however the "Lightweight" Officer's had an alloy frame and blued slide.

The slide used a version of Colt's series 80 locking firing pin safety, but unlike Colt's series 80 pistols, the Double Eagle Officer's model in .45 ACP held an 8 round magazine.

Variations
The Double Eagle was chambered for several calibers; among the more common are .45 ACP and 10mm Auto. Occasionally, one will see a copy in .40 S&W, 9×19mm Parabellum and .38 Super. Similar to the M1911, Colt offered, in addition to the full-sized version, the more compact Commander and Officer versions. The full-sized version was chambered for .45 ACP and 10mm Auto, as well as in 9mm and .38 Super for a time in 1991. The Commander was chambered for .45 ACP, along with a somewhat rare .40 S&W version in 1992. The Officers model was available in .45 ACP and rarely .40 S&W, again only in 1991. Colt eventually redesigned the trigger mechanism and added a retaining plate due to some shooters having problems with skin being pinched by the top part of the trigger, as well as some springs only being retained by the grip panel. The result was the Double Eagle Mark II.

Former gun writer Dean Speir once described a 10mm round which exploded due to an improperly cut chamber in a full-sized 10mm pistol, and a 10mm marked pistol that had a factory-installed .45 ACP barrel.