100 years apart...

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unclenunzie

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I recently acquired a Sig Sauer P365 XL, and have been familiarizing myself with it and validating it for carry. I think it's remarkable how similar it is to a pistol that was made 100 years earlier, and yet markedly advanced by comparison:

100 years apart - smaller.jpg

The Colt is a Type III made in 1919 or 1920, holds 8+1 of 32 Auto, 3.75" barrel, is accurate and reliable, with a level of craftsmanship you don't see in mass produced guns today.
The Sig is modular and made in 2021, made of steel and plastic, accurate and reliable, 3.70" barrel, and is nicely made for a production gun of today.

The Colt weighs 24.6 ounces fully loaded with 8+1 Speer Lawman FMJ
The Sig weighs 24.9 ounces fully loaded with 12+1 Speer Gold Dots

The colt is a bit thinner and shorter but not by much, and maybe a comparison with the P365 would be more apt, but I don't have one.

I just find this a compelling juxtaposition in time and function.
 
Very nice Colt and Sig. I'd take the 1903. I had a 1908 in .380 and carried it everywhere I went. Great flat little guns.
 
I still have yet to take a picture of my 1949 62a Winchester, next to a Winchester Wildcat I got last year. Only 70 years apart, but they are not similar at all, but into .22 boys guns from the same company. If a good 62a was still made by Winchester I would prefer one hands down to the Wildcat. The Wilcat actually works really good and isn't bad in any way and I like it, just - blued steel and walnut, and pump action is more fun.
 
Like Nuclear, I would prefer to have the Colt but I would definitely be carrying the SIG.

Some years back I had a Browning Model 1910, an absolute gem of a beautifully designed and built pocket auto. Streamlined and comfortable to shoot, it suffered from just a couple of things: 1) no real sights to speak of, and 2) a slightly heavy and uneven trigger pull. I thought about using it for concealed carry but my Colt Mustang and SIG P238 were so much more better suited for the job that I eventually sold it.
 
Of course I have both as seen in the pictures. For purely historical reasons I just love the Colt. In fact I have two, that Type III and a 1934 type IV. If I were "back then" I'd happily carry the type IV mostly because it has a hammer notch safety feature. In the modern world of today, the Colts remain works of art and fun, and could do serious duty if needed... but the Sig wins in any realistic modern appraisal for serious use.
 
Most people's idea of a dream car isn't a newer model Camry. Ask an enthusiast, and the preference would be for something vintage, classy and timeless. Your Colt is all those.

Even enthusiasts need daily drivers though.
 
If Colt had chambered it in 9mm that would have been a game changer back then and into the next 100 years. Wonder 5they can do it now with their repops of the classic?
 
The Pocket Hammerless is a blowback action.
You could make a 9mm that looked like it but would probably have to be a locked action, very different inside. Heck C&S will make you a hammerless (enclosed hammer) .45 that looks similar.
 
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