Colt 1903 hammerless - should I?

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lindermant

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I was out running errands yesterday, and I made a point to stop by a few local shops. One out of the way place had a Colt 1903 hammerless in the case; finish looked well worn, but no rust/pitting that I saw in my quick glance.

I've always loved their looks - any reason I should pick one of these up? Would this be a suitable pistol for my kids when I start taking them to the range in a few years?

I'm planning to stop back there today and verify it's age (and type) via the S/N. Talk me into it (or out of it), as I seem to have a hard time leaving semi-reasonably priced Colts in the case :D
 
I have owned a few of these and have never had a function issue. I have one I carried in my ballistic vest for a short time but the corrosion was the issue. The thumb safety is a bit slow but this was not a primary gun. The ones I have owned shoot very, very, well with european ammo i.e. Fiochi, S&B, Geco etc. Functioned okay with US such and Winchester White box. I take that as the European ammos are a bit hotter than US.

Also the gun shows designs that are not copied. Internal hammer, grip safety, mag safety only on a design approaching 100 years old. It is great to have a piece of history in your hands.

Never fired a US made hollow point for example only Hydra Shock or Silvertip but have shot a lot of the Fiochi JHP and never an issue.

Again just some thoughts.
 
I have one made in 1920. It is amazing how well it fits my hand. I actually carry it from time to time as it is very easy to conceal.

It has some mild pitting in the bore, but is still one of the most accurate handguns I own. If the price is right, grab it. You won't regret it.


Rodger
 
You didn't mention the price... :uhoh:

For the purpose you mention the pistol would be an excellent choice, because it doesn't have an oversized handle seen on so many current pistols of this kind, nor is it excessively small for informal target shooting.

Two things work against it. Quality magazines are hard to find, and expensive when you do. Also the sights are small and sometimes hard to see, but this is something that's easy too correct. The rear dovetail is the same size as that used on .45 Government Models.

A fine blued finish is important to collectors, that will pay big bucks to get what thry want. This isn't consequental for what you have in mind.

Those .32 pistols made after serial number 468,097 (1926) usually, but not always, have a magazine disconector. Generally I don't like this feature, but it could be useful when working with small children.
 
If the price is reasonable buy it ! I bought one acouple of years ago with some funky homemade grips . They are a joy to shoot , mine feeds everything I shoot through it (including hollowpoints) with out a hiccup .
 
I went back for another look this morning, and the asking price is $349 (couldn't recall so I left it out of the original post).

S/N is 261xxx; which from what I could find online = 1917 and a Type III. I'm not the greatest at determining % finish, but I'd say somewhere between 50-75% finish remaining. Minor surface rust that I'm sure will clean up. One factory two-tone magazine, no box or papers. Bore of the barrel seems fine, but there were several scratches on the outer finish of the barrel (not sure if maybe someone had issues with disassembly/re-assembly).

My four year old was with me, and he liked it a lot (even more so when I mentioned he would be able to shoot it when he's a few years older).

I'm going to do a bit more research online, and I might go back and pick it up this afternoon...

Thank you all for the input!
 
Mine was made in 1904 and is still going strong.
Not my all time favorite handgun but it is accurate and reliable.
+1 on the European made ammunition, mine likes GECO, and the difficulty in acquiring spare magazines.
Stay away from Triple K aftermarket magazines they are nothing but trouble.
Try to locate as many genuine Colt magazines as you can afford.
$350 is a very decent buy for a type 3.
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the old girl came home

I just couldn't leave her in the case...

1903_1.jpg


1903_3.jpg


1903_4.jpg


1903_7.jpg

*this last pic caused me to triple-check the frame/frontstrap for what appears in the pic to be a crack. Must be a trick of light in the pic, as the frontstrap is fine.

I let her soak for 24 hours in an oil bath, then spent about 30mins cleaning with a big 45 frontier metal cleaner. I've got a quite a bit of cleaning left to do, but I'm in no rush. New springs and a replacement grip (cracked the right side while cleaning) and she'll be ready for the range...
 
My 1908 (same thing in .380) was my Uncle's, Dad's (aunt was blood relation)vest pocket gun for many years. He owned a hardware store in N. Texas and received it form the Colt Rep for high sales of Colt products through his store in the 20's. My aunt and uncle had no kids, she gave it to my Dad who gave it to me. My Dad drove the uncle's Dad around on sales calls when he (my Dad) was 12 or 13 till 18, and said he used to lean out the window of the Moderl T and shoot fence post to "Keep his eye sharp". It still shoots great, and has live d a pampered life since. It has great sentimental value to me since I grew up dove hunting and fishing with my Dad and Uncle.

MVC-001F.jpg
 
I've been collecting these pistols for over 30 years. They are a joy to shoot but can be pretty finicky with HP ammo. Here's a sample from my collection.
302540.JPG
 
The 1908 .380 was my very first gun. Bought it from a co-worker who was starting up a gun store in MD in 1977. It was also his first gun (not sure when he bought it) and IIRC I paid $110 for it.

The finish was fairly worn when he first showed it to me, but he had it re-blued before delivery. The serial number indicates mine was built in the 20s or 30s. It does NOT have the magazine safety - they came later. Just the grip and slide safety. I only have one magazine, and no box or other documentation.

You can find info on this model at http://www.coltautos.com/, and parts here: http://www.e-gunparts.com/model.asp?idDept=50. Scroll down and look for "Pocket 380 Hammerless" or "Pocket 32 Hammerless". I just ordered a couple of spare 7 rd mags for $31.50/ea.

I'll post some photos later.
 
I notice Numerich has replacement mags for the 08' 380, but it doesn't give manuf. Surely these aren't Factory for 35.00??? I would like to have a spare for mine.

On another note, it's interesting that the "Old Guys" never seemed to cary a spare mag, and very seldom do you see a police officer from 20's - 50's with more than 1 spare load for their revolvers. I wonder if they planned on ending hostilities sooner, or what:scrutiny:
 
Numrich/Gun Parts Inc. occasionally has original magazines.
You have to ask and be specific and be prepared to pay about $40.00 to $65.00 each depending on condition.

The $35.00 magazines are Triple K manufacture, avoid them.
 
The sights are a big issue. Oddly enough, more of an issue for me than finding affordable .32 ACP ammo. I don't carry mine, I just shoot it for enjoyment.

The one I picked up came in one of those european holsters with an outside pouch for an extra mag; the magazine that was in the pouch is about an inch too short, so I've just got the one working magazine.

At one point I bought two aftermarkets, and both ended up stomped flat and tossed in the trash at the range.

Anyway, very cool little pistols, but I'm not sure if a beginner would appreciate the pocket gun sights that are so hard to pick up. Well, actually, I'm sure they'd think it was a blast to shoot, but I'm not sure how long it'd take to start hitting reliably with those sights.
 
I have found that while the sight are on the tiny side, they are extremely well regulated.
I have not had to do any adjusting on my pistol's sights and the gun hits where I point to 25 meters.

As to aftermarket magazines, I feel your pain Logan5.
The two aftermarket magazines I tried also ended up squashed flat but I used a big shop hammer on them!
A waste of money I know, but there was something extremely satisfying about beating them flat!
 
I inherited my Dad's 1903, built in 1945, with the guide rod reversed to defeat the magazine safety. I have fired it both as designed and with the guide rod reversed and can find no difference in function. As the gun is now a plinker, the rod is installed as intended. Anyone have any thoughts about running the guide rod reversed?

Aside from the cost of .32ACP ammo, my only problem with the 1903 is prying it from the kids' hands when I want to shoot it. :)
 
I'm using mine as an ocassional carry gun. My father had found 4 mags for it over the years, and they all feed reliably. The one aftermarket mag I bought would occasionally jam while feeding, I think the issue is with the mag spring strength not being strong enough to get the round up there into the action quickly enough.
As far as accuracy and the sights go, I'll suggest a little bit of heresy and recommend a dab of white-out on the front blade. But after 500 rounds at the range, you probably won't need it, as the 1903 is probably the most intuitive pistol ever made. Just point, and that's where the round goes. Goes to show how much of a genius JMB was, you actually have to work harder to make his guns miss!
 
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