I can't shake the Colt 1903's siren song

[Snowdog]

Just when I think I've gotten past the urge to shop for a Colt 1903, I find myself on Gunbroker looking again. I went through the same thing with a S&W 60. I scratched that itch by buying one, mint with box made in '76 and couldn't be happier with it.

Other than wanting a type3 1903, what should I look for (or avoid) when shopping for a Colt 1903 and what kind of price should I expect? I'm hoping I can find a nice specimen for $600 (about half what I was willing to pay a year ago) before fees. I would love something with a nice original finish, but I'm far more concerned with it being in good mechanical condition. A reblue (or something with a worn finish) isn't much of a concern to me. Something loose, rusty or covered in gouges is.

I'm going to try to justify the purchase of this as a ploy to get my wife back to the range. Just like I did for the Taurus TX22... and a few other pistols.
Are these nearly century-old firearms up to a few range trips using standard Fiocchi or S&B fodder, say 100 or so rounds a session? I can't imagine why not, but I'm no expert.



Thanks.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Just when I think I've gotten past the urge to shop for a Colt 1903, I find myself on Gunbroker looking again. I went through the same thing with a S&W 60. I scratched that itch by buying one, mint with box made in '76 and couldn't be happier with it.

Other than wanting a type3 1903, what should I look for (or avoid) when shopping for a Colt 1903 and what kind of price should I expect? I'm hoping I can find a nice specimen for $600 (about half what I was willing to pay a year ago) before fees. I would love something with a nice original finish, but I'm far more concerned with it being in good mechanical condition. A reblue (or something with a worn finish) isn't much of a concern to me. Something loose, rusty or covered in gouges is.

I'm going to try to justify the purchase of this as a ploy to get my wife back to the range. Just like I did for the Taurus TX22... and a few other pistols.
Are these nearly century-old firearms up to a few range trips using standard Fiocchi or S&B fodder, say 100 or so rounds a session? I can't imagine why not, but I'm no expert.



Thanks.

Avoid the .380 (M1908) and make sure it has factory (two-tone) magazine (s), and you should be fine.

Being a blowback, new springs are highly recommended, Wolfe should have them.

 

[Tallball]

I got mine for cheap... I think it was $400-something a few years back. It was reblued and had new grips, so no collector value.

I put a new mainspring in it and started shooting it. I've had no problems. The sights are tiny, but other than that it's a joy to shoot. Being a steel pistol in 32acp, the recoil is very light. I think it's the first semiauto pistol that my daughter shot that wasn't a 22. She was only eight or nine years old, disliked recoil, and had no trouble with it.

If the OP keeps haunting GB and is patient, one will come along at a decent price. I think it took me a couple of months, but it was well worth it.

Colt 1903

• Tallball
• Jan 7, 2018
• 1

 

[bersaguy]

The 1903 is just old school cool. Yes, its heavy and over built for what it is, but that's what makes it so appealing. I wish someone would come out with a new pocket pistol that has the completely shrouded hammer of the 1903, a nice single action trigger without schmutz getting into the action via the hammer channel...what a novel concept

 

[AlexanderA]

Avoid the .380 (M1908)

I'm curious why you would say that. I have both the M1903 and the M1908 and don't see any difference in functionality, other than the .380 having one round less magazine capacity. (They are both U.S.-issue "General Officer" pistols.)

 

[.455_Hunter]

I wish the safeties on these guns had positive detents instead of just a friction hold.

 

[dh1633pm]

My dad has a 1903 in 32 cal. Excellent condition. We get it out ever so often and shoot a few rounds through it. Very nice.

 

[BigBlue 94]

I've shot RWS ammo through my first model 1903 without issue, but not very often. I believe it's been reblued, but not 100% sure. It's too nice not to have been.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I'm curious why you would say that. I have both the M1903 and the M1908 and don't see any difference in functionality, other than the .380 having one round less magazine capacity. (They are both U.S.-issue "General Officer" pistols.)

My '08 (mint condition) was an unrepentantant jam-o-matic. The Shanghai Municipal police experienced the same problem with their .380s, leading them to add a barrel tensioning screw to the left side of the frame-

You can also see the added screw hole above the safety. Apparently they had issues with the safety either engaging itself, or getting accidentally applied (depending on who you ask) and a screw could be placed there to lock the lever in the "off" position. Some stories attribute this problem to the greater recoil of the .380 cartridge combined with wear. Mine never had that problem, but then it had a very low round count.

 

[P5 Guy]

I had a 1908 and never experienced a problem other than during the 9x17/380ACP drought.
I think CTD was selling 380 rounds singularly in velvet lined display boxes for $7.59 a round.

 

[40-82]

I've used the .32's and the .380's fairly extensively on targets. I find them accurate and reliable and reload both cartridges. The only thing I might be chary of is truly extensive shooting. Unlike with the 1911, the firing pin and extractor are pinned in place, and I'd be a bit uncomfortable taking them down on a regular basis for cleaning.. They also have a double mainspring system that predates the 1911. Taking them down is simple. The books suggest assembly by merely reversing order, and that'll work fine, provided you have the grip of a gorilla. To be fair, there's probably a trick I don't know, but there's a reason Colt dropped the double mainspring system.

Trigger pulls tend to be excellent.

One thing I've always been curious about is how much difference it makes whether something is popped with the .32 or the .380 for shots that don't take the central nervous system. In that I have no experience. I've used the .22 fairly extensively on live game and the .38 Special as well. A lot of cartridges fall between these two, but tend to be pocket pistols that I've never even shot a squirrel or a groundhog with. So I suppose the question is would there be a progressive range of effectiveness based on relative power, or is there a minimum threshold? And how could you ever determine this? I doubt the answer lies in gelatin blocks or in the musings of an expert who hasn't put a lot of bullets in a lot of things under varying conditions.

In any event, if circumstance leaves me in a situation where the best I can do is carry something small, I want a knife with a bit of heft as well.

 

[bannockburn]

P5 Guy

I had a 1908 and never experienced a problem other than during the 9x17/380ACP drought.
I think CTD was selling 380 rounds singularly in velvet lined display boxes for $7.59 a round.

I had stocked up on .380 before then but a friend of mine had just got a SIG P230 and was paying like a $1.00 or more per round, when he could find it!

 

[blue32]

The type 3 I picked up had a whole lot of finish loss and a frosted bore. To my surprise, it will still shoot better than me with factory or cast. I wouldn't let a re-blue dissuade you either. The biggest draw back to these pistols are the sights and the grips if you get bake lite. Even in rough condition they shoot great.

 

[jmorris]

The one I have was my Grandfathers, who passed away before I was born. 32 ACP. The magazine has been loaded longer than I have been alive and it still runs like a top. More accurate than most modern centerfire pistols of its size as well.

Still have the holster he carried it in.

 

[tarosean]

Always wanted one fully engraved

 

[bannockburn]

My brother has a mint Model 1908 with factory nickel plating and factory pearl grips, complete with Colt medallions!

It's one very, very shiny .380!

 

[tipoc]

...Being a blowback, new springs are highly recommended, Wolfe should have them.

Just a note that the M1903 and M1908 Pocket Hammerless guns aren't blowbacks. They are recoil operated like all Browining's pistols. An example of a blowback would be the Walther PP and PPK.

John Brunner's book on the Colt Pocket hammerless guns goes into why the early M1908's had issues with feeding and extraction. The M1903 was built around the 32 acp. It worked very well. With the 1908 they introduced the .380 which has a wider diameter. While Colt adjusted the extractor for this they didn't alter the location of the ejector as I recall. Ejection of the spent cases was erratic as a result and functioning problematic. It was eventually dealt with. I've owned a couple of these good guns over the years in 380 and they worked well.

 

[Snowdog]

Just a note that the M1903 and M1908 Pocket Hammerless guns aren't blowbacks. They are recoil operated like all Browining's pistols. An example of a blowback would be the Walther PP and PPK.

I'm so confused. I thought the barrel was locked to the frame by multiple small lugs and had to be manually rotated to be disengaged for disassembly. I would be thrilled if it were not a blowback, but from the little I know (from diagrams and such), I'm confounded how it wouldn't be.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I'm so confused. I thought the barrel was locked to the frame and had to be manually rotated to disengaged. I would be thrilled if it were not a blowback, but from the little I know (from diagrams and such), I'm confounded how it wouldn't be.

Tipoc, God bless him, is incorrect. The barrel, although not fixed to the frame, does not recoil and the breech is not locked. These are blowback pistols.

Recoil operated designs have the barrel and slide locked together for part of their travel until a cam, wedge, or link unlocks them.

 

[Wisco]

^I was just going to say...

 

[tipoc]

I'm wrong! My bad. I am right about the problems with the ejection of the .380 though. I am sorry! My memory onthat played me wrong.

The barrel however is not locked to the frame in the way that a Walther is, the latter being pinned steadily to the frame. In the M1903 it is loose and can be easily removed for field stripping.

 

[Jim Watson]

My '08 (mint condition) was an unrepentantant jam-o-matic. The Shanghai Municipal police experienced the same problem with their .380s, leading them to add a barrel tensioning screw to the left side of the frame-

You can also see the added screw hole above the safety. Apparently they had issues with the safety either engaging itself, or getting accidentally applied (depending on who you ask) and a screw could be placed there to lock the lever in the "off" position. Some stories attribute this problem to the greater recoil of the .380 cartridge combined with wear. Mine never had that problem, but then it had a very low round count.

As I understand it, the SMP firearms policy was set by W.E. Fairbairn and his approach was that six rounds are enough - the sergeant would walk behind the line of officers coming on duty and pull magazines to check for six and six only - and that Condition 3 was the place to start. Therefore the thumb safety block to prevent engagement, intentional or not; and the cartridge guide to funnel in the first round racked into the chamber in a hurry.

I have a pretty blue .32 that is very nice, but I wish I still had the one I got from my Uncle; worn but in a neat hip pocket holster and with a story behind it.

 

[Tallball]

It really looks like it might have a locked breech when you field strip it, but it's actually blowback.

The recoil is still extremely mild, so I suppose it doesn't really matter.

 

[Eugen]

Snowdog, I would encourage you to continue your quest for a nice Colt M1903. I have two, a 1912 and 1921. They are delightful little shooters and extremely well built. 32acp can be an expensive round to regularly shoot. I deal with that by reloading my brass. 1903s are easy to field strip, but can be very challenging to detail strip. If you get one with original black hard rubber grips consider replacing them with cheap reproductions. The original grips can easy crack if you shoot with them and are expensive to find original replacements.

Keep us posted when you find the right M1903 for you.

 

[Tallball]

Look at the wooden grips on mine, pictured towards the top. IIRC, they are inexpensive and easy to find.