[mattk]

I have just picked up a 1903 colt. I believe it was built in 1918 sn is 2776xx. Is this correct? Nice little gun. I am thinking about using Colts Historical Service to find out the history of it, but I firgured I would learn as much as could for free first.
Thanks
Matt

[FPrice]

I have Wilson's serial number book at home so I can check the approximate date for you later. But I think you are in the ballpark.

Another good source of information on Colt semi-autos is Sam Lisker's website,

http://www.coltautos.com

He has a lot of good information there. These are nice shooting little guns, I have a second one coming shortly myself.

[Jim K]

1918 would be the correct date for that pistol.

Jim

[mattk]

Thanks guys.

[Erich]

Just FYI, there's an article on the "M" in the July '04 Shooting Illustrated. Gorgeous gun in the photo. I envy you, Mattk.

[mattk]

Erich, I generally dont buy gun rags but I just may pick up that one. Thanks for the heads up.

[Erich]

It's a typically brief article that probably doesn't say anything you don't know. On the other hand, sometimes it's nice to have an article like that stored with the gun. When I used to manage a gun store for a couple of years after college, I would try to do this whenever possible with collectible guns - it always moved them faster. It just makes the gun a little more interesting.

Not that a 1903 in good shape isn't interesting enough, as is. :)

[Jim K]

With your kind permission, a note. The Model M is easy to field strip, but I do NOT recommend detail stripping. It is not a 1911 that was designed to be torn down in the field, and it is a real bear to reassemble.

If you choose to disregard this warning, have fun.

Jim

[mattk]

Jim thanks for the warning. I looked at the exploded view and parts list on coltautos.com. No way I am detail stripping this gun.

[FPrice]

I just purchased a Colt 1903 in .32ACP from another THR member, rcm. Lo and behold, it is also a 277,xxx serial number. We might have two brothers from the same litter!

Shot it today and was very happy. At 7 yards with a two hand hold it shot about 2" high. I got a 2" group with S&B 73 gr FMJ and a 1.5" group with WW Silvertips. Not bad for a 86 year old pistol being shot by a 55 yo man!

[Johnny Guest]

I've always liked the 1903 pocket .32 and it's brother, the 1908 (.380) Colts. They are the essence of what a pocket auto was back in those days. The state of the are has passed them by, certainly, but how classic they are. Flat, smooth, low sights, flat safety, and, for the day, pretty compact overall.

I don't currently have a .32, but I keep a rather doggy .380 at my computer desk. Gotta check the serial number - - I believe it is from the 1918 era, as well. You probably know, the .32s and the .380s had separate s/n ranges.

Several years back, some outfit - - Lone Star Armament, or some such name - -announced plans to produce a copy of the 1910 Browning/FN pocket pistol, in stainless steel. Never marketed them, though. That's another classic design, but I'm uneasy about carrying THAT design pistol cocked and locked. I have no such qualms about the '03 and '08, they having the true concealed hammer.

I've often thought that this old Colt design would be a great candidate for "modernizing." Reduce length of the investment cast slide by about an inch, and make the frame from polymer. Make the sights just a LITTLE more visible - - I think it's be a sure seller, even in .380. And surely it wouldn't take too much engineering to turn it into a locked breech 9x19mm. Hey, there are several types for sale that are not nearly so promising. :D

Best,
Johnny

[pauli]

what's your concern regarding the 1910? is it possible to shake the gun enough to make the striker smack the pin hard enough to set off a round?

[Johnny Guest]

pauli, I may be doing a disservice to the fine old pistol, but I've encountered a couple of reasons to make me mistrust the design.

Back in the 1960s, I bought a Baby Browning .25 for my fiancée. It was second-hand, but in absolutely beautiful condition - - I THOUGHT. When I tested it, it clicked without firing. Thinking I might not have properly chambered a round, I went to draw back the slide and it DID fire. Finger was well clear of the trigger at the time. I duplicated this situation four or five times and took it back to the dealer. The muzzle was safely pointed downrange each time, and no harm was done, but it was a little scary.

I took the pistol back to the dealer, who kept it for a week and said his gunsmith had "adjusted" it. Fine. It was a week or so before I tried it again, and now it only malfunctioned about twice per magazine. I didn’t know enough about the type to do anything with it myself, but I knew I wouldn't trust it for my own use, far less for the woman I loved. I returned it to the dealer, and he refunded my money.

Some years later, I had a friend who was a forensic firearms examiner for a large crime lab. He spent a couple of days testing and then testifying about a striker-fired .380 pistol which had been involved in a fatal shooting. He said the particular design pistol, with only a modest amount of wear and misalignment, was highly susceptible to accidental discharge. This can take place when the slide-to-frame fit has become worn, or when the striker/sear engagement has either been "adjusted" or become even slightly rounded. In fairness, he told me he'd never encountered this situation with a Browning or Bauer pistol, and their workmanship, materials, and quality control all made it unlikely their products were as likely to this type of problem.

My concern was that, by this time, I had been carrying a Bauer stainless .25 for some time, cocked and locked. This pistol is a line-for-line copy of the old Baby Browning. My pal's expertise and very apparent concern for my safety convinced me, and I immediately stopped carrying a round in the chamber of my Bauer. I DID practice and became fairly efficient at one-handed chambering the neat little pistol.

Additional comment: In over 40 years as a pistol hobbyist, I’ve owned quite a number of pocket handguns, many of which were striker fired. The above-referenced Browning .25 is the ONLY one with which I’ve had any difficulty

A rather lengthy reply, I know, but you asked a good question . . . . :p

All best,
Johnny