1908 Colt Vest Pocket 25 auto question

[soutex50]

Hello gents, it's been a while since I posted, too much work........Anyways, I have a question regarding a little 25 auto that I recently acquired. It has an unusual amount of wear on the upper part of the front area of the slide, in other words, where the front upper part of the slide should rest on the upper part of the barrel.
I got it cheap for refinishing purposes and it is a very sound little gun in all the other aspects, it cycles flawlessly, no pits, bright bore, sharp lettering, its got everything going on for it except that.
Is this normal? Will it affect function in the long run?
Hoping Old Fuff or Dfariswheel chime in on this question.

If you look at it from the front (unloaded of course) a crescent shaped hole is visible on the slide itself , on top of the barrel.
Thanks in advance for any help
-Rafael in Texas

 

[bumm]

I have one of those with very little wear, and it also has the open crescent between the slide and the upper part of the barrel. While I didn't field strip mine just now to confirm it, I suspect that open space is there to allow the barrel to tilt a bit when removing it from the slide.
Great little gun, and so pretty it's "cute." I use mine mainly for making the occasional noise to keep large flocks of starlings to set up permanent housekeeping in the trees around my house.
Marty

 

[rcmodel]

The barrel locks into the frame with three locking lugs just below the chamber. That's what holds the gun together.

To remove the slide from the frame, you pull the slide open and turn the barrel a 1/4 turn to the right.
The slide & barrel can then be let forward off of the frame.

To remove the barrel from the slide, you turn it until those locking lugs on the barrel line up with the crescent shape cut in the slide, then pull the barrel out the front of the slide.

rcmodel

 

[soutex50]

Actually, the barrel only comes out backwards.......coltautos.com has disassembly instructions and this is how it should be done. But, if yours has the crescent hole and so do others, well I am happy then.......Thanks for the help.

 

[bumm]

Yes, the barrel comes out backwards, but it tips just a bit on the way in and out. I'd suppose the crescent is to allow that. I'd never noticed that before. Wonderful little guns... almost jewelry.
Marty