Colt 1903 firing pin

[Nickc8]

It is my understanding after doing much research that at somepoint in the 1920s colt attempted to make the 1903 more drop safe by shortening the firing pin. Is that true? Are there two different lengths of firing pins for the colt 1903?

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I have never heard of this.....as the late 1925 production goes from type 3 to 4 a mag drop safety is added so the weapon won't fire w/o the mag inserted. I don't see what the logic for such a change would be to the firing pin...you can't lower the hammer to rest on the pin with a chambered round as the hammer is always concealed and never manually manipulated. But I'm not saying it isn't possible....Hope you get a better answer as I'm curious now myself.

 

[Patocazador]

I don't understand the choices in the so-called poll. Does voting change facts?

 

[Nickc8]

So far someone told me they changed the rear part of the firing pin and made it shorter. Not the front part. The firing pin is in two pieces. But i havent found a different firing pin assembly anywhere ive looked. They all look the same as well as they all seem to have the same sear. The only difference im seeing in any trigger set up is the hammer. They did in fact change the hammer to add the half cock notch in it and i have both different types of hammers. They added the half cock notch in the hammer to make it so that if your gun was dropped the half cock notch would catch the hammer prior to it going to hit the firing pin giving you an accidental discharge. Im essentially just trying to make my gun as safe as possible because i would like to carry it with one in the chamber. Im well aware that there are hundreds of better options but if i have a gun i dont want to just keep it in a safe to look at id like to carry it around from time to time.

 

[Patocazador]

I have a beat-up 1903 but have never disassembled it to see the firing pin or hammer.

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I carry ours once a year...usually Christmas shopping. We do shoot it quite often. I have never had it down further than field stripped so I am afraid I am not much help. We have a late type 3 from 1925, all original with no parts replacement.

 

[Nickc8]

Yeah someone who has that model would be a big help to strip it and see if there are differences in the firing pin and sear. So far i havent seen any differences anywhere ive looked. I have the two different types of hammers and ill throw the newer hammer in with the notch and see how it does. I have it getting shipped out