Colt 1903 question

[Rodgerp]

My local dealer has one that I'm looking at.
Vintage 1920, serial # 350xxx
My conservative estimate is 80-85% condition, great looking internals.
My question is, when you look at it from side you can see daylight between the dust cover and the bottom of the slide. Nothing seems to be bent/damaged. Is it normal to see a sliver of light in that area?

They are asking $379.00 by the way.
no box, one mag (two tone)

 

[Onmilo]

Great price.
A little light shining through is normal.
There seems to be far more two tone magazines around than uniform color magazines.
Spare magazines run about fifty bucks each for genuine Colts and stay away from Triple Ks, they are for all intense purposes, absolute crap.

 

[Coyote3855]

Buy it. The 1903's are great little guns. I have one in .32 and .380. Paid about $400 each, and the .380 did not have original grips, but was 90% otherwise. The .32 was all original, 1920 mfg, but mostly patina. I have a thing for early 20th century pocket guns, also have a 1907 Savage and am shopping for a Remington model 51.

BTW, both magazines are two tone, blued for the bottom third, the rest plain steel.

 

[Old Fuff]

During the time when the Colt Pocket Model was made between 1913 to about the late 1930's/early 1940's magazines were acid-dipped at the top as part of a heat treating process to harden the lips. This dip was applied after the magazine was blued. Generally an acid-dipped look means that its a genuine factory magazine, but keep in mind that anyoue can dip an aftermarket one. Genuine magazine are most often gas oven blued too. Colt magazines for these pistols now cost a fortune if in good shape, but I have yet to find an aftermarket one that wasn't junk.

 

[Rodgerp]

Thanks, everyone!

I think I'll pick it up after work. (they are holding it for me)

Rodger