Colt Hammerless Pocket

[Ironsight]

The front sight, the "blade" or "Drop" fell off my Colt Pocket .380 auto. This gun is ~ 80-90 years old so parts are scarce.

Anyone know of where I can get one or know of a reputable gunsmith I could send it to for repair?
I live in Fredericksburg, TX north of San Antone.

Thanx in advance.

 

[Old Fuff]

Few people know it, but Colt used the same front sight ("drop" as you call it) that they did on Government Model .45 pistols being made at the same time.

Go to: www.proofhouse.com and you can find the year your pistol was made according to the serial number. Then check sites like www.e-gunparts.com to see if they have the style of sight that was made around the same time for the .45 pistol - generally such sights are much more available.

Or you can simply use the style made during World War Two, that is slightly thicker then the one that was probably on your gun before.

You will need to find a gunsmith that has a special tool used to stake the sight into place, but I believe in most cases one made for the .45 slide will work with a .380 pistol. If not. the sight will have to be staked with a punch.

 

[funnelcake]

No disrespect Fuff, but these front sights are completely different than any 1911. I posted several months ago trying to find the same sight, due to the same issue. I'd purchased a really nice .32 Pocket Hammerless & the slide and it's front sight were "separated" sometime during my first trip to the range.

I was unable to find the sight & tried for a good 2-months to find a replacement. I finally wrote to Colt & they sent me (at no charge I might add) an original in-the-white 1911 (not A1) sight saying that's as close as they have available. I'm a fairly adept "tinkerer" so a friend & I decided to take a shot at making it fit.

The job took about 5-hours & looks so close to the factory sight, I still can't believe it (definitely a bit of luck on our side!). There are several differences between a 1911 front sight & these:

-The overall sight body is shorter & way more narrow
-The original site is an hourglass shape viewed from the top
-The "base" (the part that sits down in the slide "bevel") is more shallow & unique.
-The sight tenon is very small & round (vs. the rectangular 1911 tenon)

We spent most of the time taking off material & getting the right hourglass shape. The tenon took about an hour by itself; you can not believe how small that thing is (think a short section of a round paper clip & you'll have it).

Also, trying to use a 1911 staking tool to mount one of these would be like trying to park a Humvee in a one-car garage. The tool is wider than the slide opening. We (very gently & slowly) used a 3/32" punch. Remember how small the tenon is, there isn't much metal that needs to be displaced.

If Colt changed the front sights during the different revisions of these pistols, the part numbers don't reflect that. The same part is listed for the .32 & .380 for all production years.

Best of luck...Funnel

 

[Jim K]

I have made those sights from sheet steel and had pretty good success. The problem is less making the sight than getting the customer to pay for the time involved. ("Waddaya mean, $50 for a lousy sight? I can buy.....")

And I agree with funnelcake that the sights are NOT the same as those used on the 1911's. I have a M1903 made in 1912 and an early M1911 (No. 796) and the sights are not the same. They look the same but careful measurements show they are not. The early 1911 tang however is round, like the M1903 ones, not rectangular like the later M1911 sight tangs.

Jim