Let's talk about Colt Hammerless pistols - Picture Heavy!!

[billpocz]

Have not seen any threads about these wonderful Colts lately!

They really are works of art, and are very important steps in the process of the development of the eventual 1911.

I was lucky enought to acquire a Colt 1903 (.32) that had been chemically stripped a while back. I sent it for refinish about a year ago.

Last month, I got a Colt 1908 (.380) and it will need to go off so that it looks like its brother.

Colt 1903 is on top and the 1908 is the lower pistol:


An upclose look of the side markings:





Another view:


A different view on a hardwood floor:
Colt 1903:


Colt 1908:


Enjoy!

Bill

 

[saltydog452]

I have seen and held the hammerless, but never with the slide locked back.

The underlug, for lack of a better term, at the muzzle of the barrel was intended to do...what?

Thanks,

salty

 

[OptimusPrime]

It says USA but spells it calibre? Is that common?

 

[g_one]

It says USA but spells it calibre? Is that common?

For the 'olden days' yeah, there were a fair bit of spellings that today we associate with a more British way of spelling things

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Nice snag/save on the Colt Hammerless .32 and .380, two long lasting tools with history.

The .25 Vest Pocket was another fine Colt Hammerless.

Here is mine from 1911.





Enjoy the search.

 

[tarosean]

I love these little pistols... Ive been searching for the perfect candidate to get engraved for some time now.

 

[Old Fuff]

The underlug, for lack of a better term, at the muzzle of the barrel was intended to do...what?

The barrel is held in the frame with lugs at the back/bottom. To field strip the pistol you retract the slide slightly and then turn the barrel to rotate the lugs up into a recess in the slide. At this point you can ease the slide/barrel assembly forward and off the frame.

When the pistol is assembled and "in battery" the barrel can't turn because the irreguar shape at the barrel's muzzle is in a similar cutout in the front of the slide.

A little tricky to machine, but in Browning's day the extra time and (slight) expense didn't matter. Today it would.

 

[billpocz]

For these versions of both the 1903 and 1908, the barrel lug was machined integrally with the barrel.

This 1903 is what is called a version 3, where the earlier versions had lugs that were removable (ala the way it is on the current 1911). I'll bet it was a bear to machine!!!

Just to make things more confusing, the 1908 came in this size in .380 caliber, and in a vest pocket size of .25.

Two of the most fun pistols I have ever shot!!

 

[smalls]

Don't think I'd ever carry a .32 or .380.

Unless I happen across one of these. Dunno why, but they catch my eye every time.

 

[billpocz]

I wholeheartedly agree, smalls. My everyday carry is either a Sig 245 if I have enough clothes to blouse out and conceal it, or the PM9. Tried the PM45 an could not hit the broad side of a barn.

I know many folks who carry .32 or .380, but my preference is just a little bigger!

Btw, these were bought purely for fun shooting and their amazing engineering! I just downloaded an e-book about the hammerless guns (did you know that they actually do have a hammer, it is just hidden).

 

[bannockburn]

Several years ago I picked up a Colt Pocket Model 1908 that had the original nickel plating and factory pearl grips. It was built in 1940 and in fantastic condition and even came with an old Heiser pocket holster with it. A true classic of semi-auto pistol design and manufacture.

 

[Robbins290]

Nickel plated

 

[billpocz]

Nickel plated

Nice!! Now there is a work of art!

Those MOP grips look like a 'home-made' pair that I acquired somewhere...

 

[saltydog452]

Thanks,

salty

 

[Pilot]

I've always had an affinity for these. It was probably way back when I saw the movie Patton as a kid, and he pulled out the 1908 to shoot at the German HE-111's (they were actually Spanish CASA 2.111's built under license in Spain), but I digress.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Are these Colt Hammerless safe to carry with a round in the chamber and the thumb safety on? Does the grip safety also block the striker or just the trigger. Got no experience with these guys but I did just pick up a Colt Vest Pocket 25.

 

[Old Fuff]

Unlike the larger 1903/1908 Pocket Model, the little 1908 Vest Pocket Model is striker fired, and both the grip and manual safety block the sear so that it (hopefully) can't move out of full engagement with the striker/firing pin. For some this is enough, while others prefer to carry with an empty chamber. To be fair the gun did not have a reputation for unintentionally firing.

Also be aware that the nose on the firing pin serves as an ejector, so be extremely careful when you pull the side back to eject a loaded cartridge. A fired case presents no danger. When clearing the pistol always remove the magazine first and then carefully eject any round in the chamber; rather then pulling the slide back and forth until nothing more comes out.

 

[Dframe]

For whoever asked:
The slide is manually locked back by pushing up on the safety while holding the slide to the rear.
These beautiful guns are great fun to shoot. The 32s have very little recoil and make wonderful plinkers. It's a gun you can shoot all afternoon. Whether or not you can EVER find the brass, is an entirely different story.

 

[billpocz]

Unlike the larger 1903/1908 Pocket Model, the little 1908 Vest Pocket Model is striker fired, and both the grip and manual safety block the sear so that it (hopefully) can't move out of full engagement with the striker/firing pin. For some this is enough, while others prefer to carry with an empty chamber. To be fair the gun did not have a reputation for unintentionally firing.

Also be aware that the nose on the firing pin serves as an ejector, so be extremely careful when you pull the side back to eject a loaded cartridge. A fired case presents no danger. When clearing the pistol always remove the magazine first and then carefully eject any round in the chamber; rather then pulling the slide back and forth until nothing more comes out.

Great information!

I did not know that about the .25.

I am planning on adding one someday to complete the 'set'!

Bill

 

[Jim K]

FWIW, the firing pin (striker) as ejector was used by Browning in the 1910 and 1922 Brownings and also in the Czech DUO and some other pistols.* For that reason, those pins have a long thin front that sometimes breaks. If the firing pin is still long enough, it can fire the cartridge, but the empty case won't eject.

*The firing pins of the Colt Vest Pocket (aka 1908 .25 ACP) and the above named pistols are interchangeable.

Jim