After years of carrying sensible employer-approved guns like a .45 Sig and a Glock 27, I have begun carrying whatever I want, like this Colt 1903.



The pros: It is flat, absolutely reliable with FMJ ammo, has no recoil, and will drill those little bullets into small groups at 15 yards all day long.

The cons: The safety is small, the sights are small, and the mag release is on the butt. And it is a .32 ACP.



The safety is ok with a little practice, the sights work fine, and I don't even have a spare magazine so I don't care where the release is.

I found the grip safety isn't compatible with trying to shoot with only the pad of my finger on the trigger, which is good since I don't shoot that way. I shove my finger through as far as it will go and pull with the middle. No problem with the grip safety that way.

The caliber doesn't bother me, either. Lots of folks have been laid low by the .32 ACP, and if you believe the various "one shot stop" studies (which I don't) it performs completely out of proportion to its size. At any rate, my days of looking for trouble and shooting at sassy bandits are probably behind me. Nine of those Fiocchi .32s will probably get me out of any jam in which I find myself these days. If not, I'll look cool on the way out.

I needed a holster, so I rooted around the reject drawer and came up with this unmarked Made In Mexico Bianchi cheapie. I'd never used it, and wasn't sure what it fit. The leather was super thin, so in keeping with the flat nature of the little Colt I trimmed away (or crudely chewed) some leather and a match was made.



I didn't trim the back, so as to protect what little finish remains from my sweaty bod.



I've been carrying it for a while now, and have really come to appreciate JMB's design. If I had a zoot suit I could drop it in a pocket, but for now the Bianchi in my waistband works fine.

Oh, I know someone allegedly dropped one on its nose on a concrete floor and somehow the little bullet found its way into his chest and killed him. I have my doubts about the story, but I know untold thousands of non-Series 80 1911's are made that way and people still carry them. I will endeavor not to drop it nonetheless.

Thanks for looking - I hope someone else out there still puts these old timers to work.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I have the little Browning .380. I forget the model... 1910? Talk about questionable sights - and tiny safeties!

I used to drag it with me when going out to dinner in dress clothes. It was about as flat as any gun I had, except for maybe my little TPh in .22. I don't carry it, or any other gun, much any more, but it is still as good as ever. As you said about your Colt - accurate, reliable, and sufficiently powerful. Still capable of doing the job it was designed to do.

Can we discuss your term for trimming? Good story, nice ending, but I think you should change the post to read "chewed" a little leather. Better matches the gnaw marks on the holster.bb

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Dick Burg

When I was in uniform chasing the bad guys this one rode in the plate pocket of my body armor. 1908. .380. Loaded with Hornady HPs.
I still carry it once in a while.

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183rd FBINA

I have one from 1927 in 380 and agree, they're awesome. I don't carry mine in a defensive role, since I don't want to bet my life on 89 year old springs and I'm just smart enough to not take it apart past field stripping.

Mine is from the teens and in 38 Auto. I've never carried it because the springs really are a little old and weak, but it has always shot well. It's a cool gun. A model of 1903 (I think) and made around 1914. Every time I post a photo of this gun, somebody wants to buy it. A LGS here is up to $850, but I kind of like it. I purchased it back in the early 1980's for $85 which was a ton of money for me back then, but I had never seen anything like it out for sale.

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Dr. B

Neat gun. Sandpaper the cut leather smooth. Put a short length of dowel in a hand drill, put some shoe polish on the leather edge, and spin the dowel over it until the wax heats and sets in. A bit of water helps smooth it.

I traded for a 1908 vest pocket .25 a few years back. I shoots great. I did start to wonder if it had ever been detail stripped and just how dirty it might be. I very carefully tore it down to the frame. It was filthy, but like I said it never malfunctioned. Need a good punch to do it. It was made in 1922. I do carry it on occasion just for thinking it may be getting lonely stored away. If they could just talk. Here's mine.
Peace,
Gordon

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better have that checked

I never had any interest in those little pistols until a couple of years ago but maybe my advancing age made me appreciate the older designs more. I don't have one of old Colts but I do occasionally carry a Beretta Model 70 in 32 ACP and I feel perfectly well armed. If I'm really feeling like taking a chance I drop a little Belgian Baby Browning .25 in my pocket! Those old Colt pocket pistols are just pure class!

By the way, when are ya coming up here to shoot stuff with Iggy and me and maybe Keith44Spl?

This one I wish could talk... It came off of an 1890's homestead in North-Eastern Washington near a little town called Addy.. It's been ridden hard and put away wet, but I would bet it has tales to tell....

It still shoots flawlessly....

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

A beautiful little gun.

My 1903 is in .32 ACP as well. I have never shot it because here in New Zealand until very recently these guns could only be held on a collectors license with a stipulation that they be disabled. Pistols for club shooting had to be on an "approved" list with a minimum 4 inch (102mm) barrels. I have taken the firing pin out of it as well as in my Browning 1910, also in .32 ACP.

And although the rules have now been relaxed to allow these guns in Classic Pistol matches there are a few wrinkles still to iron out with the authorities on the 4 inch barrel rule.

But the little Astra is a different thing altogether. Modelled on the Walther PPK, again in .32ACP, I am allowed to shoot this one as it is on my Pistol Club license. A sympathetic District Arms Officer transferred it for me a few years ago. I bought it after a marriage breakup as a "cheer me up".

Unfortunately it does not like hard primers and Federal .32 Auto is in short supply in this country. I have the means to reload but have yet to work up a proper load combination. That is a project for a rainy day.

I would love to find another magazine or two for the Astra. Unfortunately they're just not available here and where I can find them for sale online they won"t ship internationally. I understand it is due to export restrictions etc.

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I have one that I bought at a bargain because someone had left it in a sock drawer for 30 years or more. Unfortunately, although the 'up' side was pristine looking the the 'down' side had lost all it's finish. I sent it off and had it bead blasted and Parkerized and then put on a new pair of grips and it's now one of my favorite shooters.

I have several Colt's Model M Pocket Pistols in my collection and I find them all to be very reliable and very accurate. I have on occasion carried mine more out of nostalgia than anything else, but frankly, I have more modern handguns that are just as easy to carry, just as reliable, weight less, and are in a more powerful cartridge that are probably a better choice for concealed carry.

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- Change it back -

That holster looks just like the one I modified for my Detective Special. I ran across a seller on ebay who must have bought a display of Bianchi holsters from a closing gunshop and was selling them cheaply.

I got one just like that for a 3" Detective, and one for a 4" Python. I modified the Detective one to fit my 2" Detectives, and modified the Python one to fit my 2.5" Python with a deeper fit for complete gun coverage protection.

All in all, I have modified 4 holsters to get the better fit and protection I wanted. By the way, nothing wrong with carrying classic steel. I wouldn't carry anything else, but my tastes have my going with revolvers, not autos.

Ain't it funny how so many of us here think alike?
I'm also an admirer of the Colt Pocket Autos. I've got a 1903 .32, 1908 .380 and a Vest Pocket .25.
I never really gave much thought to carrying them. But since its been brought up, I wouldn't have a problem with it at all.

I would carry one if I could get one at a sensible price. Instead, I carry a FEG improved PP copy.

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Release the Kraken

I own three and absolutely love those old Colts. The problem for me about carrying them is they are really tough to carry SAFELY loaded with a round in the Chamber. The small safety is too easily accidentally pushed off. If carried without a loaded Chamber then the gun requires two hands to bring into action. The last but not least is the small and lightweight caliber. I have one in .380 acp as well, and I am not in the .380 is a good SD caliber camp.

All that aside I truly enjoy shooting the old Colts and love the lines of the gun. They are exceptionally well made, have smooth and light triggers and are quite accurate. The best part is when guys at the Range come over to look at them who have never heard of or seen one. They are amazed at those old Colts.

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Good gun, glad to see it still has some life to it. These deserve better than they usually get.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I use that holster (one model or another) for almost all of my carry guns. It adds very little to the thickness of the gun, and you can "trim" to what you need.

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Because of the metric system?

Boy this thread brought a lot of guys "out of the closet"....LOL admitting to carrying a .32.........and not a "teeny tiny" .32 but a big old .32,,,

Don't have one; but always thought they were neat guns...... slim and classy.

If I could find one at a "good" price...... I would be sorely tempted!!!!

Till then the best I can do for a "Tux gun" are a couple of PPKs in .380 and .32.

I enjoy seeing old guns returned to service. As the OP mentioned, these old guns work best with ball ammo. A possible compromise would be to carry a JHP up the tube while loading ball in the magazine. Ain't no law against that.

I have a blue ANIB and a nickel and pearl that is WAY NOT anib. If you send it to Wayne Novak he does a great job of putting a SMALL Novak sight set up and also has an extended safety that is JUST big enough to use and not big enough to scratch you.

Totally gangsta!

Gotta change your name to SigACP.32!

I've handled a few at gun stores but like you said, the grips are way to skinny to properly hold and engage the safety. But that's irrelevant since some know it all designer decided to put the thumb safety on the wrong side of the gun!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

All of you boys that are concerned about carrying a Colt Pocket Pistol safely these days need to read the advertising for them from back in the day. Why, they're safe enough to sleep with under the pillow.

Have we modern gun guys become a bunch of sissies?

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- Change it back -

With a coat this big, this motorist could have concealed a trench mortar, but instead carried his Colt, "a necessary part of an automobile equipment."



As much as I love my Pocket Hammerless, I have other, better choices to carry these days. Were it my only pistol, though, I'd be perfectly confident in carrying it. To me the pistol is the essence of technology and design (circa 1930).

That is a beautiful pistol. Congrats.

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Because of the metric system?

I have 2, an '03 .32 and an '08 .380. Both appear to be shot little but the .32 has some finish wear. The .380 looks like it spent its life in a sock drawer. I picked up a used IWB clip on holster (made for them) somewhere. The metal clip won't fit over my Bullhide belt but grips the waistband of my Levi's just fine. If I own a gun, I like to have a holster for it even if it's rarely carried. And once in a while I carry them, usually when my wife makes me get dressed up. (Levi's count as dress up in NM.)
I've heard the "old spring" argument and get it. But sometimes these old Colts fit and feel just right. Know what I mean?

Nice.. One have to earn a finish like that.
Never ever reblue it, please.

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Jamie wants big boom

I don't think you can beat a J.M.Browning design so i gathered a few

Just found another 1903 .2 of those pictured are 1908 -.380

My Browning 1910 in .380 and my Colt '03 in .32 are my classic concealed pistols from another era. My current concealed carry consists of an air weight bodyguard or a PPK in .380. Great guns all.

The Colt is a superior design. Nothing feels as good in you hand as a 1903. Love the line in the ad...."Why not equip your car with a Colt?"

Still true today!

Nice 5 digit Colt. Made in 1905. I have 3, and my oldest is 1912. Have been looking for older 1903's but they are rare. Do you have a "half tone" mag?

In my USCG days a shipmate bought a Colt .380 into the armory and ask if we could detail strip it and clean it. No one had ever stripped one before, but heck, it probably is similarly to a Model 1911 just with an enclosed hammer. So we stripped it, cleaned it, and reassembled it. Then we took it out to the range to test fire it. when the trigger was pulled ***** FULL AUTO !! The shipmate had some choice words about idiot Gunners Mates, plus our questionable family tree and left. We were the topic of conversation at the E.M club for many days.

Would ya mind "cleaning" my shooter Colt M1903 .32ACP?

Note that this ad is from, "Cosmopolitan." Evidently, before Helen Gurley Brown took over as editor there, they were more gun friendly! The editorial content was likely much different, too, not a racy women's magazine.


I like the old Colt Models M nd N and would buy one if I could afford it. I would look for a really clean one, though.


About those old springs...does Wolff or anyone else make good replacement springs?


I saw the post above about the Model 1903 .38 Auto. I believe the Roosevelt brothers carried those on their Asiatic expeditions. They wanted the guns to wear concealed while trying to seem innocent/unarmed when meeting Asian officials.


The cartridge for those was later (1929) given a heavier powder charge and named the .38 Super. I think it'd have been more popular had they made the barrels to headspace on the case mouth. The small semi-rim was not large enough for headspacing consistency from one shot to the next, and accuracy was poor.


Many years ago, I rummaged through old issues of, American Rifleman at the library. I found an article on the Colt .32 auto as an outdoorsman's gun. The author noted the excellent accuracy. But I'm not sure the cartridge would reliably stop even a jackrabbit, with FMJ ammo. But that ammo might kill a deer, if well placed. Not at all sure that it would kill a bear.

[QUOTE=Faulkner;139341182]All of you boys that are concerned about carrying a Colt Pocket Pistol safely these days need to read the advertising for them from back in the day. Why, they're safe enough to sleep with under the pillow.

Have we modern gun guys become a bunch of sissies?

I've been sleeping with a gun under my pillow, or under the covers for a lot of years. I also have the Teddy bear and a little rabbit named "cotton candy" that my grandaughter gave me a couple years ago. I know they feel safer.
Peace,
Gordon

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better have that checked

Nice gun, the top of the grip is interesting. It looks like an eye. I've never noticed that on any other Colts.

I have several but here's one of my favorites. I bought this off a walkin at a gun show a few years back. It's in essentially brand new condition and I doubt it's had a full box of ammo thru it in its lifetime.
Note: The boxes for these are IMO extremely rare.
Jim

Doesn't anyone here have a later one with walnut grips?


I know that at least one member has an engraved blue one with ivory grips.


My father and my uncle owned one each, both the earlier sort seen here, with hard rubber (?) grips. I never got to shoot either.

Indeed they do: https://www.gunsprings.com/COLT/1903...ID1/mID1/dID71

This came today, addressed to my wife. I suspect there will be a heavy little package under the tree for me.

Or maybe she sneaked a .32 of her own into the house.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

They don't even box it up!??

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

They just slapped a shipping label on it and let fly.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Yea I noticed. I had the same thing when I ordered 500 rounds of brown bear 9mm.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Here's one of mine, a 1903 manufactured in 1924.

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- Change it back -

Here's another of my favorite 1903's with walnut grips. It's housed with it's engraved baby brother!
Jim

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C & L

WOW!! Sweet Colt!!

I've got one each of the little Colts. Enjoy carring the 32 an 380. The 32 fit great in the vest plate pouch. Have a picture of a nice holster and our own snubbyfan offered to make a holster similar for a reasonable fee.

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LOL ..... forgot I've got one of those little .25s still in it's box.

Someone dropped it off at the Police Station in the 50s/60s and Dad brought it home..........a much simpler time

Hello forum;

Back when my interests were predominantly Colts (Shame!) before I saw the light and jumped into S & W, everything I came across had to get the whole 9 yards of research and hopefully...I can post this to give back a little to the forum to account for the wealth of knowledge that is presented here every day.

My 1903 was made in 1911, and is known as Type III (1910 to 1926) and was the first with both grip and thumb safeties.

Some unique items discovered during research on this gun were: the magazine is original to the gun and is a Type I identified by being unmarked floor plate, pinned construction, and full blued. The half-tone magazines started in 1913. My type III also has original Type I grips, scalloped banner, Colt in a circle, which were also common to Type II, and were found on early Type III, as Colt used up inventory. In 1920 Colt changed to the checkered walnut grips and continued to end of production in 1945.

Another couple unique points of Colt 1903, also in 1920 with advent of walnut grips, Colt changed the roll stamp on the slide from "Automatic Colt" to "Colt Automatic".

Lastly, the left side slide roll stamp displaying the early patent date of 1897 is considered a "collector extra".

I never though that these pistols would exceed $400 in any condition, but I was shocked when my wife pointed out one (maybe NRA 65%) in a "classic case" at LGS for $899.00!. Had to get on home and revise my Insurance listing.

Anyway.......above maybe nothing new to forum readers, but hopefully someone will get a tidbit or two from it.

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570