hannstv
Member
Those are some of the most handsome handguns ever made.
1903 Colt Hammerless
- Thread starter MSD2343
- Start date
otis24
Member
Beautiful! One of my grail guns; in .380. But I wouldn’t turn down a .32 if opportunity came a’knockin!
My Uncle left me one. It is very nice as well, so consequently I am reluctant to shoot it too much. I would love to find a nice 380 companion for it. I had a rough 380 but sold it.
That is a wonderful acquisition. Best of luck finding appropriate magazine..
That is a wonderful acquisition. Best of luck finding appropriate magazine..
SnidelyWhiplash
Member
My 1920 made 1903...
I'll play
I know next to nothing about these guns other than I have one. It is in good shape, some scratches on the bluing. What is the value of them ? I have been slowly selling off my collection on not yet down to these
Pic above, I think it dates 1931?
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SnidelyWhiplash
Member
Colt 1903 pistols run the gamut of value. One is average condition but not abused will go in the $450-$600 range...maybe a bit more. Excellent condition examples will go for $1100-$1500. One with military provenance (there are fakes out there) will go $2k and up. If documentation can assign it to a particular general officer it could go up to $3500. If it has OSS or CIA documentation the sky is the limit. The CIA took some and replaced the serial numbers with a new range and they occasionally hit the market and bring some big bucks.
.357magger
Member
Pretty good summary imo.
There are several other documented variations besides US government affiliations. Those too bring, if documented, serious multipliers in collecting value. I say, if documented, because since US Armaments reintroduced the Model M for Colt as current production, faked copies have unfortunately multiplied. So buyer beware on rarer variants.
These guns were ubiquitous in their day and ended up being distributed worldwide.
Shanghai Municipal Police was a famous user, as were guns privately purchased by Japanese military officers, contracts with Australian police agencies, documented Mexican purchases, and the list goes on. At the risk of "site blasphemy", they were the Glock of their time.
A great reference site is:
Colt Automatic Pistol and Revolver Information - 26 years of Service to Colt Firearms Collectors
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Pretty good summary imo.
There are several other documented variations besides US government affiliations. Those too bring, if documented, serious multipliers in collecting value. I say, if documented, because since US Armaments reintroduced the Model M for Colt as current production, faked copies have unfortunately multiplied. So buyer beware on rarer variants.
These guns were ubiquitous in their day and ended up being distributed worldwide.
Shanghai Municipal Police was a famous user, as were guns privately purchased by Japanese military officers, contracts with Australian police agencies, documented Mexican purchases, and the list goes on. At the risk of "site blasphemy", they were the Glock of their time.
A great reference site is:
Colt Automatic Pistol and Revolver Information - 26 years of Service to Colt Firearms Collectors
Thank you for the link
Mine dates to 1920. It isn't anything spectacular. The nickel has some rash and pitting. The gun is tight and qualifies as a shooter. There is something appealing about these little guns that I can't articulate. They're the antithesis of today's plastic pistols.
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BKLooney
Member
Absolutely awesome!
NFrameFred
Member
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
This one is the real deal. 1944 serial number, belonged to my stepdad who was a courier during WWII. He had a 1911 on his hip and wore this inside his uniform jacket as a BUG. Left hand was many times handcuffed to a brief case.
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SnidelyWhiplash
Member
That definitely should have a Colt archives letter ordered…if not already obtained. I’m not disbelieving you but documentation is everything when it comes to value. What any potential buyer (if you ever would decide to sell) will say is without provenance it’s just a story.
kwill1911
Member
Please post a picture of the other side.
.357magger
Member
Just kept quiet about the 1903 when he was being discharged huh?
A lot of guys did.
Beautiful example, thanks for sharing it.
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
Looking for a SN? Colt database says 1944, pistol was new when issued to my stepdad. I have three magazines for it and the operator's manual and parts sheet.
Whatever it's worth, it will never be sold in my lifetime nor my kids'. He's the only grandpa they know and hopefully it will keep going to descendants.
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kwill1911
Member
The Colt database is not very accurate, especially on wartime pistols. If you want to PM me the serial number I can probably give you better information.
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
The listing I have is 558197-568834 is 1944 production. No guns made in 1943 (why is that, do you know?)
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