Time for a Colt...Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless

Messer · Mar 28, 2021

I have a couple that I'm proud to be the current caretaker of.

My first one is a 1903 32ACP - with original box & paperwork - it even has the N.Y Carry Permit dated 1924...

The other is a 1908 380ACP - US Property marked with ivory grips...

There is a certain elegance to these guns - they always bring a smile to my face when I hold them.

Stay safe,
Bob S.

.357magger · Mar 28, 2021

Guys, they're literally iconic. Not only in "real " history, but aso in "reel" history.

From Key Largo and Humphrey Bogart & Edward G. Robinson, thru LOTS of film noir gangster pics, all the way up to the survival kit in the original Planet of the Apes.

(that's Charlton Heston's knee in the first pic)

I wonder if fictional future space travelers got the 32 or the 380?

Absalom · Mar 28, 2021

Kurusu said:
Hard to come by my side of the pond. FN cornered the market for pocket autos in Europe. And the 1903 Colt got squeezed in between 2 other JMB designs.

That was by design. The Colt Pocket Hammerless was not marketed in Europe. For the same reason, an original FN 1903 is virtually impossible to find in the US.

JMB had an attangement with Colt and FN, since he worked with both. You’d have to look up the details, but the result was that when it came to specific model patents, Colt got the North American market and FN the European market.

Same thing happened with the .25 FN 1906 and Colt Vest Pocket.

Kurusu · Mar 28, 2021

@ Absalom. I know the story. Just felt lazy,

and over simplified it.
And I do have an FN 1906 and an European 1903(only it's not an FN but an Husqvarna)

Edit. But the truth is. There probably wouldn't be a Colt model M(the so called 1903 or pocket hammerless) if FN did not ask for JMB to design a full size military sidearm pistol(the 1900 was not a suitable base for that request so a new design was in order). What came out was the FN 1903. Colt did not need that type of pistol because, they along with JMB, were working on locked breech automatic pistols with military contracts in mind. But they realized they did not have a proper "pocket" pistol and could not fail to realize how well the 1900(that had been offered to them and they did not accept) was selling through out Europe. An agreement was made with FN. Colt would produce the 1903 design in pocket size only and not market it in Continental Europe. FN would on the other hand not market it's pocket pistols in the USA. The vest pocket pistols were a different deal. Both FN starting in 1906 and Colt in 1908 would produce a pistol based on the exact same design.

The pre WWI FN line of pocket and vest pocket pistols

1900, 1905(even though production only started in 1906) and the 1910.

And the two 1903 designs. License built by Husqvarna during WWI and Colt.

sigp220.45 · Mar 28, 2021

Mark Twain and Lawrence of Arabia were also fans, as well as this unidentified hater of accordion music.

Absalom · Mar 28, 2021

Kurusu said:
... and an European 1903(only it's not an FN but an Husqvarna)

That’s cheating

The Husqvarna 1907s are available here; quite a few were imported as surplus here before 1968 by the likes of Sam Cummings; most have no importer stamp, but the .380 mark for the caliber conversion.

I took the opportunity to check for the FNs, which I haven’t for awhile. Pickings are actually better here than usual right now: a couple of FNs to be had from 1200 to 1900, or you can shell out 6000 or 9000 for one with original shoulder stock.

Kurusu · Mar 28, 2021

sigp220.45 said:
Mark Twain and Lawrence of Arabia were also fans, as well as this unidentified hater of accordion music.

And now the fun and ironic fact. The acordean haters are Belgian soldiers in WWI. You know from Belgium the Country where FN is located.

So, how come there is a Colt on their hands?

When the Germans invaded Belgium(to get to France) the city of Liege was occupied and FN simply shut down it's facilities. The Northeast part of Belgium was never occupied and resisted the Germans during all the war. They needed weapons so they had to buy from the USA, they chose the 1903 because it was their military caliber. The Belgian Colts were marked with an A inside a diamond. Mine is one of those.

Kurusu · Mar 28, 2021

Absalom said:
That’s cheating

The Husqvarna 1907s are available here; quite a few were imported as surplus here before 1968 by the likes of Sam Cummings; most have no importer stamp, but the .380 mark for the caliber conversion.

I took the opportunity to check for the FNs, which I haven’t for awhile. Pickings are actually better here than usual right now: a couple of FNs to be had from 1200 to 1900, or you can shell out 6000 or 9000 for one with original shoulder stock.

I think the shoulder stocked ones were for Russia.

It's not really cheating. The model 1907 is the Swedish military designation for the FN 1903. Sweden being the only "real" military contract FN got for the military oriented 1903. The problem was that when the Swedes tried to buy more pistols FN had shut down on account of having Germans around that used the Mauser G98 as a passport.

since my Husqvarna is from the first year of production(1917) the slide has the same "Browning's patent" markings as the FN ones. Later FN protested and had Husqvarna change the slide patent markings.

And it's still in the original 9mm Browning Long caliber.

It came complete with a private purchase Officers holster, which has lining and the two spare magazines.

SAFireman · Mar 28, 2021

When I was a wee lad, my mother's father carried a Colt in 32 ACP (in nickel). He carried it in a Safariland suede IWB holster. I loved the look and feel of that Colt. Sadly, when he passed, it found it's way to another relative. I looked for one for years before my dad put his hands on this one in 380. It is mine now, and it reminds me of my mother's father.

smithra_66 · Mar 29, 2021

.357magger said:
Guys, they're literally iconic. Not only in "real " history, but aso in "reel" history.

From Key Largo and Humphrey Bogart & Edward G. Robinson, thru LOTS of film noir gangster pics, all the way up to the survival kit in the original Planet of the Apes.

(that's Charlton Heston's knee in the first pic)

I wonder if fictional future space travelers got the 32 or the 380?

And legend has it that Bogart saw this original movie poster in which he's holding a 1911 and thought the gun was too big and made him look too small.

So in the movie he's never seen with the 1911...only the 1903 which he famously uses at the end to shoot the nazi.

Absalom · Mar 29, 2021

And my usual pitch in these 1903 threads for a movie too few people seem to know about:

If you want to see a lot of Model M’s in a movie, watch “Anthropoid” about the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich in Prague in 1942. The SOE armed the Czech agents with those. And the film gets that correctly.

Boxhead · Mar 29, 2021

I picked up a trio of them from an estate sale about ten years ago. The 38 Special, the M39 and a box of ammo as well. My youngest having fun.

.357magger · Mar 29, 2021

Absalom said:
And my usual pitch in these 1903 threads for a movie too few people seem to know about:

If you want to see a lot of Model M’s in a movie, watch “Anthropoid” about the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich in Prague in 1942. The SOE armed the Czech agents with those. And the film gets that correctly.

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ABSALOM?

Their fingers are inside the trigger guard!!!!

WW2 or not, someone could get hurt.

walter o · Mar 29, 2021

I have posted this before and i can't resist the model M colts 32or 380

img]https://i.imgur.com/CSl8rwS.jpg[/img]

[The bottom one is a remembrance piece. The them is for Rose, a rose on each ivory grip panel and a rose on the bottom of the trigger guard
To remind me of the most important person in my life

Sistema1927 · Mar 30, 2021

Still kicking myself for selling a pristine 1908 to pay for grad school.

When I was stationed at Ft. Knox I picked up that beautiful pistol that was then LNIB to include all the factory documentation including the factory target and trigger hang tag. It looked like someone had bought it in 1924 and put it away on a shelf before putting it on consignment in 1981. I paid what I considered to be a princely sum in those days, $200 for it.

After getting out of the service, and starting grad school, I sold both it and the Browning HP that I had once used to defend my life (another gun I wish I still had). Each one financed a full semester, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Faulkner · Mar 30, 2021

TheHobbyist said:
I believe it to be originally, parkerized. SN puts it about 1919-1920. Could have been done later and if so, someone did a heck of a job. All original stampings and serial number are very crisp and not indicative of a refurb/refinish. I think someone touched up a spot or two, but if so, they did not do this with the entire gun. IMO.

Nice find, especially if you got it at a decent price because these little Colt's have been really increasing in price.

If I recall correctly, Colt did not Parkerize any 1903's or 1908's until the World War II era, and even then they were only government issue firearms that were duly marked as such. Very few were sold with a Parkerized finish to the public after the war, and even they were marked "U.S. Property", but lacked the arsenal acceptance marks.

I have one made in 1924 that was originally blued but I had refinished/Parkerized. After adding some new aftermarket walnut grips it's one of my favorite shooters.

Charlie Foxtrott · Mar 30, 2021

I am pretty fond of them myself.

Even found the book that goes with them.

Faulkner · Mar 30, 2021

Charlie Foxtrott said:
Even found the book that goes with them.

I just found that book on Amazon in hard back for $842.31. I'd have to sell of one of my M1903's to buy the reference book about M1903's.

Dave_n · Mar 30, 2021

Just looked it up in Abe Books, half your quoted price. Dave_n

Faulkner · Mar 30, 2021

Dave_n said:
Just looked it up in Abe Books, half your quoted price. Dave_n

Thank you, found it on Abe Books for only $395.00

Time for a Colt...Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless

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