Here are some excerpts from his memorial, as printed in the August, 2009 edition of SWAT and written by editor Denny Hansen.
“Longtime SWAT Magazine Contributing Editor Steve Malloy was killed in a tragic shooting accident at his home on April 16. As best as can be determined, Steve had a pistol in his waistband and when he bent over to tie his shoes, the pistol fell onto the floor and discharged—the bullet struck Steve in the chest. He was found in the garage, apparently trying to leave the home to summon aid.”
“When dealing with things of a tactical nature, Steve was the epitome of the word ‘professional.’”
The weapon in question was a 1903 Colt Pocket Model pistol, carried with a live round in the chamber. It was a classic old gun that is revered by those who appreciate fine firearms. The 1903 .32 and the 1908 .380 Pocket Models have a long and honored history. Such guns were issued to Generals like Patton and Eisenhower in WWII, and to OSS personnel in the same time period. Hell, my grandfather shot an armed robber in self-defense early in the 20th century with a 1903 Colt .32 that’s still in the family: that particular gun was the first semi-automatic pistol I ever fired, before my age had two digits in it. Slim and compact, comfortable to carry, sweet of trigger pull and deadly accurate and reliable, it was the kind of pistol a “gun guy” like Malloy would appreciate.
It also did not have a secured firing pin and was not “drop-safe” against inertia fire. You don’t carry a 1903, so it doesn’t matter? Well, if you carry a 1911, it does matter, because both mechanisms were designed by John M. Browning and are remarkably similar. You aren’t going to ever drop your gun? Good that you’re the first perfect human who’s immune to error. It’s safe to say that neither you nor I are the Second Coming of the perfect human incapable of making a mistake. And these old Colt designs are not by any means the only autopistols that are not “drop-safe”!
