Colt 1903 Detailed Reassembly – The Difficult Parts

[1sg]

What a very informative post; thanks much!

 

[first-model]

This post will be very useful when I reassemble the 1903 Pocket Hammerless that I picked up this weekend past in Louisiana.

Mike

 

[TNExposure]

Colt 1903 Repair?

Hello,

I have my dad's "Pocket Colt .32" or Colt 1903. We have not used this pistol for a while because it will fire after releasing the slide. Any suggestions on how to repair? Thanks.

 

[H Richard]

This again confirmed my opinion to "NOT" disassemble mine beyond field strip. A spray can of parts/brake cleaner and some fresh break free and some compressed air will have to suffice.

 

[jimmyj]

ONE QUESTION :
Where were you in 1958 ??
Long story, short: a USCG buddy bought a Colt .380 to the armory to strip and clean. We did disassemble , cleaned, and reassembled. Then took it out to the testing range to test fire. Inserted full magazine, aimed, squeezed the trigger, and FULL AUTOMATIC !! (diaper change time). He wrapped it in a cloth, took it home, and hide it away.

 

[olgandalf]

I just found this fine thread yesterday. I'd had to disassemble my 1903 because of a jam with a live round in the chamber. That's all taken care of safely! But I must be doing something wrong in reassembly. With the mainspring and grip safety installed with a thin slave pin, The long thin end of the mainspring extends higher than the hole for the slide safety. as a result it seems impossible to push the hammer down enough for the hole in it to line up at all with the holes in the frame. Or am I just a 90 pound weakling?!

 

[olgandalf]

I solved the problem of the mainspring extending too far by seating the tabs on the shorter leaf in the rounded slots in the grip, rather than trying to insert the mainspring and grip safety as a unit. I have a slave pin anchoring the bottom of the grip safety and have a cord tourniquet squeezing the trigger and grip safety. I still cannot exert enough force on the hammer to align its hole with those on the frame.

 

[Hair Trigger]

Really great tutorial. Hope I never have to use it. I didn't read where you said what version/series this 1903 is. You don't mention a magazine disconnect (different from 'disconnector'). My 1903 was made in 1943 and has the magazine disconnect. At what place in the reassembly do you have to address that part?

I only take mine out rarely; I enjoy shooting it, but the gun's value is great enough I don't want anything happening to it. I was given it by my Stepdad, it was his brother's service issue during WWII.

 

[olgandalf]

I'm still unsuccessful. I'm using the wooden clamping top of my sears workbench as a substitute for my weak grip. Several times I've gotten a small then a larger slave pin through frame and hammer, but can't get the hole wide enough for the slide safety pin. Adjusting the cranks of the workbench top variably moves the slave pin (and the hole) up or down but never enough toward the muzzle for the hole to get large enough.

 

[olgandalf]

Gave up and took it to local gunsmith. He called back in an hour: done. Well worth the $20! He said I had the disconnector in backward.

 

[da gimp]

exc. post & tutorial Bob.

 

[indianray]

Very Helpful, I Have a Different Question

One of the M1903s I bought, after I removed the grips, I cannot get them screwed back on because there is what looks like a thin wire-type piece extending across the grip screw hole on the right side of the grip frame. Thus, the grip screw will not extend through that hole in the grip frame.

What could that be?