Risking Being Ostracized From This Forum...

[WaistGunner]

I humbly bring before the esteemed members, this pistol, in hopes you could enlighten me. Is it Rare, a worthy collectible, a shooting risk, is it military or civilian, what condition would you grade based on pix, your opinions, etc...? I have the opportunity to purchase it.

I have been told it is either a Colt Model of 1903 or 1908, chambered in .38 automatic. It comes with the original magazine. I am sure my Colt collecting friends will find it folly to educate me.

Thanks in advance! Waistgunner

 

[s&wchad]

That's a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer in .38 Rimless Smokeless ( aka .38 ACP, but NOT .38 Super). Same as a 1902 Sporting, but with a shorter barrel. The only thing that keeps the slide from lodging in your forehead is that little wedge up front. I'd say it's worth about $600 in that condition. I believe they made around 31,000 of them. Not to be confused with a 1903 Pocket Hammerless (below).

I wouldn't call it rare, but they're not that common. High condition examples, especially boxed, can bring thousands of dollars. It's hard to tell from the photos, but I'd rate that example at about 50% - an honest representative commercial gun.

Think of it as an evolutionary step toward the 1911. The barrel has dual pivots and moves like a parallel ruler to lock and unlock from the slide. The little wedge is a throw-back to the black powder Colt revolvers and it prevents the slide from coming off the back. The gun has no manual safety and the slide does not stay open after the last shot. You rack the slide and start pulling the trigger. The cartridge is the same physical dimension as the .38 Super, but it operates at substantially lower pressures. A factory .38 Super cartridge just might destroy the gun and I would NEVER shoot one in it. Factory .38 ACP ammo is hard to find - most that I get is old stuff.

The Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless is chambered for .380 ACP, except for the vest pocket version (also hammerless) that's chambered in .25 ACP. Both have a grip safety and a manual safety.

 

[n4zov]

See here for more information:

http://www.coltautos.com/default.asp

 

[WaistGunner]

Thanks s&wchad and n4zov for your help, the seller is asking exactly what you quoted chad, nice work! He has two boxes of the old ammo to go with it, probably quite expensive otherwise, I imagine. Now for me to make the decision...ugh. Take care, Waistgunner