Colt 1903 - The Firearms Forum

domino · 05-17-2003, 01:54 PM

I have become interested in one of these auotloaders. I don't know anyone that has one or has ever fired one. I saw one at a gun show that was in .32 ACP and it was a slick looking little pitol. Does anyone know how reliable they are and how they shoot? Thanks!

Smokin Guns · 05-17-2003, 05:38 PM

Don't have any experience with the colt 1903 in .32 acp, but i did look it up. I have an H&R in .32 and it is a good shooter as well as it's little brother in .25. What was the price on the Colt?...

domino · 05-17-2003, 09:50 PM

The one I saw was around $350. It wasn't "like new", but then again it was quite old. It was very flat and thin. I know the .32 isn't a giant slayer, but the gun was so flat that it struck me as a good gun to keep in the car if in fact it was reliable with hollowpoints. I guess maybe I'm just a sucker for old Colts!

Xracer · 05-18-2003, 08:50 AM

Hi Domino......welcome to TFF!

Yeah....I've shot one, but it was a long time ago. As I recall, it was a real sweet shooter. Not a tack driver, but it was small, slim and very concealeable. It was made in both .32ACP and .380ACP, and was standard issue to U.S. Army General Officers in WWII.

Basically, the Colt was the same as the FN Model 1903....

Another interesting variant was the Swedish Model 1907. Same gun but with a longer barrel and in caliber 9 mm Browning Long. Many of these (converted to .38ACP) were imported as surplus in the '50's & '60's and were sold by various mail-order houses (such as Virginia Arms and Ye Old Hunter) and advertised in the American Rifleman for around $25.

Here's a little info:

http://www.geocities.com/swede94/fn1903.html

http://www.coltautos.com/index.htm

05-18-2003, 03:00 PM

Xracer, very good information on these guns. Always wanted one of these little pistols.

An elderly neighbor friend down the road offered me a freebee 1903 Colt in .32 acp and I think it had the smooth wood grips...but no magazine.

I politely turned it down when she also told me her husband many years ago had killed himself with it. Things like that kind of spook me.

Then very recently I heard her daughter had killed herself, now I'm really glad I didn't take that gun.

GG

Xracer · 05-18-2003, 03:39 PM

Boy, talk about a gun with bad vibes, GG.

If you're an old film buff, those Colt '03's seemed to be the gun of choice in all of those old black & white film noir gangster and detective movies of the '30's and '40's.

Neat little gun.

CountryGunsmith · 05-18-2003, 10:25 PM

Why yes, I kinda like 'em myself.... here's a 1914 version.

CountryGunsmith · 05-18-2003, 10:32 PM

Another one, from 1904:

CountryGunsmith · 05-18-2003, 10:34 PM

And here's one of their big brother, a 1908 Pocket Hammerless .380, from 1923. Kind of a doggie, but worthe the C-note I had to give for it.

skiingfool1974 · 05-19-2003, 12:46 AM

The more I see of your collection Doc, the more jealous I become! (not to mention that the size of the puddle of drool gets bigger and bigger)

Silver72 · 06-13-2003, 03:17 PM

Here is a General Officers mdl. marked U.S. Property.

09-29-2003, 02:42 AM

The 1903M is a great gun! I had one hard chromed and do use it for carry purposes and it does feed hollowpoints.

You can get them at the gun auctions from 150.00 on up depending on condition.

They don't make them like that anymore!

redhawk44 · 10-22-2003, 10:06 AM

I have one too. It is very reliable with either factory or hand loads. Mine is in excellent mechanical condition, but the finnish was shot, so like madmarc, I had it hard chromed. I wouldn't part with it.

10-22-2003, 12:24 PM

Nice pistols guys.

GG

05-17-2003, 01:54 PM	#1
domino Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 4	Colt 1903 I have become interested in one of these auotloaders. I don't know anyone that has one or has ever fired one. I saw one at a gun show that was in .32 ACP and it was a slick looking little pitol. Does anyone know how reliable they are and how they shoot? Thanks! -->

05-17-2003, 05:38 PM	#2
Smokin Guns Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: "Gun Culture Members Clubhouse"... Posts: 4,463	Hey domino!... Don't have any experience with the colt 1903 in .32 acp, but i did look it up. I have an H&R in .32 and it is a good shooter as well as it's little brother in .25. What was the price on the Colt?... Attached Images __________________

05-18-2003, 10:25 PM	#7
CountryGunsmith Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Deep Piney Woods of East Texas Posts: 5,116	Why yes, I kinda like 'em myself.... here's a 1914 version. Attached Images __________________ The autonomic nervous system provides for involuntary muscle function - the work of breathing, digestion, and so forth. On some folks, that's a pure waste of ingenuity.

05-18-2003, 10:32 PM	#8
CountryGunsmith Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Deep Piney Woods of East Texas Posts: 5,116	Another one, from 1904: Attached Images __________________ The autonomic nervous system provides for involuntary muscle function - the work of breathing, digestion, and so forth. On some folks, that's a pure waste of ingenuity.

05-18-2003, 10:34 PM	#9
CountryGunsmith Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Deep Piney Woods of East Texas Posts: 5,116	And here's one of their big brother, a 1908 Pocket Hammerless .380, from 1923. Kind of a doggie, but worthe the C-note I had to give for it. Attached Images __________________ The autonomic nervous system provides for involuntary muscle function - the work of breathing, digestion, and so forth. On some folks, that's a pure waste of ingenuity.

05-17-2003, 09:50 PM	#3
domino Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 4	The one I saw was around $350. It wasn't "like new", but then again it was quite old. It was very flat and thin. I know the .32 isn't a giant slayer, but the gun was so flat that it struck me as a good gun to keep in the car if in fact it was reliable with hollowpoints. I guess maybe I'm just a sucker for old Colts!

05-18-2003, 08:50 AM	#4
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Hi Domino......welcome to TFF! Yeah....I've shot one, but it was a long time ago. As I recall, it was a real sweet shooter. Not a tack driver, but it was small, slim and very concealeable. It was made in both .32ACP and .380ACP, and was standard issue to U.S. Army General Officers in WWII. Basically, the Colt was the same as the FN Model 1903.... Another interesting variant was the Swedish Model 1907. Same gun but with a longer barrel and in caliber 9 mm Browning Long. Many of these (converted to .38ACP) were imported as surplus in the '50's & '60's and were sold by various mail-order houses (such as Virginia Arms and Ye Old Hunter) and advertised in the American Rifleman for around $25. Here's a little info: http://www.geocities.com/swede94/fn1903.html http://www.coltautos.com/index.htm

05-18-2003, 03:00 PM	#5
Gunguy Adnanced Senior Member Posts: n/a	Xracer, very good information on these guns. Always wanted one of these little pistols. An elderly neighbor friend down the road offered me a freebee 1903 Colt in .32 acp and I think it had the smooth wood grips...but no magazine. I politely turned it down when she also told me her husband many years ago had killed himself with it. Things like that kind of spook me. Then very recently I heard her daughter had killed herself, now I'm really glad I didn't take that gun. GG

05-18-2003, 03:39 PM	#6
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Boy, talk about a gun with bad vibes, GG. If you're an old film buff, those Colt '03's seemed to be the gun of choice in all of those old black & white film noir gangster and detective movies of the '30's and '40's. Neat little gun.

05-19-2003, 12:46 AM	#10
skiingfool1974 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vermont Posts: 242	The more I see of your collection Doc, the more jealous I become! (not to mention that the size of the puddle of drool gets bigger and bigger)

06-13-2003, 03:17 PM	#11
Silver72 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Central Texas Posts: 542	General Officer Gun Here is a General Officers mdl. marked U.S. Property.

09-29-2003, 02:42 AM	#12
madmarc0 Adnanced Senior Member Posts: n/a	The 1903M is a great gun! I had one hard chromed and do use it for carry purposes and it does feed hollowpoints. You can get them at the gun auctions from 150.00 on up depending on condition. They don't make them like that anymore!

10-22-2003, 10:06 AM	#13
redhawk44 Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 36	I have one too. It is very reliable with either factory or hand loads. Mine is in excellent mechanical condition, but the finnish was shot, so like madmarc, I had it hard chromed. I wouldn't part with it. Last edited by redhawk44; 10-22-2003 at 10:14 AM..

10-22-2003, 12:24 PM	#14
Gunguy Adnanced Senior Member Posts: n/a	Nice pistols guys. GG