💥Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless💥: History, Tabletop Range Review. Should I Modernize It?

[Alexx1401]

I think mouse guns in general are the issue who says it has to be a mouse gun. I do not think the 1903 is a pocket pistol honestly would love to have another 32acp about this size. I know I know I can hear it now, well if that size why not 380 well because I want a 32 lol.

Oh I kick myself every time I see one like the OP because I had a couple of these over the years long ago. Not in nearly as good a shape as the OP's, but back when there were all over. Would have loved to have kept one.
For Wife for 25 years now its been a "challenge" getting her to carry something I like. I have lost track of the guns she has tried.
I of course want her to carry something larger, she wants light weight. So I long ago learned to live with her carrying something as its beats the better one left at home. This has meant a .22 for a long time now. For many years it was a Ruger SR22 compact. She loved it. When she tried the LCP II it was a no way. Later I found out they started making it in .22 and she jumped on one and LOVES it. FAR from ideal but, she will carry it and shoot it.

 

[solv3nt]

Oh I kick myself every time I see one like the OP because I had a couple of these over the years long ago. Not in nearly as good a shape as the OP's, but back when there were all over. Would have loved to have kept one.
For Wife for 25 years now its been a "challenge" getting her to carry something I like. I have lost track of the guns she has tried.
I of course want her to carry something larger, she wants light weight. So I long ago learned to live with her carrying something as its beats the better one left at home. This has meant a .22 for a long time now. For many years it was a Ruger SR22 compact. She loved it. When she tried the LCP II it was a no way. Later I found out they started making it in .22 and she jumped on one and LOVES it. FAR from ideal but, she will carry it and shoot it.

A well placed shot with a gun you can shoot and happen to be carrying is better than a miss with a gun you don't carry.

 

[po18guy]

I really appreciate everyone's comments and thoughts here. I have decided I am going to leave it like it is. Though I have now become fond of 32acp wish more pistols were made foe that round

And, the semi-rimmed .32 ACP also chambers in .32 S&W/H&R Mag/.327 Federal chambers. For emergencies.

There are many well-worn Model M Colts around (they made over 500,000), although even their prices have been rising. However, a finish-challenged one would be good for cerakoting, some sights and thumb safety mods.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

Sadly the .380 round pretty much did in the .32. Wife who is VERY recoil sensitive has a couple of modern 32's for just this reason. The Ruger LCP II I carry she brought home after me telling her not to. Trigger felt real nice in the shop of course. Problem was she could not rack the slide and when she got to fire it one round was it for her. If they offered this in .32 it would be perfect for her. Her KT P32 is a great example of a super thin, small, and light pistol she can and will practice with. She just does not like that long trigger pull. Has a Tomcat .32 also that she loves but its a little heavy. I guess the market is just not there to make a few more mouse guns in .32 instead of .380.

Beretta 81 is mighty fine but is relatively chunky for a .32. PPK is also cool. I have tried a bunch of .32s. Some of the old mausers and FNs from around the dawn of the 20th century are excellent for concealed carry

 

[ma96782]

This relative of your fine pistol sees regular carry at formal occasions, and has gone to church.

The Lord helps them who help themselves.

View attachment 1233381
Colt's Model of 1908, .380 Automatic Colt Pistol. Factory nickel finish, factory engraving. Perhaps a Banker's or Lawyer's gun when new.

I seem to remember that quote from......


Aloha, Mark

PS.....
BUT, But, but........Google says :

The Bible doesn't teach that God helps those who help themselves. The Bible teaches that God helps the helpless and provides eternal life to them in Christ alone. He, alone, completely meets our need for eternal life and in all of life.

I learned it as :

"GOD does NOT help, those who do NOT help themselves."

Anyway........ Whatever.....this isn't about religion.

 

[DeanMk]

View attachment 1233254

I have a real dilemma should I send this to Novak to be modernized? I have seen one that they did and honestly it was what actually drew my interest.

View attachment 1233255

Is 32 ACP just a novelty today? As the firearms industry have evolved, bullet technology improvements but also it has brought about better defensive items like body armor.

So many questions

Mr.Revolverguy
http://www.dayattherange.com
Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Dayattherange

My opinion kinda mimics Mark's.
If the gun is vintage and has some provenance, I would also vote to keep it as is.
If you want something to mod, seek another gun.
As for your second question, I'm surprised how the internet has made once-effective rounds suddenly SO ineffective for self defense.
"FBI-standard" wound channel lengths and "Body Armour" are constantly cited as the reason why, but I have to ask....unless it's contingent to your job, who the heck walks around in body armour all day? Really? Teddy Roosevelt once standardized the Colt New Police revolver in .32 caliber (S&W Long) because it was considered an effective man stopper in its day.
Why would it be any less of a man stopper now?
Same with .38 Special. Sure .357 will blow a larger hole in someone, but do you really need to?
Seems to me, whether .32, .38 or a magnum, if loaded with a hollow point bullet it'll still make for a pretty cavernous wound channel.
So given that, I don't feel a .32 acp is an ineffective round for self defense.
What's nice about .32 acp is that it can be chambered for a fairly compact pistol.
Beretta Tomcat being just one example.
Easier to conceal, easier to carry, that would be its "nitche" in today's magnum world. A sort of "magnum-ized" .25 acp, if you will.

 

[ma96782]

RE : Post #26
Adequate man-stopping power.

Careful......
The gun grabber will/might just seize upon your post. And the next thing you know......they'll be calling for the elimination of civilian sales of pistol rounds "more powerful" than the .32 caliber S&W Long (and/or the .32 ACP).

"No one needs to have HI-POWERED pistol rounds."

BUT, But, but.......that might just mean that those semi-auto pistols would still be available? Yeah.......so then......as a class of firearms, they (semi-autos) entirely need to go the way of the Dodo Bird.

Note that BRANDON has called for the elimination of AWs......AGAIN.

MSN

Rrrrrright......but, that is only the START.

Aloha, Mark

PS.....how many here are still willing to "compromise"? Maybe, give up magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds before further compromising on semi-auto firearms as a class?

Rrrrrrrright.....

 

[Diamondback]

Personally, I'd love to have a go at modernizing the Model M... but ONLY on a freshly-manufactured frame crafted from a CAD/CAM recreation of the original blueprints drawn by Browning. (In essence, the changes would start at the CAD-model level so the manufacturing would have them integrated from the first pass of the CNC mill.)

Keep the .380 up-bore of the 1908 version, ramp and throat for modern hollowpoints, adopt 1911-style mag release, redesign the guiderod to take a "baby-Glock" LaserMax unit... can't do a red-dot on that tiny slide but maybe smoothed and dehorned fiber optic or Trijicon/Meprolight/similar.

 

[slimmer13]

If it's "modernized" classy like a Tapco drop in chassis, or hundred dollar bill grips or maybe multicam cerakote, then I say go for it.

 

[po18guy]

Personally, I'd love to have a go at modernizing the Model M... but ONLY on a freshly-manufactured frame crafted from a CAD/CAM recreation of the original blueprints drawn by Browning. (In essence, the changes would start at the CAD-model level so the manufacturing would have them integrated from the first pass of the CNC mill.)

Keep the .380 up-bore of the 1908 version, ramp and throat for modern hollowpoints, adopt 1911-style mag release, redesign the guiderod to take a "baby-Glock" LaserMax unit... can't do a red-dot on that tiny slide but maybe smoothed and dehorned fiber optic or Trijicon/Meprolight/similar.

US Armament is currently making licensed copies of the 1903 Colt Model M. Not cheap, but good metal and a warranty. As they are on back order, there seems little motivation for them to produce a version with better sights and safety.

 

[Diamondback]

IIRC they also have ZERO part interchange with the original, not even mags.

 

[po18guy]

The magazines are fine. https://www.coltforum.com/threads/a...-parts-on-thier-old-1903.355043/#post-2951403
Other parts, not so sure, but are made to original specs.

 

[bivy53]

If she were mine, I would pet her, shoot her, and show her off.

 

[po18guy]

View attachment 1233254

I have a real dilemma should I send this to Novak to be modernized? I have seen one that they did and honestly it was what actually drew my interest.

View attachment 1233255

Is 32 ACP just a novelty today? As the firearms industry have evolved, bullet technology improvements but also it has brought about better defensive items like body armor.

So many questions

Mr.Revolverguy
http://www.dayattherange.com
Firearms Reviewed and Reported On: An unbiased opinion with real world use.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Dayattherange

I didn't see the serial number range. Omit the last two digits if you want, but we can at least provide its year of birth.

 

[Spitpatch]

"Anyway........ Whatever.....this isn't about religion."

Heathen.

 

[DeanMk]

US Armament is currently making licensed copies of the 1903 Colt Model M. Not cheap, but good metal and a warranty. As they are on back order, there seems little motivation for them to produce a version with better sights and safety.

View attachment 1238295

Now there's an idea!
Mod this gun, keep your vintage gun pristine.

 

[DeanMk]

RE : Post #26
Adequate man-stopping power.

Careful......
The gun grabber will/might just seize upon your post. And the next thing you know......they'll be calling for the elimination of civilian sales of pistol rounds "more powerful" than the .32 caliber S&W Long (and/or the .32 ACP).

"No one needs to have HI-POWERED pistol rounds."

BUT, But, but.......that might just mean that those semi-auto pistols would still be available? Yeah.......so then......as a class of firearms, they (semi-autos) entirely need to go the way of the Dodo Bird.

Note that BRANDON has called for the elimination of AWs......AGAIN.

MSN

Rrrrrright......but, that is only the START.

Aloha, Mark

PS.....how many here are still willing to "compromise"? Maybe, give up magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds before further compromising on semi-auto firearms as a class?

Rrrrrrrright.....

View attachment 1238234

Aw, that dip$h!t's just being a typical democrat.
Guns aren't going away. It's like the minimum wage thing. Its too much of a political football for them to play with, when they need to.
As usual, waggin' the dog.

 

[po18guy]

Now there's an idea!
Mod this gun, keep your vintage gun pristine.

All it takes is cash and desire. Cash and desire...wasn't that a cop show from the 80s?

 

[DeanMk]

All it takes is cash and desire. Cash and desire...wasn't that a cop show from the 80s?

Mr.T & Tina

 

[mr.revolverguy]

Now there's an idea!
Mod this gun, keep your vintage gun pristine.

They SAY they are in production. I have actually spoke with them and they can't tell me where to go to find one and the conversation is so awkward I am a little afraid that if I were to get one and need support I may not be able to get it.