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

[po18guy]

Length, width and height only tell part of the story. Circumference - that makes a gun feel blocky or comfortable. The circumference of the Beretta grip is greater and that has a large impact on "feel." The double-stack Beretta far more so.

 

[Cardinal]

I agree. I own both and think each is great. However, the difference in feel is substantial. Shooting/carrying each is truly different between the two. The weight/width/length stats are interesting data, because the experience of shooting each is so different. Maybe it's the genius/magic of John Moses Browning?

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Just a fun fact...The Colt 1903 pocket model is the gun carried by Humphrey Bogart's characters in "The Big Sleep", "Key Largo", and "Casablanca", among others.

 

[po18guy]

Just a fun fact...The Colt 1903 pocket model is the gun carried by Humphrey Bogart's characters in "The Big Sleep", "Key Largo", and "Casablanca", among others.

View attachment 1240274

And was used by Ray Milland in Columbo.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

And killed Steve Malloy!

Kids, this IS your grandfathers pistol, don't ever forget that

S.W.A.T. Magazine writer dies after tragic accident.

S.W.A.T. Magazine writer dies after tragic accident.

www.michaelbane.tv

 

[po18guy]

And killed Steve Malloy!

Kids, this IS your grandfathers pistol, don't ever forget that

S.W.A.T. Magazine writer dies after tragic accident.

S.W.A.T. Magazine writer dies after tragic accident.

www.michaelbane.tv

Condition zero? We'll never know.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Condition zero? We'll never know.

As I understand it, Condition 1. The thumb safety blocks the hammer but not the firing pin and the inertia from the fall was enough to bounce the firing pin. My source on that is that I worked at Leupold back around 2011 and some of the people there new him. It came up a couple times in conversation

 

[Diamondback]

As I understand it, Condition 1. The thumb safety blocks the hammer but not the firing pin and the inertia from the fall was enough to bounce the firing pin. My source on that is that I worked at Leupold back around 2011 and some of the people there new him. It came up a couple times in conversation

Maybe back-fit a light-pin/heavy-spring inertial safety like what Springfield uses on 1911s?

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Maybe back-fit a light-pin/heavy-spring inertial safety like what Springfield uses on 1911s?

Yeah, if I was going CCW it that is the route I would go

 

[po18guy]

After this, I shall re-rail the thread. Though job. May he rest in peace, but not one explanation so far makes sense. The circumstances: alone, found in garage, loaded gun - suggest self-inflicted. Suggest, I said. Pistols fall butt first. Thus, the firing pin, already held back by a spring, is held back even more forcefully by the impact. My guess would be either AD, condition zero and the impact knocked a "tuned" sear off the hammer notch, or despondence.

 

[Diamondback]

Further notes for 1903 modernization... add 1911-style half-cock notch. Thanks for pointing that out, @po18guy .

 

[Wombat of Doom]

After this, I shall re-rail the thread. Though job. May he rest in peace, but not one explanation so far makes sense. The circumstances: alone, found in garage, loaded gun - suggest self-inflicted. Suggest, I said. Pistols fall butt first. Thus, the firing pin, already held back by a spring, is held back even more forcefully by the impact. My guess would be either AD, condition zero and the impact knocked a "tuned" sear off the hammer notch, or despondence.

I don't think an informed individual would attempt suicide by a .32acp to the chest. too much chance of just causing debilitating and painful injury. To the head, sure, but chest seems unlikely.to me. I have seen a few botched suicides by gunshot. Chest is not a real common target.